Cited by 351Redox biology and oxidative stressGenomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stressClick Chemistry and Applications

An Activity-Guided Map of Electrophile-Cysteine Interactions in Primary Human T Cells

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Vinogradova, Ekaterina V., Zhang, Xiaoyu, Remillard, David, Lazar, Daniel C., Suciu, Radu M., Wang, Yujia, Bianco, Giulia, Yamashita, Yu +20 more·2020·Cell

Abstract

Electrophilic compounds originating from nature or chemical synthesis have profound effects on immune cells. These compounds are thought to act by cysteine modification to alter the functions of immune-relevant proteins; however, our understanding of electrophile-sensitive cysteines in the human immune proteome remains limited. Here, we present a global map of cysteines in primary human T cells that are susceptible to covalent modification by electrophilic small molecules. More than 3,000 covalently liganded cysteines were found on functionally and structurally diverse proteins, including many that play fundamental roles in immunology. We further show that electrophilic compounds can impair T cell activation by distinct mechanisms involving the direct functional perturbation and/or degradation of proteins. Our findings reveal a rich content of ligandable cysteines in human T cells and point to electrophilic small molecules as a fertile source for chemical probes and ultimately therapeutics that modulate immunological processes and their associated disorders.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.001

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  • Cysteine ligandability in activated T cells was explored using promiscuous fragment-like scout fragments to map ligandability and functional assays to identify more structurally complex electrophilic compounds that suppress T cell activity.

    “Cysteine ligandability has also been explored in activated T cells through the use of promiscuous fragment-like compounds, termed ‘scout fragments’, to map ligandability and functional assays to identify more structurally complex electrophilic compounds that suppress T cell activity182.”

    From Advances in covalent drug discovery (2022) · cites this paper as [182]

  • The approach identified several proteins that could be targeted covalently to impair T cell activity, including BIRC2, BIRC3, the NuRD complex, and kinases ITK and CYTIP.

    “this approach was also used to identify several proteins that could be targeted covalently to impair T cell activity, including BIRC2 and BIRC3, the nucleosome remodelling deacetylase (NuRD) complex, and the kinases ITK and CYTIP.”

    From Advances in covalent drug discovery (2022) · cites this paper as [182]

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Chang WT, Kang JJ, Lee KY, Wei K, Anderson E, Gotmare S, Ross JA, and Rosen GD (2001). Triptolide and chemotherapy cooperate in tumor cell apoptosis. A role for the p53 pathway. J Biol Chem 276, 2221– 2227. 11053449
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Authors
Vinogradova, E. V., Zhang, X., Remillard, D., Lazar, D. C., Suciu, R. M., Wang, Y., Bianco, G., Yamashita, Y., Crowley, V. M., Schafroth, M. A., Yokoyama, M., Konrad, D. B., Lum, K. M., Simon, G. M., Kemper, E. K., Lazear, M. R., Yin, S., Blewett, M. M., Dix, M. M., Nguyen, N., Shokhirev, M. N., Chin, E. N., Lairson, L. L., Melillo, B., Schreiber, S. L., Forli, S., Teijaro, J. R., & Cravatt, B. F.
Affiliations
  • Scripps Research Institute (US)
  • Otsuka (Japan) (JP)
  • Vividion Therapeutics (United States) (US)
  • Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
  • Broad Institute (US)
Corresponding author
  • Vinogradova, Ekaterina V.
  • Teijaro, John R.
  • Cravatt, Benjamin F.
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-08
Volume
182
Issue
4
Pages
1009-1026.e29
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3045530700
Cited by
351
References
93
Citations by year
2026: 51 · 2025: 64 · 2024: 70 · 2023: 78 · 2022: 51 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 4
FWCI
13.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Cancer Institute
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Redox biology and oxidative stress
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stress
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Click Chemistry and Applications
Keywords
covalent modification, human T cells, T cell activation, protein degradation, chemical probes
MeSH terms
Acetamides, Acrylamides, Cells, Cultured, Cysteine, Humans, Ligands, Lymphocyte Activation, Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Stereoisomerism, T-Lymphocytes, Proteome, Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases, Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins, Proteolysis

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