The Cardiac TBX5 Interactome Reveals a Chromatin Remodeling Network Essential for Cardiac Septation.

Human mutations in the cardiac transcription factor gene TBX5 cause congenital heart disease (CHD), although the underlying mechanism is unknown. We report characterization of the endogenous TBX5 cardiac interactome and demonstrate that TBX5, long considered a transcriptional activator, interacts biochemically and genetically with the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) repressor complex. Incompatible gene programs are repressed by TBX5 in the developing heart.

Immunoisolation of protein complexes from Xenopus.

The immunoaffinity isolation of protein complexes is an essential technique for the purification and -concentration of protein complexes from cells and tissues. In this chapter we present the methodologies for the purification of proteins and protein complexes from Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis. Specific to this protocol are the techniques for the cryolysis of Xenopus cells and tissues, a procedure that limits contamination from yolk proteins while preserving endogenous protein complexes, the methodologies for immunoaffinity purification of proteins using magnetic beads, and the protocols for western blot analysis.

Xenopus: An emerging model for studying congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart defects affect nearly 1% of all newborns and are a significant cause of infant death. Clinical studies have identified a number of congenital heart syndromes associated with mutations in genes that are involved in the complex process of cardiogenesis. The African clawed frog, Xenopus, has been instrumental in studies of vertebrate heart development and provides a valuable tool to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying human congenital heart diseases.

Engineering a ubiquitin ligase reveals conformational flexibility required for ubiquitin transfer.

Protein ubiquitination regulates numerous cellular functions in eukaryotes. The prevailing view about the role of RING or U-box ubiquitin ligases (E3) is to provide precise positioning between the attached substrate and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2). However, the mechanism of ubiquitin transfer remains obscure.