Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a key regulator of many cellular signaling pathways. Unlike most kinases, GSK-3 is controlled by inhibition rather than by specific activation. In the insulin and several other signaling pathways, phosphorylation of a serine present in a conserved sequence near the amino terminus of GSK-3 generates an auto-inhibitory peptide. In contrast, Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction requires phosphorylation of Ser/Pro rich sequences present in the Wnt co-receptors LRP5/6, and these motifs inhibit GSK-3 activity. We present crystal structures of GSK-3 bound to its phosphorylated N-terminus and to two of the phosphorylated LRP6 motifs. A conserved loop unique to GSK-3 undergoes a dramatic conformational change that clamps the bound pseudo-substrate peptides, and reveals the mechanism of primed substrate recognition. The structures rationalize target sequence preferences and suggest avenues for the design of inhibitors selective for a subset of pathways regulated by GSK-3.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01998.001

Golgi ␣-mannosidase II (GMII) is a key glycosyl hydrolase in the N-linked glycosylation pathway. It catalyzes the removal of two different mannosyl linkages of GlcNAcMan 5GlcNAc2, which is the committed step in complex N-glycan synthesis. Inhibition of this enzyme has shown promise in certain cancers in both laboratory and clinical settings. Here we present the high-resolution crystal structure of a nucleophile mutant of Drosophila melanogaster GMII (dGMII) bound to its natural oligosaccharide substrate and an oligosaccharide precursor as well as the structure of the unliganded mutant. These structures allow us to identify three sugar-binding subsites within the larger active site cleft. Our results allow for the formulation of the complete catalytic process of dGMII, which involves a specific order of bond cleavage, and a major substrate rearrangement in the active site. This process is likely conserved for all GMII enzymes-but not in the structurally related lysosomal mannosidase-and will form the basis for the design of specific inhibitors against GMII.cancer therapy ͉ enzyme mechanism ͉ N-glycosylation pathway ͉ x-ray crystallography ͉ glycoside hydrolase

Background:Competition between pathogens and their hosts drives the evolution of molecules that give either organism an edge. Results: Structural and biochemical data show how the parasite pseudokinase ROP5 inhibits the murine GTPase IRGa6. Conclusion: The surfaces of both ROP5 and IRG proteins that interact in the complex are under strong selective pressure. Significance: This highlights an extreme case of evolutionary competition.

The deubiquitinase USP7 regulates the levels of multiple proteins with roles in cancer progression and immune response. Thus, USP7 inhibition may decrease oncogene function, increase tumor suppressor function, and sensitize tumors to DNA-damaging agents. We have discovered a novel chemical series that potently and selectively inhibits USP7 in biochemical and cellular assays. Our inhibitors reduce the viability of multiple TP53 wild-type cell lines, including several hematologic cancer and MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell lines, as well as a subset of TP53-mutant cell lines in vitro. Our work suggests that USP7 inhibitors upregulate transcription of genes normally silenced by the epigenetic repressor complex, polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and potentiate the activity of PIM and PI3K inhibitors as well as DNA-damaging agents. Furthermore, oral administration of USP7 inhibitors inhibits MM.1S (multiple myeloma; TP53 wild type) and H526 (small cell lung cancer; TP53 mutant) tumor growth in vivo. Our work confirms that USP7 is a promising, pharmacologically tractable target for the treatment of cancer.