The thermal stability of proteins can be used to assess ligand binding in living cells. We have generalized this concept by determining the thermal profiles of more than 7000 proteins in human cells by means of mass spectrometry. Monitoring the effects of small-molecule ligands on the profiles delineated more than 50 targets for the kinase inhibitor staurosporine. We identified the heme biosynthesis enzyme ferrochelatase as a target of kinase inhibitors and suggest that its inhibition causes the phototoxicity observed with vemurafenib and alectinib. Thermal shifts were also observed for downstream effectors of drug treatment. In live cells, dasatinib induced shifts in BCR-ABL pathway proteins, including CRK/CRKL. Thermal proteome profiling provides an unbiased measure of drug-target engagement and facilitates identification of markers for drug efficacy and toxicity.

Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) transform RNA building blocks to DNA building blocks by catalyzing the substitution of the 2'OH-group of a ribonucleotide with a hydrogen by a mechanism involving protein radicals. Three classes of RNRs employ different mechanisms for the generation of the protein radical. Recent structural studies of members from each class have led to a deeper understanding of their catalytic mechanism and allosteric regulation by nucleoside triphosphates. The main emphasis of this review is on regulation of RNR at the molecular and cellular level. Conformational transitions induced by nucleotide binding determine the regulation of substrate specificity. An intricate interplay between gene activation, enzyme inhibition, and protein degradation regulates, together with the allosteric effects, enzyme activity and provides the appropriate amount of deoxynucleotides for DNA replication and repair. In spite of large differences in the amino acid sequences, basic structural features are remarkably similar and suggest a common evolutionary origin for the three classes.

The efficacy of therapeutics is dependent on a drug binding to its cognate target. Optimization of target engagement by drugs in cells is often challenging, because drug binding cannot be monitored inside cells. We have developed a method for evaluating drug binding to target proteins in cells and tissue samples. This cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) is based on the biophysical principle of ligand-induced thermal stabilization of target proteins. Using this assay, we validated drug binding for a set of important clinical targets and monitored processes of drug transport and activation, off-target effects and drug resistance in cancer cell lines, as well as drug distribution in tissues. CETSA is likely to become a valuable tool for the validation and optimization of drug target engagement.