A protein engineered to bind uranyl selectively and with femtomolar affinity.

Uranyl (UO2(2+)), the predominant aerobic form of uranium, is present in the ocean at a concentration of ~3.2 parts per 10(9) (13.7 nM); however, the successful enrichment of uranyl from this vast resource has been limited by the high concentrations of metal ions of similar size and charge, which makes it difficult to design a binding motif that is selective for uranyl.

FTO-mediated formation of N6-hydroxymethyladenosine and N6-formyladenosine in mammalian RNA.

N(6)-methyladenosine is a prevalent internal modification in messenger RNA and non-coding RNA affecting various cellular pathways. Here we report the discovery of two additional modifications, N(6)-hydroxymethyladenosine (hm(6)A) and N(6)-formyladenosine (f(6)A), in mammalian messenger RNA. We show that Fe(II)- and α-ketoglutarate-dependent fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) protein oxidize N(6)-methyladenosine to generate N(6)-hydroxymethyladenosine as an intermediate modification, and N(6)-formyladenosine as a further oxidized product.

ALKBH5 is a mammalian RNA demethylase that impacts RNA metabolism and mouse fertility.

N(6)-methyladenosine (m(6)A) is the most prevalent internal modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) in higher eukaryotes. Here we report ALKBH5 as another mammalian demethylase that oxidatively reverses m(6)A in mRNA in vitro and in vivo. This demethylation activity of ALKBH5 significantly affects mRNA export and RNA metabolism as well as the assembly of mRNA processing factors in nuclear speckles.

Duplex interrogation by a direct DNA repair protein in search of base damage.

ALKBH2 is a direct DNA repair dioxygenase guarding the mammalian genome against N(1)-methyladenine, N(3)-methylcytosine and 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine damage. A prerequisite for repair is to identify these lesions in the genome. Here we present crystal structures of human ALKBH2 bound to different duplex DNAs.