TRBP2, a Major Component of the RNAi Machinery, Is Subjected to Cell Cycle-Dependent Regulation in Human Cancer Cells of Diverse Tissue Origin.

Background: Transactivation Response Element RNA-binding Protein (TRBP2) is a double-stranded RNA-binding protein widely known for its critical contribution to RNA interference (RNAi), a conserved mechanism of gene-expression regulation mediated through small non-coding RNA moieties (ncRNAs). Nevertheless, TRBP2 has also proved to be involved in other molecular pathways and biological processes, such as cell growth, organism development, spermatogenesis, and stress response. Mutations or aberrant expression of TRBP2 have been previously associated with diverse human pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease, cardiomyopathy, and cancer, with TRBP2 playing an essential role(s) in proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cells.

TarBase-v9.0 extends experimentally supported miRNA-gene interactions to cell-types and virally encoded miRNAs.

TarBase is a reference database dedicated to produce, curate and deliver high quality experimentally-supported microRNA (miRNA) targets on protein-coding transcripts. In its latest version (v9.0, https://dianalab.

Identifying and profiling structural similarities between Spike of SARS-CoV-2 and other viral or host proteins with Machaon.

Using protein structure to predict function, interactions, and evolutionary history is still an open challenge, with existing approaches relying extensively on protein homology and families. Here, we present Machaon, a data-driven method combining orientation invariant metrics on phi-psi angles, inter-residue contacts and surface complexity. It can be readily applied on whole structures or segments-such as domains and binding sites.

The effect of S427F mutation on RXRα activity depends on its dimeric partner.

RXRs are nuclear receptors acting as transcription regulators that control key cellular processes in all tissues. All type II nuclear receptors require RXRs for transcriptional activity by forming heterodimeric complexes. Recent whole-exome sequencing studies have identified the RXRα S427F hotspot mutation in 5% of the bladder cancer patients, which is always located at the interface of RXRα with its obligatory dimerization partners.

Dicing the Disease with Dicer: The Implications of Dicer Ribonuclease in Human Pathologies.

Gene expression dictates fundamental cellular processes and its de-regulation leads to pathological conditions. A key contributor to the fine-tuning of gene expression is Dicer, an RNA-binding protein (RBPs) that forms complexes and affects transcription by acting at the post-transcriptional level via the targeting of mRNAs by Dicer-produced small non-coding RNAs. This review aims to present the contribution of Dicer protein in a wide spectrum of human pathological conditions, including cancer, neurological, autoimmune, reproductive and cardiovascular diseases, as well as viral infections.

From the Argonauts Mythological Sailors to the Argonautes RNA-Silencing Navigators: Their Emerging Roles in Human-Cell Pathologies.

Regulation of gene expression has emerged as a fundamental element of transcript homeostasis. Key effectors in this process are the Argonautes (AGOs), highly specialized RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that form complexes, such as the RNA-Induced Silencing Complex (RISC). AGOs dictate post-transcriptional gene-silencing by directly loading small RNAs and repressing their mRNA targets through small RNA-sequence complementarity.