Phosphorylation of glucocorticoid receptor tau1c transactivation domain enhances binding to CREB binding protein (CBP) TAZ2.

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) N-terminal domain (NTD) contains a transactivation domain (activation function 1; AF-1). GR AF-1 is phosphorylated, but effects of this modification upon AF-1 activity and cofactor recruitment are not completely clear. GR AF-1 activity is mostly confined to a short unstructured domain called tau1c (amino acids 187-244) that contains three phosphorylation sites and binds a short cysteine rich fragment (CH3) of the coactivator CREB binding protein (CBP).

A microfluidic, high throughput protein crystal growth method for microgravity.

The attenuation of sedimentation and convection in microgravity can sometimes decrease irregularities formed during macromolecular crystal growth. Current terrestrial protein crystal growth (PCG) capabilities are very different than those used during the Shuttle era and that are currently on the International Space Station (ISS). The focus of this experiment was to demonstrate the use of a commercial off-the-shelf, high throughput, PCG method in microgravity.

The day/night switch in KaiC, a central oscillator component of the circadian clock of cyanobacteria.

The circadian oscillator of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus is composed of only three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, which, together with ATP, can generate a self-sustained approximately 24 h oscillation of KaiC phosphorylation for several days. KaiA induces KaiC to autophosphorylate, whereas KaiB blocks the stimulation of KaiC by KaiA, which allows KaiC to autodephosphorylate. We propose and support a model in which the C-terminal loops of KaiC, the "A-loops", are the master switch that determines overall KaiC activity.