Mammalian Retromer Is an Adaptable Scaffold for Cargo Sorting from Endosomes

1. Download : Download high-res image (123KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Coupling Neuropeptide Levels to Structural Plasticity in Drosophila Clock Neurons

1. Download : Download high-res image (207KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

CCDC61/VFL3 Is a Paralog of SAS6 and Promotes Ciliary Functions

1. Download : Download high-res image (261KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

An Oscillating MinD Protein Determines the Cellular Positioning of the Motility Machinery in Archaea

1. Download : Download high-res image (111KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Triggering Closure of a Sialic Acid TRAP Transporter Substrate Binding Protein through Binding of Natural or Artificial Substrates

The pathogens Vibrio cholerae and Haemophilus influenzae use tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic transporters (TRAPs) to scavenge sialic acid from host tissues. They use it as a nutrient or to evade the innate immune system by sialylating surface lipopolysaccharides. An essential component of TRAP transporters is a periplasmic substrate binding protein (SBP). Without substrate, the SBP has been proposed to rest in an open-state, which is not recognised by the transporter. Substrate binding induces a conformational change of the SBP and it is thought that this closed state is recognised by the transporter, triggering substrate translocation. Here we use real time single molecule FRET experiments and crystallography to investigate the open- to closed-state transition of VcSiaP, the SBP of the sialic acid TRAP transporter from V. cholerae. We show that the conformational switching of VcSiaP is strictly substrate induced, confirming an important aspect of the proposed transport mechanism. Two new crystal structures of VcSiaP provide insights into the closing mechanism. While the first structure contains the natural ligand, sialic acid, the second structure contains an artificial peptide in the sialic acid binding site. Together, the two structures suggest that the ligand itself stabilises the closed state and that SBP closure is triggered by physically bridging the gap between the two lobes of the SBP. Finally, we demonstrate that the affinity for the artificial peptide substrate can be substantially increased by varying its amino acid sequence and by this, serve as a starting point for the development of peptide-based inhibitors of TRAP transporters.     

Structural basis for IL-12 and IL-23 receptor sharing reveals a gateway for shaping actions on T versus NK cells

1. Download : Download high-res image (227KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Structure Basis for Shaping the Nse4 Protein by the Nse1 and Nse3 Dimer within the Smc5/6 Complex

The Smc5/6 complex facilitates chromosome replication and DNA break repair. Within this complex, a subcomplex composed of Nse1, Nse3 and Nse4 is thought to play multiple roles through DNA binding and regulating ATP-dependent activities of the complex. However, how the Nse1-Nse3-Nse4 subcomplex carries out these multiple functions remain unclear. To address this question, we determine the crystal structure of the Xenopus laevis Nse1-Nse3-Nse4 subcomplex at 1.7 Å resolution and examine how it interacts with DNA. Our structural analyses show that the Nse1-Nse3 dimer adopts a closed conformation and forms three interfaces with a segment of Nse4, forcing it into a Z-shaped conformation. The Nse1-Nse3-Nse4 structure provides an explanation for how the lung disease immunodeficiency and chromosome breakage syndrome-causing mutations could dislodge Nse4 from Nse1-Nse3. Our DNA binding and mutational analyses reveal that the N-terminal and the middle region of Nse4 contribute to DNA interaction and cell viability. Integrating our data with previous crosslink mass spectrometry data, we propose potential roles of the Nse1-Nse3-Nse4 complex in binding DNA within the Smc5/6 complex.