Increasing the versatility of the biphenyl-fused-dioxacyclodecyne class of strained alkynes.

Biphenyl-fused-dioxacyclodecynes are a promising class of strained alkyne for use in Cu-free 'click' reactions. In this paper, a series of functionalised derivatives of this class of reagent, containing fluorescent groups, are described. Studies aimed at understanding and increasing the reactivity of the alkynes are also presented, together with an investigation of the bioconjugation of the reagents with an azide-labelled protein.

Taxol acts differently on different tubulin isotypes.

Taxol is a small molecule effector that allosterically locks tubulin into the microtubule lattice. We show here that taxol has different effects on different single-isotype microtubule lattices. Using in vitro reconstitution, we demonstrate that single-isotype α1β4 GDP-tubulin lattices are stabilised and expanded by 10 µM taxol, as reported by accelerated microtubule gliding in kinesin motility assays, whereas single-isotype α1β3 GDP-tubulin lattices are stabilised but not expanded.

Molecular Motors: Kif14's Disordered Dongle.

Modern life is replete with function-expanding dongles, and life at the molecular scale is, it turns out, no exception. Hanging out of the back of the Kif14 molecular motor is an intrinsically disordered domain that gives it superpowers.