Publications by authors named "Raught B"

ClpXP is a two-component mitochondrial matrix protease. The caseinolytic mitochondrial matrix peptidase chaperone subunit X (ClpX) recognizes and translocates protein substrates into the degradation chamber of the caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) for proteolysis. ClpXP degrades damaged respiratory chain proteins and is necessary for cancer cell survival.

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Homologous recombination is a largely error-free DNA repair mechanism conserved across all domains of life and is essential for the maintenance of genome integrity. Not only are the mutations in homologous recombination repair genes probable cancer drivers, some also cause genetic disorders. In particular, mutations in the Bloom (BLM) helicase cause Bloom Syndrome, a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by increased sister chromatid exchanges and predisposition to a variety of cancers.

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  • * A study using a human mutation library identified certain unstable mutations that predominantly rely on the ubiquitin proteasome system for degradation and found that the co-chaperones DNAJA1 and DNAJA2 interact significantly with one of the mutated proteins.
  • * DNAJA2 plays a dual role: it stabilizes various normal proteins and specifically helps reduce the breakdown of some mutated proteins, highlighting how the protein quality control mechanisms adapt to handle misfolded proteins in the cytosol.
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Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats harbor ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and intergenic spacers (IGS). RNA polymerase (Pol) I transcribes rRNA genes yielding rRNA components of ribosomes. IGS-associated Pol II prevents Pol I from excessively synthesizing IGS non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that can disrupt nucleoli and rRNA production.

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  • LIMP-2, or SCARB2, is a key lysosomal membrane protein involved in various functions like acting as a virus receptor, aiding in enzyme targeting, and transporting lipids such as phospholipids and cholesterol.
  • Recent research indicates that LIMP-2 might play a role in the contact points between lysosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by interacting with the proteins STARD3 and VAPB.
  • The study suggests that LIMP-2 could help facilitate cholesterol transport from lysosomes to the ER, highlighting its potential role in lipid trafficking and inter-organelle communication.
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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a devastating disease initiated and maintained by a rare subset of cells called leukemia stem cells (LSCs). LSCs are responsible for driving disease relapse, making the development of new therapeutic strategies to target LSCs urgently needed. The use of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics profiling has enabled the discovery of unique and targetable metabolic properties in LSCs.

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In addition to the ubiquitous loss of the VHL gene in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), co-deletions of chromatin-regulating genes are common drivers of tumorigenesis, suggesting potential vulnerability to epigenetic manipulation. A library of chemical probes targeting a spectrum of epigenetic regulators is screened using a panel of ccRCC models. MS023, a type I protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) inhibitor, is identified as an antitumorigenic agent.

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Lipid droplets (LDs) are organelles specialized in the storage of neutral lipids, cholesterol esters and triglycerides, thereby protecting cells from the toxicity of excess lipids while allowing for the mobilization of lipids in times of nutrient deprivation. Defects in LD function are associated with many diseases. S-acylation mediated by zDHHC acyltransferases modifies thousands of proteins, yet the physiological impact of this post-translational modification on individual proteins is poorly understood.

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Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is an emerging therapeutic strategy that would benefit from new chemical entities with which to recruit a wider variety of ubiquitin E3 ligases to target proteins for proteasomal degradation. Here we describe a TPD strategy involving the recruitment of FBXO22 to induce degradation of the histone methyltransferase and oncogene NSD2. UNC8732 facilitates FBXO22-mediated degradation of NSD2 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells harboring the NSD2 gain-of-function mutation p.

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Acute myeloid leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are uniquely reliant on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for survival. Moreover, maintenance of OXPHOS is dependent on BCL-2, creating a therapeutic opportunity to target LSCs using the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax. Although venetoclax-based regimens have shown promising clinical activity, the emergence of drug resistance is prevalent.

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Salmonella utilizes a type 3 secretion system to translocate virulence proteins (effectors) into host cells during infection. The effectors modulate host cell machinery to drive uptake of the bacteria into vacuoles, where they can establish an intracellular replicative niche. A remarkable feature of Salmonella invasion is the formation of actin-rich protuberances (ruffles) on the host cell surface that contribute to bacterial uptake.

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hinders host gene expression, curbing defenses and licensing viral protein synthesis and virulence. During SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virulence factor non-structural protein 1 (Nsp1) targets the mRNA entry channel of mature cytoplasmic ribosomes, limiting translation. We show that Nsp1 also restrains translation by targeting nucleolar ribosome biogenesis.

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R2TP is a chaperone complex consisting of the AAA+ ATPases RUVBL1 and RUVBL2, as well as RPAP3 and PIH1D1 proteins. R2TP is responsible for the assembly of macromolecular complexes mainly acting through different adaptors. Using proximity-labeling mass spectrometry, we identified deleted in primary ciliary dyskinesia (DPCD) as an adaptor of R2TP.

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  • Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGG) are really tough brain tumors that usually can't be cured and often have mutations in a gene called histone H3.3.
  • These mutations cause problems with how genes work and can make the brain cells unstable.
  • Researchers found that a DNA repair enzyme called PNKP helps the cancer cells survive, which could be a new way to create treatments specifically for these mutated cells.
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  • * Loss of MAPL activates a stress response in the liver, increasing the secretion of the stress hormone FGF21 and leading to the development of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).
  • * MAPL interacts with the bile acid transporter ABCD3, and its knockout disrupts bile acid synthesis and regulatory feedback, contributing to tumor development and liver dysfunction.
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Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is an emerging therapeutic strategy that would benefit from new chemical entities with which to recruit a wider variety of ubiquitin E3 ligases to target proteins for proteasomal degradation. Here, we describe a TPD strategy involving the recruitment of FBXO22 to induce degradation of the histone methyltransferase and oncogene NSD2. UNC8732 facilitates FBXO22-mediated degradation of NSD2 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells harboring the NSD2 gain of function mutation p.

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We previously reported that acute myeloid leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are uniquely reliant on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for survival. Moreover, maintenance of OXPHOS is dependent on BCL2, creating a therapeutic opportunity to target LSCs using the BCL2 inhibitor drug venetoclax. While venetoclax-based regimens have indeed shown promising clinical activity, the emergence of drug resistance is prevalent.

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The primary cilium is a highly conserved microtubule-based organelle present in most vertebrate cell types. Mutations in ciliary protein genes can lead to dysfunctional or absent cilia and are the cause of a large group of heterogeneous diseases known as ciliopathies. ARL13B is a member of the ARF family of regulatory GTPases and is highly enriched on the ciliary membrane.

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  • The ERG transcription factor is linked to various cancers, particularly leukemia, but its specific mechanisms and interactions are not well understood.
  • Our research highlights the importance of proline at position 199 in the PNT domain of ERG, which is essential for its role in promoting leukemia by enabling self-renewal and inhibiting myeloid differentiation.
  • We found that proline 199 allows ERG to interact with the NCoR-HDAC3 co-repressor complex, and blocking HDAC3 slows down the growth of cancers driven by ERG, suggesting that targeting this interaction could be a new treatment strategy.
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  • Breast cancer with BRCA1/2 mutations often recurs and resists treatments like PARP inhibitors, leading to a search for new targeted therapies.
  • Researchers found that losing RNF8 can protect against breast tumors in Brca1-mutant mice, while in human cancer cells, RNF8 deficiency increases DNA damage and leads to cancer cell death through R-loop accumulation.
  • The study reveals that RNF8 interacts with XRN2 to resolve R-loops, and its absence disrupts this process, causing genomic instability and highlighting a synthetic lethal relationship between RNF8 and BRCA1.
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  • * Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), a regulator of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), is crucial for the survival of human LSC but not for normal blood stem cells, indicating its potential as a treatment target.
  • * By studying LSC's response to SIRT3 inhibition, researchers found ways to enhance LSC death, such as disrupting cholesterol balance and combining SIRT3 inhibition with a specific cancer drug, suggesting new treatment avenues for AML.
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Multiciliated cells (MCCs) project dozens to hundreds of motile cilia from their apical surface to promote the movement of fluids or gametes in the mammalian brain, airway or reproductive organs. Differentiation of MCCs requires the sequential action of the Geminin family transcriptional activators, GEMC1 and MCIDAS, that both interact with E2F4/5-DP1. How these factors activate transcription and the extent to which they play redundant functions remains poorly understood.

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A proper understanding of disease etiology will require longitudinal systems-scale reconstruction of the multitiered architecture of eukaryotic signaling. Here we combine state-of-the-art data acquisition platforms and bioinformatics tools to devise PAMAF, a workflow that simultaneously examines twelve omics modalities, i.e.

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  • SARS-CoV-2 relies on specific components from host cells for its infection and replication, making understanding these dependencies crucial for developing antiviral therapies.
  • In this study, researchers used genome-wide CRISPR knockout screens in various human cell lines to pinpoint genetic factors that influence SARS-CoV-2 infection, identifying the entry receptor as a key dependency across all tested cell lines.
  • Many of the identified host factors were specific to certain cell lines and related to pathways including cell signaling, immune responses, and chromatin modification, with a particular chromatin modifier in Calu-3 cells showing a significant effect on blocking the virus.
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