Publications by authors named "Geraldine Mbamalu"

Article Synopsis
  • Tumor suppressor p53 (TP53) mutations in cancer lead to loss of its protective function and potential gain of oncogenic traits, with mutant forms often stabilized in tumors.
  • Researchers conducted CRISPR screens to identify factors that regulate the stability of wild-type and mutant p53, revealing that most regulators affect both, but some, like those for mutant p53 R337H, are specific to that mutant.
  • The study highlights FBXO42 as a positive regulator for certain p53 mutants and C16orf72/HAPSTR1 as a negative regulator linked to increased levels in breast cancer, suggesting potential targets for cancer therapy focused on p53 stability.
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How the genetic landscape governs a tumor's response to immunotherapy remains poorly understood. To assess the immune-modulatory capabilities of 573 genes associated with altered cytotoxicity in human cancers, here we perform CRISPR/Cas9 screens directly in mouse lung cancer models. We recover the known immune evasion factors Stat1 and Serpinb9 and identify the cancer testis antigen Adam2 as an immune modulator, whose expression is induced by Kras and further elevated by immunotherapy.

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Rho GTPases are central regulators of the cytoskeleton and, in humans, are controlled by 145 multidomain guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAPs). How Rho signalling patterns are established in dynamic cell spaces to control cellular morphogenesis is unclear. Through a family-wide characterization of substrate specificities, interactomes and localization, we reveal at the systems level how RhoGEFs and RhoGAPs contextualize and spatiotemporally control Rho signalling.

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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis and is associated with several human malignancies. The EBV protein latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) promotes viral latency in memory B cells by interfering with B cell receptor signaling and provides a survival signal for mature B cells that have lost expression of surface immunoglobulin. The latter function has suggested that LMP2A may enhance the survival of EBV-positive tumors.

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WW domains are protein modules that mediate protein-protein interactions through recognition of proline-rich peptide motifs and phosphorylated serine/threonine-proline sites. To pursue the functional properties of WW domains, we employed mass spectrometry to identify 148 proteins that associate with 10 human WW domains. Many of these proteins represent novel WW domain-binding partners and are components of multiprotein complexes involved in molecular processes, such as transcription, RNA processing, and cytoskeletal regulation.

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A lectin with an affinity for β-D-galactoside-containing saccharides is present in the developing yolk sac from the chick embryo at stages from 2 to 7 days of incubation. This activity is present in the area vitellina (less differentiated) and the area vasculosa (more differentiated). In both areas, lectin activity increases significantly during the spreading of the yolk sac up to 5 days of incubation.

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