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Khabre desk
Recent reporting, analysis and explainers from the Molecular Biology desk.
science
A bioRxiv preprint reports cryo-EM structures showing aphidicolin blocking human DNA polymerases δ and ε at the site where they add DNA building blocks. Reconstituted assays and the structures suggest that differences in how the enzymes grip the DNA template help explain why Pol δ is more sensitive.
science
A bioRxiv preprint reports that the host protein HNRNPM binds stem-loop 5 in the SARS-CoV-2 5′-UTR and promotes protein synthesis from the viral RNA. Mutations in the structure’s lower stem reduced both HNRNPM binding and protein synthesis.
science
A bioRxiv preprint reports that the bacterial protein RfaH helps Escherichia coli RNA polymerase continue through prolonged pauses during long-range transcription. In experiments using reconstituted transcription and in vivo depletion, RfaH supported longer transcription runs than NusG and was required for successful conjugation.
science
A bioRxiv preprint reports that binding of the substrate eIF2α relieves an autoinhibitory loop in the mammalian GCN2 kinase. The finding revises the proposed roles of ribosomes and deacylated tRNAs in the integrated stress response.