⚗️ Category

biochemistry

388 papers

The stereochemical mechanism of the B12-dependent radical SAM glutamine methyltransferase (QCMT): Novel insights and unprecedented post-translational modifications

This study elucidates the distinct structural and biochemical mechanisms of B12-dependent radical SAM glutamine methyltransferases (QCMTs), revealing their non-concerted catalytic steps, variable cobalamin binding, and remarkable versatility in catalyzing unprecedented post-translational modifications such as peptide epimerization and the conversion of glycine to D-alanine.

Bourdin, T., Guillot, A., Mauger, M. + 8 more2026-03-18⚗️ biochemistry

Mapping Glycan Binding Profiles of the Gut Bacteria using Liquid Glycan Array (LiGA)

This study utilizes a DNA-encoded Liquid Glycan Array (LiGA) to systematically map the glycan binding profiles of diverse gut bacteria, revealing that species like *Limosilactobacillus reuteri* and *Escherichia coli* can cross-chirally recognize and bind mirror-image glycans, thereby offering new insights into microbial colonization mechanisms and host-microbiota interactions.

Yadav, P., Peng, C., Sojitra, M. + 3 more2026-03-18⚗️ biochemistry

HERCULES: an integrative deep-learning framework for predicting RNA-binding propensity and mutation effects at single-residue resolution

HERCULES is a unified, sequence-based deep-learning framework that integrates protein language models with physicochemical descriptors to simultaneously predict RNA-binding domains, assess global RNA-binding propensity, and evaluate the impact of single-residue mutations on RNA-binding ability with high accuracy and interpretability.

Fiorentino, J., Monti, M., Armaos, A. + 3 more2026-03-18⚗️ biochemistry

An epigenetic bifunctional that toggles between transactivation and repression

This study demonstrates that bifunctional small molecules conjugating FKBP(F36V) binders to p300/CBP ligands can act as epigenetic switches that induce potent transactivation in reporter systems but trigger rapid transcriptional repression and protein degradation in oncogenic fusion contexts, thereby proving that induced proximity does not dictate a fixed functional outcome.

Sadagopan, A., Carson, M., Zamurs, E. J. + 11 more2026-03-18⚗️ biochemistry

Potential of Korean Forest Tree Seed Extracts as Multifunctional Bioresources: Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Whitening, and Anticancer Activities

This study demonstrates that seed extracts from seven economically important Korean forest tree species exhibit diverse, species-specific antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, whitening, and anticancer activities, highlighting their potential as sustainable multifunctional bioresources derived from existing afforestation programs.

Lee, H., Park, K., Jang, B.-K. + 2 more2026-03-17⚗️ biochemistry

Functional impact of PCSK9 variants on LDL uptake in a knockout hepatic model

This study establishes a CRISPR/Cas9-generated PCSK9 knockout HepG2 cell line as a rigorous high-resolution platform for quantitatively assessing the functional impact of clinically relevant PCSK9 variants on LDL uptake, revealing significant phenotypic heterogeneity and providing a mechanistic framework to bridge genetic discovery with precision lipid-lowering strategies.

Li, H., Liu, H., Xu, W. + 7 more2026-03-17⚗️ biochemistry

Characterization of human Metaxin proteins reveals functional diversification of SAM37 homologs MTX1 and MTX3

This study demonstrates that human Metaxin homologs MTX1 and MTX3 are functionally non-redundant, as their distinct losses result in unique phenotypes—specifically mitochondrial volume deficiency and network abnormalities for MTX1, versus increased mitochondrial mass for MTX3—while both rely on MTX2 for stability.

Morf, S. E. J., Challis, M. P., Uthishtran, S. + 7 more2026-03-17⚗️ biochemistry

Indazolone-Based Molecular Glue Degraders as a Tunable Platform for Reprogramming Cereblon Substrate Specificity

This study introduces a novel indazolone-based molecular glue degrader platform that overcomes the chemical limitations of existing CRBN ligands by enabling tunable substrate specificity and the degradation of previously undruggable proteins, thereby offering a powerful blueprint for developing next-generation therapeutics against hematological malignancies and solid tumors.

Nie, H.-J., Wang, J., Xu, H. + 10 more2026-03-17⚗️ biochemistry

FLASH Radiotherapy is faster than a heartbeat: A compartmental model to illustrate the interplay between tissue oxygen perfusion and ultra-high dose rate effects.

This paper presents a compartmental model demonstrating that the therapeutic benefits of FLASH Radiotherapy arise from the interplay between ultra-high dose rates and tissue oxygen perfusion dynamics, which modulate chemical processes like lipid peroxidation to create a differential biological response compared to conventional radiation.

Ballesteros-Zebadua, P., Jansen, J., Grilij, V. + 3 more2026-03-16⚗️ biochemistry

Towards a comprehensive chemical and genetic tool library for rhamnogalacturonan-II oligosaccharides and exploitation

This study overcomes the historical limitations in studying Rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II) by engineering and screening diverse microbial strains to generate a comprehensive library of chemically defined RG-II oligosaccharides, which were subsequently used to elucidate RG-II metabolism in the human gut and identify cost-effective alternative production platforms in plant-associated microbes.

Ndeh, D., Nepogodiev, S., Marcias-Garbett, R. + 13 more2026-03-16⚗️ biochemistry

Structural Basis of Membrane Potential Coupled Vectorial CO2 Hydration by the DAB2 Complex in Chemolithoautotrophs

This study presents the first cryo-EM structure of the DAB2 complex in *Halothiobacillus neapolitanus*, revealing a novel proton motive force-driven mechanism for vectorial CO2 hydration that couples enzymatic activity to a transmembrane proton gradient to facilitate efficient carbon capture in chemolithoautotrophs.

Lo, Y. K., Seletskiy, M., Bohn, s. + 4 more2026-03-16⚗️ biochemistry