Publications by authors named "F Cutruzzola"

Antimicrobial resistance is responsible for an alarming number of deaths, estimated at 5 million per year. To combat priority pathogens, like , the development of novel therapies is of utmost importance. Understanding the molecular alterations induced by medications is critical for the design of multi-targeting treatments capable of eradicating the infection and mitigating its pathogenicity.

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RNA can directly control protein activity in a process called riboregulation; only a few mechanisms of riboregulation have been described in detail, none of which have been characterized on structural grounds. Here, we present a comprehensive structural, functional, and phylogenetic analysis of riboregulation of cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT1), the enzyme interconverting serine and glycine in one-carbon metabolism. We have determined the cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of human SHMT1 in its free- and RNA-bound states, and we show that the RNA modulator competes with polyglutamylated folates and acts as an allosteric switch, selectively altering the enzyme's reactivity vs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Brain insulin resistance connects energy metabolism failure to cognitive decline in type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, but the early changes leading to insulin resistance are not well understood.
  • Abnormal levels of biliverdin reductase-A (BVR-A) are found in both conditions, linked to insulin resistance and affecting insulin signaling and energy production in the brain.
  • The study reveals that lower BVR-A disrupts insulin response and mitochondrial function, highlighting its importance for potential therapeutic targets to combat brain insulin resistance and neurodegeneration.
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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a widespread type of leukemia that predominantly targets B lymphocytes, undermining the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis. In healthy B cells, miR-15/16, a tandem of microRNAs, functions as a tumor suppressor, curbing the expression of the antiapoptotic B cell lymphoma 2 protein (Bcl-2). Conversely, in CLL patients, a recurring deletion on chromosome 13q14, home to the miR15-a and miR16-1 genes, results in Bcl-2 overexpression, thereby fostering the onset of the pathology.

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Extravasation is a fundamental step in the metastatic journey, where cancer cells exit the bloodstream and breach the endothelial cell barrier to infiltrate target tissues. The tactics cancer cells employ are sophisticated, closely reflecting those used by the immune system for tissue surveillance. Remarkably, tumor cells have been observed to form distinct associations or clusters with immune cells where neutrophils stand out as particularly crucial partners.

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