All living organisms are made out of cells, which serve as the fundamental units of life. Protein molecules, comprised of amino acids, carry out diverse functions across various cellular... Show moreAll living organisms are made out of cells, which serve as the fundamental units of life. Protein molecules, comprised of amino acids, carry out diverse functions across various cellular compartments. Proteins are tightly controlled in their synthesis, folding, localization and degradation to ensure proper functioning. Dysregulation of protein control mechanisms within the cell can lead to cellular dysfunction, disease or eventually cell death. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are the addition of a chemical group to an existing protein to regulate its function, localization, stability or interaction. In this thesis we will dive deeper into PTMs SUMO and ubiquitin, with the aim to understand the biochemistry of these proteins in different aspects of cellular function and human pathophysiology. An interesting aspect of the conjugation process lies in its reversibility, which is governed by specific proteases known as SENPs in the case of SUMO. However, only SENP6 and SENP7 have the ability to depolymerize SUMO2/3 chains by an insertion in their conserved catalytic domains. We delve into the promising horizon that lies ahead of a small yet profoundly impactful post-translational modifying protein. Despite its modest size, this protein wields a significant influence on fundamental cellular processes Show less
Antibiotic resistance is an increasing problem in the battle against (bacterial) infectious diseases. The emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) threatens to render... Show moreAntibiotic resistance is an increasing problem in the battle against (bacterial) infectious diseases. The emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) threatens to render tuberculosis (TB) untreatable. Efforts to develop novel antibiotics have so far been unsuccessful, calling for additional approaches for treatment of bacterial infections. Intracellular pathogens like Mtb and Salmonella can survive in the host by manipulating host cell signaling. This provides opportunities for novel therapeutic strategies by targeting the host, rather than the bacterium (host-directed therapy). In this thesis we report the development and application of novel (in vitro and in vivo) methods for identifying host genes and proteins involved in host control of intracellular bacteria, as well as chemical compounds that target host molecules as a basis for drug development for host-directed therapies. As a result, we report the identification of RTK inhibitors, the novel kinase inhibitor 97i, the human kinase family PCTAIRE and the host protein DRAM1 as promising leads for further drug development for host-directed therapeutic strategies for intracellular bacterial infections. Show less
The capability of cells to divide is essential for all organisms, while uncontrolled cell proliferation can have detrimental effects resulting in diseases like cancer. Cell division is... Show moreThe capability of cells to divide is essential for all organisms, while uncontrolled cell proliferation can have detrimental effects resulting in diseases like cancer. Cell division is therefore tightly controlled by regulatory mechanisms. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are able to directly change the function of a protein and thereby provide a quick functional switch. This thesis focusses on the roles of small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMOs) and their crosstalk with other post-translational modifications during cell division, at the proteome-wide level as well as the single target protein level. Show less
