Institute of
bioorganic chemistry

Theoretically, any nucleotide sequence can be translated in three reading frames, resulting in three different polypeptides. However, so far, only dual coding natural mRNAs have been found. A group of researchers from IBHh, University College Cork and other institutes have discovered a unique case of triple coding in the SRD5A1 gene. In this gene, translation initiation occurs on three closely spaced AUG codons within three reading frames. Depending on the splicing, translation from one of the three start codons leads to the synthesis of a protein with a catalytic domain. The unusual architecture of the gene makes it possible not to lose the expression of a protein with a catalytic domain in case of indel mutations. This work is published in Genome Biology.

Researchers from the Laboratory of Neuroreceptors and Neuroregulators IBCh RAS have advanced the use of concatemeric constructs to investigate acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3), a promising target for pain therapy. By assembling rat and human ASIC3 subunits in certain combinations and orders, the research team established that functional properties of resulted channels are determined not only by the subunit composition but by the genes sequence into the concatemer. Homomeric concatemers closely reproduced the properties of native ASIC3 channels, whereas exchange of a single subunit markedly altered proton sensitivity and channel gating. The study provides new insight into species-specific ASIC3 function and offers a valuable experimental framework for interpreting rodent studies in the context of human physiology. The results are published in the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry.

Researchers from IBCh RAS, as part of an international collaboration, have elucidated how the endogenous polyamine spermine blocks the calcium-selective TRPV6 ion channel, which is hyperactive in prostate, breast, and pancreatic cancers. Using a combination of cryo-EM, molecular modeling, electrophysiology, and site-directed mutagenesis, it was shown that spermine enters the open TRPV6 pore in a stepwise manner and physically occludes it like a “plug”. These findings advance our understanding of calcium homeostasis regulation under both physiological conditions and in cancer. The study was supported by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education (computational modeling) and published in Nature Communications. Learn more

Researchers from the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry at the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry as part of an international collaboration, have published two papers in The FEBS Journal confirming the role of the CPH enzyme in the fungal bioluminescence pathway. The team showed that this enzyme breaks down oxyluciferin into caffeic and pyruvic acids. Caffeic acid then returns to the bioluminescent system and helps sustain light emission. This metabolite recycling mechanism helps explain how fungi maintain bioluminescence and may reduce the energetic cost of the process. The findings open up new opportunities for developing more efficient autonomous bioluminescent systems, with potential applications in medicine, biotechnology, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. Learn more

Researchers from the Alexander Mishin, Tatiana Mityushkina and Ilia Yampolsky laboratories at the Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, working in an international collaboration, have introduced a system that makes it possible to non-invasively monitor the activity of two key plant defence signalling pathways in living plants: the salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways. The authors created plant lines expressing autoluminescent reporters, allowing the plant to emit light only at the time and in the tissues where defence mechanisms against pathogens and pests are activated. The work was published in Nature Communications. Learn more