K. Hirata

Cold adaptation in Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers of eastern Eurasia

This study analyzes 42 genomes from Jomon hunter-gatherers to show they adapted to cold environments through positive selection during the Last Glacial Maximum.

High-throughput structure determination of an intrinsically disordered protein using cell-free protein crystallization

This paper develops a cell-free protein crystallization method to determine the structure of an intrinsically disordered protein and identifies key residues stabilizing its helical conformation.

Stress-induced vascular remodeling: novel insight into the role of omega-3 fatty acid metabolite, 4-oxoDHA

This study identifies 4-oxoDHA as a stress-related biomarker linked to vascular inflammation through its regulation of the Nrf2-HO-1 pathway and ICAM-1 expression.

Cell-free Protein Crystallization for Nanocrystal Structure Determination

The paper develops cell-free protein crystallization (CFPC) to produce high-quality protein nanocrystals for structure determination, achieving a 2.11 Å resolution structure for CipA.

Mechanistic insights into intramembrane proteolysis by E. coli site-2 protease homolog RseP

This study elucidates the mechanism of intramembrane proteolysis by E. coli RseP through crystal structures and mutational analysis, revealing a gating mechanism for substrate entry.

A cysteine protease inhibitor blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection of human and monkey cells

This paper shows that K777, a cysteine protease inhibitor, blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection by inhibiting host cathepsin L, which is required for spike protein processing, with nanomolar efficacy in several cell lines.

Crystal structure of the M5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor

The paper reports the crystal structure of the human M5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor bound to tiotropium, revealing structural differences that inform ligand selectivity design.

Structure of the triose-phosphate/phosphate translocator reveals the basis of substrate specificity

This study determines the crystal structures of TPT bound to substrates, revealing the molecular basis of its strict 1:1 exchange mechanism.