Endogenous Sterol Synthesis Is Dispensable for Epimastigote Growth but Not Stress Tolerance.

In addition to scavenging exogenous cholesterol, the parasitic kinetoplastid can endogenously synthesize sterols. Similar to fungal species, synthesizes ergostane type sterols and is sensitive to a class of azole inhibitors of ergosterol biosynthesis that target the enzyme lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51). In the related kinetoplastid parasite , CYP51 is essential, yet in , the cognate enzyme is dispensable for growth; but not heat resistance.

Molecular basis of C-S bond cleavage in the glycyl radical enzyme isethionate sulfite-lyase.

Desulfonation of isethionate by the bacterial glycyl radical enzyme (GRE) isethionate sulfite-lyase (IslA) generates sulfite, a substrate for respiration that in turn produces the disease-associated metabolite hydrogen sulfide. Here, we present a 2.7 Å resolution X-ray structure of wild-type IslA from Bilophila wadsworthia with isethionate bound.

Glutamine metabolism modulates azole susceptibility in amastigotes.

The mechanisms underlying resistance of the Chagas disease parasite, to current therapies are not well understood, including the role of metabolic heterogeneity. We found that limiting exogenous glutamine protects actively dividing amastigotes from ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors (azoles), independent of parasite growth rate. The antiparasitic properties of azoles are derived from inhibition of lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) in the endogenous sterol synthesis pathway.

The l-Alanosine Gene Cluster Encodes a Pathway for Diazeniumdiolate Biosynthesis.

N-Nitroso-containing natural products are bioactive metabolites with antibacterial and anticancer properties. In particular, compounds containing the diazeniumdiolate (N-nitrosohydroxylamine) group display a wide range of bioactivities ranging from cytotoxicity to metal chelation. Despite the importance of this structural motif, knowledge of its biosynthesis is limited.

Colibactin assembly line enzymes use S-adenosylmethionine to build a cyclopropane ring.

Despite containing an α-amino acid, the versatile cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is not a known building block for nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) assembly lines. Here we report an unusual NRPS module from colibactin biosynthesis that uses SAM for amide bond formation and subsequent cyclopropanation. Our findings showcase a new use for SAM and reveal a novel biosynthetic route to a functional group that likely mediates colibactin's genotoxicity.

ChREBP regulates fructose-induced glucose production independently of insulin signaling.

Obese, insulin-resistant states are characterized by a paradoxical pathogenic condition in which the liver appears to be selectively insulin resistant. Specifically, insulin fails to suppress glucose production, yet successfully stimulates de novo lipogenesis. The mechanisms underlying this dysregulation remain controversial.

The Cremeomycin Biosynthetic Gene Cluster Encodes a Pathway for Diazo Formation.

Diazo groups are found in a range of natural products that possess potent biological activities. Despite longstanding interest in these metabolites, diazo group biosynthesis is not well understood, in part because of difficulties in identifying specific genes linked to diazo formation. Here we describe the discovery of the gene cluster that produces the o-diazoquinone natural product cremeomycin and its heterologous expression in Streptomyces lividans.

The metabolite α-ketoglutarate extends lifespan by inhibiting ATP synthase and TOR.

Metabolism and ageing are intimately linked. Compared with ad libitum feeding, dietary restriction consistently extends lifespan and delays age-related diseases in evolutionarily diverse organisms. Similar conditions of nutrient limitation and genetic or pharmacological perturbations of nutrient or energy metabolism also have longevity benefits.

In vivo human apolipoprotein E isoform fractional turnover rates in the CNS.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and has been implicated in the risk for other neurological disorders. The three common ApoE isoforms (ApoE2, E3, and E4) each differ by a single amino acid, with ApoE4 increasing and ApoE2 decreasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both the isoform and amount of ApoE in the brain modulate AD pathology by altering the extent of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide deposition.

Acute gamma-secretase inhibition of nonhuman primate CNS shifts amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism from amyloid-beta production to alternative APP fragments without amyloid-beta rebound.

The accumulation of amyloid beta (Abeta) in Alzheimer's disease is caused by an imbalance of production and clearance, which leads to increased soluble Abeta species and extracellular plaque formation in the brain. Multiple Abeta-lowering therapies are currently in development: an important goal is to characterize the molecular mechanisms of action and effects on physiological processing of Abeta, as well as other amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolites, in models which approximate human Abeta physiology. To this end, we report the translation of the human in vivo stable-isotope-labeling kinetics (SILK) method to a rhesus monkey cisterna magna ported (CMP) nonhuman primate model, and use the model to test the mechanisms of action of a gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI).