DNA templated Click Chemistry via 5-vinyl-2'-deoxyuridine and an acridine-tetrazine conjugate induces DNA damage and apoptosis in cancer cells.

Aims: Click Chemistry is providing valuable tools to biomedical research, but its direct use in therapies remains nearly unexplored. For cancer treatment, nucleoside analogues (NA) such as 5-vinyl-2'-deoxyuridine (VdU) can be metabolically incorporated into cancer cell DNA and subsequently "clicked" to form a toxic product. The inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) reaction between VdU and an acridine-tetrazine conjugate (PINK) has previously been used to label cell nuclei of cultured cells.

A Candidate RNAi Screen Reveals Diverse RNA-Binding Protein Phenotypes in Flight Muscle.

The proper regulation of RNA processing is critical for muscle development and the fine-tuning of contractile ability among muscle fiber-types. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) regulate the diverse steps in RNA processing, including alternative splicing, which generates fiber-type specific isoforms of structural proteins that confer contractile sarcomeres with distinct biomechanical properties. Alternative splicing is disrupted in muscle diseases such as myotonic dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy and is altered after intense exercise as well as with aging.