Department of Biochemistry Archives
Assembling cell power plant machinery
Sep. 3, 2020—Tina Iverson and colleagues provide a structural view into the assembly of a protein machine essential for cellular energy production.
Cellular antiviral defenses
Jul. 23, 2020—A cellular RNA quality control mechanism was known to restrict replication of RNA viruses. Vanderbilt researchers have discovered it is also antiviral against DNA viruses.
Probing DNA damage repair
Jun. 18, 2020—After discovering a new mechanism for DNA damage repair last year, Vanderbilt biochemists now provide direct evidence for how it works.
Probing innate immunity
May. 19, 2020—Manuel Ascano team validates an inhibitor of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, which is important for cellular innate immunity against bacteria, viruses, and our own damaged DNA.
New method captures early viral-host protein interactions
May. 7, 2020—Researchers have developed a method to identify the primary interactions between incoming viral RNA genomes and host proteins.
A dual-purpose metabolic switch
May. 5, 2020—John York and colleagues have demonstrated that the protein Vip1 is a rare type of bifunctional enzyme: it can both synthesize and destroy key cellular signaling molecules.
Cellular factor helps package flu genome
Mar. 23, 2020—New insights on influenza genome packaging could guide strategies for interfering with the virus’s life cycle and ability to cause infection.
Loss of ‘Jedi’ alters neuron activity
Mar. 10, 2020—This is not the Jedi you're thinking of. This Jedi is a receptor that helps clear away dead neurons during development, and its loss changes the activity of dorsal root ganglia neurons, which could have implications for treating chronic pain.
New tool probes gene regulation
Feb. 6, 2020—Vanderbilt biochemists got unexpected results when they used their new approach to explore the role of DNA methylation in gene regulation.
Structural views of a C. diff toxin
Jan. 10, 2020—D. Borden Lacy and colleagues used cryo-electron microscopy to define the structure of a C. diff toxin, providing a framework for the design of novel therapeutics.
Cell fate signaling
Dec. 17, 2019—A newly identified protein interaction that affects cell cycle regulation may be an attractive target for cancer therapy.
Study examines HIV drug’s potential to treat Alzheimer’s
Dec. 12, 2019—A drug used to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS is showing promise as a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.
