Publications
A potent mechanism-inspired O-GlcNAcase inhibitor that blocks phosphorylation of tau in vivo
Pathological hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the associated tauopathies. The reciprocal relationship between phosphorylation and O-GlcNAc modification of tau and reductions in O-GlcNAc levels on tau in [...]
Structure of an O-GlcNAc transferase homolog provides insight into intracellular glycosylation
N-Acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification of proteins provides a mechanism for the control of diverse cellular processes through a dynamic interplay with phosphorylation. UDP-GlcNAc:polypeptidyl transferase (OGT) catalyzes O-GlcNAc addition. The structure of an intact OGT homolog and [...]
Analysis of PUGNAc and NAG-thiazoline as transition state analogues for human O-GlcNAcase: mechanistic and structural insights into inhibitor selectivity and transition state poise
O-GlcNAcase catalyzes the cleavage of beta-O-linked 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-d-glucopyranoside (O-GlcNAc) from serine and threonine residues of post-translationally modified proteins. Two potent inhibitors of this enzyme are O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucopyranosylidene)amino-N-phenylcarbamate (PUGNAc) and 1,2-dideoxy-2′-methyl-alpha-d-glucopyranoso[2,1-d]-Delta2′-thiazoline (NAG-thiazoline). Derivatives of these inhibitors differ in [...]
Structure and mechanism of a bacterial beta-glucosaminidase having O-GlcNAcase activity
O-GlcNAc is an abundant post-translational modification of serine and threonine residues of nucleocytoplasmic proteins. This modification, found only within higher eukaryotes, is a dynamic modification that is often reciprocal to phosphorylation. In a manner analogous [...]