Bioactive Plasma Mitochondrial DNA Is Associated With Disease Progression in Scleroderma-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease.

Objective: Systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) is characterized by variable clinical outcomes, activation of innate immune pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), and accumulation of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-expressing myofibroblasts. The aim of this study was to identify an association between these entities and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), an endogenous ligand for the intracellular DNA-sensing PRRs Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR-9) and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase/stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS/STING), which has yet to be determined.

Methods: Human lung fibroblasts (HLFs) from normal donors and SSc-ILD explants were treated with synthetic CpG DNA and assayed for α-SMA expression and extracellular mtDNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the human MT-ATP6 gene.

Comparison of four different crystal forms of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESX-1 secreted protein regulator EspR.

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESX-1 secreted protein regulator (EspR, Rv3849) is the key protein that delivers bacterial proteins into the host cell during mycobacterial infection. EspR binds directly to the espACD operon and is involved in transcriptional activation. In the current study, M.

Structure of the carboxy-terminal domain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis CarD protein: an essential rRNA transcriptional regulator.

The CarD protein is highly expressed in mycobacterial strains under basal conditions and is transcriptionally induced during multiple types of genotoxic stress and starvation. The CarD protein binds the β subunit of RNA polymerase and influences gene expression. The disruption of interactions between CarD and the β subunit of RNA polymerase has a significant effect on mycobacterial survival, resistance to stress and pathogenesis.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the ETS domain of human Ergp55 in complex with the cfos promoter DNA sequence.

The Ergp55 protein belongs to the Ets family of transciption factors. The Ets transcription factors are involved in various developmental processes and the regulation of cancer metabolism. They contain a highly similar DNA-binding domain known as the ETS domain and have diverse functions in oncogenesis and physiology.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the ATPase domain of human TAP in nucleotide-free and ADP-, vanadate- and azide-complexed forms.

The human transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) protein belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily and is formed by the heterodimerization of TAP1 and TAP2 subunits. TAP selectively pumps cytosolic peptides into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum in an ATP-dependent manner. The catalytic cycle of the ATPase domain of TAP is not understood at the molecular level.

Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of ESX-1-secreted protein regulator (EspR) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

ESX-1-secreted protein regulator (EspR; Rv3849) is a key regulator in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that delivers bacterial proteins into the host cell during infection. EspR binds directly to the Rv3616c-Rv3614c promoter and activates transcription and secretes itself from the bacterial cell by the ESX-1 system. The three-dimensional structure of EspR will aid in understanding the mechanisms by which it binds to the Rv3616c-Rv3614c promoter and is involved in transcriptional activation.