The nuclear receptor FXR is the sensor of physiological levels of enterohepatic bile acids, the end products of cholesterol catabolism. Here we report crystal structures of the FXR ligand binding domain in complex with coactivator peptide and two different bile acids. An unusual A/B ring juncture, a feature associated with bile acids and no other steroids, provides ligand discrimination and triggers a pi-cation switch that activates FXR. Helix 12, the activation function 2 of the receptor, adopts the agonist conformation and stabilizes coactivator peptide binding. FXR is able to interact simultaneously with two coactivator motifs, providing a mechanism for enhanced binding of coactivators through intermolecular contacts between their LXXLL sequences. These FXR complexes provide direct insights into the design of therapeutic bile acids for treatment of hyperlipidemia and cholestasis.

The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbes is becoming an imminent global public health problem. Local application of antibiotics might be a solution. In local application, materials need to act as the drug delivery system. The drug delivery system should be biodegradable and prolonged antibacterial effect should be provided to satisfy clinical demand. Hydrogel is a promising material for local antibacterial application. Hydrogel refers to a kind of biomaterial synthesized by a water-soluble natural polymer or a synthesized polymer, which turns into gel according to the change in different signals such as temperature, ionic strength, pH, ultraviolet exposure etc. Because of its high hydrophilicity, unique three-dimensional network, fine biocompatibility and cell adhesion, hydrogel is one of the suitable biomaterials for drug delivery in antimicrobial areas. In this review, studies from the past 5 years were reviewed, and several types of antimicrobial hydrogels according to different ingredients, different preparations, different antimicrobial mechanisms, different antimicrobial agents they contained and different applications, were summarized. The hydrogels loaded with metal nanoparticles as a potential method to solve antibiotic resistance were highlighted. Finally, future prospects of development and application of antimicrobial hydrogels are suggested.

Adenine flips out: A combination of X‐ray crystallography, 2‐aminopurine fluorescence labeling, and the use of aminoglycosides as ligands is exploited to demonstrate conformational transitions in the RNA domain that ensures accurate protein synthesis (see picture). The triggering of a conformational change of an adenine unit in the RNA by ligand binding can be used as the basis of a screening method to discover antibiotics.

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Adenin dreht sich raus: Röntgenkristallographie, Fluoreszenzmarkierung mit 2‐Aminopurin und die Verwendung von Aminoglycosiden als Liganden ermöglichten den Nachweis von Konformationsänderungen an der RNA‐Domäne, die die richtige Proteinsynthese sicherstellt (siehe Bild). Das Auslösen einer Änderung der Konformation einer RNA‐Adenineinheit durch die Bindung von Liganden kann als Grundlage für eine Methode zur Suche nach Antibiotika dienen.