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Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14288/6
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Publication Open Access Discovery of a small molecule that selectively destabilizes Cryptochrome 1 and enhances life span in p53 knockout mice(Nature Portfolio, 2022) Akyel, Yasemin Kübra; Korkmaz, Tuba; Selvi, Saba; Danış, İbrahim; İpek, Özgecan Savluğ; Aygenli, Fatih; Öztürk, Nuri; Öztürk, Narin; Ünal, Durişehvar Özer; Güzel, Mustafa; Okyar, Alper; N/A; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Department of Industrial Engineering; Gül, Şeref; Gül, Zeynep Melis; Işın, Şafak; Özcan, Onur; Akarlar, Büşra; Taşkın, Ali Cihan; Türkay, Metin; Kavaklı, İbrahim Halil; Researcher; Other; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Department of Industrial Engineering; Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM) / Koç Üniversitesi Translasyonel Tıp Araştırma Merkezi (KUTTAM); College of Engineering; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; 291296; 105301; 24956; 40319Cryptochromes are negative transcriptional regulators of the circadian clock in mammals. It is not clear how reducing the level of endogenous CRY1 in mammals will affect circadian rhythm and the relation of such a decrease with apoptosis. Here, we discovered a molecule (M47) that destabilizes Cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) both in vitro and in vivo. The M47 selectively enhanced the degradation rate of CRY1 by increasing its ubiquitination and resulted in increasing the circadian period length of U2OS Bmal1-dLuc cells. In addition, subcellular fractionation studies from mice liver indicated that M47 increased degradation of the CRY1 in the nucleus. Furthermore, M47-mediated CRY1 reduction enhanced oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis in Ras-transformed p53 null fibroblast cells. Systemic repetitive administration of M47 increased the median lifespan of p53(-/-) mice by similar to 25%. Collectively our data suggest that M47 is a promising molecule to treat forms of cancer depending on the p53 mutation.Publication Open Access MerR and ChrR mediate blue light induced photo-oxidative stress response at the transcriptional level in Vibrio cholerae(Nature Publishing Group (NPG), 2017) Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Tardu, Mehmet; Bulut, Selma; Kavaklı, İbrahim Halil; PhD Student; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; College of Engineering; N/A; N/A; 40319Blue light (BL) is a major environmental factor that affects the physiology, behavior, and infectivity of bacteria as it contributes to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) while increasing photo-oxidative stress in cells. However, precise photo-oxidative response mechanism in non-phototrophic bacteria is yet to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effect of BL in Vibrio cholerae by using genetics and transcriptome profiling. Genome-wide analysis revealed that transcription of 6.3% of V. cholerae genes were regulated by BL. We further showed that BL enhances ROS production, which is generated through the oxidative phosphorylation. To understand signaling mechanisms, we generated several knockouts and analyzed their transcriptome under BL exposure. Studies with a double-knockout confirm an anti-sigma factor (ChrR) and putative metalloregulatory-like protein (MerR) are responsible for the genome-wide regulation to BL response in V. cholerae. Collectively, these results demonstrate that MerR-like proteins, in addition to ChrR, are required for V. cholerae to mount an appropriate response against photo-oxidative stress induced by BL. Outside its natural host, V. cholerae can survive for extended periods in natural aquatic environments. Therefore, the regulation of light response for V. cholerae may be a critical cellular process for its survival in these environments.Publication Open Access Prediction of optimal folding routes of proteins that satisfy the principle of lowest entropy loss: dynamic contact maps and optimal control(Public Library of Science, 2010) Department of Computer Engineering; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Arkun, Yaman; Erman, Burak; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Department of Computer Engineering; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; College of Engineering; 108526; 179997An optimization model is introduced in which proteins try to evade high energy regions of the folding landscape, and prefer low entropy loss routes during folding. We make use of the framework of optimal control whose convenient solution provides practical and useful insight into the sequence of events during folding. We assume that the native state is available. As the protein folds, it makes different set of contacts at different folding steps. The dynamic contact map is constructed from these contacts. The topology of the dynamic contact map changes during the course of folding and this information is utilized in the dynamic optimization model. The solution is obtained using the optimal control theory. We show that the optimal solution can be cast into the form of a Gaussian Network that governs the optimal folding dynamics. Simulation results on three examples (CI2, Sso7d and Villin) show that folding starts by the formation of local clusters. Non-local clusters generally require the formation of several local clusters. Non-local clusters form cooperatively and not sequentially. We also observe that the optimal controller prefers "zipping" or small loop closure steps during folding. The folding routes predicted by the proposed method bear strong resemblance to the results in the literature.Publication Open Access The architecture of the TIR domain signalosome in the toll-like receptor-4 signaling pathway(Nature Publishing Group (NPG), 2015) VanWaes, Carter; Chen, Zhong; Tsai, Chung-Jung; Nussinov, Ruth; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Department of Computer Engineering; Maiorov, Emine Güven; Keskin, Özlem; Gürsoy, Attila; Faculty Member; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Department of Computer Engineering; Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering; College of Engineering; College of Sciences; N/A; 26605; 8745Activated Toll-like receptors (TLRs) cluster in lipid rafts and induce pro-and anti-tumor responses. The organization of the assembly is critical to the understanding of how these key receptors control major signaling pathways in the cell. Although several models for individual interactions were proposed, the entire TIR-domain signalosome architecture has not been worked out, possibly due to its complexity. We employ a powerful algorithm, crystal structures and experimental data to model the TLR4 and its cluster. The architecture that we obtain with 8 MyD88 molecules provides the structural basis for the MyD88-templated myddosome helical assembly and receptor clustering; it also provides clues to pro-and anti-inflammatory signaling pathways branching at the signalosome level to Mal/MyD88 and TRAM/TRIF pro-and anti-inflammatory pathways. The assembly of MyD88 death domain (DD) with TRAF3 (anti-viral/anti-inflammatory) and TRAF6 (pro-inflammatory) suggest that TRAF3/TRAF6 binding sites on MyD88 DD partially overlap, as do IRAK4 and FADD. Significantly, the organization illuminates mechanisms of oncogenic mutations, demonstrates that almost all TLR4 parallel pathways are competitive and clarifies decisions at pathway branching points. The architectures are compatible with the currently-available experimental data and provide compelling insights into signaling in cancer and inflammation pathways.Publication Open Access Dynamics and control of the ERK signaling pathway: sensitivity, bistability, and oscillations(Public Library of Science, 2018) Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Arkun, Yaman; Yasemi, Mohammadreza; Faculty Member; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; College of Engineering; Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering; 108526; N/ACell signaling is the process by which extracellular information is transmitted into the cell to perform useful biological functions. The ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) signaling controls several cellular processes such as cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The ERK signaling pathway considered in this work starts with an extracellular stimulus and ends with activated (double phosphorylated) ERK which gets translocated into the nucleus. We model and analyze this complex pathway by decomposing it into three functional subsystems. The first subsystem spans the initial part of the pathway from the extracellular growth factor to the formation of the SOS complex, ShC-Grb2-SOS. The second subsystem includes the activation of Ras which is mediated by the SOS complex. This is followed by the MAPK subsystem (or the Raf-MEK-ERK pathway) which produces the double phosphorylated ERK upon being activated by Ras. Although separate models exist in the literature at the subsystems level, a comprehensive model for the complete system including the important regulatory feedback loops is missing. Our dynamic model combines the existing subsystem models and studies their steady-state and dynamic interactions under feedback. We establish conditions under which bistability and oscillations exist for this important pathway. In particular, we show how the negative and positive feedback loops affect the dynamic characteristics that determine the cellular outcome.Publication Open Access Identification of ligand binding sites of proteins using the Gaussian network model(Public Library of Science, 2011) Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Tüzmen, Ceren; Erman, Burak; Faculty Member; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; College of Engineering; N/A; 179997The nonlocal nature of the protein-ligand binding problem is investigated via the Gaussian Network Model with which the residues lying along interaction pathways in a protein and the residues at the binding site are predicted. The predictions of the binding site residues are verified by using several benchmark systems where the topology of the unbound protein and the bound protein-ligand complex are known. Predictions are made on the unbound protein. Agreement of results with the bound complexes indicates that the information for binding resides in the unbound protein. Cliques that consist of three or more residues that are far apart along the primary structure but are in contact in the folded structure are shown to be important determinants of the binding problem. Comparison with known structures shows that the predictive capability of the method is significant.Publication Open Access A comparative molecular dynamics study of methylation state specificity of JMJD2A(Public Library of Science, 2011) Bozfakioğlu S.; Uğurel, Elif; Sinan, M.; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Keskin, Özlem; Erman, Burak; Gürsoy, Attila; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; College of Sciences; College of Engineering; 26605; 179997; N/AHistone modifications have great importance in epigenetic regulation. JMJD2A is a histone demethylase which is selective for di- and trimethyl forms of residues Lys9 and Lys36 of Histone 3 tail (H3K9 and H3K36). We present a molecular dynamics simulations of mono-, di- and trimethylated histone tails in complex with JMJD2A catalytic domain to gain insight into how JMJD2A discriminates between the methylation states of H3K9. The methyl groups are located at specific distances and orientations with respect to Fe(II) in methylammonium binding pocket. For the trimethyllysine the mechanism which provides the effectual orientation of methyl groups is the symmetry, whereas for the dimethyllysine case the determining factors are the interactions between methyllysine head and its environment and subsequently the restriction on angular motion. The occurrence frequency of methyl groups in a certain proximity of Fe(II) comes out as the explanation of the enzyme activity difference on di-and tri-methylated peptides. Energy analysis suggests that recognition is mostly driven by van der Waals and followed by Coulombic interactions in the enzyme-substrate interface. The number (mono, di or tri) and orientations of methyl groups and water molecules significantly affect the extent of van der Waals interaction strengths. Hydrogen bonding analysis suggests that the interaction between JMJD2A and its substrates mainly comes from main chain-side chain interactions. Binding free energy analysis points out Arg8 as an important residue forming an intra-substrate hydrogen bond with tri and dimethylated Lys9 of the H3 chain. Our study provides new insights into how JMJD2A discriminates between its substrates from both a structural and dynamical point of view.Publication Open Access Optimization based tumor classification from microarray gene expression data(Public Library of Science, 2011) Üney-Yüksektepe, Fadime; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Department of Industrial Engineering; Dağlıyan, Onur; Kavaklı, İbrahim Halil; Türkay, Metin; Master Student; Faculty Member; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Department of Industrial Engineering; College of Engineering; N/A; 40319; 24956Background: An important use of data obtained from microarray measurements is the classification of tumor types with respect to genes that are either up or down regulated in specific cancer types. A number of algorithms have been proposed to obtain such classifications. These algorithms usually require parameter optimization to obtain accurate results depending on the type of data. Additionally, it is highly critical to find an optimal set of markers among those up or down regulated genes that can be clinically utilized to build assays for the diagnosis or to follow progression of specific cancer types. In this paper, we employ a mixed integer programming based classification algorithm named hyper-box enclosure method (HBE) for the classification of some cancer types with a minimal set of predictor genes. This optimization based method which is a user friendly and efficient classifier may allow the clinicians to diagnose and follow progression of certain cancer types. Methodology/Principal Findings: We apply HBE algorithm to some well known data sets such as leukemia, prostate cancer, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), small round blue cell tumors (SRBCT) to find some predictor genes that can be utilized for diagnosis and prognosis in a robust manner with a high accuracy. Our approach does not require any modification or parameter optimization for each data set. Additionally, information gain attribute evaluator, relief attribute evaluator and correlation-based feature selection methods are employed for the gene selection. The results are compared with those from other studies and biological roles of selected genes in corresponding cancer type are described. Conclusions/Significance: The performance of our algorithm overall was better than the other algorithms reported in the literature and classifiers found in WEKA data-mining package. Since it does not require a parameter optimization and it performs consistently very high prediction rate on different type of data sets, HBE method is an effective and consistent tool for cancer type prediction with a small number of gene markers.Publication Open Access Beyond the heterodimer model for mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptor interactions in nuclei and at DNA(Public Library of Science, 2020) Pooley, John R.; Rivers, Caroline A.; Kilcooley, Michael T.; Paul, Susana N.; Kershaw, Yvonne M.; Muratçıoğlu, Serena; Lightman, Stafford L.; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Cavga, Ayşe Derya; Gürsoy, Attila; Keskin, Özlem; Faculty Member; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering; College of Engineering; N/A; 8745; 26605Glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) are believed to classically bind DNA as homodimers or MR-GR heterodimers to influence gene regulation in response to pulsatile basal or stress-evoked glucocorticoid secretion. Pulsed corticosterone presentation reveals MR and GR co-occupy DNA only at the peaks of glucocorticoid oscillations, allowing interaction. GR DNA occupancy was pulsatile, while MR DNA occupancy was prolonged through the inter-pulse interval. In mouse mammary 3617 cells MR-GR interacted in the nucleus and at a chromatin-associated DNA binding site. Interactions occurred irrespective of ligand type and receptors formed complexes of higher order than heterodimers. We also detected MR-GR interactions ex-vivo in rat hippocampus. An expanded range of MR-GR interactions predicts structural allostery allowing a variety of transcriptional outcomes and is applicable to the multiple tissue types that co-express both receptors in the same cells whether activated by the same or different hormones.Publication Open Access Regulatory networks and complex interactions between the insulin and angiotensin II signalling systems: models and implications for hypertension and diabetes(Public Library of Science, 2013) Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Çizmeci, Deniz; Arkun, Yaman; Faculty Member; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; College of Engineering; N/A; 108526The cross-talk between insulin and angiotensin II signalling pathways plays a significant role in the co-occurrence of diabetes and hypertension. We developed a mathematical model of the system of interactions among the biomolecules that are involved in the cross-talk between the insulin and angiotensin II signalling pathways. We have identified several feedback structures that regulate the dynamic behavior of the individual signalling pathways and their interactions. Different scenarios are simulated and dominant steady-state, dynamic and stability characteristics are revealed. The proposed mechanistic model describes how angiotensin II inhibits the actions of insulin and impairs the insulin-mediated vasodilation. The model also predicts that poor glycaemic control induced by diabetes contributes to hypertension by activating the renin angiotensin aystem.