Design and Application of In Vivo FRET Biosensors to Identify Protein Prenylation and Nanoclustering Inhibitors

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Highlights? Cellular FRET biosensors for Ras, Rho, and Rab membrane anchorage were developed ? We provide evidence for Rab protein nanoclustering on cellular membranes ? Two FRET biosensors were demonstrated to be suitable for high-throughput screening ? Macrotetrolides were identified as nanoclustering and MAPK signaling disruptors     

CXCR4 Stimulates Macropinocytosis: Implications for Cellular Uptake of Arginine-Rich Cell-Penetrating Peptides and HIV

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Highlights? CXCR4 was identified as a receptor to stimulate cellular uptake of R12 peptide ? Interaction with R12 stimulates internalization of CXCR4 via macropinocytosis ? SDF-1α and HIV-1 gp120 protein also induce macropinocytosis ? Macropinocytic uptake of HIV-1 diminished the infection of host cells     

BTZO-1, a cardioprotective agent, reveals that macrophage migration inhibitory factor regulates ARE-mediated gene expression

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Highlights? ARE activation is involved in cellular protection against oxidative stress ? MIF is a ubiquitous protein with conserved nucleophilic Pro1 in a hydrophobic pocket ? BTZO-1 selectively binds to MIF, and its binding required the intact N-terminal Pro1 ? Binding of BTZO-1 to MIF leads to the ARE activation in cardiomyocytes.     

The Natural Anticancer Compounds Rocaglamides Inhibit the Raf-MEK-ERK Pathway by Targeting Prohibitin 1 and 2

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Highlights? The natural anticancer compound rocaglamide directly binds to PHB1 and PHB2 ? Rocaglamide blocks PHB-mediated activation of CRaf-MEK-ERK pathway and cancer proliferation ? Rocaglamide may serve as a new type of anticancer agent ? Rocaglamide may serve as a new molecular tool for studying PHB-mediated cellular functions     

Free Glycine Accelerates the Autoproteolytic Activation of Human Asparaginase

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Highlights? Increased expression of hASNase3 was observed in several tumors, but the relevance is unclear ? Cancer cells have increased glycolytic flux and thus have more glycine but less aspartate ? Glycine activates the asparaginase activity of hASNase3 by promoting self-cleavage ? Thus, glycine may act as a sensor that regulates cellular aspartate concentrations     

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase: A Target for Drugs both Ancient and Modern

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Highlights? AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy status ? Drugs that activate AMPK have potential in type 2 diabetes and in cancer ? Many existing drugs and xenobiotics (e.g., metformin, salicylate) activate AMPK ? Most, but not all, AMPK-activating xenobiotics inhibit mitochondrial function     

Fluorescence Imaging of Single-Copy DNA Sequences within the Human Genome Using PNA-Directed Padlock Probe Assembly

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Highlights? PNA-directed assembly of the labeling complex on duplex DNA ? Padlock probes combined with rolling circle amplification for signal amplification ? Multitarget visualization within the human genome with high sequence selectivity     

Discovery of potent and selective covalent inhibitors of JNK

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Highlights? JNK inhibitors have been designed that target a conserved cysteine residue ? JNK-IN-8 is a highly selective JNK inhibitor based on multiple profiling strategies ? Covalent formation is crucial for both high potency and high specificity ? JNK-IN-8 inhibits c-Jun phosphorylation at submicromolar concentrations in cells     

Blood Tolerant Laccase by Directed Evolution

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Highlights? A fungal laccase was tailored by directed evolution to be functional in human blood ? The mutant is active at physiological pH and under high concentrations of halides ? Mutations introduced by evolution are located at the surroundings of the T1 copper     

A Synthetic Substrate of DNA Polymerase Deviating from the Bases,Sugar, and Leaving Group of Canonical Deoxynucleoside Triphosphates

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Highlights? A highly modified nucleotide as substrate for polymerases ? The reversibility of the polymerase reaction at the template level ? Synthesis of a nucleoside with two anomeric centers     

Small molecule antagonists in distinct binding modes inhibit drug-resistant mutant of smoothened

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Highlights? New small molecule antagonists of Smo with distinct binding modes discovered from high throughput screens ? ALLO-1 and ALLO-2 are potent against the drug-resistant mutant of Smo ? ALLO-1 is potent against oncogenic mutant of Smo (SmoM2)     

Synthesis and Screening of Stereochemically Diverse Combinatorial Libraries of Peptide Tertiary Amides

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Highlights? A convenient synthesis of libraries of conformationally-constrained N-substituted oligoalanines ? A screen of such a library provided much higher affinity hits than a library of peptoids lacking c-alpha substitution ? Analysis of the isolated protein ligands demonstrated that the stereochemistry of the chiral centers was important ? These libraries should be a useful source of high affinity protein ligands     

Identification of exosite-targeting inhibitors of anthrax lethal factor by high-throughput screening

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Highlights? Development of an assay for LF protease using a full-length protein substrate ? Lichen depsidones identified as exosite-targeting LF inhibitors ? Exosite inhibitors protect macrophages from LF cytotoxicity     

Reconstitution of Nucleosome Demethylation and Catalytic Properties of a Jumonji Histone Demethylase

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Highlights? Catalytic domain of JMJD2A (cJMJD2A) removes methyl marks in a distributive manner ? Homogeneously methylated nucleosomes were used as substrates ? Quantitative assay for nucleosome demethylation has been developed     

A Yeast Chemical Genetic Screen Identifies Inhibitors of Human Telomerase

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Highlights? Growth arrest induced by human telomerase in yeast is chemically reversible ? Readout is sensitive to telomerase catalytic activity and telomere recruitment ? Three cell-permeable compounds also inhibit purified human telomerase ? Yeast can be successfully used to screen for human telomerase inhibitors     

Discovery of Peptoid Ligands for Anti-Aquaporin 4 Antibodies

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Highlights? Peptoid ligands for anti-AQP4 autoantibodies that drive NMO have been identified ? Some of these peptoids provide an accurate blood test for the disease     

Morphobase,an Encyclopedic Cell Morphology Database,and Its Use for Drug Target Identification

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Highlights? Development of an encyclopedia of cell morphology, Morphobase ? Small molecules classified by mode of action with Morphobase ? Morphobase system rapidly predicts molecular targets of compounds ? NPD6689 targets tubulin and is a lead for a class of antitubulin drugs     

Structures of Cyanobactin Maturation Enzymes Define a Family of Transamidating Proteases

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Highlights? Boundaries for cyanobactin maturation protease domains determined ? Structures of protease domains for cyanobactin maturation enzymes determined ? Additional structural motif in PatG assists in cyclizing transamidation ? Rational mutagenesis of active site leads to altered catalytic profiles for PatG     

Interplay between the Ribosomal Tunnel,Nascent Chain,and Macrolides Influences Drug Inhibition

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Highlights? Macrolides exhibit nascent polypeptide chain–dependent inhibition ? Peptides can form specific interactions with the ribosomal tunnel ? A covalent bond between tylosin and the ribosome is necessary for inhibitory activity     

Prohibitin Ligands in Cell Death and Survival: Mode of Action and Therapeutic Potential

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Highlights? Prohibitins regulate cell survival, metabolism, and inflammation ? Prohibitins act as a hub for many signaling pathways ? Prohibitin ligands are examined in cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and obesity