Cryo-EM structures of Uba7 reveal the molecular basis for ISG15 activation and E1-E2 thioester transfer.

ISG15 plays a crucial role in the innate immune response and has been well-studied due to its antiviral activity and regulation of signal transduction, apoptosis, and autophagy. ISG15 is a ubiquitin-like protein that is activated by an E1 enzyme (Uba7) and transferred to a cognate E2 enzyme (UBE2L6) to form a UBE2L6-ISG15 intermediate that functions with E3 ligases that catalyze conjugation of ISG15 to target proteins. Despite its biological importance, the molecular basis by which Uba7 catalyzes ISG15 activation and transfer to UBE2L6 is unknown as there is no available structure of Uba7.

Crystal structures reveal catalytic and regulatory mechanisms of the dual-specificity ubiquitin/FAT10 E1 enzyme Uba6.

The E1 enzyme Uba6 initiates signal transduction by activating ubiquitin and the ubiquitin-like protein FAT10 in a two-step process involving sequential catalysis of adenylation and thioester bond formation. To gain mechanistic insights into these processes, we determined the crystal structure of a human Uba6/ubiquitin complex. Two distinct architectures of the complex are observed: one in which Uba6 adopts an open conformation with the active site configured for catalysis of adenylation, and a second drastically different closed conformation in which the adenylation active site is disassembled and reconfigured for catalysis of thioester bond formation.

Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Proteases for COVID-19 Antiviral Development.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 marked the third occurrence of a highly pathogenic coronavirus in the human population since 2003. As the death toll surpasses 5 million globally and economic losses continue, designing drugs that could curtail infection and disease progression is critical. In the US, three highly effective Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized vaccines are currently available, and Remdesivir is approved for the treatment of hospitalized patients.

TGF-β2 uses the concave surface of its extended finger region to bind betaglycan's ZP domain via three residues specific to TGF-β and inhibin-α.

Betaglycan (BG) is a membrane-bound co-receptor of the TGF-β family that selectively binds transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) isoforms and inhibin A (InhA) to enable temporal-spatial patterns of signaling essential for their functions Here, using NMR titrations of methyl-labeled TGF-β2 with BG's C-terminal binding domain, BG, and surface plasmon resonance binding measurements with TGF-β2 variants, we found that the BG-binding site on TGF-β2 is located on the inner surface of its extended finger region. Included in this binding site are Ile-92, Lys-97, and Glu-99, which are entirely or mostly specific to the TGF-β isoforms and the InhA α-subunit, but they are unconserved in other TGF-β family growth factors (GFs). In accord with the proposed specificity-determining role of these residues, BG bound bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) weakly or not at all, and TGF-β2 variants with the corresponding residues from BMP-2 bound BG more weakly than corresponding alanine variants.

An engineered transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) monomer that functions as a dominant negative to block TGF-β signaling.

The transforming growth factor β isoforms, TGF-β1, -β2, and -β3, are small secreted homodimeric signaling proteins with essential roles in regulating the adaptive immune system and maintaining the extracellular matrix. However, dysregulation of the TGF-β pathway is responsible for promoting the progression of several human diseases, including cancer and fibrosis. Despite the known importance of TGF-βs in promoting disease progression, no inhibitors have been approved for use in humans.

Structures of mithramycin analogues bound to DNA and implications for targeting transcription factor FLI1.

Transcription factors have been considered undruggable, but this paradigm has been recently challenged. DNA binding natural product mithramycin (MTM) is a potent antagonist of oncogenic transcription factor EWS-FLI1. Structural details of MTM recognition of DNA, including the FLI1 binding sequence GGA(A/T), are needed to understand how MTM interferes with EWS-FLI1.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Structural Mapping Reveals Promiscuous Interactions between Clathrin-Box Motif Sequences and the N-Terminal Domain of the Clathrin Heavy Chain.

The recruitment and organization of clathrin at endocytic sites first to form coated pits and then clathrin-coated vesicles depend on interactions between the clathrin N-terminal domain (TD) and multiple clathrin binding sequences on the cargo adaptor and accessory proteins that are concentrated at such sites. Up to four distinct protein binding sites have been proposed to be present on the clathrin TD, with each site proposed to interact with a distinct clathrin binding motif. However, an understanding of how such interactions contribute to clathrin coat assembly must take into account observations that any three of these four sites on clathrin TD can be mutationally ablated without causing loss of clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

NMR-based metabolomic analysis of the molecular pathogenesis of therapy-related myelodysplasia/acute myeloid leukemia.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the oldest and most successful form of stem cell therapy. High dose therapy (HDT) followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation allows physicians to administer increased amounts of chemotherapy and/or radiation while minimizing negative side effects such as damage to blood-producing bone marrow cells. Although HDT is successful in treating a wide range of cancers, it leads to lethal therapy-related myelodysplasia syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia (t-MDS/AML) in 5--10% of patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

NMR metabolomic profiling reveals new roles of SUMOylation in DNA damage response.

Post-translational modifications by the Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) family of proteins have been established as critical events in the cellular response to a wide range of DNA damaging reagents and radiation; however, the detailed mechanism of SUMOylation in DNA damage response is not well understood. In this study, we used a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics approach to examine the effect of an inhibitor of SUMO-mediated protein-protein interactions on MCF7 breast cancer cell response to radiation. Metabolomics is sensitive to changes in cellular functions and thus provides complementary information to other biological studies.

Novel regulatory function for the CCAAT-binding factor in Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogen that can sense environmental changes and respond by altering its cell morphology and physiology. A number of environmental factors have been shown to influence this dimorphic transition, including pH, starvation, serum, and amino acids. In this report, we investigate the function of the C.

Rapid 3D NMR using the filter diagonalization method: application to oligosaccharides derivatized with 13C-labeled acetyl groups.

Rapid 3D NMR spectroscopy of oligosaccharides having isotopically labeled acetyl "isotags" was made possible with high resolution in the indirect dimensions using the filter diagonalization method (FDM). A pulse sequence was designed for the optimal correlation of acetyl methyl protons, methyl carbons, and carbonyl carbons. The multi-dimensional nature of the FDM, coupled with the advantages of constant-time evolution periods, resulted in marked improvements over Fourier transform (FT) and mirror-image linear prediction (MI-LP) processing methods.

Cascaded z-filters for efficient single-scan suppression of zero-quantum coherence.

A simple and robust method to suppress zero-quantum coherence (ZQC) in NMR experiments, in a single scan and with very high suppression ratio, is described. It is an appreciable improvement on a previous technique by Thrippleton and Keeler [Angew. Chem.

Regularized resolvent transform for direct calculation of 45 degrees projections of 2D J spectra.

The regularized resolvent transform (RRT) has been applied in a novel way to J-resolved spectra. This involves the direct calculation of the 45 degrees projection without constructing the 2D spectrum. The results show a significant resolution enhancement over that obtained by the 45 degrees projection of a 2D Fourier spectrum, even for much larger signals.

Adjustable, broadband, selective excitation with uniform phase.

An advance in the problem of achieving broadband, selective, and uniform-phase excitation in NMR spectroscopy of liquids is outlined. Broadband means that, neglecting relaxation, any frequency bandwidth may be excited even when the available radiofrequency (RF) field strength is strictly limited. Selective means that sharp transition edges can be created between pure-phase excitation and no excitation at all.