Single-molecule imaging and molecular dynamics simulations reveal early activation of the MET receptor in cells.

Embedding of cell-surface receptors into a membrane defines their dynamics but also complicates experimental characterization of their signaling complexes. The hepatocyte growth factor receptor MET is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in cellular processes such as proliferation, migration, and survival. It is also targeted by the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, whose invasion protein, internalin B (InlB), binds to MET, forming a signaling dimer that triggers pathogen internalization.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin inhibits pertussis toxin.

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a vaccine-preventable but re-emerging, highly infectious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. There are currently no effective treatments for pertussis, complicating care for nonvaccinated individuals, especially newborns. Disease manifestations are predominantly caused by pertussis toxin (PT), a pivotal virulence factor classified as an ADP-ribosylating AB-type protein toxin.

A naturally occurring 22-amino acid fragment of human hemoglobin A inhibits autophagy and HIV-1.

Autophagy is an evolutionarily ancient catabolic pathway and has recently emerged as an integral part of the innate immune system. While the core machinery of autophagy is well defined, the physiological regulation of autophagy is less understood. Here, we identify a C-terminal fragment of human hemoglobin A (HBA1, amino acids 111-132) in human bone marrow as a fast-acting non-inflammatory inhibitor of autophagy initiation.