Publications by authors named "David Furkert"

Broad-complex, tramtrack, and bric-à-brac domain (BTB) and CNC homolog 1 (BACH1) is a key regulator of the cellular oxidative stress response and an oncogene that undergoes tight post-translational control by two distinct F-box ubiquitin ligases, SCF and SCF. However, how both ligases recognize BACH1 under oxidative stress is unclear. In our study, we elucidate the mechanism by which FBXO22 recognizes a quaternary degron in a domain-swapped β-sheet of the BACH1 BTB dimer.

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Background And Aims: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death. Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) mediates cholesterol efflux to lower the risks of atherosclerosis. Elevating circulating apoA-I is an effective strategy for atheroprotection.

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The ARID1A and ARID1B subunits are mutually exclusive components of the BAF variant of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes. Loss of function mutations in ARID1A are frequently observed in various cancers, resulting in a dependency on the paralog ARID1B for cancer cell proliferation. However, ARID1B has never been targeted directly, and the high degree of sequence similarity to ARID1A poses a challenge for the development of selective binders.

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Aims: Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived circulating protein that exerts cardiovascular and metabolic protection. Due to the futile degradation of endogenous adiponectin and the challenges of exogenous administration, regulatory mechanisms of adiponectin biosynthesis are of significant pharmacological interest.

Methods And Results: Here, we report that 5-diphosphoinositol 1,2,3,4,6-pentakisphosphate (5-InsP7) generated by inositol hexakisphosphate kinase 1 (IP6K1) governed circulating adiponectin levels via thiol-mediated protein quality control in the secretory pathway.

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The antifungal drug itraconazole has been repurposed to anti-angiogenic agent, but the mechanisms of action have been elusive. Here we report that itraconazole disrupts focal adhesion dynamics and cytoskeletal remodeling, which requires 5-diphosphoinositol 1,2,3,4,6-pentakisphosphate (5-InsP). We find that inositol hexakisphosphate kinase 1 (IP6K1) binds Arp2 and generates 5-InsP to recruit coronin, a negative regulator of the Arp2/3 complex.

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Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) constitute a group of highly charged messengers, which regulate central biological processes in health and disease, such as cellular phosphate and general energy homeostasis. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying PP-InsP-mediated signaling remains a challenge due to the unique properties of these molecules, the different modes of action they can access, and a somewhat limited chemical and analytical toolset. Herein, we summarize the most recent mechanistic insights into PP-InsP signaling, which illustrate our progress in connecting mechanism and function of PP-InsPs.

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Visual arrestin (Arr1) terminates rhodopsin signaling by blocking its interaction with transducin. To do this, Arr1 translocates from the inner to the outer segment of photoreceptors upon light stimulation. Mounting evidence indicates that inositol phosphates (InsPs) affect Arr1 activity, but the Arr1-InsP molecular interaction remains poorly defined.

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Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) are highly phosphorylated molecules that have emerged as central nutrient messengers in eukaryotic organisms. They can bind to structurally diverse target proteins to regulate biological functions, such as protein-protein interactions. PP-InsPs are strongly negatively charged and interact with highly basic surface patches in proteins, making their quantitative biochemical analysis challenging.

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Inositol poly- and pyrophosphates (InsPs and PP-InsPs) are densely phosphorylated eukaryotic messengers, which are involved in numerous cellular processes. To elucidate their signaling functions at the molecular level, non-hydrolyzable bisphosphonate analogs of inositol pyrophosphates, PCP-InsPs, have been instrumental. Here, an efficient synthetic strategy to obtain these analogs in unprecedented quantities is described - relying on the use of combined phosphate ester-phosphoramidite reagents.

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This protocol describes an affinity enrichment approach from mammalian cell extracts to identify protein binding partners of inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP) and 5-diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (5PP-InsP), two important eukaryotic metabolites. The interactomes are annotated using mass spectrometry-based proteomics, and comparison against a control resin can uncover hundreds of protein targets. Quantitative analysis of InsP- versus 5PP-InsP-binding proteins highlights specific protein-ligand interactions.

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Sodium/potassium-transporting adenosine triphosphatase (Na/K-ATPase) is one of the most abundant cell membrane proteins and is essential for eukaryotes. Endogenous negative regulators have long been postulated to play an important role in regulating the activity and stability of Na/K-ATPase, but characterization of these regulators has been elusive. Mechanisms of regulating Na/K-ATPase homeostatic turnover are unknown.

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In the human-pathogenic fungus , the inositol polyphosphate signaling pathway is critical for virulence. We recently demonstrated the key role of the inositol pyrophosphate IP (isomer 5-PP-IP) in driving fungal virulence; however, the mechanism of action remains elusive. Using genetic and biochemical approaches, and mouse infection models, we show that IP synthesized by Kcs1 regulates fungal virulence by binding to a conserved lysine surface cluster in the SPX domain of Pho81.

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The inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) are a ubiquitous group of highly phosphorylated eukaryotic messengers. They have been linked to a panoply of central cellular processes, but a detailed understanding of the discrete signaling events is lacking in most cases. To create a more mechanistic picture of PP-InsP signaling, we sought to annotate the mammalian interactome of the most abundant inositol pyrophosphate 5PP-InsP.

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Real-time monitoring of acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) activity is crucial for investigating its role in lipid-mediated signaling processes. In this study, we synthesized fluorescent phosphosphingolipids capable of FRET by phosphorodichloridate chemistry. These sphingomyelin analogues are substrates for recombinant human ASM and can be used to monitor ASM activity by fluorescence spectroscopy.

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