Erik Zimmerman reports his first crystal structure - How to activate a DUB
May 01,2010
In collaboration with Drs. Alwin Köhler and Ed Hurt in University of Heidelberg, Germany, Erik Zimmerman solved the crystal structure of the entire hetero-tetrameric SAGA H2B deubiquitinase (DUB) module. The structure unveils how two small zinc finger proteins allosterically activate the H2B DUB in the protein complex. Human cells have nearly 100 DUBs, which are involved in diverse pathways. Allosteric regulation of DUBs by their binding proteins might be a widespread phenomemon. Erik's work is published in Cell.