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| Open AccessResurrecting ancestral antibiotics: unveiling the origins of modern lipid II targeting glycopeptides
Glycopeptide antibiotics (GPAs) are microbial natural products synthesized by multiple enzymes, including a nonribosomal peptide synthetase for assembly of the peptide core. Here, the authors use computational techniques to infer a gene set for biosynthesis of an ancestral GPA, produce the peptide in a microbial host, and provide insights into the evolution of key enzymatic domains.
- Mathias H. Hansen
- , Martina Adamek
- & Nadine Ziemert
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Article
| Open AccessMolecular basis for the catalytic mechanism of human neutral sphingomyelinases 1 (hSMPD2)
Neutral sphingomyelinases play pivotal roles in ceramide-related signaling transduction. Here, the authors solve the structure of human neutral sphingomyelinase SMPD2 and propose a catalytic mechanism, potentially enhancing understanding of ceramide in disease and cancer treatment.
- Jingbo Yi
- , Boya Qi
- & Maojun Yang
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Article
| Open AccessThe TDRD3-USP9X complex and MIB1 regulate TOP3B homeostasis and prevent deleterious TOP3B cleavage complexes
TDRD3 is a key interaction partner of TOP3B. Here the authors provide molecular mechanisms by which TDRD3 stabilizes TOP3B protein by recruiting the deubiquitylase USP9X. In addition, they show that TDRD3 protects cells from deleterious TOP3B linked DNA and RNA cleavage complexes.
- Sourav Saha
- , Shar-yin Naomi Huang
- & Yves Pommier
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Article
| Open AccessM. mazei glutamine synthetase and glutamine synthetase-GlnK1 structures reveal enzyme regulation by oligomer modulation
Glutamine synthetases (GS) play vital roles in cellular nitrogen assimilation and hence these enzymes, which form large oligomeric machines, are tightly regulated. Here the authors reveal the molecular mechanism behind a unique form of GS regulation involving oligomer modulation.
- Maria A. Schumacher
- , Raul Salinas
- & Nicholas Lent
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Article
| Open AccessMechanistic insights into glycoside 3-oxidases involved in C-glycoside metabolism in soil microorganisms
Integrated experimental and computational approaches reveal functional and structural details of a key catabolic enzyme that oxidizes recalcitrant C-glycosides, abundant and biologically significant natural molecules, before deglycosylation.
- André Taborda
- , Tomás Frazão
- & Lígia O. Martins
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Article
| Open AccessEnzymatic β-elimination in natural product O- and C-glycoside deglycosylation
Biological degradation of glycosides involves, alongside hydrolysis, β-elimination for glycosidic bond cleavage. Here, the authors report an O-glycoside β-eliminase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens that converts the C3-oxidized O-β-d-glucoside of phloretin into the aglycone and the 2-hydroxy-3-keto-d-glycal elimination product, and suggest convergent evolution of β-eliminase active sites for the cleavage of natural product 3-keto-O-glycosides.
- Johannes Bitter
- , Martin Pfeiffer
- & Bernd Nidetzky
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Article
| Open AccessCryo-EM structure of human O-GlcNAcylation enzyme pair OGT-OGA complex
The single pair of enzymes in human, OGT and OGA, mediates protein OGlcNAcylation cycle. Here, authors provide cryo-EM structures of OGT-OGA complex, revealing how OGT selects native substrates and the mutual inhibition mechanism between OGT and OGA.
- Ping Lu
- , Yusong Liu
- & Haishan Gao
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Article
| Open AccessInsights into the missing apiosylation step in flavonoid apiosides biosynthesis of Leguminosae plants
Apiosides are plant bioactive natural products containing apiose, but the details of the key apiosylation reaction in their biosynthesis are missing. Here, the authors identify the apiosyltransferase GuApiGT that could efficiently catalyze 2″-O-apiosylation of flavonoid glycosides, solve its crystal structure and obtain mutants with altered sugar selectivity.
- Hao-Tian Wang
- , Zi-Long Wang
- & Min Ye
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Article
| Open AccessLactate dehydrogenase D is a general dehydrogenase for D-2-hydroxyacids and is associated with D-lactic acidosis
Currently the structure and biological function of Lactate Dehydrogenase D (LDHD) are unclear. Here the authors report the structure of LDHD bound with various ligands and show that LDHD is a general dehydrogenase for D-2-hydroxyacids with small to moderate-size hydrophobic moieties and investigate loss-of-function mutations that play an important role in D-lactic acidosis.
- Shan Jin
- , Xingchen Chen
- & Jianping Ding
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Article
| Open AccessTranscriptional repression by a secondary DNA binding surface of DNA topoisomerase I safeguards against hypertranscription
Aberrant hypertranscription in cells can affect development and disease. Here, the authors show that DNA topoisomerase I prevents hypertranscription; not through its catalytic function, but through a DNA binding mechanism.
- Mei Sheng Lau
- , Zhenhua Hu
- & Wee-Wei Tee
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Article
| Open AccessStructure-guided inhibition of the cancer DNA-mutating enzyme APOBEC3A
APOBEC3A mutates its host DNA in human cancers to evolve drug resistance. Modified-DNA inhibitors suppress this mutagenic activity in cells, suggesting use as conjuvants in anti-cancer therapies. Here the authors reveal structural insights into how these inhibitors bind APOBEC3A.
- Stefan Harjes
- , Harikrishnan M. Kurup
- & Geoffrey B. Jameson
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Article
| Open AccessTriepoxide formation by a flavin-dependent monooxygenase in monensin biosynthesis
MonCI, a flavin-dependent monooxygenase, transforms all three C = C groups in the polyene substrate into epoxides during monensin A biosynthesis. Here, the authors present the structural basis for this enzyme’s regio- and stereoselective epoxidation activity.
- Qian Wang
- , Ning Liu
- & Chu-Young Kim
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Article
| Open AccessComputational remodeling of an enzyme conformational landscape for altered substrate selectivity
The ability to rationally remodel enzyme conformational landscapes to modify catalytic properties is limited. Here, the authors, using a computational procedure, redesign the conformational landscape of an aminotransferase to stabilize a less populated but reactive conformation and thereby increase catalytic efficiency with a non-native substrate.
- Antony D. St-Jacques
- , Joshua M. Rodriguez
- & Roberto A. Chica
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Article
| Open AccessCharacterization and structure-based protein engineering of a regiospecific saponin acetyltransferase from Astragalus membranaceus
Currently little is known about the acetylation on sugar moieties. Here the authors report a saponin acetyltransferase from Astragalus membranaceus, AmAT7-3, and utilise crystal structures and QM/MM computation to elucidate the catalytic mechanism: they generate mutants for specific site acetylation.
- Linlin Wang
- , Zhihui Jiang
- & Xue Qiao
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Article
| Open AccessStructural insights into FSP1 catalysis and ferroptosis inhibition
FSP1 suppress ferroptosis by reducing CoQ10, yet the underlying mechanism how FSP1 reduces CoQ remains unknown. Here, the authors reveal that the homodimerization of FSP1 via its unique CTD is required for the catalytic activity and ferroptosis suppression and provide insight potentially useful to drug design.
- Yun Lv
- , Chunhui Liang
- & Deyu Zhu
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Article
| Open AccessCustom tuning of Rieske oxygenase reactivity
Rieske oxygenase chemistry is important for biochemical pathways, but it remains elusive how a common protein scaffold can be predictively tuned to catalyze divergent reactions. Here, the authors report a strategy that can rationally tune TsaM, a Rieske monooxygenase to catalyze dioxygenation and sequential monooxygenation reactions, and customize the reactivity of other Rieske oxygenases.
- Jiayi Tian
- , Jianxin Liu
- & Jennifer Bridwell-Rabb
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Article
| Open AccessIdentification and characterization of endo-α-, exo-α-, and exo-β-d-arabinofuranosidases degrading lipoarabinomannan and arabinogalactan of mycobacteria
Lipoarabinomannan and arabinogalactan in the mycobacterial cell wall contain d-arabinan core. Here, the authors identify and characterize the molecular structures and mechanisms of four bacterial enzymes that synergistically degrade the alpha- and beta-linkages of d-arabinan.
- Michiko Shimokawa
- , Akihiro Ishiwata
- & Kiyotaka Fujita
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Article
| Open AccessStructures of liganded glycosylphosphatidylinositol transamidase illuminate GPI-AP biogenesis
GPI-T adds GPI to proteins faithfully despite the sequence variance. Here, the authors reveal structural features underpinning this broad specificity, and a fidelity mechanism where unlocking autoinhibition necessitates the synergistic binding of substrate regions with individually weak specificity.
- Yidan Xu
- , Tingting Li
- & Dianfan Li
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Article
| Open AccessMultifaceted membrane interactions of human Atg3 promote LC3-phosphatidylethanolamine conjugation during autophagy
Here, Ye et al use high-resolution NMR in conjunction with in vitro and in vivo assays to show the catalytically important C-terminal regions of human Atg3 are conformationally dynamic and directly interact with the membrane, in collaboration with its N-terminal membrane curvature-sensitive helix.
- Yansheng Ye
- , Erin R. Tyndall
- & Fang Tian
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Article
| Open AccessHeterogeneity in M. tuberculosis β-lactamase inhibition by Sulbactam
Here, the reaction of the suicide inhibitor sulbactam with the M. tuberculosis β-lactamase (BlaC) is investigated with time-resolved crystallography. Singular Value Decomposition is implemented to extract kinetic information despite changes in unit cell parameters during the time-course of the reaction.
- Tek Narsingh Malla
- , Kara Zielinski
- & Marius Schmidt
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Article
| Open AccessAntibiotic hyper-resistance in a class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase with altered active site signature motif
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases translate the genetic code. These enzymes harbor signature catalytic motifs dating from their ancient ancestors. A natural variation of one of the stated motifs was discovered and linked to antibiotic hyper-resistance.
- A. Brkic
- , M. Leibundgut
- & I. Gruic-Sovulj
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Article
| Open AccessO-methyltransferase-like enzyme catalyzed diazo installation in polyketide biosynthesis
Diazo compounds, such as kinamycin, are rare bioactive natural products whose assembly has been extensively studied, but the formation of the diazo group is elusive. Here, the authors report O-methyltransferase-like protein, AlpH, which is responsible for the l-glutamylhydrazine incorporation in kinamycin biosynthesis.
- Yuchun Zhao
- , Xiangyang Liu
- & Ming Jiang
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Article
| Open AccessNext generation synthetic memory via intercepting recombinase function
Memory is a basic tenet of intelligent biological systems. Here the authors engineered a programmable and expandable iteration of recombinase-based synthetic memory (interception) that functions post-translation, resulting in faster recombination.
- Andrew E. Short
- , Dowan Kim
- & Corey J. Wilson
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Article
| Open AccessArchitecture of the Heme-translocating CcmABCD/E complex required for Cytochrome c maturation
The covalent linkage of hemes to cytochromes c requires a maturation machinery. Here, the authors provide mechanistic insights into how the heme translocase complex CcmABCD flops a heme group, driven by ATP hydrolysis, and delivers it to the chaperone CcmE.
- Lorena Ilcu
- , Lukas Denkhaus
- & Oliver Einsle
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Article
| Open AccessGlycerol 3-phosphate phosphatase/PGPH-2 counters metabolic stress and promotes healthy aging via a glycogen sensing-AMPK-HLH-30-autophagy axis in C. elegans
Activation of the glycerol shunt mimics calorie restriction, protects from glucotoxicity, and promotes healthy aging. Here, Possik et al. uncover the underlying mechanism and identify the AMPK-TFEB autophagy pathway as critical to the healthy aging phenotype.
- Elite Possik
- , Laura-Lee Klein
- & Marc Prentki
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Article
| Open AccessThermodynamic principle to enhance enzymatic activity using the substrate affinity
Currently, there is no well-defined strategy to increase the activity of enzymes. Here, the authors provide mathematical evidence that adjusting the Michaelis-Menten constant to the substrate concentration maximizes enzymatic activity.
- Hideshi Ooka
- , Yoko Chiba
- & Ryuhei Nakamura
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Article
| Open AccessStructural basis of peptidoglycan synthesis by E. coli RodA-PBP2 complex
Bacterial cell shape is dependent on the formation of the extracellular sugar polymer called peptidoglycan. Here the authors describe RodA-PBP2, the enzymatic core of the elongasome, which is the complex responsible peptidoglycan synthesis, and utilize an integrated approach to investigate the mechanism of peptidoglycan biosynthesis.
- Rie Nygaard
- , Chris L. B. Graham
- & Filippo Mancia
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Article
| Open AccessStructure and regulation of full-length human leucine-rich repeat kinase 1
Leucine-rich repeat kinase 1 (LRRK1) and its counterpart LRRK2 play crucial roles in regulating fundamental cellular processes. Here, the authors use cryo-EM to characterize the LRRK1 monomer and dimer, revealing interfaces that regulate kinase activity and structural differences to LRRK2.
- Riley D. Metcalfe
- , Juliana A. Martinez Fiesco
- & Ping Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessCatalytic site flexibility facilitates the substrate and catalytic promiscuity of Vibrio dual lipase/transferase
Vibrio dual lipases/transferases are virulence-related enzymes, with both substrate and catalytic promiscuity. Wang et al reveal their prominent structural flexibility, proposing a catalytic site tuning mechanism underlying enzyme promiscuity.
- Chongyang Wang
- , Changshui Liu
- & Qingjun Ma
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Article
| Open AccessCryo-EM structures of Uba7 reveal the molecular basis for ISG15 activation and E1-E2 thioester transfer
ISGylation plays a crucial role in the innate immune response and requires sequential activity of E1, E2, and E3 enzymes. Here, the authors present cyro-EM structures that reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying ISG15 activation by the E1 enzyme Uba7 and transfer to its cognate E2 enzyme UBE2L6.
- Mohammad Afsar
- , GuanQun Liu
- & Shaun K. Olsen
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Article
| Open AccessStructure, catalysis, chitin transport, and selective inhibition of chitin synthase
Chitin, the second most abundant natural polysaccharide in nature, is synthesized by chitin synthases, which are recognized as targets for antifungal and anti-insect drugs. Here the authors determine cryo-EM structures of the chitin synthase, which reveal its activation, catalytic and inhibitory mechanisms
- Dan-Dan Chen
- , Zhao-Bin Wang
- & Lin Bai
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Article
| Open AccessStructure of lasso peptide epimerase MslH reveals metal-dependent acid/base catalytic mechanism
MslH, encoded in the MS-271 biosynthetic gene cluster, catalyzes the epimerization at the Cα center of the MslA C-terminal Trp21, however, the detailed catalytic process was unknown. Here, the authors report MslH is a metallo-dependent peptide epimerase with a calcineurin-like fold.
- Yu Nakashima
- , Atsushi Kawakami
- & Hiroyuki Morita
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Article
| Open AccessMolecular basis of β-lactam antibiotic resistance of ESKAPE bacterium E. faecium Penicillin Binding Protein PBP5
Penicillin Binding Proteins (PBPs) are the main targets of β-lactam antibiotics. Here the authors use NMR spectroscopy, crystallography and microbiology to define the dynamics of E. faecium PBP5 in solution and show that increased acyl-enzyme hydrolysis correlates with increased resistance.
- Yamanappa Hunashal
- , Ganesan Senthil Kumar
- & Wolfgang Peti
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Article
| Open AccessMechanism of ATP hydrolysis dependent rotation of bacterial ATP synthase
The ATP synthase FoF1 undergoes rotation in discrete 120° steps. Using cryo-EM analysis, the authors characterise intermediate structures within these 120° steps at 81°, 83°, 91°, and 101°. This shows that FoF1 undergoes a total of 15 steps in a 360° rotation, exhibiting multiple discreet movements per full rotation as opposed to one fluid motion.
- Atsuki Nakano
- , Jun-ichi Kishikawa
- & Ken Yokoyama
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Article
| Open AccessStructures of a FtsZ single protofilament and a double-helical tube in complex with a monobody
The cryoEM structures of a single protofilament of FtsZ from Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpFtsZ) in a polymerization-preferred conformation are presented and of a double-helical tube of the FtsZ–monobody complex that shows two parallel protofilaments.
- Junso Fujita
- , Hiroshi Amesaka
- & Hiroyoshi Matsumura
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Article
| Open AccessMolecular insights into the catalytic promiscuity of a bacterial diterpene synthase
Diterpene synthase VenA catalyses the synthesis of venezuelaene A with a unique 5-5-6-7 tetracyclic skeleton from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. Here, the authors report crystal structures of apo- and holo-VenA, provide mechanistic insights into its substrate selectivity and promiscuity, and engineer VenA into a sesterterpene synthase.
- Zhong Li
- , Lilan Zhang
- & Shengying Li
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Article
| Open AccessStructural insight into the human SID1 transmembrane family member 2 reveals its lipid hydrolytic activity
The SID-1 family is a putative channel/transporter for transporting nucleic acids. Here, Qian et al. report the dimeric structure of human SIDT2 suggesting that it may act as a transporter but not a channel. In addition, it has a ceramidase activity.
- Dandan Qian
- , Ye Cong
- & Deshun Gong
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Article
| Open AccessMechanistic studies of a lipase unveil effect of pH on hydrolysis products of small PET modules
Plastic-degrading enzymes can be utilized for plastic recycling. Here, QM/MM molecular dynamics and experimental Michaelis–Menten kinetics provide insight into PETase/MHTase activities of the lipase B from Candida antartica.
- Katarzyna Świderek
- , Susana Velasco-Lozano
- & Vicent Moliner
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Article
| Open AccessAllosteric activation of cell wall synthesis during bacterial growth
Coordination of cell wall assembly is critical for bacterial morphology and survival. Here, the authors show that activation of cell wall synthesis by the Rod complex is regulated by the structural dynamics of RodA-PBP2.
- Irina Shlosman
- , Elayne M. Fivenson
- & Joseph J. Loparo
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Article
| Open AccessA multicentric consortium study demonstrates that dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 is not a dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase
While dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1) is known to metabolize the endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthases, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), the function of DDAH2 has remained controversial. Here, the authors present several lines of evidence that DDAH2 does not hydrolyze ADMA.
- Vinitha N. Ragavan
- , Pramod C. Nair
- & Roman N. Rodionov
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Article
| Open AccessA 2.2 Å cryoEM structure of a quinol-dependent NO Reductase shows close similarity to respiratory oxidases
Quinol-dependent nitric oxide reductases, unique to bacteria, are considered members of respiratory heme copper oxidases. A 2.2 Å cryoEM structure of qNOR is reported shedding light on key aspects of enzyme mechanism including quinol binding and pathways for electron, substrate, and proton transport.
- Alex J. Flynn
- , Svetlana V. Antonyuk
- & S. Samar Hasnain
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Article
| Open AccessDiscovery and biosynthesis of tricyclic copper-binding ribosomal peptides containing histidine-to-butyrine crosslinks
Cyclic peptides are important bioactive compounds and drugs, synthesised by enzymatic side-chain macrocyclization of ribosomal peptides, which rarely involves histidine residues. Here, the authors report the discovery and biosynthesis of tricyclic lanthipeptide noursin, constrained by a tri amino acid labionin crosslink and histidine-to-butyrine crosslink, which is important for copper binding of noursin.
- Yuqing Li
- , Yeying Ma
- & Huan Wang
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Article
| Open AccessNucleotide exchange is sufficient for Hsp90 functions in vivo
A complete understanding of the role of ATP hydrolysis in Hsp90 function is elusive. Here, the authors show that ATP hydrolysis, but not binding, is dispensable for essential or specialized Hsp90 functions in vivo, shedding new light on this mystery.
- Michael Reidy
- , Kevin Garzillo
- & Daniel C. Masison
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Article
| Open AccessMillisecond cryo-trapping by the spitrobot crystal plunger simplifies time-resolved crystallography
The authors introduce the spitrobot, a crystal plunger, enabling cryo-trapping with millisecond time-resolution via the liquid application method (LAMA). Ligand binding and reaction intermediates are demonstrated in three different enzymes.
- Pedram Mehrabi
- , Sihyun Sung
- & Eike C. Schulz
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Article
| Open AccessComputational design and molecular dynamics simulations suggest the mode of substrate binding in ceramide synthases
Membrane proteins are involved in many critical cellular pathways. Here, authors use a combination of structural predictions, an algorithm for stabilizing membrane proteins, and molecular dynamics to reveal a putative mechanism for the action of ceramide synthases.
- Iris D. Zelnik
- , Beatriz Mestre
- & Anthony H. Futerman
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Article
| Open AccessAllosteric role of the citrate synthase homology domain of ATP citrate lyase
ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is the main nucleocytosolic source of acetyl-CoA and the enzyme contains citrate synthase homology (CSH) and acyl-CoA synthetase homology (ASH) domains. Here, the authors report data on an ACLY mutant that supports an allosteric role for the CSH domain in ACLY catalysis.
- Xuepeng Wei
- , Kollin Schultz
- & Ronen Marmorstein
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Article
| Open AccessDephosphocholination by Legionella effector Lem3 functions through remodelling of the switch II region of Rab1b
During infection, the Legionella effector Lem3 removes a phosphocholine moiety from the human protein Rab1. Here, the authors present the crystal structure of the stabilised Lem3:Rab1b complex, revealing the catalytic mechanism and substrate recognition of PPM phosphatases shaped Lem3.
- Marietta S. Kaspers
- , Vivian Pogenberg
- & Aymelt Itzen
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Article
| Open AccessThe structural basis of tRNA recognition by arginyl-tRNA-protein transferase
ATE1 is a highly specific enzyme hijacking tRNA from ribosomal pathways to install an arginine onto proteins as a post-translational modification. Here, the authors describe the structures of yeast ATE1 with or without its tRNA cofactor. ATE1 recognizes and selects tRNA in a unique mechanism.
- Thilini Abeywansha
- , Wei Huang
- & Yi Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessTrim-Away ubiquitinates and degrades lysine-less and N-terminally acetylated substrates
TRIM21 mediates intracellular antibody immunity and is exploited for targeted protein degradation using Trim-Away technology. Here, the authors dissect the ubiquitination requirements for Trim-Away, providing an explanation for how TRIM21 can target diverse substrates for degradation.
- Leo Kiss
- , Tyler Rhinesmith
- & Leo C. James