NSP16 Shows Promise for Anti-Viral Therapeutics

NSP16 Target for COVID-19 Therapeutics
SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19) possesses one of the largest genomes of any RNA virus. While it naturally encodes structural proteins among its 29 genes, it also produces non-structural proteins that are necessary to perpetuate infection. Non-structural protein 16 (NSP16) is one such protein.1 NSP16 Camouflages Viral mRNA NSP16 is an m7GpppA-specific, S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent 2’-O-methyltransferase (2’-O-MTase) that “caps”
Read more
No Comments

Looking Ahead: POLQ in the Future of Immuno-Oncology

POLQ Involved in DNA Repair
The most well-known and widely studied mechanisms of double-stranded DNA break (DSB) repairs are homologous recombination (HR) and classical non-homologous end joining (C-NHEJ). HR is almost error-free due to formatting by the homologous sister chromosome. C-NHEJ relies on direct ligation of double-stranded DNA ends and only ever presents errors at the junction points. Recently, a
Read more
No Comments

Discovering the Emerging Importance of PARG in Immunity

PARG in Human Immunity
Poly (ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), along with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) are the principal elements of the DNA damage response (DDR). When single-strand breaks occur in cellular DNA, PARP1 mediates the poly ADP ribosylation of itself and target proteins, such as histones, promoting the decompaction of chromatin and recruiting relevant enzymes to initiate DNA repair.
Read more
No Comments

Helicases as Powerful Tools in Innate Immunity

Helicases Used in Innate Immunity
Helicases are among the largest and most highly conserved families of enzymatic proteins in eukaryotic organisms. These proteins utilize NTP hydrolysis (usually ATP) to drive their recognition, remodeling, and response to target DNA or RNA.1 Nearly every aspect of nucleic acid metabolism is mediated by helicases. DNA helicases function in replication, repair, recombination, transcription, chromosome
Read more
No Comments

OAS1: The Cost of Host Defense

OAS1 The Cost of Host Defense
OAS1 (Oligoadenylate synthetase 1) is induced by type 1 interferon signaling. It recognizes 18 bp (or longer) double stranded RNA segments from invading viruses in the cytosol and catalyzes the production of 2’-5’ linked oligoadenylate (2-5A) from ATP. The 2-5A then, at the expense of yet more ATP, exclusively activates endoribonclease L (RNase L) by
Read more
No Comments

DDX41 as a Sensor, Suppressor, and Modulator

Scientist Studying DDX41
DDX41 [DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) Box Polypeptide 41] is a cytosolic helicase sensor for dsDNA, DNA/RNA complexes, and cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs). Its N-terminal domain is responsible for translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Its DEAD domain, with its signature aspartate-glutamate-alanine-aspartate motif, is important for ATP-powered DNA/CDN detection and signaling. The remaining C-terminal domain functions as a
Read more
No Comments

The Role of ALPK1 in Health and Disease

Scientist Studying ALKPK1
ALPK1 (Alpha Kinase 1) is an atypical serine/threonine-protein kinase that specifically detects and binds the pathogen-associated pattern metabolites (PAMPs), ADP-beta-D-manno-heptose (Beta-ADP-Heptose) or D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose 1,7-bisphosphate (HBP). These metabolic precursors of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis are present in all Gram-negative and some Gram-positive bacteria.  This interaction stimulates ALPK1 to phosphorylate and activate TIFA, initiating an innate immune response
Read more
No Comments

Resolving the Many Roles of DHX36

DHX36 RNA Helicase Unwinds G4 RNA Structures
While most researchers are familiar with canonical DNA structures, primarily B (but also even A or Z) DNA, an even more exotic form exerts a vast influence over nearly every aspect of nucleic acid function. In both DNA and RNA, tracts of guanine with at least four consecutive members can self-associate via Hoogsten base pairing
Read more
No Comments

MAPK1, An Elusive Regulator of Innate Immunity

Researcher working on MAPK1 pathway
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) and MAPK Signaling Cascade Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are Ser/Thr kinases involved in converting extracellular signals to a large spectrum of fundamental cellular processes such as apoptosis, cell division, metabolism survival, etc. This signaling cascade is known as the MAPK pathway. MAPKs are highly conserved among eukaryotes, which mirrors its indispensable
Read more
No Comments

The Double-Edged Sword in Cancer Pathogenesis – JNK1

JNK1 And Cancer Pathogenesis
Properties and Function of JNK1 c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1), also commonly known as Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8 (MAPK8), is a member of the JNK subgroup of MAP kinases. JNK1 is encoded by the MAPK8 gene. MAP kinases form a superfamily of protein kinases that function by phosphorylating various protein substrates, including transcription factors, which
Read more
No Comments