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Putting stem cells back to sleep during precise genome editing
In stem cells, it’s easier to break a gene with CRISPR genome editing than to fix it. A recent “Cell Reports” paper by the Corn lab figures out why and devises a way to precisely repair genes in bone marrow stem cells. The approach could lead to cures for disorders such as sickle cell disease.
Landscape of exhausted virus-specific CD8 T cells in chronic LCMV infection
Chronic infections lead to the development of exhausted CD8 T cells. A recent ‘Cell Reports’ study by the Oxenius (IMB) and Claassen groups (IMSB) provides a detailed characterization of exhausted CD8 T cells isolated from six different tissues during established LCMV infection.
A monodomain class II terpene cyclase assembles complex isoprenoid scaffolds
Steroids and hopanoids have important functions in diverse organisms. They are generated by multidomain class II terpene cyclases via complex cascade reactions. A recent “Nature Chemistry” paper by the Piel (IMB) and Groll groups (TU Munich) reporting structures of a monodomain cyclase sheds light on the function and evolution of such enzymes.
Kinase Interaction Network Expands Functional and Disease Roles of Human Kinases
The Gstaiger and Aebersold groups (IMSB) present a comprehensive mass-spectrometry-based analysis of human kinase complexes. The work in "Molecular Cell" covers more than 7000 protein interactions for over 300 kinases and suggests new functional associations and disease links for the human kinome.
Peroxisome-Deficiency and HIF-2α Signaling Are Negative Regulators of KHK Expression
Ketohexokinase (KHK) is the primary fructolytic enzyme but expression of alternatively spliced isoforms with different fructose affinities is tissue-specific. Recently, the Kovacs group (IMHS) published new regulatory mechanisms of KHK expression in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology”.