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Many human proteins are predicted to contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), yet their occurrence in enzymes is notably rare. Human pancreatic glucokinase (GCK) is one of a small, but growing number of enzymes shown to possess an IDR. In this commentary, we summarize the results of recent biophysical studies that provide evidence for a functionally significant disorder-order transition within the IDR of GCK during the enzyme's catalytic cycle. High-resolution NMR studies indicate that...

Many human proteins are predicted to contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), yet their occurrence in enzymes is notably rare. Human pancreatic glucokinase (GCK) is one of a small, but growing number of enzymes shown to possess an IDR. In this commentary, we summarize the results of recent biophysical studies that provide evidence for a functionally significant disorder-order transition within the IDR of GCK during the enzyme's catalytic cycle. High-resolution NMR studies indicate that...

Standard three-dimensional Fourier transform (FT) NMR experiments of molecular systems often involve prolonged measurement times due to extensive sampling required along the indirect time domains to obtain adequate spectral resolution. In recent years, a wealth of alternative sampling methods has been proposed to ease this bottleneck. However, due to their algorithmic complexity, for a given sample and experiment it is often hard to determine the minimal sampling requirement, and hence the...

Standard three-dimensional Fourier transform (FT) NMR experiments of molecular systems often involve prolonged measurement times due to extensive sampling required along the indirect time domains to obtain adequate spectral resolution. In recent years, a wealth of alternative sampling methods has been proposed to ease this bottleneck. However, due to their algorithmic complexity, for a given sample and experiment it is often hard to determine the minimal sampling requirement, and hence the...

Metabolomics continues to make rapid progress through the development of new and better methods and their applications to gain insight into the metabolism of a wide range of different biological systems from a systems biology perspective. Customization of NMR databases and search tools allows the faster and more accurate identification of known metabolites, whereas the identification of unknowns, without a need for extensive purification, requires new strategies to integrate NMR with mass...

Metabolomics continues to make rapid progress through the development of new and better methods and their applications to gain insight into the metabolism of a wide range of different biological systems from a systems biology perspective. Customization of NMR databases and search tools allows the faster and more accurate identification of known metabolites, whereas the identification of unknowns, without a need for extensive purification, requires new strategies to integrate NMR with mass...

Three new rotenoids (1-3), two new isoflavonoids (4 and 5), and six known analogues (6-11) were isolated from an n-hexane partition of a methanol extract of the fruits of Millettia caerulea, with the structures of the new compounds elucidated by analysis of their spectroscopic data. The relative configurations of the rotenoids were determined by interpretation of their NMR spectroscopic data, and their absolute configurations were established using electronic circular dichroism spectra and...

Three new rotenoids (1-3), two new isoflavonoids (4 and 5), and six known analogues (6-11) were isolated from an n-hexane partition of a methanol extract of the fruits of Millettia caerulea, with the structures of the new compounds elucidated by analysis of their spectroscopic data. The relative configurations of the rotenoids were determined by interpretation of their NMR spectroscopic data, and their absolute configurations were established using electronic circular dichroism spectra and...

It was recently discovered that the NRAS isoform 5 (20 amino acids) is expressed in melanoma and results in a more aggressive cell phenotype. This novel isoform is responsible for increased phosphorylation of downstream targets such as AKT, MEK, and ERK as well as increased cellular proliferation. This structure report describes the NMR solution structure of NRAS isoform 5 to be used as a starting point to understand its biophysical interactions. The isoform is highly flexible in aqueous...

It was recently discovered that the NRAS isoform 5 (20 amino acids) is expressed in melanoma and results in a more aggressive cell phenotype. This novel isoform is responsible for increased phosphorylation of downstream targets such as AKT, MEK, and ERK as well as increased cellular proliferation. This structure report describes the NMR solution structure of NRAS isoform 5 to be used as a starting point to understand its biophysical interactions. The isoform is highly flexible in aqueous...

A new environmental bacterial strain exhibited strong antimicrobial characteristics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecalis and Lactobacillus plantarum, and other Gram-positive bacteria. The producer strain, designated OSY-I1, was determined to be Brevibacillus laterosporusvia morphological, biochemical, and genetic analyses. The antimicrobial agent was extracted from cells of OSY-I1 with isopropanol, purified by high-performance...

A new environmental bacterial strain exhibited strong antimicrobial characteristics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecalis and Lactobacillus plantarum, and other Gram-positive bacteria. The producer strain, designated OSY-I1, was determined to be Brevibacillus laterosporusvia morphological, biochemical, and genetic analyses. The antimicrobial agent was extracted from cells of OSY-I1 with isopropanol, purified by high-performance...

This review discusses strategies for the identification of metabolites in complex biological mixtures, as encountered in metabolomics, which have emerged in the recent past. These include NMR database-assisted approaches for the identification of commonly known metabolites as well as novel combinations of NMR and MS analysis methods for the identification of unknown metabolites. The use of certain chemical additives to the NMR tube can permit identification of metabolites with specific physical...

This review discusses strategies for the identification of metabolites in complex biological mixtures, as encountered in metabolomics, which have emerged in the recent past. These include NMR database-assisted approaches for the identification of commonly known metabolites as well as novel combinations of NMR and MS analysis methods for the identification of unknown metabolites. The use of certain chemical additives to the NMR tube can permit identification of metabolites with specific physical...

The bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) protein family are promising therapeutic targets for a range of diseases linked to transcriptional activation, cancer, viral latency, and viral integration. Tandem bromodomains selectively tether BET proteins to chromatin by engaging cognate acetylated histone marks, and the extraterminal (ET) domain is the focal point for recruiting a range of cellular and viral proteins. BET proteins guide γ-retroviral integration to transcription start sites and...

The bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) protein family are promising therapeutic targets for a range of diseases linked to transcriptional activation, cancer, viral latency, and viral integration. Tandem bromodomains selectively tether BET proteins to chromatin by engaging cognate acetylated histone marks, and the extraterminal (ET) domain is the focal point for recruiting a range of cellular and viral proteins. BET proteins guide γ-retroviral integration to transcription start sites and...

The Na(+) /Ca(2+) exchanger provides a major Ca(2+) extrusion pathway in excitable cells and plays a key role in the control of intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations. In Canis familiaris, Na(+) /Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) activity is regulated by the binding of Ca(2+) to two cytosolic Ca(2+) -binding domains, CBD1 and CBD2, such that Ca(2+) -binding activates the exchanger. Despite its physiological importance, little is known about the exchanger's global structure, and the mechanism of allosteric...

The Na(+) /Ca(2+) exchanger provides a major Ca(2+) extrusion pathway in excitable cells and plays a key role in the control of intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations. In Canis familiaris, Na(+) /Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) activity is regulated by the binding of Ca(2+) to two cytosolic Ca(2+) -binding domains, CBD1 and CBD2, such that Ca(2+) -binding activates the exchanger. Despite its physiological importance, little is known about the exchanger's global structure, and the mechanism of allosteric...

Functional motions of (15)N-labeled proteins can be monitored by solution NMR spin relaxation experiments over a broad range of timescales. These experiments however typically take of the order of several days to a week per protein. Recently, NMR chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) experiments have emerged to probe slow millisecond motions complementing R1ρ and CPMG-type experiments. CEST also simultaneously reports on site-specific R1 and R2 parameters. It is shown here how...

Functional motions of (15)N-labeled proteins can be monitored by solution NMR spin relaxation experiments over a broad range of timescales. These experiments however typically take of the order of several days to a week per protein. Recently, NMR chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) experiments have emerged to probe slow millisecond motions complementing R1ρ and CPMG-type experiments. CEST also simultaneously reports on site-specific R1 and R2 parameters. It is shown here how...