An E3 ligase network engages GCN1 to promote the degradation of translation factors on stalled ribosomes.

Ribosomes frequently stall during mRNA translation, resulting in the context-dependent activation of quality control pathways to maintain proteostasis. However, surveillance mechanisms that specifically respond to stalled ribosomes with an occluded A site have not been identified. We discovered that the elongation factor-1α (eEF1A) inhibitor, ternatin-4, triggers the ubiquitination and degradation of eEF1A on stalled ribosomes.

IFITM proteins assist cellular uptake of diverse linked chemotypes.

The search for cell-permeable drugs has conventionally focused on low-molecular weight (MW), nonpolar, rigid chemical structures. However, emerging therapeutic strategies break traditional drug design rules by employing flexibly linked chemical entities composed of more than one ligand. Using complementary genome-scale chemical-genetic approaches we identified an endogenous chemical uptake pathway involving interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) that modulates the cell permeability of a prototypical biopic inhibitor of MTOR (RapaLink-1, MW: 1784 g/mol).

Reversible lysine-targeted probes reveal residence time-based kinase selectivity.

The expansion of the target landscape of covalent inhibitors requires the engagement of nucleophiles beyond cysteine. Although the conserved catalytic lysine in protein kinases is an attractive candidate for a covalent approach, selectivity remains an obvious challenge. Moreover, few covalent inhibitors have been shown to engage the kinase catalytic lysine in animals.

A bifunctional amino acid to study protein-protein interactions.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play crucial roles in regulating essentially all cellular processes. Photo-cross-linking represents a powerful method to study PPIs. To fulfil the requirements for the exploration of different PPIs, there is a continuous demand on the development of novel photo-reactive amino acids with diverse structural properties and functionalities.

Discovery of Lysine-Targeted eIF4E Inhibitors through Covalent Docking.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binds the m7GTP cap structure at the 5'-end of mRNAs, stimulating the translation of proteins implicated in cancer cell growth and metastasis. eIF4E is a notoriously challenging target, and most of the reported inhibitors are negatively charged guanine analogues with negligible cell permeability. To overcome these challenges, we envisioned a covalent targeting strategy.

Photo-lysine captures proteins that bind lysine post-translational modifications.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) have key roles in regulating protein-protein interactions in living cells. However, it remains a challenge to identify these PTM-mediated interactions. Here we develop a new lysine-based photo-reactive amino acid, termed photo-lysine.

Developing diazirine-based chemical probes to identify histone modification 'readers' and 'erasers'.

Post translational modifications (PTMs, , phosphorylation, acetylation and methylation) of histone play important roles in regulating many fundamental cellular processes such as gene transcription, DNA replication and damage repair. While 'writer' and 'eraser' enzymes modify histones by catalyzing the addition and removal of histone PTMs, 'reader' proteins recognize these modified histones and 'translate' the PTMs by executing distinct cellular programs. Therefore, identification of the regulating enzymes and binding partners of histone PTMs is essential for understanding their regulatory mechanisms and cellular functions.

Integrative chemical biology approaches for identification and characterization of "erasers" for fatty-acid-acylated lysine residues within proteins.

Acylation of proteins with fatty acids is important for the regulation of membrane association, trafficking, subcellular localization, and activity of many cellular proteins. While significant progress has been made in our understanding of the two major forms of protein acylation with fatty acids, N-myristoylation and S-palmitoylation, studies of the acylation of lysine residues, within proteins, with fatty acids have lagged behind. Demonstrated here is the use of integrative chemical biology approaches to examine human sirtuins as de-fatty-acid acylases in vitro and in cells.

Identification of 'erasers' for lysine crotonylated histone marks using a chemical proteomics approach.

Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) play a crucial role in a wide range of biological processes. Lysine crotonylation (Kcr) is a newly discovered histone PTM that is enriched at active gene promoters and potential enhancers in mammalian cell genomes. However, the cellular enzymes that regulate the addition and removal of Kcr are unknown, which has hindered further investigation of its cellular functions.

Boron-trihalide-promoted regioselective ring-opening reactions of gem-difluorocyclopropyl ketones.

Boron trihalide-promoted ring-opening reactions of gem-difluorocyclopropyl ketones to give the corresponding β-trifluoromethyl ketones and β-halodifluoromethyl ketones were described. It was found that boron trihalides act as both Lewis acids and nucleophiles and the proximal bond prefers to cleave in this transformation.

A novel reaction of gem-difluorocyclopropyl ketones with nitriles leading to 2-fluoropyrroles.

The CF3SO3H-promoted ring opening of gem-difluorocyclopropyl ketones prefers to undergo proximal bond cleavage and the subsequent cyclization with nitriles occurred smoothly to give 2-fluoropyrroles.