HNF-1β alleviates podocyte injury in lupus nephritis by maintaining endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis.

Objective: The current study aims to elucidate the critical function of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-beta (HNF1-β) in lupus nephritis (LN) by investigating its modulation of the Derlin-1/valosin-containing protein (VCP)/VCP-interacting membrane selenoprotein (VIMP) complex, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and podocyte apoptosis.

Methods: In vitro and in vivo models of LN were established using glomerular podocytes treated with LN serum and MRL/lpr mice, respectively. The expression levels of HNF1-β were analysed in kidney tissues from patients with LN and MRL/lpr mice.

Structural basis for DNA recognition and nuclease processing by the Mre11 homologue SbcD in double-strand breaks repair.

The Mre11 complex comprising meiotic recombination 11 (Mre11), Rad50 and Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1 (Nbs1) plays multiple important roles in the sensing, processing and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Here, crystal structures of the Escherichia coli Mre11 homologue SbcD and its Mn2+ complex are reported. Dimerization of SbcD depends on a four-helix bundle consisting of helices α2, α3, α2' and α3' of the two monomers, and the irregular and bent conformation of helices α3 and α3' in the SbcD dimer results in a dimeric arrangement that differs from those of previously reported Mre11 dimers.

High-resolution structures of AidH complexes provide insights into a novel catalytic mechanism for N-acyl homoserine lactonase.

Many pathogenic bacteria that infect humans, animals and plants rely on a quorum-sensing (QS) system to produce virulence factors. N-Acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) are the best-characterized cell-cell communication signals in QS. The concentration of AHL plays a key role in regulating the virulence-gene expression and essential biological functions of pathogenic bacteria.

Structure of HsdS subunit from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis sheds lights on mechanism of dynamic opening and closing of type I methyltransferase.

Type I DNA methyltransferases contain one specificity subunit (HsdS) and two modification subunits (HsdM). The electron microscopy model of M.EcoKI-M₂S₁ methyltransferase shows a reasonable closed state of this clamp-like enzyme, but the structure of the open state is still unclear.

From structure to function: insights into the catalytic substrate specificity and thermostability displayed by Bacillus subtilis mannanase BCman.

BCman, a beta-mannanase from the plant root beneficial bacterium Bacillus subtilis Z-2, has a potential to be used in the production of mannooligosaccharide, which shows defense induction activity on both melon and tobacco, and plays an important role in the biological control of plant disease. Here we report the biochemical properties and crystal structure of BCman-GH26 enzyme. Kinetic analysis reveals that BCman is an endo-beta-mannanase, specific for mannan, and has no activity on mannooligosaccharides.

Crystal structure of glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (GDPD) from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis, a metal ion-dependent enzyme: insight into the catalytic mechanism.

Glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (GDPD; EC 3.1.4.

Crystal structure of human dynein light chain Dnlc2A: structural insights into the interaction with IC74.

The human light chain of the motor protein dynein, Dnlc2A, is also a novel TGF-beta-signaling component, which is altered with high frequency in epithelial ovarian cancer. It is an important mediator of dynein and the development of cancer, owing to its ability to bind to the dynein intermediate light chain (DIC) IC74 and to regulate TGF-beta-dependent transcriptional events. Here we report the 2.

Crystal structure of C-terminal desundecapeptide nitrite reductase from Achromobacter cycloclastes.

Monoclinic crystal structure of C-terminal desundecapeptide nitrite reductase (NiRc-11) from Achromobacter cycloclastes was determined at 2.6A. NiRc-11 exists as a loose trimer in the crystal.

Crystal structure of human sulfotransferase SULT1A3 in complex with dopamine and 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphate.

The human sulfotransferase, SULT1A3, catalyzes specifically the sulfonation of monoamines such as dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. SULT1A3 also has a unique 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (Dopa)/tyrosine-sulfating activity that is preferentially toward their D-form enantiomers and can be stimulated dramatically by Mn2+. To further our understanding of the molecular basis for the unique substrate specificity of this enzyme, we solved the crystal structure of human SULT1A3, complexed with dopamine and 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphate, at 2.

2.0 A crystal structure of human ARL5-GDP3'P, a novel member of the small GTP-binding proteins.

ARL5 is a member of ARLs, which is widespread in high eukaryotes and homologous between species. But no structure or biological function of this member is reported. We expressed, purified, and resolved the structure of human ARL5 with bound GDP3'P at 2.

Crystal structure of earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme component B: a novel, glycosylated two-chained trypsin.

The earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme (EFE), belonging to a group of serine proteases with strong fibrinolytic activity, has been used in a mixture as an oral drug for prevention and treatment of thrombosis in East Asia. The EFE component b (EFE-b) is one of seven EFE components from Eisenia fetida, and among them it has nearly the highest fibrinolytic activity. Here, we report its crystal structure at a resolution of 2.

1.42A crystal structure of mini-IGF-1(2): an analysis of the disulfide isomerization property and receptor binding property of IGF-1 based on the three-dimensional structure.

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) share a homologous sequence, a similar three-dimensional structure and weakly overlapping biological activity, but IGF-1 folds into two thermodynamically stable disulfide isomers, while insulin folds into one unique stable tertiary structure. This is a very interesting phenomenon in which one amino acid sequence encodes two three-dimensional structures, and its molecular mechanism has remained unclear for a long time. In this study, the crystal structure of mini-IGF-1(2), a disulfide isomer of an artificial analog of IGF-1, was solved by the SAD/SIRAS method using our in-house X-ray source.

Structural basis for broad substrate specificity of earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme component A.

Earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme component A (EFE-a) possesses an S1 pocket, which is typical for an elastase-like enzyme, but it can still hydrolyze varieties of substrates, and it exhibits wide substrate specificity. Former structure studies suggested that the four-residue insertion after Val(217) might endow EFE-a with this specificity. Based on the native crystal structure at a resolution of 2.

Crystal structure of KD93, a novel protein expressed in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.

The crystal structure of a novel hypothetical protein, KD93, expressed in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, was determined at 1.9A resolution using the multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) method. The protein KD93, which is encoded by the open reading frame HSPC031, is a NIP7 homologue and belongs to the UPF0113 family.

pH-profile crystal structure studies of C-terminal despentapeptide nitrite reductase from Achromobacter cycloclastes.

Crystal structures of C-terminal despentapeptide nitrite reductase (NiRc-5) from Achromobacter cycloclastes were determined from 1.9 to 2.3A at pH 5.

Preliminary crystallographic studies of two C-terminally truncated copper-containing nitrite reductases from Achromobacter cycloclastes: changed crystallizing behaviors caused by residue deletion.

The C-terminal segment of copper-containing nitrite reductase from Achromobacter cycloclastes (AcNiR) has been found essential for maintaining both the quaternary structure and the enzyme activity of AcNiR. C-terminal despentapeptide AcNiR (NiRc-5) and desundecapeptide AcNiR (NiRc-11) are two important truncated mutants whose activities and stability have been affected by residue deletion. In this study, the two mutants were crystallized using the hanging drop vapor diffusion method.