2018

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a complex nanomachine used by numerous Gram-negative bacteria to inject toxins directly into target cells. Its architecture resembles a syringe, and toxins are believe to travel through its interior. One key aspect of the T3SS is the translocon, a complex of two membrane proteins that are synthesized within the bacterial cytoplasm, transported through the interior of the needle, and subsequently inserted directly into the membrane of the eukaryotic (…)

The dynamic fluctuations of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) define their function. Although experimental nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation reveals the motional complexity of these highly flexible proteins, the absence of physical models describing IDP dynamics hinders their mechanistic interpretation. Combining molecular dynamics simulation and NMR, the researchers of the FDP group (Protein Dynaics and Flexibility by NMR) introduce a framework in which distinct motions are (…)

New sources of antibiotics are required to fight against multidrug-resistant pathogens. Natural product biosynthetic pathways are a vast source of inspiration to develop new efficient and environment-friendly chemical synthesis processes. Radical-based chemistry, using high-energy intermediates can afford difficult reactions in water. ‘Radical SAM’ enzymes control such intermediates to perform regio- and stereo-specific reactions. The crystal structure of the radical SAM 1,2-diol dehydratase (…)