Publications by authors named "W J Martin"

Corrinoids are cobalt-containing tetrapyrroles. They include adenosylcobalamin (vitamin B) and cobamides that function as cofactors and coenzymes for methyl transfer, radical-dependent and redox reactions. Though cobamides are the most complex cofactors in nature, they are essential in the acetyl-CoA pathway, thought to be the most ancient CO-fixation pathway, where they perform a pterin-to-cobalt-to-nickel methyl transfer reaction catalyzed by the corrinoid iron-sulphur protein (CoFeS).

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Serpentinizing hydrothermal vents are likely sites for the origin of metabolism because they produce H as a source of electrons for CO reduction while depositing zero-valent iron, cobalt, and nickel as catalysts for organic reactions. Recent work has shown that solid-state nickel can catalyze the H-dependent reduction of CO to various organic acids and their reductive amination with H and NH to biological amino acids under the conditions of H-producing hydrothermal vents and that amino acid synthesis from NH, H, and 2-oxoacids is facile in the presence of Ni. Such reactions suggest a metallic origin of metabolism during early biochemical evolution because single metals replace the function of over 130 enzymatic reactions at the core of metabolism in microbes that use the acetyl-CoA pathway of CO fixation.

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The kinesin family member 18A () is an essential regulator of microtubule dynamics and chromosome alignment during mitosis. Functional dependency on KIF18A varies by cell type and genetic context but the heritable factors that influence this dependency remain unknown. To address this, we took advantage of the variable penetrance observed in different mouse strain backgrounds to screen for loci that modulate germ cell depletion in the absence of KIF18A.

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This study aims to determine the bioequivalence of the reference preparation and the test preparation containing eltrombopag when both were given during the COVID-19 pandemic while fasting. Participants in the research were healthy male Caucasian subjects. One film-coated tablet of the test preparation or one film tablet of the reference preparation, equivalent to 75 mg of eltrombopag, was given to the participants in a randomized order throughout each treatment session.

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Article Synopsis
  • Non-muscle myosin II (NMII) plays a crucial role in biological processes, but current therapeutic options are limited due to non-selective inhibitors like blebbistatin that affect both NMII and cardiac myosin II (CMII).
  • Researchers developed a series of selective NMII inhibitors, notably MT-228, which demonstrates high brain penetration and effectiveness in preclinical models for stimulant use disorder, a condition lacking FDA-approved treatments.
  • The structure of MT-228 binding to myosin II reveals its 17-fold selectivity for NMII over CMII, providing insights for future drug development and potential applications in various medical fields, including cancer and nerve regeneration.
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