Described herein are microbial probiotics that, in response to metabolite extracellular ATP (eATP) produced in the microenvironment of inflamed tissues detected, e.g., via an engineered mammalian P2Y2 receptor, secrete an anti-inflammatory protein, e.g., IL-2, IL-10, or the CD39-like eATP-degrading enzyme apyrase. Thus, provided herein is an isolated Saccharomyces cell (or cells, e.g., a population of such cells) that has been engineered to express one, two, or all three exogenous proteins selected from: (I) a mammalian P2Y purinoceptor 2 (P2Y2) protein, preferably human P2Y2; 15 (ii) a mutant Gpa1 protein comprising at least 5 C-terminal residues from a mammalian G alpha, preferably Gai3, wherein the mutant Gpa1 protein couples the P2Y2 protein to the yeast mating pathway; and (iii) an anti-inflammatory protein.

Disclosed are nucleic acid vectors comprising a CBh promoter operably linked to a heterologous sequence encoding a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR). In some embodiments, composition further comprise a sequence encoding an affinity tag, optionally comprising a SNAP polypeptide. In some embodiments, the GPCR comprises a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR), which is optionally, mGluR2. The disclosure also provides compositions and genetically modified cells comprising these vectors. Methods of treatment of retinal diseases and disorders comprising administering compositions, vectors, and cells of the disclosure to a subject in need are also provided.

To program intercellular communication for biomedicine, it is crucial to regulate the secretion and surface display of signaling proteins. If such regulations are at the protein level, there are additional advantages, including compact delivery and direct interactions with endogenous signalling pathways. A modular, generalizable design is provided called Retained Endoplasmic Cleavable Secretion (RELEASE), with engineered proteins retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and displayed/secreted in response to specific proteases. The design allows functional regulation of multiple synthetic and natural proteins by synthetic protease circuits to realize diverse signal processing capabilities, including logic operation and threshold tuning. By linking RELEASE to additional novel sensing and processing circuits, one would be able to achieve elevated protein secretion in response to “undruggable” oncogene KRAS mutants. RELEASE enables the local, programmable delivery of intercellular cues for a broad variety of fields such as neurobiology, cancer immunotherapy and cell transplantation.

The disclosure relates cells or cellular systems that express both a membrane protein and a binding domain directed to the membrane protein. Also, methods are provided that use such cells or cellular systems to produce higher amounts of the membrane proteins. Further, the cells or cellular systems can be used as tools for the structural and functional characterization of membrane proteins, as well as for screening and drug discovery efforts targeting membrane proteins.

Provided herein are endothelin receptor antagonistic lasso peptides and related compositions and methods for the management, prevention and/or treatment of an endothelin B receptor (ETBR)-mediated proliferative disease, such as cancer. Biosynthetic methods for producing the lasso peptides are also provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises administering to the subject a therapeutic effective amount of a lasso peptide, wherein the lasso peptide comprises an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:1-17 and 42-56. In particular embodiments, the lasso peptide is GI-D9 cyclized.

The present disclosure provides use of neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) as a marker for identifying and/or isolating multipotential cells. The present disclosure provides cell populations enriched by methods of the present disclosure and therapeutic uses of these cells and agents derived from these cells.

A method of treating a disorder in a subject. The method comprises administering to said subject an effective amount of an agonist of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). The subject is a heterozygous carrier of an MC4R mutation, and the disorder results from an attenuated response of MC4R to a-melanocortin stimulating hormone (a-MSH).

The present disclosure related to the field of medicine. More particularly, the disclosure is in the field of treatment of diabetes, obesity, and/or dyslipidemia. The disclosure relates to compounds that agonize both the calcitonin and amylin receptors and can lower food intake, body weight, glucose and/or triglycerides, so can be used to treat diabetes, obesity and/or dyslipidemia. The present disclosure also includes pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds and therapeutic uses of such compounds and compositions.

The present invention is directed to water-soluble membrane proteins, methods for the preparation thereof and methods of use thereof.

The invention relates to mutant G-protein coupled receptors with increased conformational stability, and methods of use thereof. In some aspects, polynucleotides encoding the mutant G-protein coupled receptors are provided. In some aspects, host cells comprising the polynucleotides are provided. In some aspects, the invention relates to crystallized forms of the mutant G-protein coupled receptors, and methods of preparing the same.