The Journal of Biological Chemistry

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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