Publicaties
High-resolution structure of a papaya plant-defense barwin-like protein solved by in-house sulfur-SAD phasing Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The first crystal structure of a barwin-like protein, named carwin, has been determined at high resolution by single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) phasing using the six intrinsic S atoms present in the protein. The barwin-like protein was purified from Carica papaya latex and crystallized in the orthorhombic space group P212121. Using in-house Cu Kα X-ray radiation, 16 cumulative diffraction data sets were acquired to increase the ...
Protein kinase Cgamma mediates regulation of proliferation by the serotonin 5-HT2B receptor KU Leuven
Increased monomerization of mutant HSPB1 leads to protein hyperactivity in Charcot-Marie-tooth neuropathy Universiteit Gent Universiteit Antwerpen
Protein Kinase D regulates RhoA activity via Rhotekin phosphorylation KU Leuven
Protein surface topography as a tool to enhance the selective activity of a potassium channel blocker KU Leuven
Structural Details of the Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel and Its Gating Mechanism Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are large intracellular calcium release channels that play a crucial role in coupling excitation to contraction in both cardiac and skeletal muscle cells. In addition, they are expressed in other cell types where their function is less well understood. Hundreds of mutations in the different isoforms of RyR have been associated with inherited myopathies and cardiac arrhythmia disorders. The structure of these ...
Differential Effects of Posttranslational Modifications of CXCL8/Interleukin-8 on CXCR1 and CXCR2 Internalization and Signaling Properties Vrije Universiteit Brussel KU Leuven
CXCL8 or interleukin (IL)-8 directs neutrophil migration and activation through interaction with CXCR1 and CXCR2 that belong to the family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Naturally occurring posttranslational modifications of the NH 2 -terminal region of CXCL8 affect its biological activities, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are only partially understood. Here, we studied the implications of site-specific ...
Citrullination of CXCL10 and CXCL11 by peptidylarginine deiminase Vrije Universiteit Brussel KU Leuven
Interactions between chemokines and enzymes are vital in immunoregulation. Structural protein citrullination by peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) has been associated with autoimmunity. In this report, we identified a novel naturally occurring posttranslational modification of chemokines, that is, the deimination of arginine at position 5 into citrulline of CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) by rabbit PAD and human PAD2. Citrullination reduced ...
Effect of posttranslational processing on the in vitro and in vivo activity of chemokines Vrije Universiteit Brussel KU Leuven
The CXC and CC chemokine gene clusters provide an abundant number of chemotactic factors selectively binding to shared G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Hence, chemokines function in a complex network to mediate migration of the various leukocyte subsets, expressing specific GPCRs during the immune response. Further fine-tuning of the chemokine system is reached through specific posttranslational modifications of the mature proteins. ...