D. W. Wolan

Caspase prime-side active-site characterization with non-hydrolyzable peptides assists in the design of a caspase-7-selective irreversible probe.

The paper designs and characterizes non-hydrolyzable peptidomimetic inhibitors to selectively probe caspase-7 over caspase-3 by exploiting differences in their prime-side active-site architecture.

PROTAC-mediated selective degradation of cytosolic soluble epoxide hydrolase enhances ER-stress reduction

This paper develops first-in-class PROTACs that selectively degrade cytosolic sEH, reducing ER stress more effectively than sEH inhibitors.

Peripheral Neuronal Activation Shapes the Microbiome and Alters Gut Physiology

This study activates specific gut neurons in mice to show they influence microbiome structure and gut physiology, including bile acids and fecal output, without brain signals.

Chemical inhibition of ENL/AF9 YEATS domains in acute leukemia

This study identifies a potent inhibitor of the ENL/AF9 YEATS domain and demonstrates its selective suppression of ENL-dependent leukemia genes.

Quantitative metaproteomics of patient fecal microbiota identifies host and microbial proteins associated with ulcerative colitis

The paper uses metaproteomics to identify host and microbial proteins associated with ulcerative colitis, finding serine-type endopeptidases are overrepresented in UC.

Identification of an N-acetylneuraminic acid-presenting bacteria isolated from a healthy human microbiome

The paper identifies an Escherichia coli strain that presents sialic acid on its surface and develops a method to track sialic acid-presenting microbes in complex microbiomes.

An influenza A hemagglutinin small-molecule fusion inhibitor identified by a new high-throughput fluorescence polarization screen.

This paper identifies a small-molecule inhibitor of influenza A HA stem fusion using a fluorescence polarization screen and validates its antiviral activity against multiple H1N1 and H5N1 strains.

Integrative x-ray structure and molecular modeling for the rationalization of procaspase-8 inhibitor potency and selectivity

The paper uses X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling to study how a small-molecule inhibitor binds to and inhibits procaspase-8, revealing structural changes and key interactions.

X-ray structures of two active secreted Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron C11 proteases in complex with peptide-based inhibitors

The paper determines the X-ray structures of two secreted C11 proteases from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in complex with peptide inhibitors, revealing key active-site interactions and substrate preferences.