ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0604-2773
Current Organisation
University of Leeds
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Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 08-10-2012
DOI: 10.1021/JM300952S
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1098/RSOB.160032
Abstract: The protease separase plays a key role in sister chromatid disjunction and centriole disengagement. To maintain genomic stability, separase activity is strictly regulated by binding of an inhibitory protein, securin. Despite its central role in cell ision, the separase and securin complex is poorly understood at the structural level. This is partly owing to the difficulty of generating a sufficient quantity of homogeneous, stable protein. Here, we report the production of Caenorhabditis elegans separase–securin complex, and its characterization using biochemical methods and by negative staining electron microscopy. Single particle analysis generated a density map at a resolution of 21–24 Å that reveals a close, globular structure of complex connectivity harbouring two lobes. One lobe matches closely a homology model of the N-terminal HEAT repeat domain of separase, whereas the second lobe readily accommodates homology models of the separase C-terminal death and caspase-like domains. The globular structure of the C. elegans separase–securin complex contrasts with the more elongated structure previously described for the Homo sapiens complex, which could represent a different functional state of the complex, suggesting a mechanism for the regulation of separase activity through conformational change.
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 07-08-2013
DOI: 10.1021/CB400425T
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-10-2015
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 30-10-2017
DOI: 10.1021/ACSCHEMBIO.7B00537
Abstract: The mitotic kinase Aurora-A and its partner protein TPX2 (Targeting Protein for Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2) are overexpressed in cancers, and it has been proposed that they work together as an oncogenic holoenzyme. TPX2 is responsible for activating Aurora-A during mitosis, ensuring proper cell ision. Disruption of the interface with TPX2 is therefore a potential target for novel anticancer drugs that exploit the increased sensitivity of cancer cells to mitotic stress. Here, we investigate the interface using coprecipitation assays and isothermal titration calorimetry to quantify the energetic contribution of in idual residues of TPX2. Residues Tyr8, Tyr10, Phe16, and Trp34 of TPX2 are shown to be crucial for robust complex formation, suggesting that the interaction could be abrogated through blocking any of the three pockets on Aurora-A that complement these residues. Phosphorylation of Aurora-A on Thr288 is also necessary for high-affinity binding, and here we identify arginine residues that communicate the phosphorylation of Thr288 to the TPX2 binding site. With these findings in mind, we conducted a high-throughput X-ray crystallography-based screen of 1255 fragments against Aurora-A and identified 59 hits. Over three-quarters of these hits bound to the pockets described above, both validating our identification of hotspots and demonstrating the druggability of this protein-protein interaction. Our study exemplifies the potential of high-throughput crystallography facilities such as XChem to aid drug discovery. These results will accelerate the development of chemical inhibitors of the Aurora-A/TPX2 interaction.
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 11-10-2010
DOI: 10.1021/JM1008727
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Richard Bayliss.