L. Aravind

Biliverdin Reductase A is a major determinant of neuroprotective Nrf2 signaling

This paper identifies a novel non-enzymatic role for BVRA in modulating Nrf2 signaling, revealing its importance in neuroprotection and potential as a therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases.

Substrate-directed control of N-glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum calibrates signal reception at the cell-surface

The paper identifies an ER pathway that regulates N-glycosylation by modulating OST-A activity, impacting cell-surface signaling and tissue development.

Identification of a proteolysis regulator for an essential enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The paper identifies CoaX, a pseudokinase, and pantothenate as regulators of proteasomal degradation of the pantothenate synthesis enzyme PanB in M. tuberculosis.

Altruistic feeding and cell-cell signaling during bacterial differentiation actively enhance phenotypic heterogeneity

This study shows that bacterial differentiation through altruistic feeding and cell-cell signaling increases phenotypic heterogeneity, enhancing population resilience to environmental changes.

Magnesium Transporter MgtA revealed as a Dimeric P-type ATPase

The paper reports the first structure of the Mg2+ transporter MgtA using cryo-EM, revealing its dimeric form and mechanism of Mg2+ transport.

Broadly conserved FlgV controls flagellar assembly and Borrelia burgdorferi dissemination in mice

This study identifies FlgV as a conserved flagellar component in Borrelia burgdorferi, showing its role in flagellar assembly and pathogen dissemination in mice.

Bacterial cell surface nanoenvironment requires a specialized chaperone to activate a peptidoglycan biosynthetic enzyme

This study identifies SpoVK as a chaperone that activates MurG during spore surface assembly in Bacillus subtilis, highlighting the need for specialized chaperones in specific nanoenvironments.

Protein coopted from a phage restriction system dictates orthogonal cell division plane selection in Staphylococcus aureus

This study identifies PcdA, a protein from a phage restriction system, as a key factor in orthogonal cell division plane selection in S. aureus, with implications for antibiotic resistance.

The small protein MntS evolved from a signal peptide and acquired a novel function regulating manganese homeostasis in Escherichia coli

This paper shows that the small protein MntS evolved from a signal peptide and regulates manganese homeostasis by inhibiting the MntP transporter and self-interacting in the presence of manganese.

Bacterial NLR-related proteins protect against phage

This study identifies bacterial NLR-related proteins that defend against phages, showing they share structural and functional features with eukaryotic NLRs and use a conserved signaling mechanism.

Unification of the M/ORF3-related proteins points to a diversified role for ion conductance in pathogenesis of coronaviruses and other nidoviruses

This study unifies M/ORF3-related proteins across coronaviruses and other nidoviruses, revealing their conserved role in ion conductance and virion assembly, while showing differential evolutionary pressures between M and ORF3 proteins.

Evolutionarily ancient BAH-PHD protein mediates Polycomb silencing

The paper identifies EPR-1 as an H3K27 methylation effector in Neurospora crassa and shows its evolutionary conservation across eukaryotes.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv0991c is a redox-regulated molecular chaperone

This paper identifies Rv0991c in M. tuberculosis as a redox-regulated molecular chaperone essential for virulence, functioning similarly to Hsp33 in E. coli.

Novel Immunoglobulin Domain Proteins Provide Insights into Evolution and Pathogenesis Mechanisms of SARS-Related Coronaviruses

This study identifies novel Ig domain proteins in SARS-related coronaviruses, highlighting their rapid evolution and potential role in pathogenesis.

The Catalytic Core of DEMETER Guides Active DNA Demethylation in Arabidopsis

This study identifies the catalytic core of DME as essential for active DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis, showing that the N-terminus is required for heterochromatin demethylation and specificity.

Structural basis of HMCES interactions with DNA reveals multivalent substrate recognition

This study reports crystal structures of the HMCES SRAP domain bound to DNA-damage substrates, revealing how HMCES recognizes and binds different DNA structures for crosslinking.

Discovery of the role of a SLOG superfamily biological conflict systems associated protein IodA (YpsA) in oxidative stress protection and cell division inhibition in Gram-positive bacteria

This paper identifies YpsA, a SLOG superfamily protein in Bacillus subtilis, as a regulator of cell division and oxidative stress response, with conserved function in Staphylococcus aureus.

Genome sequencing and assessment of plant growth-promoting properties of a Serratia marcescens strain isolated from vermicompost

This study sequenced the genome of a Serratia marcescens strain isolated from vermicompost and assessed its plant growth-promoting abilities, identifying genes responsible for these traits and potential agricultural applications.

The roles of Conserved Domains in DEMETER-Mediated Active DNA Demethylation in planta

This study identifies the functional roles of conserved domains in DEMETER-mediated active DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis, showing that the C-terminal region is sufficient for rescue and the N-terminal region may have regulatory functions.

Quod erat demonstrandum? No restriction endonuclease fold in MIF

The paper refutes a claim that MIF functions as a DNase by showing the structural relationship to nucleases is unsupported.