Research Area C - Publications 2011

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2011, DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06192.x, Volume 1241, pages 1–16, published on 22.12.2011

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, online article

wilson_anyas_2011_500.100x0.jpg

The peptidyltransferase center of the large ribosomal subunit is responsible for catalyzing peptide bonds. This active site is the target of a variety of diverse antibiotics, many of which are used clinically. The past decade has seen a plethora of structures of antibiotics in complex with the large ribosomal subunit, providing unprecedented insight into the ...

|READ MORE|

J. Med. Chem., 2011, DOI: 10.1021/jm2013826, 55 (2), pp 871–882 published on 19.12.2011

J. Med. Chem., online article

kessler_681_2012_j_med_chem_phophinate_500.100x0.jpg

Intervention in integrin-mediated cell adhesion and integrin signaling pathways is an ongoing area of research in medicinal chemistry and drug development. One key element in integrin–ligand interaction is the coordination of the bivalent cation at the metal ion-dependent adhesion site (MIDAS) by a carboxylic acid function, a consistent feature of all integrin ...

|READ MORE|

Molecular Imaging, 2011, DOI 10.2310/7290.2011.00018, Vol 10, No 6, pp 469–480 published on 15.12.2011

Molecular Imaging, online article

kessler_683_2011_molecular_imaging_tietze_500.100x0.jpg

Labeling of RGD peptides with near-infrared fluorophores yields optical probes for noninvasive imaging of tumors overexpressing alpha-v-beta3 integrins. An important prerequisite for optimum detection sensitivity in vivo is strongly absorbing and highly emissive probes with a known fluorescence lifetime. The RGD-Cy5.5 optical probe was derived by coupling Cy5.5 ...

|READ MORE|

Journal of Biomolecular NMR, 2011, DOI: 10.1007/s10858-011-9591-4, Volume 52, Number 1, 31-39 published on 04.12.2011

Journal of Biomolecular NMR, online article

reifbernd_c_2011_jbnmr_reifasami_sidechainassignments_500a.100x0.jpg

Biological solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy developed rapidly in the past two decades and emerged as an important tool for structural biology. Resonance assignment is an essential prerequisite for structure determination and the characterization of motional properties of a molecule. Experiments, which rely on carbon or nitrogen detection, ...

|READ MORE|

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2011, doi:10.1038/nsmb.2185, published on 20.11.2011

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, online article

sattler_nsmb_2011_500.100x0.jpg

Arginine dimethylation plays critical roles in the assembly of ribonucleoprotein complexes in pre-mRNA splicing and piRNA pathways. We report solution structures of SMN and SPF30 Tudor domains bound to symmetric and asymmetric dimethylated arginine (DMA) that is inherent in the RNP complexes. An aromatic cage in the Tudor domain mediates dimethylarginine ...

|READ MORE|

Nucl. Acids Res., 2011, doi: 10.1093/nar/gkr824, published on 18.10.2011

Nucl. Acids Res., online article

wilson_beckmann_nar_2011_500.100x0.jpg

The ribosome is a highly dynamic machine responsible for protein synthesis within the cell. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallography structures of ribosomal particles, alone and in complex with diverse ligands (protein factors, RNAs and small molecules), have revealed the dynamic nature of the ribosome and provided much needed insight into ...

|READ MORE|

EMBO reports, 2011, doi:10.1038/embor.2011.190, 12, 1127 - 1134 published on 07.10.2011

EMBO reports, online article

hopfner_carell_civril2011_500.100x0.jpg

RIG-I detects cytosolic viral dsRNA with 5′ triphosphates (5′-ppp-dsRNA), thereby initiating an antiviral innate immune response. Here we report the crystal structure of superfamily 2 (SF2) ATPase domain of RIG-I in complex with a nucleotide analogue. RIG-I SF2 comprises two RecA-like domains 1A and 2A and a helical insertion domain 2B, which together form a ...

|READ MORE|

Angewandte Chemie, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201102971, Volume 50, Issue 40, pages 9496–9500 published on 26.09.2011

Angewandte Chemie, online article

kessler_675_2011_angew_500.100x0.jpg

The drug Cilengitide, c(RGDf(NMe)V), is a cyclic RGD pentapeptide (R=arginine, D=aspartic acid, G=glycine) currently in clinical phase III for the treatment of brain tumors and in phase II for other cancer types.[1] The antitumoral properties of this peptide are based on its antagonistic activity for pro-angiogenic integrins, such as alpha-v-beta3, alpha-v-beta5, ...

|READ MORE|

Angewandte Chemie, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201102971, Volume 50, Issue 40, pages 9496–9500 published on 26.09.2011

Angewandte Chemie, online article

kessler_699__2011_angew_chem_me_cilengitide_carles_500.100x0.jpg

The drug Cilengitide, c(RGDf(NMe)V), is a cyclic RGD pentapeptide (R=arginine, D=aspartic acid, G=glycine) currently in clinical phase III for the treatment of brain tumors and in phase II for other cancer types.The antitumoral properties of this peptide are based on its antagonistic activity for pro-angiogenic integrins, such as alpha-v-beta-3, alpha-v-beta-5, ...

|READ MORE|

Nature Letter, 2011, 478, 269 - 73 published on 25.09.2011

Nature Letter, online article

cramer_ringel_nature_2011_500.100x0.jpg

Transcription of the mitochondrial genome is performed by a single-subunit RNA polymerase (mtRNAP) that is distantly related to the RNAP of bacteriophage T7, the pol I family of DNA polymerases, and single-subunit RNAPs from chloroplasts1, 2, 3, 4. Whereas T7 RNAP can initiate transcription by itself, mtRNAP requires the factors TFAM and TFB2M for binding and ...

|READ MORE|

Genes & Dev. 2011, 2011, doi: 10.1101/gad.1736331, published on 22.09.2011

Genes & Development, online article

hopfner_cramer_blattner2011_500.100x0.jpg

Cell growth is regulated during RNA polymerase (Pol) I transcription initiation by the conserved factor Rrn3/TIF- IA in yeast/humans. Here we provide a structure–function analysis of Rrn3 based on a combination of structural biology with in vivo and in vitro functional assays. The Rrn3 crystal structure reveals a unique HEAT repeat fold and a surface serine ...

|READ MORE|

Nucleic Acids Research, 2011, doi: 10.1093/nar/gkr749, 40 (2): 914-927. published on 21.09.2011

Nucleic Acids Research, online article

hopfner_m__ckel_2011_500.100x0.jpg

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) threaten genome stability in all kingdoms of life and are linked to cancerogenic chromosome aberrations in humans. The Mre11:Rad50 (MR) complex is an evolutionarily conserved complex of two Rad50 ATPases and a dimer of the Mre11 nuclease that senses and processes DSBs and tethers DNA for repair. ATP binding and hydrolysis by Rad50 ...

|READ MORE|

Angewandte Chemie, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201104342, published on 17.04.2011

Angewandte Chemie, online article

sattler_kadam_etal_angew_chem_2011_500.100x0.jpg

The spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria is one of the most pressing problems in human health today. In the case of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes lethal airway infections in cystic fibrosis and immunocompromised patients, the formation of biofilms plays an important role in antibiotic resistance and disease progression. ...

|READ MORE|

J. Med. Chem., 2011, DOI: 10.1021/jm2009716, 54 (21), pp 7648–7662 published on 12.09.2011

J. Med. Chem., online article

kessler_677_2011_j_med_chem_dimer_cxcr4_500.100x0.jpg

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is a critical regulator of inflammation and immune surveillance, and it is specifically implicated in cancer metastasis and HIV-1 infection. On the basis of the observation that several of the known antagonists remarkably share a C2 symmetry element, we constructed symmetric dimers with excellent antagonistic activity using a ...

|READ MORE|

Angewandte Chemie, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/ange.201102190, Volume 123, Issue 37, pages 8873–8876 published on 05.09.2011

Angewandte Chemie, online article

kessler_671_2011_angew_chem_lasso-peptides_02190_500.100x0.jpg

Peptides combine a high specificity for their target receptor with a low toxicity and are therefore a promising source for drug leads.However, their use has been limited because of undesirable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. To overcome these obstacles protein scaffolds, such as ultrastable ribosomally assembled peptides, can be used together with ...

|READ MORE|

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2011, doi:10.1038/nsmb.2114, published on 04.09.2011
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology,  online article
kessler_672_2011_nat_str_mol_biol_500.100x0.jpg

In eukaryotes, the essential dimeric molecular chaperone Hsp90 is required for the activation and maturation of specific substrates such as steroid hormone receptors, tyrosine kinases and transcription factors. Hsp90 is involved in the establishment of cancer and has become an attractive target for drug design. Here we present a structural characterization of the ...

|READ MORE|

Bioarchitecture, 2011, DOI: 10.4161/bioa.1.4.17643, 1(4):192-195 published on 03.08.2011

Bioarchitecture, online article

hopfner_fennbioarch1-4_2011_500.100x0.jpg

The function of nuclear actin is poorly understood. It is known to be a discrete component of several chromatin-modifying complexes. Nevertheless, filamentous forms of actin are important for various nuclear processes as well. Nuclear actin is often associated with nuclear actin-related protein Arp4 and other actin-related proteins like Arp8 in the INO80 ...

|READ MORE|

Journal of Structural Biology, 2011, doi:10.1016/j.jsb.2011.03.018, Volume 175, Issue 2, Pages 147-158 published on 02.08.2011

Journal of Structural Biology, online article

sattler_collinet_etal_jsb2011_500.100x0.jpg

Structural studies of multi-protein complexes, whether by X-ray diffraction, scattering, NMR spectroscopy or electron microscopy, require stringent quality control of the component samples. The inability to produce ‘keystone’ subunits in a soluble and correctly folded form is a serious impediment to the reconstitution of the complexes. Co-expression of the ...

|READ MORE|

Circulation Research, 2011, doi: 10.1161/​CIRCRESAHA.111.245787, 758-769 published on 28.07.2011

Circulation Research, online article

kessler_sattler_knoell_etal_circulationres2011inpress_500.100x0.jpg

Telethonin (also known as titin-cap or t-cap) is a 19-kDa Z-disk protein with a unique beta-sheet structure, hypothesized to assemble in a palindromic way with the N-terminal portion of titin and to constitute a signalosome participating in the process of cardiomechanosensing. In addition, a variety of telethonin mutations are associated with the development of ...

|READ MORE|

Biomolecular NMR Assignments, 2011, DOI: 10.1007/s12104-011-9328-z, published on 21.07.2011

Biomolecular NMR Assignments, online article

sattler_duszczyk_sattler_biomolnmrass2011_500.100x0.jpg

Initiation of X-chromosome inactivation in female mammals depends on the non-coding RNA Xist. We have solved the NMR structure of a 14-nucleotide hairpin with a novel AUCG tetraloop fold from a Xist A-repeat that is essential for silencing. The 1H, 13C, 15N and 31P chemical shift assignments are reported.  

|READ MORE|

Biomolecular NMR Assignments, 2011, DOI: 10.1007/s12104-011-9328-z, published on 21.07.2011

Biomolecular NMR Assignments, online article

sattler_duszczyk_sattler_biomolnmrass2011_500.100x0.jpg

Initiation of X-chromosome inactivation in female mammals depends on the non-coding RNA Xist. We have solved the NMR structure of a 14-nucleotide hairpin with a novel AUCG tetraloop fold from a Xist A-repeat that is essential for silencing. The 1H, 13C, 15N and 31P chemical shift assignments are reported.  

|READ MORE|

ChemMedChem, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201100320, Volume 6, Issue 10, pages 1789–1791 published on 20.07.2011

ChemMedChem, online article

kessler_wester_674_2011_chemmedchem_500.100x0.jpg

Nowadays, personalized medicine is considered to be of utmost importance to target the different causes of identical phenotypes. For example, cancer of the same type can significantly differ in its biochemical phenotypes and thus its molecular profile between patients. The disease-specific characterization of malignant cells at the molecular level is a ...

|READ MORE|

Development, 2011, doi: 10.1242/dev.062141, vol. 138 no. 14 3067-3078 published on 15.07.2011

Development, online article

gaul_dev_3067full_2011_500.100x0.jpg

The generation of metameric body plans is a key process in development. In Drosophila segmentation, periodicity is established rapidly through the complex transcriptional regulation of the pair-rule genes. The ‘primary’ pair-rule genes generate their 7-stripe expression through stripe-specific cis-regulatory elements controlled by the preceding non-periodic ...

|READ MORE|

Nature, 2011, 475, 408 - 11 published on 13.07.2011

Nature, online article

sattler_nature_2011_500.100x0.jpg

Many cellular functions involve multi-domain proteins, which are composed of structurally independent modules connected by flexible linkers. Although it is often well understood how a given domain recognizes a cognate oligonucleotide or peptide motif, the dynamic interaction of multiple domains in the recognition of these ligands remains to be characterized. Here ...

|READ MORE|

Nature, 2011, doi:10.1038/nature10215, published on 06.07.2011

Nature, online article

hopfner_beckmann_nature_11_500.100x0.jpg

Swi2/Snf2-typeATPases regulate genome-associated processes such as transcription, replication and repair by catalysing the disruption, assembly or remodelling of nucleosomes or other protein–DNA complexes1,2. It has been suggested that ATP-driven motor activity along DNA disrupts target protein–DNA interactions in the remodelling reaction3–5. However, the complex ...

|READ MORE|

Chemistry & Biology, 2011, DOI 10.1016/j.chembiol.2011.03.010, Volume 18, Issue 5, 589-600 published on 27.05.2011

Chemistry & Biology, online article

wilson_mikolajka_chem_biol_2011_500.100x0.jpg

The ribosome is a major target in the bacterial cell for antibiotics. Here, we dissect the effects that the thiopeptide antibiotics thiostrepton (ThS) and micrococcin (MiC) as well as the orthosomycin antibiotic evernimicin (Evn) have on translational GTPases. We demonstrate that, like ThS, MiC is a translocation inhibitor, and that the activation by MiC of the ...

|READ MORE|

The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2011, 286, 18701 - 07 published on 27.05.2011

The Journal of Biological Chemistry, online article

cramer_ruan_jbc_2011_500.100x0.jpg

During gene transcription, the RNA polymerase (Pol) active center can catalyze RNA cleavage. This intrinsic cleavage activity is strong for Pol I and Pol III but very weak for Pol II. The reason for this difference is unclear because the active centers of the polymerases are virtually identical. Here we show that Pol II gains strong cleavage activity when the ...

|READ MORE|

J. Phys. Chem. Letters, 2011, DOI: 10.1021/jz200511b, 2 (11), pp 1289–1294 published on 12.05.2011

J. Phys. Chem. Letters, online article

reif_2011_jpcl_nielsenoschkinatreif_2h-optimumcontrol_500.100x0.jpg

We present a novel concept for rf pulses and optimal control designed cross-polarization experiments for quadrupolar nuclei. The methods are demonstrated for 2H CP-MAS and 2H multiple-pulse NMR of perdeuterated proteins, for which sensitivity enhancements up to an order of magnitude are presented relative to commonly used approaches. The so-called RESPIRATION rf ...

|READ MORE|

Angewandte Chemie, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201100666, Volume 50, Issue 25, pages 5749–5752 published on 04.05.2011

Angewandte Chemie, online article

cramer_sieber_geiger2011_500.100x0.jpg

The barrel-shaped serine protease ClpP degrades misfolded, damaged, and regulatory proteins. Substrate proteins enter the ClpP barrel through the two axial pores, but it is unclear how the peptide products exit the barrel. Here we report the structure of ClpP from Staphylococcus aureus, which reveals a previously unobserved compressed state of the barrel. A ...

|READ MORE|

Angewandte Chemie, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201008244, Volume 50, Issue 19, pages 4508–4512 published on 02.05.2011

Angewandte Chemie, online article

reif_2011_angewandte_reiflinser_deuteration_500.100x0.jpg

Structural characterization of insoluble proteins often relies on solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Perdeuteration and partial back-substitution of exchangeable protons, as proposed for crystalline model proteins, is now shown to lead to beneficial proton spectra for heterogeneous systems, such as fibrils formed by the Alzheimer's disease β-amyloid peptide Aβ40, the ...

|READ MORE|

Biomolecular NMR Assignments, 2011, DOI: 10.1007/s12104-011-9305-6, Volume 5, Number 2, 225-227 published on 24.04.2011

Biomolecular NMR Assignments, online article

sattler_meyer_etal_biomolnmrass2011_500.100x0.jpg

The interleukin-4-inducing principle from Schistosoma mansoni eggs (IPSE/alpha-1) is a major immunogenic component of schistosomes. It potently triggers the release of interleukin-4 from basophilic granulocytes in an IgE-dependent manner, suggesting a key function in the modulation of the host’s immune response to Schistosoma mansoni infection. Here we present ...

|READ MORE|

Molecular Cell, 2011, 10.1016/j.molcel.2011.02.033, Volume 42, Issue 2, 261-266 published on 22.04.2011

Molecular Cell, online article

cramer_czeko2011_500.100x0.jpg

RNA polymerase (Pol) II transcribes protein-coding genes in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and consists of 12 polypeptide subunits. It is unknown how Pol II is imported into the nucleus. Here we show that Pol II nuclear import requires the protein Iwr1 and provide evidence for cyclic Iwr1 function. Iwr1 binds Pol II in the active center cleft between the two ...

|READ MORE|

molecular pharmaceutics, 2011, 8, 2, 479 - 87 published on 17.04.2011

Molecular Pharmaceutics, online article

kessler_667_2011_molp_500.100x0.jpg

Recent progress in peptide synthesis simplified the synthesis of multiple N-methylation of peptides. To evaluate how multiple N-methylation affects the bioavailability of peptides, a poly alanine cyclic hexapeptide library (n = 54), varying in the number of N-methyl (N-Me) groups (1−5 groups) and their position, was synthesized. The peptides were evaluated for ...

|READ MORE|

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2011, doi:10.1038/nsmb.2026, published on 17.04.2011

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, online article

beckmann_nsmb_2011_500.100x0.jpg

The ubiquitous SecY–Sec61 1 complex translocates nascent secretory proteins across cellular membranes and integrates membrane proteins into lipid bilayers. Several structures of mostly detergent-solubilized Sec complexes have been reported. Here we present a single-particle cryo-EM structure of the SecYEG complex in a membrane environment, bound to a translating ...

|READ MORE|

Nucl. Acids Res., 2011, Vol. 39 Issue 14, 6291–304 published on 15.04.2011

Nucleic Acids Research, online article

cramer_seizl_nar_2011_500.100x0.jpg

Mediator is a multiprotein co-activator of RNA poly- merase (Pol) II transcription. Mediator contains a conserved core that comprises the ‘head’ and ‘middle’ modules. We present here a structure– function analysis of the essential Med11/22 hetero- dimer, a part of the head module. Med11/22 forms a conserved four-helix bundle domain with C-terminal extensions, ...

|READ MORE|

The EMBO Journal, 2011, doi:10.1038/emboj.2011.118, 30, 2153 - 2166 published on 15.04.2011

The EMBO Journal, online article

hopfner_fenn_embo_2011_500.100x0.jpg

Nuclear actin and actin-related proteins (Arps) are integral components of various chromatin-remodelling complexes. Actin in such nuclear assemblies does not form filaments but associates in defined complexes, for instance with Arp4 and Arp8 in the INO80 remodeller. To understand the relationship between nuclear actin and its associated Arps and to test the ...

|READ MORE|

ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2011, DOI: 10.1021/ml200032v, published on 04.04.2011

ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, online article

kessler_669_2011_500.100x0.jpg

A focused multiply N-methylated library of a cyclic hexapeptidic somatostatin analogue: MK678 cyclo(−MeAYwKVF−) was generated, which resulted in the unexpected observation of an efficacious tetra-N-methylated analogue, cyclo(−MeAYMewMeKVMeF−) with a potent inhibitory action on sensory neuropeptide release in vitro and on acute neurogenic inflammatory response in ...

|READ MORE|

PLOS Biology, 2011, 9, 4, published on 01.04.2011

PLOS Biology, online article

cramer_mueller_plos_2011_500.100x0.jpg

In eukaryotes, hundreds of mRNAs are localized by specialized transport complexes. For localization, transcripts are recognized by RNA-binding proteins and incorporated into motor-containing messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs). To date, the molecular assembly of such mRNPs is not well understood and most details on cargo specificity remain unresolved. ...

|READ MORE|

Cell, 2011, DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2011.02.038, Volume 145, Issue 1, 54-66, published on 01.04.2011

Cell, online article

hopfner_cell_2011_145_54_500.100x0.jpg

The MR (Mre11 nuclease and Rad50 ABC ATPase) complex is an evolutionarily conserved sensor for DNA double-strand breaks, highly genotoxic lesions linked to cancer development.MRcan recognize and process DNA ends even if they are blocked and misfolded. To reveal its mechanism, we determined the crystal structure of the catalytic head of Thermotoga maritima MR and ...

|READ MORE|

Angewandte Chemie, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201007168, Volume 50, Issue 17, pages 3993–3997 published on 25.03.2011

Angewandte Chemie, online article

sattler_madl_etal_angewchem2011_500.100x0.jpg

Understanding the function of biomolecular complexes requires their structural analysis at atomic resolution. To solve high-resolution structures by ab initio calculations typically data from NMR spectroscopy or X-ray crystallography are employed. In the latter approach, intrinsic flexibility and dynamics may prevent crystallization or introduce artificial ...

|READ MORE|

J. Am. Chem. Soc.,, 2011, DOI: 10.1021/ja110222h, 133 (15), pp 5905–5912 published on 24.03.2011

J. Am. Chem. Soc., online article

reif_2011_jacs_reiflinser_ash3-structure-longrangedistances_500.100x0.jpg

Magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR becomes an increasingly important tool for the determination of structures of membrane proteins and amyloid fibrils. Extensive deuteration of the protein allows multidimensional experiments with exceptionally high sensitivity and resolution to be obtained. Here we present an experimental strategy to measure highly ...

|READ MORE|

Cell,, 2011, 145 Issue 1 (doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.02.038), 54-66 published on 18.03.2011

Cell, YouTube Movie Link

hopfner_cell_movie_500.100x0.jpg

Take a look at the new Cell movie clip of CIPSM's Karl-Peter Hopfner and group called "Sensing DMA Damage".   Click here to watch "Sensing DMA Damage" on YouTube  

|READ MORE|

Journal of Structural Biology, 2011, doi:10.1016/j.jsb.2010.11.004, Volume 173, Issue 3, March 2011, Pages 472-482 published on 15.03.2011

Journal of Structural Biology, online article

sattler_madl_gabel_jsb2011_500.100x0.jpg

Structural analysis of multi-domain protein complexes is a key challenge in current biology and a prerequisite for understanding the molecular basis of essential cellular processes. The use of solution techniques is important for characterizing the quaternary arrangements and dynamics of domains and subunits of these complexes. In this respect solution NMR is the ...

|READ MORE|

The EMBO Journal, 2011, 30, 1302 - 10 published on 09.03.2011

The EMBO Journal, online article

cramer_martinez-rucobo_embo_2011_500.100x0.jpg

Related RNA polymerases (RNAPs) carry out cellular gene transcription in all three kingdoms of life. The universal conservation of the transcription machinery extends to a single RNAP-associated factor, Spt5 (or NusG in bacteria), which renders RNAP processive and may have arisen early to permit evolution of long genes. Spt5 associates with Spt4 to form the ...

|READ MORE|

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2011, doi:10.1038/nsmb.1997, 18, 404–409 (2011) published on 06.03.2011

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, online article

sattler_cramer_vojnic_etal_nsmb2011_500.100x0.jpg

Eukaryotic transcription is regulated by interactions between gene-specific activators and the coactivator complex Mediator. Here we report the NMR structure of the Mediator subunit Med25 (also called Arc92) activator interaction domain (ACID) and analyze the structural and functional interaction of ACID with the archetypical acidic transcription activator VP16. ...

|READ MORE|

Nature, 2011, doi:10.1038/nature09785, 471, 249–253 published on 23.02.2011

Nature, online article

cramer_cheung2011_500.100x0.jpg

During gene transcription, RNA polymerase (Pol) II moves forwards along DNA and synthesizes messenger RNA. However, at certain DNA sequences, Pol II moves backwards, and such backtracking can arrest transcription. Arrested Pol II is reactivated by transcription factor IIS (TFIIS), which inducesRNAcleavage that is required for cell viability1. Pol II arrest and ...

|READ MORE|

ChemBioChem, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201000602, Volume 12, Issue 3, pages 407–423, published on 11.02.2011

ChemBioChem, online article

reif_2011_cbc_reifventuradasari_abetaibs_500.100x0.jpg

The structures of oligomeric intermediate states in the aggregation process of Alzheimer’s disease b-amyloid peptides have been the subject of debate for many years. Bacterial inclusion bodies contain large amounts of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), which are highly homologous to those found in the plaques of the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. sHSPs ...

|READ MORE|

Current Opinion in Structiral Biology, 2011, 21, Doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2011.01.007,, published on 10.02.2011
Current Opinion in Structural Biology, online article
wilson_beckmann_curr_opt_struc_bio_2011_500.100x0.jpg

As the nascent polypeptide chain is being synthesized, it passes through a tunnel within the large ribosomal subunit and emerges at the solvent side where protein folding occurs. Despite the universality and conservation of dimensions of the ribosomal tunnel, a functional role for the ribosomal tunnel is only beginning to emerge: Rather than a passive conduit for ...

|READ MORE|

Molecular Cell,, 2011, doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2011.01.017, Volume 41, Issue 3, 247-248, published on 04.02.2011

Molecular Cell, online article

wilson_preview_erm_mol_cell_2011_final_500.100x0.jpg

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Ramu et al. demonstrate that nascent peptides located within the ribosomal tunnel can talk back to the peptidyl transferase center to induce translational stalling by restricting the species of aminoacyl-tRNAs that can bind there.  

|READ MORE|

PLOS Biology, 2011, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000581, 10 published on 18.01.2011
PLOS Biology, online article
wilson_beckmann_plosbio_2011_500.100x0.gif

As nascent polypeptide chains are synthesized, they pass through a tunnel in the large ribosomal subunit. Interaction between specific nascent chains and the ribosomal tunnel is used to induce translational stalling for the regulation of gene expression. One well-characterized example is the Escherichia coli SecM (secretion monitor) gene product, which induces ...

|READ MORE|

Theranostics, 2011, ISSN: 1838-7640, 1:48-57 published on 17.01.2011

Theranostics, online article

kessler_670_2011theranostics_500.100x0.jpg

PET imaging of integrin alpha-v-beta-3 expression has been studied intensely by the academia and recently also by the industry. Imaging of integrin alpha-v-beta-3 expression is of great potential value, as the integrin alpha-v-beta-3 is a key player in tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. Therefore PET imaging of this target might be a suitable in-vivo biomarker of ...

|READ MORE|

JMB, 2011, doi:10.1038/msb.2010.112, published on 04.01.2011

Journal of Molecular Biology, online article

cramer_molsysbio_2011_500.100x0.jpg

To obtain rates of mRNA synthesis and decay in yeast, we established dynamic transcriptome analysis (DTA). DTA combines non-perturbing metabolic RNA labeling with dynamic kinetic modeling. DTA reveals that most mRNA synthesis rates are around several transcripts per cell and cell cycle, and most mRNA half-lives range around a median of 11 min. DTA can monitor the ...

|READ MORE|

Angewandte Chemie, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201003795, Volume 50, Issue 1, pages 310–313 published on 03.01.2011

Angewandte Chemie, online article

kessler_663_2011_angewchemie_500.100x0.jpg

The formation of spider dragline silk is controlled by the relatively small C- and N-terminal domains of the spidroins. The formidable and unrivaled mechanical tensile strength of spider silk fibers is a result of the carefully matched assembly of polyalanine (polyA) or poly(glycinealanine) (polyGA) repeat sequences separated by GGX or GPGXX repeats, which are ...

|READ MORE|

Chem. Commun., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0CC03753B, 1246-1248 published on 03.01.2011

Chem. Commun., online article 

kessler_665_2011_500.100x0.jpg

Here we report the synthesis of monofunctional PEGylated amide ligands that were used to prepare bioactivable quantum dots of a 20 nm diameter with a controlled mean number of the covalently grafted ligands. They are stable in aqueous medium of high salinity including a large pH domain  

|READ MORE|

JMB, 2011, 405, 1215-32 published on 04.12.2010

Journal of Molecular Biology, online article

wilson_jbiomol_2011_500.100x0.jpg

Protein synthesis occurs in macromolecular particles called ribosomes. All ribosomes are composed of RNA and proteins. While the protein composition of bacterial and eukaryotic ribosomes has been well-characterized, a systematic analysis of archaeal ribosomes has been lacking. Here we report the first comprehensive two-dimensional PAGE and mass spectrometry ...

|READ MORE|

09 - 15 - 2016
cipsm_fest_2016_100_22jun15.100x0.jpg

The Scientific Oktoberfest will be this years meeting point for some of the internationally most distinguished researchers in the field of Chemistry & Chemical Biology. The CIPSM Scientific Oktoberfest will be held from the 15th to the 16th of September in the Department of Chemistry of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München. READ MORE |

|READ MORE|

Campus Movie 2020

CIPSM Movie

Campus Movie 2012

CIPSM Movie
LMUexcellent
TU München
MPG
Helmholtz München
MPI of Neurobiology
MPI of Biochemistry