ATDC/TRIM29 phosphorylation by ATM/MAPKAP kinase 2 mediates radioresistance in pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by therapeutic resistance for which the basis is poorly understood. Here, we report that the DNA and p53-binding protein ATDC/TRIM29, which is highly expressed in PDAC, plays a critical role in DNA damage signaling and radioresistance in pancreatic cancer cells. Ataxia-telangiectasia group D-associated gene (ATDC) mediated resistance to ionizing radiation in vitro and in vivo in mouse xenograft assays.

A small ubiquitin binding domain inhibits ubiquitin-dependent protein recruitment to DNA repair foci.

The rapid ubiquitination of chromatin surrounding DNA double-stranded breaks (DSB) drives the formation of large structures called ionizing radiation-induced foci (IRIF), comprising many DNA damage response (DDR) proteins. This process is regulated by RNF8 and RNF168 ubiquitin ligases and is thought to be necessary for DNA repair and activation of signaling pathways involved in regulating cell cycle checkpoints. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to interfere with ubiquitin-dependent recruitment of DDR factors by expressing proteins containing ubiquitin binding domains (UBDs) that bind to lysine 63-linked polyubiquitin chains.

The roles of DNA polymerase ζ and the Y family DNA polymerases in promoting or preventing genome instability.

Cancer cells display numerous abnormal characteristics which are initiated and maintained by elevated mutation rates and genome instability. Chromosomal DNA is continuously surveyed for the presence of damage or blocked replication forks by the DNA Damage Response (DDR) network. The DDR is complex and includes activation of cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair, gene transcription, and induction of apoptosis.

Vicrostatin - an anti-invasive multi-integrin targeting chimeric disintegrin with tumor anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic activities.

Similar to other integrin-targeting strategies, disintegrins have previously shown good efficacy in animal cancer models with favorable pharmacological attributes and translational potential. Nonetheless, these polypeptides are notoriously difficult to produce recombinantly due to their particular structure requiring the correct pairing of multiple disulfide bonds for biological activity. Here, we show that a sequence-engineered disintegrin (called vicrostatin or VCN) can be reliably produced in large scale amounts directly in the oxidative cytoplasm of Origami B E.

The use of pepsin in receptor internalization assays.

For internalization experiments that use fluorescent antibody (Ab) staining to distinguish between inside versus outside cellular localization of various receptor targeting ligands, it is critical that there be efficient removal of all residual surface-bound fluorescent Ab. To achieve this, a fluorescent Ab removal technique is commonly employed in receptor internalization assays that utilizes low pH glycine-based buffers to wash off the residual non-internalized fluorescent Ab retained on cell surfaces. In this study, we highlight the shortcomings of this technique and propose an alternative in situ proteolytic approach that we found to be non-deleterious to the cells and significantly more effective in removing the residual fluorescence resulting from non-internalized surface-bound Ab.