Mitosis and cytokinesis are undoubtedly the most spectacular parts of the cell cycle. Errors in the choreography of these processes can lead to aneuploidy or genetic instability, fostering cell death or disease. Here, I give an overview of the many mitotic kinases that regulate cell division and the fidelity of chromosome transmission.

Mitotic kinases as regulators of cell division and its checkpoints

1,2-Amino Alcohols and Their Heterocyclic Derivatives as Chiral Auxiliaries in Asymmetric Synthesis

A driving force of the cell cycle is the activation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), the activities of which are controlled by the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of key regulators such as cyclins and CDK inhibitors. Two ubiquitin ligases, the SKP1-CUL1-F-box-protein (SCF) complex and the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), are responsible for the specific ubiquitylation of many of these regulators. Deregulation of the proteolytic system might result in uncontrolled proliferation, genomic instability and cancer. Cumulative clinical evidence shows alterations in the ubiquitylation of cell-cycle regulators in the aetiology of many human malignancies. A better understanding of the ubiquitylation machinery will provide new insights into the regulatory biology of cell-cycle transitions and the development of anti-cancer drugs.

/pdf/ubiquitin-ligases-cell-cycle-control-and-cancer-38zd941ss3.pdf

Ubiquitin ligases: cell-cycle control and cancer

In the absence of effective vaccines to control herpesvirus infections, nucleosidic antiviral drugs have been the mainstay of clinical treatment since their development in the late 1970s. However, given the drawbacks of these drugs, including the increasing emergence of drug-resistant clinical isolates, new strategies for treating herpesvirus infections are warranted. A range of promising new drugs with novel molecular targets has been developed, but will they cure latent infections?

Antiherpesvirus drugs: a promising spectrum of new drugs and drug targets

Cohesin complexes mediate sister-chromatid cohesion in dividing cells but may also contribute to gene regulation in postmitotic cells. How cohesin regulates gene expression is not known. Here we describe cohesin-binding sites in the human genome and show that most of these are associated with the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), a zinc-finger protein required for transcriptional insulation. CTCF is dispensable for cohesin loading onto DNA, but is needed to enrich cohesin at specific binding sites. Cohesin enables CTCF to insulate promoters from distant enhancers and controls transcription at the H19/IGF2 (insulin-like growth factor 2) locus. This role of cohesin seems to be independent of its role in cohesion. We propose that cohesin functions as a transcriptional insulator, and speculate that subtle deficiencies in this function contribute to 'cohesinopathies' such as Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

Cohesin mediates transcriptional insulation by CCCTC-binding factor

https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/03-541/papers/P1.pdf

Cleavage of Cohesin by the CD Clan Protease Separin Triggers Anaphase in Yeast

Racemates, diastereoisomers and optical isomers of a compound of formula (I) wherein B is H, a C6 or C10 aryl, C7-16 aralkyl; Het or (lower alkyl)-Het, all of which optionally substituted with C1-6 alkyl; C1-6 alkoxy; C1-6 alkanoyl; hydroxy; hydroxyalkyl; halo; haloalkyl; nitro; cyano; cyanoalkyl; amino optionally substituted with C1-6 alkyl; amido; or (lower alkyl)amide; or B is an acyl derivative of formula R4-C(O)-; a carboxyl of formula R4-O-C(O)-; an amide of formula R4-N(R5)-C(O)-; a thioamide of formula R4-N(R5)-C(S)-;or a sulfonyl of formula R4-SO2; R5 is H or C1-6 alkyl; and Y is H or C1-6 alkyl; R3 is C?1-8? alkyl, C3-7 cycloalkyl, or C4-10 alkylcycloalkyl, all optionally substituted with hydroxy, C1-6 alkoxy, C1-6 thioalkyl, amido, (lower alkyl)amido, C6 or C10 aryl, or C7-16 aralkyl; R2 is CH2-R20, NH-R20, O-R20or S-R20, wherein R20 is a saturated or unsaturated C3-7 cycloalkyl or C4-10 (alkylcycloalkyl), all of which being optionally mono-, di- or tri-substituted with R21, or R20 is a C6 or C10 aryl or C7-14 aralkyl optionally substituted, or R20 is Het or (lower alkyl)-Het, both optionally substituted, Het or (lower alkyl)-Het; carboxyl; carboxy(lower alkyl); C6 or C10 aryl, C7-14 aralkyl or Het, said aryl, aralkyl or Het being optionally substituted; and R?1? is H; C?1-6? alkyl, C3-7 cycloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, or C2-6 alkynyl, all optionally substituted with halogen; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.

Hepatitis C inhibitor tri-peptides

Regulation of Human Separase by Securin Binding and Autocleavage

Peptide-based inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus serine protease

Compound of formula (I) active against the Hepatitis C virus, wherein when Q is CH2, a is 0, b is 0 and B is an amide derivative; or when Q is N-Y wherein Y is H or C1-6 alkyl, then B is an acyl derivative; R6, when present, is C1-6 alkyl substituted with carboxyl; R5, when present, is C1-6 alkyl optionally substituted with carboxyl; when Q is either CH2 or N-Y, then Z is oxo or thioxo; R4 is C1-10alkyl, C3-7 cycloalkyl or C4-10 (alkylcycloalkyl); R3 is C1-10 alkyl optionally substituted with carboxyl, C3-7 cycloalkyl or C4-10 (alkylcycloalkyl); W is a proline derivative; R1' is hydrogen, and R1 is C1-6 alkyl optionnaly substituted with thiol; or R1 is C2-6 alkenyl; or R1' and R1 together form a 3- to 6-membered ring; and A is hydroxy or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.

Dominik Wernic

Papers

Cleavage of Cohesin by the CD Clan Protease Separin Triggers Anaphase in Yeast

Hepatitis C inhibitor tri-peptides

Regulation of Human Separase by Securin Binding and Autocleavage

Peptide-based inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus serine protease

Hepatitis c inhibitor peptides