Publications

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of enzymes involved in the regulation of gene expression, DNA repair, and stress response. These processes often are altered in tumors, and HDAC inhibitors have had pronounced antitumor activity with promising results in clinical trials. Here, we report the crystal structure of human HDAC8 in complex with a hydroxamic […]

Transfer of the tumor-inducing plasmid in Agrobacterium tumefaciens is controlled by a quorum-sensing system whose main components are the transcriptional regulator TraR and its autoinducer. This system allows bacteria to synchronize infection of the host plant when a “quorum” of cells has been reached. TraM is an A. tumefaciens protein involved in the regulation of […]

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of activation of human heparanase, a key player in heparan sulfate degradation, thought to be involved in normal and pathologic cell migration processes. Active heparanase arises as a product of a series of proteolytic processing events. Upon removal of the signal peptide, the resulting, poorly […]

TraM is a 11.4 kDa protein involved in the control of the conjugal transfer of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmids by quorum-sensing. TraM was overexpressed and purified from Escherichia coli. This protein binds to the transcriptional regulator TraR, abolishing its function. Size-exclusion chromatography and dynamic light scattering show that the recombinant protein has an apparent molecular […]

Soils in clay pigeon shooting ranges can be seriously contaminated by heavy metals. The pellets contained in ammunition are composed of Pb, Sb, Ni, Zn, Mn and Cu. The total concentrations of these metals in soils, and the effects of their increasing levels on the arthropod community were investigated at seven sampling sites in a […]