An allosteric HTRA1-calpain 2 complex with restricted activation profile.

SignificanceClassic serine proteases are synthesized as inactive precursors that are proteolytically processed, resulting in irreversible activation. We report an alternative and reversible mechanism of activation that is executed by an inactive protease. This mechanism involves a protein complex between the serine protease HTRA1 and the cysteine protease calpain 2.

Glycogen synthetase kinase 3 inhibition drives MIC-A/B to promote cytokine production by human natural killer cells in Dengue virus type 2 infection.

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most widespread arbovirus worldwide and is responsible for major outbreaks. The host's immune response plays a crucial role in controlling this infection but might also contribute to the promotion of viral spread and immunopathology. In response to DENV infection, NK cells preferentially produce cytokines and are cytotoxic in the presence of specific antibodies.

Utilities for Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Proteins (UMSAP): Fast post-processing of mass spectrometry data.

Rationale: Mass spectrometry (MS) is an invaluable tool for the analysis of proteins. However, the sheer amount of data generated in MS studies demands dedicated data-processing tools that are efficient and require minimal user intervention.

Methods: Utilities for Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Proteins (UMSAP) is a graphical user interface designed for efficient post-processing of MS result files.

Tailored Ahp-cyclodepsipeptides as Potent Non-covalent Serine Protease Inhibitors.

The S1 serine protease family is one of the largest and most biologically important protease families. Despite their biomedical significance, generic approaches to generate potent, class-specific, bioactive non-covalent inhibitors for these enzymes are still limited. In this work, we demonstrate that Ahp-cyclodepsipeptides represent a suitable scaffold for generating target-tailored inhibitors of serine proteases.

Control of acute dengue virus infection by natural killer cells.

Dengue fever is the most important arthropod-borne viral disease worldwide, affecting 50-100 million individuals annually. The clinical picture associated with acute dengue virus (DENV) infections ranges from classical febrile illness to life-threatening disease. The innate immunity is the first line of defense in the control of viral replication.

Reduced erythrocyte deformability associated with hypoargininemia during Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

The mechanisms underlying reduced red blood cell (RBC) deformability during Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria remain poorly understood. Here, we explore the possible involvement of the L-arginine and nitric oxide (NO) pathway on RBC deformability in Pf-infected patients and parasite cultures. RBC deformability was reduced during the acute attack (day0) and returned to normal values upon convalescence (day28).

RabGEFs are a major determinant for specific Rab membrane targeting.

Eukaryotic cells critically depend on the correct regulation of intracellular vesicular trafficking to transport biological material. The Rab subfamily of small guanosine triphosphatases controls these processes by acting as a molecular on/off switch. To fulfill their function, active Rab proteins need to localize to intracellular membranes via posttranslationally attached geranylgeranyl lipids.