Molecular Biology
Structural and functional characterization of the mitochondrial complex IV assembly factor Coa6The structures of the mitochondrial complex IV assembly factor Coa6 and a pathogenic mutant variant (W59CCoa6) are reported, providing molecular mechanisms for its mode of action and the loss-of-function mutation.
Targeting plasma membrane phosphatidylserine content to inhibit oncogenic KRAS functionKRAS-dependent cancer cell growth is inhibited by disrupting phosphatidylserine transport to the plasma membrane by genetic knockdown of lipid exchangers ORP5 and ORP8 or by inhibition of PI4KIIIα.
Kinesin-8B controls basal body function and flagellum formation and is key to malaria transmissionThis comprehensive study describes the key role and real-time dynamics of Plasmodium kinesin-8B in microtubule-based basal body and axoneme assembly during flagellum (male gamete) formation and parasite transmission.
PRDM9 forms a trimer by interactions within the zinc finger arrayPRDM9 forms a trimer as a soluble protein and in complex with DNA mediated by the ZnF domain. Five ZnFs are already sufficient for multimerization and only one DNA molecule is complexed in the trimer.
Membrane curvature sensing of the lipid-anchored K-Ras small GTPaseProteolipid nanoassemblies of K-Ras and lipids in the plasma membrane sense changing membrane curvature architecture and convert mechanical perturbations to mitogenic signaling.
Human DNA polymerase delta requires an iron–sulfur cluster for high-fidelity DNA synthesisThe iron–sulfur cluster in human DNA polymerase delta has an impact on DNA polymerase and exonuclease activities and can hence influence the fidelity of DNA synthesis.
Assembly mechanisms of the bacterial cytoskeletal protein FilPFilP is a coiled-coil protein that self-assembles into striated filaments and meshwork that shares structural and biochemical characteristics with metazoan intermediate filaments.
CRISPR-induced double-strand breaks trigger recombination between homologous chromosome armsCRISPR–Cas9 enables recombination between homologous chromosome arms at predefined sites and also underscores the need for caution when applying CRISPR technologies in translational medicine.
Molecular characterization of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii telomeres and telomerase mutantsThis study characterizes the sequence, end structure, and length distribution of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii telomeres and shows that telomerase mutants are defective in telomere maintenance.
ATP hydrolysis by KaiC promotes its KaiA binding in the cyanobacterial circadian clock systemATP hydrolysis in the KaiC hexamer triggers the exposure of its C-terminal segments into the solvent so as to capture KaiA, providing mechanistic insights into the circadian periodicity regulation.