Heparan Sulfate (HS) is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which forms a key component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Breakdown of HS is carried out by heparanase (HPSE), an endo-β-glucuronidase of the glycoside hydrolase (GH)79 family. Overexpression of HPSE is strongly linked to cancer metastases - reflecting breakdown of extracellular HS and release of stored growth factors. Here we present crystal structures of human HPSE at 1.6-1.9 Å resolution reveal how an endo-acting binding cleft is exposed by proteolytic activation of latent proHPSE. Oligosaccharide complexes map the substrate-binding and sulfate recognition motifs. These data shed light on the structure and interactions for a key enzyme involved in ECM maintenance, and provide a starting point for design of HPSE inhibitors as biochemical tools and anti-cancer therapeutics.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in the epigenetic regulation of cells. Many of these lncRNAs function by interacting with histone repressive proteins of the Polycomb group (PcG) family, recruiting them to gene loci to facilitate silencing. Although there are now many RNAs known to interact with the PRC2 complex, little is known about the details of the molecular interactions. Here, we show that the PcG protein heterodimer EZH2-EED is necessary and sufficient for binding to the lncRNA HOTAIR. We also show that protein recognition occurs within a folded 89-mer domain of HOTAIR. This 89-mer represents a minimal binding motif, as further deletion of nucleotides results in substantial loss of affinity for PRC2. These findings provide molecular insights into an important system involved in epigenetic regulation.

Four organosilver(I) complexes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been investigated crystallographically. The aim was to establish whether a favorable combination of cation-π interactions and aromatic stackings might produce functional organometallic solid materials with novel networks. Complete structures of the silver(I) perchlorate with 9,10-diphenylanthracene (L1), rubrene (L2), benzo[a]pyrene (L3), and coronene (L4) were determined by X-ray diffraction. All compounds are organometallic species based on cation-π interactions. While complex 1 with L1 revealed a discrete mononuclear structure, complex 2 with rubrene displayed a π-bonded 3-D polymer. Complexes 3 and 4 can be regarded as both coordination polymer and stacking polymer, and the detailed differences in the geometries and the stacking patterns of L3 and L4 gave helical and triple-decker networks, respectively. The ESR spectroscopic results and conductivity of the compounds are also discussed. The present findings may serve as a basis for understanding specific interactions responsible for self-assembly of multinuclear aggregates involving PAHs.

Humans express at least two distinct β-glucuronidase enzymes that are involved in disease: exo-acting β-glucuronidase (GUSB), whose deficiency gives rise to mucopolysaccharidosis type VII, and endo-acting heparanase (HPSE), whose overexpression is implicated in inflammation and cancers. The medical importance of these enzymes necessitates reliable methods to assay their activities in tissues. Herein, we present a set of β-glucuronidase-specific activity-based probes (ABPs) that allow rapid and quantitative visualization of GUSB and HPSE in biological samples, providing a powerful tool for dissecting their activities in normal and disease states. Unexpectedly, we find that the supposedly inactive HPSE proenzyme proHPSE is also labeled by our ABPs, leading to surprising insights regarding structural relationships between proHPSE, mature HPSE, and their bacterial homologs. Our results demonstrate the application of β-glucuronidase ABPs in tracking pathologically relevant enzymes and provide a case study of how ABP-driven approaches can lead to discovery of unanticipated structural and biochemical functionality.

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