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• Conjugated dienoic acid peroxides as substrates in Chaetopterus bioluminescence system May 30

  Marine polychaete worm Chaetopterus variopedatus bioluminescence mechanism investigations date back several decades. Researchers from the Laboratory of Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways, the Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR-Spectroscopy and other subdivisions of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, in collaboration with scientists from the Laboratory of Photobiology of the IBP SB RAS, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Pacific State Medical University, and Yeshiva University (USA) have established the structures of three substrates of the Chaetopterus luciferase bioluminescence reaction. The work was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

• New structural data made it possible to decipher the mechanism of human oncochannel TRPV6 inhibition by the natural phytoestrogen genistein May 23

  Calcium-selective oncochannel TRPV6 is the major driver of cell proliferation in human body and its overexpression was found in some of the most severe human cancers, including leukemia, breast, prostate, colon, ovarian, thyroid, and endometrial cancers. While significant effort has been invested in the development of synthetic TRPV6 inhibitors, natural channel blockers have been largely neglected despite of their pharmacological value.

• Enzymatic synthesis of 2-chloropurine arabinonucleosides with chiral amino acid amides at the c6 position and an evaluation of antiproliferative activity in vitro April 5

  A number of purine arabinosides containing chiral amino acid amides at the C6 position of the purine were synthesized using a transglycosylation reaction with recombinant E. coli nucleoside phosphorylases.

• Doxorubicin-Loaded Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Capsules Modified with Antitumor DR5-Specific TRAIL Variant March 29

  Carriers providing active targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to tumor cells are promising for cancer chemotherapy. A team of scientists from the Laboratory of protein engineering and the Laboratory of Biomedical Materials IBCh RAS in collaboration with collegues from other Russian Institutes have developed biodegradable polyelectrolyte microcapsules which have been modified with the DR5-B ligand.

• Diversity of structural, dynamic, and environmental effects explain a distinctive functional role of transmembrane domains in the insulin receptor subfamily February 28

  Human InsR, IGF1R, and IRR receptor tyrosine kinases of the insulin receptor subfamily play an important role in signaling pathways for a wide range of physiological processes. Sharing high sequence and structure homology, the receptors differ dramatically in their localization, expression, and functions. A team of scientists from IBСH RAS in cooperation with colleagues from other institutions using the high-peroscopy of high resolution and computer modeling established that the conformational variability of transmembrane domains and their interaction with surrounding lipids differ significantly among representatives of the subfamily.

• Assessment of core-shell nanoparticles surface structure heterogeneity by SAXS contrast variation and ab initio modeling February 24

  A group of scientists from the Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics and the Laboratory of Carbohydrates of the IBH RAS in collaboration with colleagues from the A.V. Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Hamburg) has developed a new approach to the study of the structure of nanoparticles, combining the methods of SAXS and molecular dynamics.

• Bet v 1-independent sensitization to major allergens in Fagales pollen: Evidence at the T-cell level February 13

  A collaboration of scientists from the Science-Educational center of the IBCh RAS and the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectology and Immunology of the Medical University of Vienna proved that the main allergens from the pollen from trees of the order Fagales, including alder Aln g 1, have the ability to cause Bet v 1-independent sensitization of the immune system in patients living in birch-dominated areas.

• Lectin-Modified Magnetic Nano-PLGA for Photodynamic Therapy In Vivo February 1

  The extreme aggressiveness and lethality of many cancer types appeal to the problem of the development of new-generation treatment strategies based on smart materials. The targeted delivery of nanoparticles to specific cancer cell receptors is believed to be such a strategy; however, there are no targeted nano-drugs that have successfully completed clinical trials to date. To meet the challenge, the team of the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology of the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Laboratory for Biochemical Research of Carcinogenesis of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, and the Department of Nanobiomedicine of the Sirius University, have developed an alternative method of oncotherapy.

• RALF peptides modulate immune response in the moss Physcomitrium patens February 1

  Plants utilize small secreted peptides as important mediators of many processes, from growth and development to response to stress conditions. One of such regulators is the conservative 5 kDa cysteine-rich RALF (Rapid Alkalinization Factor) peptide family, which is widely present in terrestrial plants. RAPID ALKALINIZATION FACTOR (RALFs) are peptides that regulate multiple physiological processes in plants. This peptide family has considerably expanded during land plant evolution, but the role of ancient RALFs in modulating stress responses is unknown

• Antibody fragment-drug conjugates selectively eliminate GD2-expressing tumor cells January 26

  Employing antibody fragments instead of full-length antibodies in antibody-drug conjugates can facilitate accumulation of the therapeutics in the tumor and reduce their side effects. Scientists from the Laboratory of molecular immunology together with colleagues from the Laboratory of cell interactions, the Laboratory of molecular diagnostics at IBCh RAS, and other Russian Institutes have for the first time developed GD2-specific antibody fragment-drug conjugates. Minibody and scFv fragment conjugates with the tubulin-inhibiting drugs MMAE and MMAF manifested strong cytotoxic and cytostatic effects in GD2-positive neuroblastoma and melanoma cell lines.

• 5-(Perylen-3-ylethynyl)uracil as an antiviral scaffold: Potent suppression of enveloped virus reproduction by 3-methyl derivatives in vitro January 23

  A group of scientists from the Laboratory of Molecular Design and Synthesis, the Protein Growth and Differentiation Factor Expression Group of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Poliomyelitis and other institutes synthesized a series of compounds based on 5-(perylene-3-ylethynyl)uracil and studied their antiviral properties and mechanism of action. Previous studies of this class of compounds have suggested controversial types of mechanisms of action. Nonetheless providing comparable high activity. The present study showed that, upon irradiation with light, amphiphilic compounds accumulated in cell and viral membranes inhibit the entry of enveloped viruses into the cell.

• Prophage-derived regions in Curtobacterium genomes: good things, small packages January 23

  Curtobacterium is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria within the order Actinomycetales. Some Curtobacterium species are harmful pathogens of agricultural crops such as soybean, dry beans, peas, sugar beet and beetroot, which occur throughout the world. About 200 publicly available genomes of Curtobacterium species, including environmental metagenomic sequences, were inspected for the presence of sequences of possible prophage origin using bioinformatic methods.

• Use of an Integrated Approach Involving AlphaFold Predictions for the Evolutionary Taxonomy of Duplodnaviria Viruses January 18

  One of the challenging tasks of Duplodnaviria taxonomy is the classification of high-ranked taxa, including families and orders. In this study, the team of scientists from the Laboratory of molecular bioengineering IBCh RAS in collaboration with the colleagues from the Limnological Institute analized the evolutionary relationships of conserved viral proteins, representing different viruses, including all classified Duplodnaviria families, using AlphaFold modelling.

• Chemogenetic emulation of intraneuronal oxidative stress affects synaptic plasticity January 16

  The members of the redox biology group and the Laboratory of molecular technologies from the Department of Metabolism and Redox Biology, IBCH RAS, in the collaboration with colleagues from Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies, Federal Medical Biological Agency, and Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, using a well-established model of long-term potentiation, revealed that neuronal oxidative stress affects synaptic plasticity.

• Study of aging of contrast nanoparticles for MRI December 22, 2022

  A group of scientists from the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology of the IBCh RAS, GPI RAS and a several other scientific Institutes investigated biotransformation of magnetic nanoparticles in the body and the effect of this process both on the metabolism of the iron and on reducing the contrast properties of nanoparticles during imaging. For a long time, it remained unclear what happens in the long term with nanoparticle contrasts for MRI after their distribution in tissues. In addition, magnetic particle biodegradation is accompanied by abundant release of iron ions, which can cause toxic effects. A recent study published in the high-ranking Journal of Nanobiotechnology clarified these issues.

• New Type of Interaction of Snake Three-Finger α-Neurotoxins with Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors December 14, 2022

  Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of α7 type (α7-nAChR) presented in the nervous and immune systems and epithelium is a promising therapeutic target for cognitive disfunctions and cancer treatment. Weak toxin from venom of cobra Naja kaouthia (WTX) is a non-conventional three-finger α-neurotoxin from Naja kaouthia venom, targeting α7-nAChR with weak affinity. There were no data on interaction mode of non-conventional neurotoxins with α7-nAChR.

• Identification of HLA-B*27-bound peptides recognized by TCRs associated with ankylosing spondylitis December 13, 2022

  Ankylosing spondylitis is an autoimmune rheumatological disease, where aberrant immune response against self-antigens is considered as a main trigger of the pathology. Up to date identification of antigen epitopes recognized by specific T cell receptors (TCRs), especially self-epitopes, remains tricky challenge and there is the very limited list of TCRs with characterized antigen specificity.

• Relationship between phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in berries and leaves of raspberry genotypes and their genotyping using SSR markers November 21, 2022

  In recent years, the enrichment of fruits and berries with biologically active substances, in particular, antioxidants has received increased development in breeding (the creation of functional food). Researchers from the Forest Biotechnology Group of the FIBCh, together with colleagues from other institutes, studied the content of total phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins, their relationship with the antioxidant activity of berries and leaves of various raspberry cultivars of Russian and foreign origin, as well as new breeding lines.

• A Single Fluorescent Protein-Based Indicator with a Time-Resolved Fluorescence Readout for Precise pH Measurements in the Alkaline Range November 17, 2022

  The real-time monitoring of the intracellular pH in live cells with high precision represents an important methodological challenge. Although genetically encoded fluorescent indicators can be considered as a probe of choice for such measurements, they are hindered mostly by the inability to determine an absolute pH value and/or a narrow dynamic range of the signal, making them inefficient for recording the small pH changes that typically occur within cellular organelles.

• Longitudinal profiling of human peripheral blood B cell clonal repertoire: memory B cell persistence and signs of negative and positive selection at the BCR repertoire level October 12, 2022

  Persistence of B cell clones and fine-tuning of their BCRs allow them to respond effectively to repeated immune challenges. Researchers from the Genomics of adaptive immunity department of IBCH in collaboration with colleagues from IITP and Skoltech, performed long-term study of structure and dynamics of BCR repertoire of memory B cells and antibody-secreting cells from peripheral blood of healthy donors.

• A Uniquely Stable Trimeric Model of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Transmembrane Domain August 31, 2022

  Tools created at the Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling IBCh RAS have been brought together into a computational framework to build a model of SARS-CoV-2 spike transmembrane domain (TMD).

• Impact of Exogenous Application of Potato Virus Y-Specific dsRNA on RNA Interference, Pattern-Triggered Immunity and Poly(ADP-ribose) Metabolism in Potato Plants August 15, 2022

  Methods for inhibition of viral infection induced by spraying plants with preparations of specific double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) are currently being actively developed. Researchers from the Laboratory of functional genomics and plant proteomics, the Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics and the Laboratory of Molecular Bases of Plant Stress Resistance of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS studied the contribution of potato plant treatment with dsRNA against potato virus Y (dsRNA-PVY) to two dsRNA-induced plant defense mechanisms: specific RNA interference (RNAi) and non-specific pattern-triggered immunity (PTI).

• SOX9 Protein in Pancreatic Cancer Regulates Multiple Cellular Networks in a Cell-Specific Manner August 12, 2022

  Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide. Sex-determining region Y-box protein 9 (SOX9) is upregulated in the majority of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cases. It is hypothesized that the increased expression of pancreatic developmental factor SOX9 is necessary for the formation and maintenance of tumor phenotypes in pancreatic cancer cells.

• Therapeutic efficacy of antibody-drug conjugates targeting GD2-positive tumors July 19, 2022

  Both ganglioside GD2-specific immunotherapy and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), as a class of targeted drugs, have demonstrated clinical success as solid tumor therapies in recent years, yet practically no research has been carried out on ADCs directed to ganglioside GD2. In a new study, scientists from the Department of immunology at IBCh RAS in collaboration with colleagues from other Russian institutes for the first time show that clinically relevant anti-GD2 antibody-drug conjugates manifest potent and highly selective cytotoxicity in a wide panel of cell lines with varying GD2 expression and strongly inhibit tumor growth in mouse models of GD2-positive solid cancer.

• Synthesis of New 5ʹ-Norcarbocyclic Aza/Deaza Purine Fleximers - Noncompetitive Inhibitors of E.coli Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase July 11, 2022

  Scientists from the Laboratory of biosynthesis of physiologically active compounds and Laboratory of biopharmaceutical technologies (IBCH RAS) and Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences synthesized a new series of flexible 5′-norcarbocyclic aza/deaza-purine nucleoside analogs and evaluated as potential inhibitors of E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase.

• Positively charged black hole quencher (BHQ) derivatives as external SERS active responsive elements of biosensors July 8, 2022

  Scientists from the Group of molecular tools for living system studies (IBCh RAS), Department of chemistry of Natural Compounds (Faculty of Chemistry, MSU) and Osipyan Institute of Solid State Physics, together with the Laboratory of Molecular Design and Synthesis (IBCh RAS), have developed external SERS-active responsive elements based on positively charged black hole quencher (BHQ) derivatives.

• Lignans as Pharmacological Agents in Disorders Related to Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: Chemical Synthesis Approaches and Biological Activities July 5, 2022

  Plant lignans are active components of many herbs, which makes them the research objects for therapeutic agents development for practical use. They provide diverse naturally-occurring pharmacophores, which allows them to interact with various enzymes, receptors, ion channels and signaling molecules.

• Streptocinnamides A and B, Depsipeptides from Streptomyces sp. KMM 9044 July 1, 2022

  A new structural group of antibiotics produced by a new strain Streptomyces sp. KMM 9044 was discovered as a result of teamwork of scientists from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (IBCh RAS) and the Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (TIBOCh RAS).

• Capsule-Targeting Depolymerases Derived from Acinetobacter baumannii Prophage Regions June 16, 2022

  A team of scientists from the Laboratory of molecular bioengineering IBCh RAS together with the colleagues from other Russian Institutes bioinformatically predicted and recombinantly produced several different depolymerases encoded in the prophage regions of Acinetobacter baumannii genomes. For two depolymerases, the specificity to capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) of A. baumannii belonging to K1 and K92 capsular types (K types) was determined. These enzymes can be considered as suitable candidates for the development of new antibacterials against corresponding A. baumannii K types. 

• Evolution of Phage Tail Sheath Protein June 16, 2022

  A team of scientists from the Laboratory of molecular bioengineering IBCh RAS analysed 112 contractile phage tail sheath proteins (TShP) representing different groups of bacteriophages and archaeal viruses with myoviral morphology have been modelled with the novel machine learning software, AlphaFold 2. The common core domain of all studied sheath proteins, including viral and T6SS proteins, comprised both N-terminal and C-terminal parts, whereas the other parts consisted of one or several moderately conserved domains, presumably added during phage evolution.

• Heterogeneity of the GFP fitness landscape and data-driven protein design June 16, 2022

  Understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype, the fitness landscape, elucidates the fundamental laws of heredity (Canale et al. 2018) and may ultimately create novel methods of protein design (Alley et al. 2019). The fitness landscape is often conceptualised as a multidimensional surface (Kondrashov and Kondrashov, 2015) with one dimension representing fitness, or another phenotype, and the other dimensions each representing a genotype’s locus.

• Synthesis of 2-chloropurine ribosides with chiral amino acid amides at C6 and their evaluation as A1 adenosine receptor agonists June 14, 2022

  The team of scientists from the Department of biotechnology and the Laboratory of structural biology of ion channels IBCh RAS synthesized a series of adenosine analogs as purine ribonucleosides bearing amino acid amides at the C6 position of 2-chloropurine.