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CD59 is a GPI-anchored cell surface receptor that serves as a gatekeeper to controlling pore formation. It is the only membrane-bound inhibitor of the complement membrane attack complex (MAC), an immune pore that can damage human cells. While CD59 blocks MAC pores, the receptor is co-opted by bacterial pore-forming proteins to target human cells. Recent structures of CD59 in complexes with binding partners showed dramatic differences in the orientation of its ectodomain relative to the membrane. Here, we show how GPI-anchored CD59 can satisfy this diversity in binding modes. We present a PyLipID analysis of coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations of a CD59-inhibited MAC to reveal residues of complement proteins (C6:Y285, C6:R407 C6:K412, C7:F224, C8β:F202, C8β:K326) that likely interact with lipids. Using modules of the MDAnalysis package to investigate atomistic simulations of GPI-anchored CD59, we discover properties of CD59 that encode the flexibility necessary to bind both complement proteins and bacterial virulence factors.

The 23 human ZDHHCS-acyltransferases catalyze long-chainS-acylation at cysteine residues across an extensive network of hundreds of proteins important for normal physiology or dysregulated in disease. Here we present a technology platform to directly map the protein substrates of a specific ZDHHC for the first time at the whole proteome level, in intact cells. Structure-guided engineering of paired ZDHHC ‘hole’ mutants and ‘bumped’ chemically tagged fatty acid probes enabled probe transfer to specific protein substrates with excellent selectivity over wild type ZDHHCs. Chemical genetic systems were exemplified for five ZDHHCs (3, 7, 11, 15 and 20), and applied to generate the firstde novoZDHHC substrate profiles, identifying >300 unique and shared substrates across multiple cell lines andS-acylation sites for novel functionally diverse substrates. We expect that this powerful and versatile platform will open a new window onS-acylation biology for a wide range of models and organisms.

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PARP proteins represent a class of post-translational modification enzymes with diverse cellular functions. Targeting PARPs has proven to be efficacious clinically, but exploration of the therapeutic potential of PARP inhibition has been limited to targeting poly(ADP-ribose) generating PARP, including PARP1/2/3 and tankyrases. The cancer-related functions of mono(ADP-ribose) generating PARP, including PARP6, remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we report a novel therapeutic strategy targeting PARP6 using the first reported PARP6 inhibitors. By screening a collection of PARP compounds for their ability to induce mitotic defects, we uncovered a robust correlation between PARP6 inhibition and induction of multipolar spindle (MPS) formation, which was phenocopied by PARP6 knockdown. Treatment with AZ0108, a PARP6 inhibitor with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile, potently induced the MPS phenotype, leading to apoptosis in a subset of breast cancer cells in vitro and antitumor effects in vivo. In addition, Chk1 was identified as a specific substrate of PARP6 and was further confirmed by enzymatic assays and by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, when modification of Chk1 was inhibited with AZ0108 in breast cancer cells, we observed marked upregulation of p-S345 Chk1 accompanied by defects in mitotic signaling. Together, these results establish proof-of-concept antitumor efficacy through PARP6 inhibition and highlight a novel function of PARP6 in maintaining centrosome integrity via direct ADP-ribosylation of Chk1 and modulation of its activity.Significance:These findings describe a new inhibitor of PARP6 and identify a novel function of PARP6 in regulating activation of Chk1 in breast cancer cells.

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Light-activable spatiotemporal control of PROTAC-induced protein degradation was achieved with novel arylazopyrazole photoswitchable PROTACs (AP-PROTACs). The use of a promiscuous kinase inhibitor in the design enables this unique photoswitchable PROTAC to selectively degrade four protein kinases together with on/off optical control using different wavelengths of light.

To survive in the host environment, pathogenic bacteria need to be able repair DNA damage caused by both antibiotics and the immune system. The SOS response is a key bacterial pathway to repair DNA double strand breaks and may therefore be a good target for novel therapeutics to sensitise bacteria to antibiotics and the immune response. However, the genes required for the SOS response in Staphylococcus aureus have not been fully established. Therefore, we carried out a screen of mutants involved in various DNA repair pathways to understand which were required for induction of the SOS response. This led to the identification of 16 genes that may play a role in SOS response induction, and of these, 3 that affected susceptibility of S. aureus to ciprofloxacin. Further characterisation revealed that, in addition to ciprofloxacin, loss of the tyrosine recombinase XerC increased the susceptibility of S. aureus to various classes of antibiotics, as well as to host immune defences. Therefore, the inhibition of XerC may be a viable therapeutic approach to sensitise S. aureus to both antibiotics and the immune response.

Metastasis is one of the defining features of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) that contributes to poor prognosis. In this study, the palmitoyl transferase ZDHHC20 was identified in anin vivoshRNA screen as critical for metastatic outgrowth, with no effect on proliferation and migrationin vitro, or primary PDAC growth in mice. This phenotype is abrogated in immunocompromised animals, and in animals with depleted natural killer (NK) cells, indicating that ZDHHC20 affects the interaction of tumour cells and the innate immune system. Using a chemical genetics platform for ZDHHC20-specific substrate profiling, a number of novel substrates of this enzyme were identified. These results describe a role for palmitoylation in enabling distant metastasis that could not have been detected usingin vitroscreening approaches and identify potential effectors through which ZDHHC20 promotes metastasis of PDAC.

Covalent drug discovery, in particular targeting reactive cysteines, has undergone a resurgence over the past two decades, demonstrated by recent clinical successes of covalent inhibitors for high-priority cancer targets. Reactive cysteine profiling, first pioneered by the Cravatt lab, has emerged in parallel as a powerful approach for proteome-wide on- and off-target profiling. Thus far however, structural analysis of liganded cysteines has been restricted to experimentally determined protein structures. We combined AlphaFold-predicted amino acid side chain accessibilities for >95% of the human proteome with a meta-analysis of thirteen public cysteine profiling datasets, totalling 40,070 unique cysteine residues, revealing accessibility biases in sampled cysteines primarily dictated by warhead chemistry. Analysis of >3.5 million cysteine-fragment interactions further suggests that exposed cysteine residues are preferentially targeted by elaborated fragments and drug-like compounds. We finally propose a framework for benchmarking coverage of ligandable cysteines in future cysteine profiling approaches, considering both selectivity for high-priority residues and quantitative depth. All analysis and produced resources (freely available atwww.github.com/TateLab) are readily extendable to reactive amino acids beyond cysteine, and related questions in chemical biology.

Protein lipidation is challenging to analyze on the proteome level. This protocol describes metabolic incorporation of lipid probes and their capture via click chemistry, allowing in-gel fluorescence visualization or mass spectrometry analysis., Protein lipidation is one of the most widespread post-translational modifications (PTMs) found in nature, regulating protein function, structure and subcellular localization. Lipid transferases and their substrate proteins are also attracting increasing interest as drug targets because of their dysregulation in many disease states. However, the inherent hydrophobicity and potential dynamic nature of lipid modifications makes them notoriously challenging to detect by many analytical methods. Chemical proteomics provides a powerful approach to identify and quantify these diverse protein modifications by combining bespoke chemical tools for lipidated protein enrichment with quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Here, we report a robust and proteome-wide approach for the exploration of five major classes of protein lipidation in living cells, through the use of specific chemical probes for each lipid PTM. In-cell labeling of lipidated proteins is achieved by the metabolic incorporation of a lipid probe that mimics the specific natural lipid, concomitantly wielding an alkyne as a bio-orthogonal labeling tag. After incorporation, the chemically tagged proteins can be coupled to multifunctional 'capture reagents' by using click chemistry, allowing in-gel fluorescence visualization or enrichment via affinity handles for quantitative chemical proteomics based on label-free quantification (LFQ) or tandem mass-tag (TMT) approaches. In this protocol, we describe the application of lipid probes for N-myristoylation, N- and S-acylation, O-cholesterylation, S-farnesylation and S-geranylgeranylation in multiple cell lines to illustrate both the workflow and data obtained in these experiments. We provide detailed workflows for method optimization, sample preparation for chemical proteomics and data processing. A properly trained researcher (e.g., technician, graduate student or postdoc) can complete all steps from optimizing metabolic labeling to data processing within 3 weeks. This protocol enables sensitive and quantitative analysis of lipidated proteins at a proteome-wide scale at native expression levels, which is critical to understanding the role of lipid PTMs in health and disease.

For over three decades, methionine aminopeptidase 2 (MetAP2) has been a tentative drug target for the treatment of cancer, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. Currently, no MetAP2 inhibitors (MetAP2i) have reached the clinic yet, despite considerable investment by major pharmaceutical companies. Here, we summarize the key series of MetAP2i developed to date and discuss their clinical development, progress, and issues. We coalesce the currently disparate knowledge regarding MetAP2i mechanism of action and discuss discrepancies across varied studies. Finally, we highlight the current knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to enable successful development of MetAP2 inhibitors in clinical settings.

Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are proteases that hydrolyze isopeptide bonds linking ubiquitin to protein substrates, which can lead to reduced substrate degradation through the ubiquitin proteasome system. Deregulation of DUB activity has been implicated in many disease states, including cancer, neurodegeneration and inflammation, making them potentially attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. The >100 known DUB enzymes have been classified primarily by their conserved active sites, but we are still building our understanding of their substrate profiles, localization and regulation of DUB activity in diverse contexts. Ubiquitin-derived covalent activity-based probes (ABPs) are the premier tool for DUB activity profiling, but their large recognition element impedes cellular permeability and presents an unmet need for small molecule ABPs which account for local DUB concentration, protein interactions, complexes, and organelle compartmentalization in intact cells or organisms. Here, through comprehensive warhead profiling we identify cyanopyrrolidine (CNPy) probe IMP-2373 (12), a small molecule pan-DUB ABP to monitor DUB activity in physiologically relevant live cell systems. Through chemical proteomics and targeted assays we demonstrate that IMP-2373 quantitatively engages more than 35 DUBs in live cells across a range of non-toxic concentrations, and in diverse cell lines and disease models, and we demonstrate its application to quantification of changes in intracellular DUB activity during MYC deregulation in a model of B cell lymphoma. IMP-2373 thus offers a complementary tool to ubiquitin ABPs to monitor dynamic DUB activity in the context of disease-relevant phenotypes.SYNOPSIS TOCGraphical Abstract

We have recently shown that the replication of rhinovirus, poliovirus and foot-and-mouth disease virus requires the co-translational N-myristoylation of viral proteins by human host cell N-myristoyltransferases (NMTs), and is inhibited by treatment with IMP-1088, an ultrapotent small molecule NMT inhibitor. Here, we reveal the role of N-myristoylation during vaccinia virus (VACV) infection in human host cells and demonstrate the anti-poxviral effects of IMP-1088. N-myristoylated proteins from VACV and the host were metabolically labelled with myristic acid alkyne during infection using quantitative chemical proteomics. We identified VACV proteins A16, G9 and L1 to be N-myristoylated. Treatment with NMT inhibitor IMP-1088 potently abrogated VACV infection, while VACV gene expression, DNA replication, morphogenesis and EV formation remained unaffected. Importantly, we observed that loss of N-myristoylation resulted in greatly reduced infectivity of assembled mature virus particles, characterized by significantly reduced host cell entry and a decline in membrane fusion activity of progeny virus. While the N-myristoylation of VACV entry proteins L1, A16 and G9 was inhibited by IMP-1088, mutational and genetic studies demonstrated that the N-myristoylation of L1 was the most critical for VACV entry. Given the significant genetic identity between VACV, monkeypox virus and variola virus L1 homologs, our data provides a basis for further investigating the role of N-myristoylation in poxviral infections as well as the potential of selective NMT inhibitors like IMP-1088 as broad-spectrum poxvirus inhibitors.

The mammalian membrane‐bound O‐acyltransferase (MBOAT) superfamily is involved in biological processes including growth, development and appetite sensing. MBOATs are attractive drug targets in cancer and obesity; however, information on the binding site and molecular mechanisms underlying small‐molecule inhibition is elusive. This study reports rational development of a photochemical probe to interrogate a novel small‐molecule inhibitor binding site in the human MBOAT Hedgehog acyltransferase (HHAT). Structure‐activity relationship investigation identified single enantiomer IMP‐1575, the most potent HHAT inhibitor reported to‐date, and guided design of photocrosslinking probes that maintained HHAT‐inhibitory potency. Photocrosslinking and proteomic sequencing of HHAT delivered identification of the first small‐molecule binding site in a mammalian MBOAT. Topology and homology data suggested a potential mechanism for HHAT inhibition which was confirmed by kinetic analysis. Our results provide an optimal HHAT tool inhibitor IMP‐1575 (K i=38 nM) and a strategy for mapping small molecule interaction sites in MBOATs., Structure‐activity relationship analysis of Hedgehog acyltransferase (HHAT) inhibitors allowed rational design of photochemical probes for HHAT. Probe photocrosslinking identified the first small‐molecule inhibitor binding site in HHAT and revealed the inhibitory mechanism, providing an optimal HHAT tool inhibitor IMP‐1575 (K i=38 nM) for future studies.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a central role in cancer by driving tumor growth, metastasis, therapy failure and cancer recurrence. Macrophage plasticity and diversity allows classification along a M1-M2 polarization axis, where TAMs have a M2-like polarization, associated with a pro-tumoral phenotype, whereas M1 macrophages exhibit anti-tumor functions. Reprogramming TAMs to a M1-like anti-cancer phenotype is an increasingly coveted therapeutic strategy in oncology. Here, we report TAMs can be favorably reprogrammed by modulating N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) activity using on-target, drug-like inhibitors (NMTi). We identified >100 N-myristoylated proteins differentially expressed by macrophages along the M1-M2 polarization axis. In TAM-like M2 macrophages, 42 N-myristoylated proteins exhibited higher NMTi sensitivity as compared to other polarizations, and these NMT substrates significantly enriched in anti-inflammatory, immunity- and metabolism-related pathways. Unique to TAM-like M2 macrophages, NMT modulation by NMTi induces significant transcriptomic and proteomic changes, effectively switching the polarization towards a M1-like anti-cancer phenotype that is characterized by a M1-like spindle morphology, a M1-like glycolytic state, and induction of a pro-inflammatory secretome exhibiting potent anti-tumoral activity towards ovarian cancer spheroids in vitro. In vivo proof-of-principle was established in the syngeneic, macrophage-driven ID8 mouse model for human ovarian cancer, where NMTi treatment significantly reprogrammed murine M2-like TAMs into a M1-like anti-cancer phenotype, concomitantly reducing tumor burden without observable side-effects, and significantly extending median survival by 16 days. We are currently further investigating the intricacies that N-myristoylation plays in macrophage polarization, as well as further establishing the scope of NMTi-driven in vivo reprogramming of TAMs beyond ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Wouter W. Kallemeijn, Sarah Spear, Josephine Walton, Claudio Bussi, Christelle Soudy, Helen R. Flynn, Mark Skehel, David Carling, Roberto Solari, Iain A. McNeish, Edward W. Tate. From foe to friend: In vivo reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages to an anti-cancer phenotype by modulating N-myristoyltransferase activity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 439.

N-myristoyltransferases (NMTs) catalyze the protein N-terminal modification N-myristoylation, a lipidation event which affects >150 proteins and is involved in protein localization, stability, and function. NMT has been suggested as a target in cancers, but there has been a lack of rationale to identify patients who may respond to NMT inhibition. Additionally, the mechanism of action of NMT inhibitors (NMTi) is difficult to dissect, as NMT substrates feature in multiple biological pathways, and many studies have focused only on a single substrate. Here, a combination of bioinformatic, biochemical, proteomic, and cellular biology techniques have been combined to show that deregulation of MYC-family proteins sensitizes cells to NMT inhibition. Cell lines sensitive to NMTi were identified through screening of hundreds of cancer cell lines, and the transcriptome of sensitive and insensitive lines compared to obtain a “Sensitive to NMTi” gene set. This gene set correlated well with MYC-related gene sets and mutation, amplification, or chromosomal rearrangement in MYC(N) were predictive for NMTi sensitivity, suggesting that MYC deregulated cancer cells are sensitive to NMTi. This was verified by cytotoxicity assays in B-cell lymphoma and neuroblastoma lines, where highly MYC(N) expressing lines exhibited increased NMTi sensitivity, including in the SHEP21N and P493-6 lines, in which MYC(N) levels can be regulated. Furthermore, proteomic profiling identified multiple pathways which are affected by NMTi, and these were further validated. In particular, an impact on Complex I formation was seen, and mitochondrial dysfunction in high MYC(N) cells upon NMTi was seen through the loss of basal and maximal respiration, ATP production and spare respiratory capacity. Loss of Complex I formation was shown to be caused by the loss of the NMT substrate NDUFAF4 upon NMTi treatment. Furthermore, application of an orally bioavailable NMTi eliminated tumors in mouse models of both diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and neuroblastoma and were well tolerated with no changed in body weight, suggesting that NMT inhibitors are well tolerated and efficacious in vivo. Citation Format: James Zhang, Gregor A. Lueg, Monica Faronato, Evon Poon, Andrii Gorelik, Andrea G. Grocin, Eva Caamano-Gutierrez, Francesco Falciani, Roberto Solari, Robin Carr, Andrew S. Bell, Edward Bartlett, Jennie Hutton, Miriam Llorian-Sopena, Probir Chakravarty, Bernadette Brzezicha, Martin Janz, Matther J. Garnett, Louis Chesler, Dinis P. Calado, Edward W. Tate. Dysregulation of MYC-family proteins sensitizes cancers to NMT inhibition: identification of NMTi sensitivity and mechanism. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4871.

Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is recognized as a powerful and versatile chemoproteomic technology in drug discovery. Central to ABPP is the use of activity-based probes to report the activity of specific enzymes or reactivity of amino acid types in complex biological systems. Over the last two decades, ABPP has facilitated the identification of new drug targets and discovery of lead compounds in human and infectious disease. Furthermore, as part of a sustained global effort to illuminate the druggable proteome, the repertoire of target classes addressable with activity-based probes has vastly expanded in recent years. Here, we provide an overview of ABPP and summarise the major technological advances with an emphasis on probe development.

Lipids are indispensable cellular building blocks, and their post-translational attachment to proteins makes them important regulators of many biological processes. Dysfunction of protein lipidation is also implicated in many pathological states, yet its systematic analysis presents significant challenges. Thanks to innovations in chemical proteomics, lipidation can now be readily studied by metabolic tagging using functionalized lipid analogs, enabling global profiling of lipidated substrates using mass spectrometry. This has spearheaded the first deconvolution of their full scope in a range of contexts, from cells to pathogens and multicellular organisms. Protein N-myristoylation, S-acylation, and S-prenylation are the most well-studied lipid post-translational modifications because of their extensive contribution to the regulation of diverse cellular processes. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the study of these post-translational modifications, with an emphasis on how novel mass spectrometry methods have elucidated their roles in fundamental biological processes.

Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) is a deubiquitylating enzyme which is proposed as a potential therapeutic target in neurodegeneration, cancer, and liver and lung fibrosis. Herein we report the discovery of the most potent and selective UCHL1 probe (IMP-1710) to date based on a covalent inhibitor scaffold and apply this probe to identify and quantify target proteins in intact human cells. IMP-1710 stereoselectively labels the catalytic cysteine of UCHL1 at low nanomolar concentration in cells. We further demonstrate that potent and selective UCHL1 inhibitors block pro-fibrotic responses in a cellular model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, supporting the potential of UCHL1 as a potential therapeutic target in fibrotic diseases.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest family of signaling membrane proteins, are the target of more than 30% of the drugs on the market. Recently, it has become clear that GPCR functions are far more multidimensional than previously thought, with multiple noncanonical aspects coming to light, including biased, oligomeric, and compartmentalized signaling. These additional layers of functional selectivity greatly expand opportunities for advanced therapeutic interventions, but the development of new chemical biology tools is absolutely required to improve our understanding of noncanonical GPCR regulation and pave the way for future drugs. In this opinion, we highlight the most notable examples of chemical and chemogenetic tools addressing new paradigms in GPCR signaling, discuss their promises and limitations, and explore future directions.

Malaria remains an endemic tropical disease, and the emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to current front-line medicines means that new therapeutic targets are required. The Plasmodium glideosome is a multiprotein complex thought to be essential for efficient host red blood cell invasion. At its core is a myosin motor, Myosin A (MyoA), which provides most of the force required for parasite invasion. Here, we report the design and development of improved peptide-based probes for the anchor point of MyoA, the P. falciparum MyoA tail interacting protein (PfMTIP). These probes combine low nanomolar binding affinity with significantly enhanced cell penetration and demonstrable competitive target engagement with native PfMTIP through a combination of Western blot and chemical proteomics. These results provide new insights into the potential druggability of the MTIP/MyoA interaction and a basis for the future design of inhibitors.

Targeting protein degradation with Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) is an area of great current interest in drug discovery. Nevertheless, although the high effectiveness of PROTACs against a wide variety of targets has been established, most degraders reported to date display limited intrinsic tissue selectivity and do not discriminate between cells of different types. Here, we describe a strategy for selective protein degradation in a specific cell type. We report the design and synthesis of a trastuzumab-PROTAC conjugate (Ab-PROTAC 3) in which E3 ligase-directed degrader activity is caged with an antibody linker which can be hydrolyzed following antibody–PROTAC internalization, releasing the active PROTAC and inducing catalytic protein degradation. We show that 3 selectively targets bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) for degradation only in HER2 positive breast cancer cell lines, while sparing HER2 negative cells. Using live cell confocal microscopy, we show internalization and lysosomal trafficking of the conjugate specifically in HER2 positive cells, leading to the release of active PROTAC in quantities sufficient to induce potent BRD4 degradation. These studies demonstrate proof-of-concept for tissue-specific BRD4 degradation, overcoming limitations of PROTAC selectivity, with significant potential for application to novel targets.

Summary The broad-spectrum antibiotic d-cycloserine (DCS) is a key component of regimens used to treat multi- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. DCS, a structural analogue of d-alanine, binds to and inactivates two essential enzymes involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis, alanine racemase (Alr) and d-Ala:d-Ala ligase. Inactivation of Alr is thought to proceed via a mechanism-based irreversible route, forming an adduct with the pyridoxal 5’-phosphate cofactor, leading to bacterial death. Inconsistent with this hypothesis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis Alr activity can be detected after exposure to clinically relevant DCS concentrations. To address this paradox, we investigated the chemical mechanism of Alr inhibition by DCS. Inhibition of M. tuberculosis Alr and other Alrs is reversible, mechanistically revealed by a previously unidentified DCS-adduct hydrolysis. Dissociation and subsequent rearrangement to a stable substituted oxime explains Alr reactivation in the cellular milieu. This knowledge provides a novel route for discovery of improved Alr inhibitors against M. tuberculosis and other bacteria.

Kallikrein‐related peptidase 14 (KLK14) is one of the several secreted KLK serine proteases involved in prostate cancer (PCa) pathogenesis. While relatively understudied, recent reports have identified KLK14 as overexpressed during PCa development. However, the modulation of KLK14 expression during PCa progression and the molecular and biological functions of this protease in the prostate tumor microenvironment remain unknown. To determine the modulation of KLK14 expression during PCa progression, we analyzed the expression levels of KLK14 in patient samples using publicly available databases and immunohistochemistry. In order to delineate the molecular mechanisms involving KLK14 in PCa progression, we integrated proteomic, transcriptomic, and in vitro assays with the goal to identify substrates, related‐signaling pathways, and functional roles of this protease. We showed that KLK14 expression is elevated in advanced PCa, and particularly in metastasis. Additionally, KLK14 levels were found to be decreased in PCa tissues from patients responsive to neoadjuvant therapy compared to untreated patients. Furthermore, we also identified that KLK14 expression reoccurred in patients who developed castrate‐resistant PCa. The combination of proteomic and transcriptomic analysis as well as functional assays revealed several new KLK14 substrates (agrin, desmoglein 2, vitronectin, laminins) and KLK14‐regulated genes (Interleukin 32, midkine, SRY‐Box 9), particularly an involvement of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase 1 and interleukin 1 receptor pathways, and an involvement of KLK14 in the regulation of cellular migration, supporting its involvement in aggressive features of PCa progression. In conclusion, our work showed that KLK14 expression is associated with the development of aggressive PCa suggesting that targeting this protease could offer a novel route to limit the progression of prostate tumors. Additional work is necessary to determine the benefits and implications of targeting/cotargeting KLK14 in PCa as well as to determine the potential use of KLK14 expression as a predictor of PCa aggressiveness or response to treatment., Kallikrein‐related peptidase 14 (KLK14) is a secreted serine protease belonging to the kallikrein‐related‐peptidase family. We identified that KLK14 is overexpressed in advanced prostate cancer and acts on various substrates involved in adhesion, migration, and invasion of cancer cells, thus modulating genes and signaling pathways essential for prostate cancer progression. These results suggest that KLK14 is a potential target to control aggressiveness of prostate tumors.

Atherosclerosis preferentially occurs in arterial regions exposed to disturbed blood flow (d-flow), while regions exposed to stable flow (s-flow) are protected. The proatherogenic and atheroprotective effects of d-flow and s-flow are mediated in part by the global changes in endothelial cell (EC) gene expression, which regulates endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Previously, we identified kallikrein-related peptidase 10 (Klk10, a secreted serine protease) as a flow-sensitive gene in mouse arterial ECs, but its role in endothelial biology and atherosclerosis was unknown. Here, we show that KLK10 is upregulated under s-flow conditions and downregulated under d-flow conditions using in vivo mouse models and in vitro studies with cultured ECs. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) and scATAC sequencing (scATACseq) study using the partial carotid ligation mouse model showed flow-regulated Klk10 expression at the epigenomic and transcription levels. Functionally, KLK10 protected against d-flow-induced permeability dysfunction and inflammation in human artery ECs, as determined by NFκB activation, expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and intracellular adhesion molecule 1, and monocyte adhesion. Furthermore, treatment of mice in vivo with rKLK10 decreased arterial endothelial inflammation in d-flow regions. Additionally, rKLK10 injection or ultrasound-mediated transfection of Klk10-expressing plasmids inhibited atherosclerosis in Apoe−/− mice. Moreover, KLK10 expression was significantly reduced in human coronary arteries with advanced atherosclerotic plaques compared to those with less severe plaques. KLK10 is a flow-sensitive endothelial protein that serves as an anti-inflammatory, barrier-protective, and anti-atherogenic factor.

CD59 is an abundant immuno-regulatory receptor that protects human cells from damage during complement activation. Here we show how the receptor binds complement proteins C8 and C9 at the membrane to prevent insertion and polymerization of membrane attack complex (MAC) pores. We present cryo-electron microscopy structures of two inhibited MAC precursors known as C5b8 and C5b9. We discover that in both complexes, CD59 binds the pore-forming β-hairpins of C8 to form an intermolecular β-sheet that prevents membrane perforation. While bound to C8, CD59 deflects the cascading C9 β-hairpins, rerouting their trajectory into the membrane. Preventing insertion of C9 restricts structural transitions of subsequent monomers and indirectly halts MAC polymerization. We combine our structural data with cellular assays and molecular dynamics simulations to explain how the membrane environment impacts the dual roles of CD59 in controlling pore formation of MAC, and as a target of bacterial virulence factors which hijack CD59 to lyse human cells.

Mini-G proteins are engineered thermostable variants of Gα subunits designed to specifically stabilise G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in their active conformation for structural analyses. Due to their smaller size and ease of use, they have become popular tools in recent years to assess specific GPCR behaviours in cells, both as reporters of receptor coupling to each G protein subtype and for in-cell assays designed to quantify compartmentalised receptor signalling from a range of subcellular locations. Here, we describe a previously unappreciated consequence of the co-expression of mini-G proteins with their cognate GPCRs, namely a profound disruption in GPCR trafficking and intracellular signalling caused by the co-expression of the specific mini-G subtype coupled to the affected receptor. We studied the Gαs-coupled pancreatic beta cell class B GPCR glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) as a model to describe in detail the molecular consequences derived from this effect, including a complete halt in β-arrestin-2 recruitment and receptor internalisation, despite near-normal levels of receptor GRK2 recruitment and lipid nanodomain segregation, as well as the disruption of endosomal GLP-1R signalling by mini-Gs co-expression. We also extend our analysis to a range of other prototypical GPCRs covering the spectrum of Gα subtype coupling preferences, to unveil a widely conserved phenomenon of GPCR internalisation blockage by specific mini-G proteins coupled to a particular receptor. Our results have important implications for the design of methods to assess intracellular GPCR signalling. We also present an alternative adapted bystander intracellular signalling assay for the GLP-1R in which we substitute the mini-Gs by a nanobody, Nb37, with specificity for active Gαs:GPCR complexes and no deleterious effect on the capacity for GLP-1R internalisation.

We have combined chemical biology and genetic modification approaches to investigate the importance of protein myristoylation in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Parasite treatment during schizogony in the last 10 to 15 hours of the erythrocytic cycle with IMP-1002, an inhibitor of N-myristoyl transferase (NMT), led to a significant blockade in parasite egress from the infected erythrocyte. Two rhoptry proteins were mislocalized in the cell, suggesting that rhoptry function is disrupted. We identified 16 NMT substrates for which myristoylation was significantly reduced by NMT inhibitor (NMTi) treatment, and, of these, 6 proteins were substantially reduced in abundance. In a viability screen, we showed that for 4 of these proteins replacement of the N-terminal glycine with alanine to prevent myristoylation had a substantial effect on parasite fitness. In detailed studies of one NMT substrate, glideosome-associated protein 45 (GAP45), loss of myristoylation had no impact on protein location or glideosome assembly, in contrast to the disruption caused by GAP45 gene deletion, but GAP45 myristoylation was essential for erythrocyte invasion. Therefore, there are at least 3 mechanisms by which inhibition of NMT can disrupt parasite development and growth: early in parasite development, leading to the inhibition of schizogony and formation of “pseudoschizonts,” which has been described previously; at the end of schizogony, with disruption of rhoptry formation, merozoite development and egress from the infected erythrocyte; and at invasion, when impairment of motor complex function prevents invasion of new erythrocytes. These results underline the importance of P. falciparum NMT as a drug target because of the pleiotropic effect of its inhibition., Understanding the essential factors needed for malaria parasite development could help us find new therapeutic targets. This study reveals that N-myristoylation is a posttranslational modification of proteins essential for the parasites’ growth and their invasion of red blood cells.