Journal of Biological Chemistry

Biochemical and structural biological analysis of a hypothetical gene (protein) within a gene cluster related to metabolic pathway of L-threonate, a four-carbon sugar acid, revealed it’s enzyme function as a L-threonate 3-dehydrogenase and physiological role for metabolic diversity. Although the existence of this enzyme itself was reported in the same academic journal in 1964, the molecular identity of which has remained unknown for over 60 years.

Stress-responsive gene pushes pancreatic insulin-producing cells toward dysfunction, fueling diabetes

Researchers at Osaka University have identified ARMC5 as a key regulator of fatty acid balance in adipose tissue. ARMC5 degrades non-SCAP-bound SREBP1, activating it to regulate stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), an enzyme essential for fatty acid desaturation. This discovery opens avenues for developing drugs targeting ARMC5 to manage fatty acid levels and improve health outcomes.

Elucidation of the substrate recognition mechanism of ArcS, the second-step enzyme for archaeosine synthesis in tRNA

Lactate is a byproduct of exercise and metabolism, fueling our brain when oxygen is limited. More recently, scientists have become aware of the many roles it plays in developing our nervous system. Now, researchers from Tohoku University have unearthed the cellular mechanisms by which lactate helps our brains develop.

tRNA-MaP can rapidly analyze the specificity of tRNA m1A22 methyltransferase (TrmK) for substrate tRNAs.

Revelations about the mechanisms of two key proteins which maintain the asymmetric distribution of cholesterol within the cell membrane could help understand and treat diseases linked to its imbalance

Saliva and oral cells are important routes for transmission and infection by the novel coronavirus COVID-19. A research group led by Associate Professor Misako Matsubara and Specially Appointed Professor Katsutoshi Yoshizato of Osaka Metropolitan University hypothesized that the body's innate immune system may protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The onset and severity of COVID-19 are age-dependent, as are parts of the innate immune system like saliva production and quality, which are significantly reduced in the elderly. They found that saliva from healthy individuals prevented the binding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 on the viral envelope to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor present on the plasma membrane of human cells in a concentration-dependent manner.

Investigations of a cellular protein have uncovered a possible link with schizophrenia.

・A novel pathway of L-fucose metabolism was discovered in strictly anaerobic and pathogenic bacterium. ・The genetic context in bacterial genomes and the screening for potential substrates can help identify the biochemical functions of bacterial enzymes. ・No homologous pathway is found in humans or in probiotic bacteria.

A calf was born from an embryo lacking cells which form a large part of the placenta, providing new insight into the regenerative capacity of mammalian embryos.

A small molecule could hold the key to tackling the protein build-up in nerve cells that occurs in several devastating neurological disorders.

A team of researchers at Ehime University revealed that E3 ubiquitin ligase MIB2 enhances inflammation by degrading the deubiquitinating enzyme CYLD. This finding was published on September 20 in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Singapore researchers discover protein that protects parathyroid glands from excessive growth, suggesting potential drug-based strategies to treat hyperparathyroidism and other relevant tumours.

Hokkaido University researchers have uncovered a cellular protein that stabilizes a tumor promoting signaling pathway, suggesting a new target to treat prostate cancer.

Nagoya University-led researchers use nematode worms as a model to identify a new target of the type 2 diabetes drug metformin; ion exchanger protein NHX-5 and its related protein in fruit flies are potential metformin targets, suggesting the drug controls the cellular endocytic cycle.

Hokkaido University scientists are getting closer to understanding the function of a protein involved in vital cellular processes. This may lead to the discovery of drugs that can treat some cancers and autoimmune disorders.

Researchers in Japan have created a new technique for visualizing the dynamics of nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2−), both markers of nitric oxide in a cell.

Missing link in microbial cellulose decomposition

Prof. Tamai's latest research examines how orange, apple and grapefruit juices affect the absorption of prescription drugs into the body. As Kanazawa's most cited professor, he has dedicated his career to study molecules and genes responsible for cardiomyopathy, muscle weakness, and Reye’s syndrome.

Researchers at the RIKEN SPring-8 Center in Japan have clarified for the first time how chromatin in archaea, one of the three evolutionary branches of organisms in nature, binds to DNA. The results offer valuable clues into the evolution of chromatin structure and promise insights into how abnormalities contribute to cancers and gene disorders.

“Reinforcement of microfibril rescues microfibril disorder of Marfan’s syndrome”.

Zinc-transporting protein complexes are found unexpectedly to steer the maturation of an essential enzyme

RIKEN molecular biologists have successfully reprogrammed adult rabbit body cells to form colonies of fully pluripotent cells that are highly similar to rabbit embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

By bolstering a sophisticated computational model with quantitative experimental data, researchers begin to decipher the workings of a complex signaling network

By characterizing the sugar content of cells, researchers have begun to reconstruct important ‘quality control’ mechanisms for protein production