The present invention is directed to the development of novel photocrosslinking activity based probes (ABPs) and their uses. Specifically, ubiquitin-charged E2 conjugating enzymes are engineered and shown to be effective ABPs of RING ubiquitin E1 and E3 ligases as well as deubiquitination enzymes.

The invention provides ubiquitin variants that specifically bind to HECT E3 ligases, and methods of using these variants to modulate the activity of HECT E3 ligases.

The invention provides protease genes which are regulated in a specific manner during curing of tobacco plants material and which affect the flavour of cured tobacco.

The compositions described herein include an epitope of a peptide that may elicit an immune response in a subject following administration. The compositions may comprise nucleic acids. The compositions may comprise peptides. The methods described herein include administering a composition comprising an epitope of a peptide to a subject in need thereof.

A pegylated, circularly permuted construct of the CapD enzyme (a gamma glutamyl transferase enzyme acting as a hydrolase specific to poly-γ-D-glutamic acid) is used to treat anthrax and other bacterial infections, including but not limited to infection with strains that are resistant to available antibiotics.

Soybean seeds with increased protein and having a modified expression or activity of at least one or two HECT E3 ligase polypeptides are provided. Methods for modifying expression or activity of HECT E3 ligase polypeptides and polynucleotides include genome editing to modify the transcription regulatory region or sequence encoding the HECT E3 ligase polypeptides and transformation with recombinant DNA constructs to enhance or suppress expression or activity of the HECT E3 ligase polypeptides. Plants containing the modifications produce seeds with altered composition such as one or more of increased protein, decreased soluble carbohydrate, increased oleic acid, decreased saturated fats such as palmitic and stearic acids, and decreased linoleic or linolenic acid.

Engineered 23S rRNAs and methods of use thereof for translation of proteins incorporating non-standard amino acids are provided. Typically, the 23S rRNA includes one or more mutations at positions 2496-2507 relative to E. coli wildtype 23S rRNA, wherein a ribosome composed of the 23S rRNA can catalyze the covalent transfer of a non-standard amino acid from an aminoacyl-RNA onto a nascent peptide chain. For example, the 23S rRNA can include the sequence UGACUU at positions 2502-2507 relative to E. coli wildtype 23S rRNA, and optionally the sequence AGCGUGA from positions 2057-2063 relative to E. coli wildtype 23S rRNA. The 23S rRNA can include additional or alternative deletions, substitutions, insertions, or combination thereof. The compositions and methods can be used to make polypeptides and sequence defined polymers.

Disclosed herein are a novel gene for improving drought stress tolerance in plants and a use thereof. Specifically, disclosed is a composition for improving the drought stress tolerance of plants. The composition includes drought responsive ring 1 (DRR1) protein or a gene sequence that encodes the protein. Further disclosed are a plant cell and a plant either of which is transformed with the composition. The composition improves the tolerance of a plant to drought stress. The transformed plant cell or plant has excellent tolerance to drought stress and thus can be usefully used as a novel functional crop that can reduce the loss of crop yield caused by dry environmental stress in the cultivation stage of the plant.

Disclosed herein are methods for identifying a ubiquitin ligase agonist, and the methods include (a) contacting a ubiquitin ligase with a candidate agonist and a neo-substrate; and (b) determining whether the candidate agonist is effective to result in binding the ubiquitin ligase to the neo-substrate, wherein binding of the ubiquitin substrate to the neo-substrate identifies the candidate agonist as a ubiquitin ligase agonist.

The present invention provides methods of negatively modulating the Werner protein (WRN) to inhibit proliferative cells characterized by high microsatellite instability (MSI-H), for example to treat proliferative diseases (such as cancer) characterized by high MSI (MSI-H). Further provided are compositions used in such methods.