2 research outputs found
Kondratâeva Ligation: DielsâAlder-Based Irreversible Reaction for Bioconjugation
Diversification of existing chemoselective
ligations is required
to efficiently access complex and well-defined biomolecular assemblies
with unique and valuable properties. The development and bioconjugation
applications of a novel DielsâAlder-based irreversible site-specific
ligation are reported. The strategy is based on a Kondratâeva
cycloaddition between bioinert and readily functionalizable 5-alkoxyoxazoles
and maleimides that readily react together under mild and easily tunable
reaction conditions to afford a fully stable pyridine scaffold. The
potential of this novel bioconjugation is demonstrated through the
preparation of fluorescent conjugates of biomolecules and a novel
FoÌrster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based probe suitable
for the in vivo detection and imaging of urokinase-like plasminogen
activator (uPA), which is a key protease involved in cancer invasion
and metastasis
Chemotactic G protein-coupled receptors control cell migration by repressing autophagosome biogenesis
<p>Chemotactic migration is a fundamental behavior of cells and its regulation is particularly relevant in physiological processes such as organogenesis and angiogenesis, as well as in pathological processes such as tumor metastasis. The majority of chemotactic stimuli activate cell surface receptors that belong to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. Although the autophagy machinery has been shown to play a role in cell migration, its mode of regulation by chemotactic GPCRs remains largely unexplored. We found that ligand-induced activation of 2 chemotactic GPCRs, the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and the urotensin 2 receptor UTS2R, triggers a marked reduction in the biogenesis of autophagosomes, in both HEK-293 and U87 glioblastoma cells. Chemotactic GPCRs exert their anti-autophagic effects through the activation of CAPNs, which prevent the formation of pre-autophagosomal vesicles from the plasma membrane. We further demonstrated that CXCR4- or UTS2R-induced inhibition of autophagy favors the formation of adhesion complexes to the extracellular matrix and is required for chemotactic migration. Altogether, our data reveal a new link between GPCR signaling and the autophagy machinery, and may help to envisage therapeutic strategies in pathological processes such as cancer cell invasion.</p