NRAGE associates with the anti-apoptotic factor Che-1 and regulates its degradation to induce cell death

Neurotrophin receptor-interacting MAGE homolog (NRAGE) has been recently identified as a cell-death inducer, involved in molecular events driving cells through apoptotic networks during neuronal development. Recently, we have focused on the functional role of Che-1, also known as apoptosis-antagonizing transcription factor (AATF), a protein involved in cell cycle control and gene transcription. Increasing evidence suggests that Che-1 is involved in apoptotic signalling in neural tissues. In cortical neurons Che-1 exhibits an anti-apoptotic activity, protecting cells from neuronal damage induced by amyloid β-peptide. Here, we report that Che-1 interacts with NRAGE and that an EGFP-NRAGE fusion protein inhibits nuclear localization of Che-1, by sequestering it within the cytoplasmic compartment. Furthermore, NRAGE overexpression downregulates endogenous Che-1 by targeting it for proteasome-dependent degradation. Finally, we propose that Che-1 is a functional antagonist of NRAGE, because its overexpression completely reverts NRAGE-induced cell-death

CEO Education and the Ability to Raise Capital

Research Question/Issue: Using a unique hand‐collected dataset, this study examines the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) educational attainments in relation to newly public firms. Research Findings/Insights: We find that Initial Public Offering (IPO) firms led by CEOs with superior educational credentials — in terms of level and quality — are associated with lower levels of IPO underpricing. This association is mainly driven by CEOs that hold advanced degrees. Notably, a difference‐in‐difference approach based on two quasi‐natural experiments indicates that the impact of CEO education on IPO underpricing is more pronounced within environments characterized by lower information transparency. The baseline results also hold in the longer term, thereby confirming the value of signaling prestigious academic awards at the time of the IPO. Theoretical/Academic Implications: Using human capital, institutional and upper echelon theories, we hypothesize and demonstrate that CEO educational attainments do not unambiguously affect investors’ perceptions of a firm's future prospects. Instead, their influence depends on the quality of CEO education as well as on the degree of uncertainty regarding the firm's future performance, and the level of information asymmetry between issuers and prospective investors. To our knowledge, this is the first study that provides a comprehensive treatment of the role of CEO education in the IPO context. Practitioner/Policy Implications: Our evidence on the importance of CEO education, and especially that CEOs with varying levels and quality of educational training might differentially affect newly listed firms, is useful to providers of financial capital and boards of directors interested in assessing the viability of new ventures. The implication of our study for IPO investors is that it is worth paying more to take an equity position in firms run by better‐educated CEOs

Early-stage Fundraising of University Spin-offs: A Study through Demand-site Perspectives

University spin-offs have increasingly received attention from academia, governments and policy-makers. However, there are only a limited number of studies which fully understand the contribution made by the founding team to fundraising, specifically how they use their social networks and capabilities, especially within the university spin-off context. Employing a resource-based view theory and social networks approach, this paper examines whether a founding team exploits its social networks and capabilities to signal the value of a university spin-off. Capabilities are analysed through a set of constructs - technology, strategy, human capital, organizational viability and commercial resource - that have been derived from previous literature. The contribution made by social networks is evaluated using three dimensions - structure, governance and content - which form the construct of relationships within a network. Based on data from 181 university spin-offs in Spain, this paper empirically demonstrates that by exploiting social networks a founding team can improve its capabilities which, in turn, enhance its fundraising ability

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND INVESTORS' PERCEPTIONS OF FOREIGN IPO VALUE: AN INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

We build on sociology-grounded research on financial market behavior and suggest a “nested” legitimacy framework to explore U.S. investor perceptions of foreign IPO value. We draw on a fuzzy-set theoretic approach to demonstrate how different combinations of monitoring and incentive-based corporate governance mechanisms lead to the same level of investor valuations of firms. We also argue that institutional factors related to the minority shareholder protection strength in the foreign IPO’s home country represent a boundary condition that affects the number of governance mechanisms required to achieve U.S. investors’ high value perceptions. Our findings, drawn from a unique, hand-collected dataset of foreign IPOs in the U.S, contribute to the sociological perspective on comparative corporate governance and the inter-dependencies between organizations and institutions

Peptide Ligands for Pro-survival Protein Bfl-1 from Computationally Guided Library Screening

Pro-survival members of the Bcl-2 protein family inhibit cell death by binding short helical BH3 motifs in pro-apoptotic proteins. Mammalian pro-survival proteins Bcl-x[subscript L], Bcl-2, Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bfl-1 bind with varying affinities and specificities to native BH3 motifs, engineered peptides, and small molecules. Biophysical studies have determined interaction patterns for these proteins, particularly for the most-studied family members Bcl-x[subscript L] and Mcl-1. Bfl-1 is a pro-survival protein implicated in preventing apoptosis in leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma. Although Bfl-1 is a promising therapeutic target, relatively little is known about its binding preferences. We explored the binding of Bfl-1 to BH3-like peptides by screening a peptide library that was designed to sample a high degree of relevant sequence diversity. Screening using yeast-surface display led to several novel high-affinity Bfl-1 binders and to thousands of putative binders identified through deep sequencing. Further screening for specificity led to identification of a peptide that bound to Bfl-1 with K[subscript d] < 1 nM and very slow dissociation from Bfl-1 compared to other pro-survival Bcl-2 family members. A point mutation in this sequence gave a peptide with ~50 nM affinity for Bfl-1 that was selective for Bfl-1 in equilibrium binding assays. Analysis of engineered Bfl-1 binders deepens our understanding of how the binding profiles of pro-survival proteins differ and may guide the development of targeted Bfl-1 inhibitors.National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (Award GM084181)National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (Award P50-GM68762

Bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis by increasing the time-to-death and intrinsic cell-to-cell variations in the mitochondrial pathway of cell death

BH3 mimetics have been proposed as new anticancer therapeutics. They target anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, up-regulation of which has been implicated in the resistance of many cancer cells, particularly leukemia and lymphoma cells, to apoptosis. Using probabilistic computational modeling of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, verified by single-cell experimental observations, we develop a model of Bcl-2 inhibition of apoptosis. Our results clarify how Bcl-2 imparts its anti-apoptotic role by increasing the time-to-death and cell-to-cell variability. We also show that although the commitment to death is highly impacted by differences in protein levels at the time of stimulation, inherent stochastic fluctuations in apoptotic signaling are sufficient to induce cell-to-cell variability and to allow single cells to escape death. This study suggests that intrinsic cell-to-cell stochastic variability in apoptotic signaling is sufficient to cause fractional killing of cancer cells after exposure to BH3 mimetics. This is an unanticipated facet of cancer chemoresistance.Comment: 11 pages, In pres

Systematic characterization of deubiquitylating enzymes for roles in maintaining genome integrity.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are perhaps the most toxic of all DNA lesions, with defects in the DNA-damage response to DSBs being associated with various human diseases. Although it is known that DSB repair pathways are tightly regulated by ubiquitylation, we do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of how deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) function in DSB responses. Here, by carrying out a multidimensional screening strategy for human DUBs, we identify several with hitherto unknown links to DSB repair, the G2/M DNA-damage checkpoint and genome-integrity maintenance. Phylogenetic analyses reveal functional clustering within certain DUB subgroups, suggesting evolutionally conserved functions and/or related modes of action. Furthermore, we establish that the DUB UCHL5 regulates DSB resection and repair by homologous recombination through protecting its interactor, NFRKB, from degradation. Collectively, our findings extend the list of DUBs promoting the maintenance of genome integrity, and highlight their potential as therapeutic targets for cancer.This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncb302

Molecular Interactions of Prodiginines with the BH3 Domain of Anti-Apoptotic Bcl-2 Family Members

Prodigiosin and obatoclax, members of the prodiginines family, are small molecules with anti-cancer properties that are currently under preclinical and clinical trials. The molecular target(s) of these agents, however, is an open question. Combining experimental and computational techniques we find that prodigiosin binds to the BH3 domain in some BCL-2 protein families, which play an important role in the apoptotic programmed cell death. In particular, our results indicate a large affinity of prodigiosin for MCL-1, an anti-apoptotic member of the BCL-2 family. In melanoma cells, we demonstrate that prodigiosin activates the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by disrupting MCL-1/BAK complexes. Computer simulations with the PELE software allow the description of the induced fit process, obtaining a detailed atomic view of the molecular interactions. These results provide new data to understand the mechanism of action of these molecules, and assist in the development of more specific inhibitors of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins.Spanish government and the European Union (FIS-PI10/00338) and from the ERC-2009-Adg 25027-PELE European project

To be financed or not : the role of patents for venture capital financing

This paper investigates how patent applications and grants held by new ventures improve their ability to attract venture capital (VC) financing. We argue that investors are faced with considerable uncertainty and therefore rely on patents as signals when trying to assess the prospects of potential portfolio companies. For a sample of VC-seeking German and British biotechnology companies we have identified all patents filed at the European Patent Office (EPO). Applying hazard rate analysis, we find that in the presence of patent applications, VC financing occurs earlier. Our results also show that VCs pay attention to patent quality, financing those ventures faster which later turn out to have high-quality patents. Patent oppositions increase the likelihood of receiving VC, but ultimate grant decisions do not spur VC financing, presumably because they are anticipated. Our empirical results and interviews with VCs suggest that the process of patenting generates signals which help to overcome the liabilities of newness faced by new ventures