0000000000595640
AUTHOR
Jure Borišek
showing 5 related works from this author
Computing Metal-Binding Proteins for Therapeutic Benefit
2021
Over one third of biomolecules rely on metal ions to exert their cellular functions. Metal ions can play a structural role by stabilizing the structure of biomolecules, a functional role by promoting a wide variety of biochemical reactions, and a regulatory role by acting as messengers upon binding to proteins regulating cellular metal-homeostasis. These diverse roles in biology ascribe critical implications to metal-binding proteins in the onset of many diseases. Hence, it is of utmost importance to exhaustively unlock the different mechanistic facets of metal-binding proteins and to harness this knowledge to rationally devise novel therapeutic strategies to prevent or cure pathological st…
Molecular Basis of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1-Induced Immune Translational Shutdown as Revealed by All-Atom Simulations.
2021
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic represents the most severe global health crisis in modern human history. One of the major SARS-CoV-2 virulence factors is nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1), which, outcompeting with the binding of host mRNA to the human ribosome, triggers a translation shutdown of the host immune system. Here, microsecond-long all-atom simulations of the C-terminal portion of the SARS-CoV-2/SARS-CoV Nsp1 in complex with the 40S ribosome disclose that SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 has evolved from its SARS-CoV ortholog to more effectively hijack the ribosome by undergoing a critical switch of Q/E158 and E/Q159 residues that perfects Nsp1's interactions…
Allosteric Cross-Talk among Spike’s Receptor-Binding Domain Mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 South African Variant Triggers an Effective Hijacking of Huma…
2021
The rapid and relentless emergence of novel highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants, possibly decreasing vaccine efficacy, currently represents a formidable medical and societal challenge. These variants frequently hold mutations on the Spike protein's receptor-binding domain (RBD), which, binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, mediates viral entry into host cells. Here, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and dynamical network theory of the wild-type and mutant RBD/ACE2 adducts disclose that while the N501Y mutation (UK variant) enhances the Spike's binding affinity toward ACE2, the concomitant N501Y, E484K, and K417N mutations (South African variant) aptly ad…
Investigating the Molecular Mechanism of H3B-8800: A Splicing Modulator Inducing Preferential Lethality in Spliceosome-Mutant Cancers.
2021
The SF3B1 protein, part of the SF3b complex, recognizes the intron branch point sequence of precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA), thus contributing to splicing fidelity. SF3B1 is frequently mutated in cancer and is the target of distinct families of splicing modulators (SMs). Among these, H3B-8800 is of particular interest, as it induces preferential lethality in cancer cells bearing the frequent and highly pathogenic K700E SF3B1 mutation. Despite the potential of H3B-8800 to treat myeloid leukemia and other cancer types hallmarked by SF3B1 mutations, the molecular mechanism underlying its preferential lethality towards spliceosome-mutant cancer cells remains elusive. Here, microsecond-long a…
Exploiting Cryo-EM Structural Information and All-Atom Simulations To Decrypt the Molecular Mechanism of Splicing Modulators.
2019
Splicing modulators (SMs) pladienolides, herboxidienes, and spliceostatins exert their antitumor activity by altering the ability of SF3B1 and PHF5A proteins, components of SF3b splicing factor, to recognize distinct intron branching point sequences, thus finely calibrating constitutive/alternative/aberrant splicing of pre-mRNA. Here, by exploiting structural information obtained from cryo-EM data, and by performing multiple μs-long all-atom simulations of SF3b in apo form and in complex with selected SMs, we disclose how these latter seep into the narrow slit at the SF3B1/PHF5A protein interface. This locks the intrinsic open/closed conformational transitions of SFB1's solenoidal structure…