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As a centerpiece of antigen processing, the ATP-binding cassette transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) became a main target for viral immune evasion. The herpesviral ICP47 inhibits TAP function, thereby suppressing an adaptive immune response. Here, we report on a thermostable ICP47-TAP complex, generated by fusion of different ICP47 fragments. These fusion complexes allowed us to determine the direction and positioning in the central cavity of TAP. ICP47-TAP fusion complexes are arrested in a stable conformation, as demonstrated by MHC I surface expression, melting temperature, and the mutual exclusion of herpesviral TAP inhibitors. We unveiled a conserved region next to the active domain of ICP47 as essential for the complete stabilization of the TAP complex. Binding of the active domain of ICP47 arrests TAP in an open inward facing conformation rendering the complex inaccessible for other viral factors. Based on our findings, we propose a dual interaction mechanism for ICP47. A per se destabilizing active domain inhibits the function of TAP, whereas a conserved C-terminal region additionally stabilizes the transporter. These new insights into the ICP47 inhibition mechanism can be applied for future structural analyses of the TAP complex.
A consistent muscle activation strategy underlies crawling and swimming in Caenorhabditis elegans
(2014)
Although undulatory swimming is observed in many organisms, the neuromuscular basis for undulatory movement patterns is not well understood. To better understand the basis for the generation of these movement patterns, we studied muscle activity in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits a range of locomotion patterns: in low viscosity fluids the undulation has a wavelength longer than the body and propagates rapidly, while in high viscosity fluids or on agar media the undulatory waves are shorter and slower. Theoretical treatment of observed behaviour has suggested a large change in force–posture relationships at different viscosities, but analysis of bend propagation suggests that short-range proprioceptive feedback is used to control and generate body bends. How muscles could be activated in a way consistent with both these results is unclear. We therefore combined automated worm tracking with calcium imaging to determine muscle activation strategy in a variety of external substrates. Remarkably, we observed that across locomotion patterns spanning a threefold change in wavelength, peak muscle activation occurs approximately 45° (1/8th of a cycle) ahead of peak midline curvature. Although the location of peak force is predicted to vary widely, the activation pattern is consistent with required force in a model incorporating putative length- and velocity-dependence of muscle strength. Furthermore, a linear combination of local curvature and velocity can match the pattern of activation. This suggests that proprioception can enable the worm to swim effectively while working within the limitations of muscle biomechanics and neural control.
Ubiquitin fold modifier 1 (UFM1) is a member of the ubiquitin-like protein family. UFM1 undergoes a cascade of enzymatic reactions including activation by UBA5 (E1), transfer to UFC1 (E2) and selective conjugation to a number of target proteins via UFL1 (E3) enzymes. Despite the importance of ufmylation in a variety of cellular processes and its role in the pathogenicity of many human diseases, the molecular mechanisms of the ufmylation cascade remains unclear. In this study we focused on the biophysical and biochemical characterization of the interaction between UBA5 and UFC1. We explored the hypothesis that the unstructured C-terminal region of UBA5 serves as a regulatory region, controlling cellular localization of the elements of the ufmylation cascade and effective interaction between them. We found that the last 20 residues in UBA5 are pivotal for binding to UFC1 and can accelerate the transfer of UFM1 to UFC1. We solved the structure of a complex of UFC1 and a peptide spanning the last 20 residues of UBA5 by NMR spectroscopy. This structure in combination with additional NMR titration and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments revealed the mechanism of interaction and confirmed the importance of the C-terminal unstructured region in UBA5 for the ufmylation cascade.
A chiral analog of the bicyclic guanidine TBD : synthesis, structure and Brønsted base catalysis
(2016)
Starting from (S)-β-phenylalanine, easily accessible by lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution, a chiral triamine was assembled by a reductive amination and finally cyclized to form the title compound 10. In the crystals of the guanidinium benzoate salt the six membered rings of 10 adopt conformations close to an envelope with the phenyl substituents in pseudo-axial positions. The unprotonated guanidine 10 catalyzes Diels–Alder reactions of anthrones and maleimides (25–30% ee). It also promotes as a strong Brønsted base the retro-aldol reaction of some cycloadducts with kinetic resolution of the enantiomers. In three cases, the retro-aldol products (48–83% ee) could be recrystallized to high enantiopurity (≥95% ee). The absolute configuration of several compounds is supported by anomalous X-ray diffraction and by chemical correlation.
The discovery of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and their associated proteins (Cas) has revolutionized the field of genome and epigenome editing. A number of new methods have been developed to precisely control the function and activity of Cas proteins, including fusion proteins and small-molecule modulators. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) represent a new concept using the ubiquitin-proteasome system to degrade a protein of interest, highlighting the significance of chemically induced protein-E3 ligase interaction in drug discovery. Here, we engineered Cas proteins (Cas9, dCas9, Cas12, and Cas13) by inserting a Phe-Cys-Pro-Phe (FCPF) amino acid sequence (known as the π-clamp system) and demonstrate that the modified CasFCPF proteins can be (1) labeled in live cells by perfluoroaromatics carrying the fluorescein or (2) degraded by a perfluoroaromatics-functionalized PROTAC (PROTAC-FCPF). A proteome-wide analysis of PROTAC-FCPF-mediated Cas9FCPF protein degradation revealed a high target specificity, suggesting a wide range of applications of perfluoroaromatics-induced proximity in the regulation of stability, activity, and functionality of any FCPF-tagging protein.
A B-factor for NOEs?
(2022)
Nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) are influenced by motion. Here, we derive exact, analytical results for a model of isotropic, harmonic fluctuations of atom positions that corresponds to the one underlying crystallographic B-factors. The model includes steric repulsion and yields closed-form expressions for the expected value of general invertible functions of the distance between two atoms, with the special case r-6 for NOEs. We discuss the implications for the definition of an NOE-based B-factor in solution NMR.
The title compound, [FeZr2(C5H5)4Cl2(C13H18B2)], is a heteronuclear complex that consists of a [3]ferrocenophane moiety substituted at each cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ring by a BH3 group; the BH3 group is bonded via two H atoms to the Zr atom of the zirconocene chloride moiety in a bidentate fashion. The two Cp rings of the [3]ferrocenophane moiety are aligned at a dihedral angle of 8.9 (4)° arising from the strain of the propane-1,3-diyl bridge linking the two Cp rings. [One methylene group is disordered over two positions with a site-occupation factor of 0.552 (18) for the major occupied site.] The dihedral angles between the Cp rings at the two Zr atoms are 50.0 (3) and 51.7 (3)°. The bonding Zr(...)H distances are in the range 1.89 (7)–2.14 (7) Å. As the two Cp rings of the ferrocene unit are connected by an ansa bridge, the two Zr atoms approach each other at 6.485 (1) Å. The crystal packing features C—H(...)Cl interactions.
[1,3-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]triiodoborane benzene hemisolvate
(2020)
9-Bromo-9-borafluorene
(2010)
The title compound, C12H8BBr, crystallizes with three essentially planar molecules (r.m.s. deviations = 0.018, 0.020 and 0.021Å) in the asymmetric unit: since the title compound is rigid, there are no conformational differences between these three molecules. The crystal packing resembles a herringbone pattern.