Sodium is a negative allosteric regulator of the ghrelin receptor.

The functional properties of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are intimately associated with the different components in their cellular environment. Among them, sodium ions have been proposed to play a substantial role as endogenous allosteric modulators of GPCR-mediated signaling. However, this sodium effect and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear for most GPCRs.

Conformational flexibility of coenzyme A and its impact on the post-translational modification of acyl carrier proteins by 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferases.

One central question surrounding the biosynthesis of fatty acids and polyketide-derived natural products is how the 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) interrogates the essential acyl carrier protein (ACP) domain to fulfill the initial activation step. The triggering factor of this study was the lack of structural information on PPTases at physiological pH, which could bias our comprehension of the mechanism of action of these important enzymes. Structural and functional studies on the family II PPTase PptAb of Mycobacterium abscessus show that pH has a profound effect on the coordination of metal ions and on the conformation of endogenously bound coenzyme A (CoA).

The tissue-specific effects of different 17β-estradiol doses reveal the key sensitizing role of AF1 domain in ERα activity.

17β-Estradiol (E2) action can be mediated by the full-length estrogen receptor alpha (ERα66), and also by the AF1 domain-deficient ERα (ERα46) isoform, but their respective sensitivity to E2 is essentially unknown. We first performed a dose response study using subcutaneous home-made pellets mimicking either metestrus, proestrus or a pharmacological doses of E2, which resulted in plasma concentrations around 3, 30 and 600 pM, respectively. Analysis of the uterus, vagina and bone after chronic exposure to E2 demonstrated dose-dependent effects, with a maximal response reached at the proestrus-dose in wild type mice expressing mainly ERα66.

The conical shape of DIM lipids promotes infection of macrophages.

Phthiocerol dimycocerosate (DIM) is a major virulence factor of the pathogen (). While this lipid promotes the entry of into macrophages, which occurs via phagocytosis, its molecular mechanism of action is unknown. Here, we combined biophysical, cell biology, and modeling approaches to reveal the molecular mechanism of DIM action on macrophage membranes leading to the first step of infection.

Structure and dynamics of dynorphin peptide and its receptor.

Dynorphin is a neuropeptide involved in pain, addiction and mood regulation. It exerts its activity by binding to the kappa opioid receptor (KOP) which belongs to the large family of G protein-coupled receptors. The dynorphin peptide was discovered in 1975, while its receptor was cloned in 1993.

A protein nanocontainer targeting epithelial cancers: rational engineering, biochemical characterization, drug loading and cell delivery.

The development of drug delivery and imaging tools is a major challenge in human health, in particular in cancer pathologies. This work describes the optimization of a protein nanocontainer, belonging to the lectin protein family, for its use in epithelial cancer diagnosis and treatment. Indeed, it specifically targets a glycosidic marker, the T antigen, which is known to be characteristic of epithelial cancers.

NMR secondary structure and interactions of recombinant human MOZART1 protein, a component of the gamma-tubulin complex.

Mitotic-spindle organizing protein associated with a ring of γ-tubulin 1 (MOZART1) is an 8.5 kDa protein linked to regulation of γ-tubulin ring complexes (γTuRCs), which are involved in nucleation of microtubules. Despite its small size, MOZART1 represents a challenging target for detailed characterization in vitro.

Identification of specific posttranslational -mycoloylations mediating protein targeting to the mycomembrane.

The outer membranes (OMs) of members of the Corynebacteriales bacterial order, also called mycomembranes, harbor mycolic acids and unusual outer membrane proteins (OMPs), including those with α-helical structure. The signals that allow precursors of such proteins to be targeted to the mycomembrane remain uncharacterized. We report here the molecular features responsible for OMP targeting to the mycomembrane of , a nonpathogenic member of the Corynebacteriales order.

Local and Global Dynamics in Klebsiella pneumoniae Outer Membrane Protein a in Lipid Bilayers Probed at Atomic Resolution.

The role of membrane proteins in cellular mechanism strongly depends on their dynamics, and solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a unique method to exhaustively characterize motions of proteins in a lipid environment. Herein, we make use of advances in H-detected MAS NMR to describe the dynamics of the membrane domain of the Outer membrane protein A of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpOmpA). By measuring H-N dipolar-coupling as well as N R and R relaxation rates at fast (60 kHz) MAS and high magnetic field (1 GHz), we were able to describe the motions of the residues of the β-barrel as a collective rocking of low amplitude and of hundreds of nanoseconds time scale.

The C-terminal region of the transcriptional regulator THAP11 forms a parallel coiled-coil domain involved in protein dimerization.

Thanatos associated protein 11 (THAP11) is a cell cycle and cell growth regulator differentially expressed in cancer cells. THAP11 belongs to a distinct family of transcription factors recognizing specific DNA sequences via an atypical zinc finger motif and regulating diverse cellular processes. Outside the extensively characterized DNA-binding domain, THAP proteins vary in size and predicted domains, for which structural data are still lacking.

Structure-Based Virtual Ligand Screening on the XRCC4/DNA Ligase IV Interface.

The association of DNA Ligase IV (Lig4) with XRCC4 is essential for repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) in humans. DSBs cytotoxicity is largely exploited in anticancer therapy. Thus, NHEJ is an attractive target for strategies aimed at increasing the sensitivity of tumors to clastogenic anticancer treatments.

The One-carbon Carrier Methylofuran from Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 Contains a Large Number of α- and γ-Linked Glutamic Acid Residues.

Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 uses dedicated cofactors for one-carbon unit conversion. Based on the sequence identities of enzymes and activity determinations, a methanofuran analog was proposed to be involved in formaldehyde oxidation in Alphaproteobacteria. Here, we report the structure of the cofactor, which we termed methylofuran.

NMR structure and dynamics of the agonist dynorphin peptide bound to the human kappa opioid receptor.

The structure of the dynorphin (1-13) peptide (dynorphin) bound to the human kappa opioid receptor (KOR) has been determined by liquid-state NMR spectroscopy. (1)H and (15)N chemical shift variations indicated that free and bound peptide is in fast exchange in solutions containing 1 mM dynorphin and 0.01 mM KOR.

Two classes of cholesterol binding sites for the β2AR revealed by thermostability and NMR.

Cholesterol binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and modulation of their activities in membranes is a fundamental issue for understanding their function. Despite the identification of cholesterol binding sites in high-resolution x-ray structures of the ?2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) and other GPCRs, the binding affinity of cholesterol for this receptor and exchange rates between the free and bound cholesterol remain unknown. In this study we report the existence of two classes of cholesterol binding sites in β2AR.

Search for the most 'primitive' membranes and their reinforcers: a review of the polyprenyl phosphates theory.

Terpenoids have an essential function in present-day cellular membranes, either as membrane reinforcers in Eucarya and Bacteria or as principal membrane constituents in Archaea. We have shown that some terpenoids, such as cholesterol and α, ω-dipolar carotenoids reinforce lipid membranes by measuring the water permeability of unilamellar vesicles. It was possible to arrange the known membrane terpenoids in a 'phylogenetic' sequence, and a retrograde analysis led us to conceive that single-chain polyprenyl phosphates might have been 'primitive' membrane constituents.

The uterine and vascular actions of estetrol delineate a distinctive profile of estrogen receptor α modulation, uncoupling nuclear and membrane activation.

Estetrol (E4) is a natural estrogen with a long half-life produced only by the human fetal liver during pregnancy. The crystal structures of the estrogen receptor α (ERα) ligand-binding domain bound to 17β-estradiol (E2) and E4 are very similar, as well as their capacity to activate the two activation functions AF-1 and AF-2 and to recruit the coactivator SRC3. In vivo administration of high doses of E4 stimulated uterine gene expression, epithelial proliferation, and prevented atheroma, three recognized nuclear ERα actions.

The use of amphipols for solution NMR studies of membrane proteins: advantages and constraints as compared to other solubilizing media.

Solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance studies of membrane proteins are facilitated by the increased stability that trapping with amphipols confers to most of them as compared to detergent solutions. They have yielded information on the state of folding of the proteins, their areas of contact with the polymer, their dynamics, water accessibility, and the structure of protein-bound ligands. They benefit from the diversification of amphipol chemical structures and the availability of deuterated amphipols.

Mutation of a pH-modulating residue in a GH51 α-l-arabinofuranosidase leads to a severe reduction of the secondary hydrolysis of transfuranosylation products.

Background: The development of enzyme-mediated glycosynthesis using glycoside hydrolases is still an inexact science, because the underlying molecular determinants of transglycosylation are not well understood. In the framework of this challenge, this study focused on the family GH51 α-l-arabinofuranosidase from Thermobacillus xylanilyticus, with the aim to understand why the mutation of position 344 provokes a significant modification of the transglycosylation/hydrolysis partition.

Methods: Detailed kinetic analysis (kcat, KM, pKa determination and time-course NMR kinetics) and saturation transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was employed to determine the synthetic and hydrolytic ability modification induced by the redundant N344 mutation disclosed in libraries from directed evolution.

NMR localization of the O-mycoloylation on PorH, a channel forming peptide from Corynebacterium glutamicum.

PorH and PorA are two small peptides that, in complex, form a voltage-dependent ion channel in the outer membrane of Corynebacterium glutamicum. Specific post-translational modifications on PorA and PorH are required for the formation of a functional ion channel. The assignment of PorH proton NMR chemical shifts in DMSO, allowed identifying unambiguously the exact position of the PorH O-mycoloylation on Ser 56 side chain.

Hydrogen bonding of cholesterol in the lipidic cubic phase.

The addition of cholesterol to the monoolein-based lipidic cubic phase (LCP) has been instrumental in obtaining high-resolution crystal structures of several G protein-coupled receptors. Here, we report the use of high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy to record and assign the isotropic (13)C chemical shifts of cholesterol in lipidic lamellar and cubic phases at different hydration levels with monoolein and chain-deuterated DMPC as host lipids. The hydrogen-bonding patterns of cholesterol in these phases were determined from the NMR data by quantum chemical calculations.

Virtual and biophysical screening targeting the γ-tubulin complex--a new target for the inhibition of microtubule nucleation.

Microtubules are the main constituents of mitotic spindles. They are nucleated in large amounts during spindle assembly, from multiprotein complexes containing γ-tubulin and associated γ-tubulin complex proteins (GCPs). With the aim of developing anti-cancer drugs targeting these nucleating complexes, we analyzed the interface between GCP4 and γ-tubulin proteins usually located in a multiprotein complex named γ-TuRC (γ-Tubulin Ring Complex).

Cord factor (trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate) forms fully stable and non-permeable lipid bilayers required for a functional outer membrane.

Cord factor (trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate, TDM) is the major lipid in the outer membrane of Corynebacteria and Mycobacteria. Although its role is well recognized in the immune response phenomena, its membrane biophysical properties remained largely unexplored and TDM has often been described as a detergent. We purified the main components of the outer membrane from Corynebacterium glutamicum and analyzed their membrane forming properties.