Unveiling the human nitroproteome: Protein tyrosine nitration in cell signaling and cancer.

Covalent amino acid modification significantly expands protein functional capability in regulating biological processes. Tyrosine residues can undergo phosphorylation, sulfation, adenylation, halogenation, and nitration. These posttranslational modifications (PTMs) result from the actions of specific enzymes: tyrosine kinases, tyrosyl-protein sulfotransferase(s), adenylate transferase(s), oxidoreductases, peroxidases, and metal-heme containing proteins. Whereas phosphorylation, sulfation, and adenylation modify the hydroxyl group of tyrosine, tyrosine halogenation and nitration target the adjacent carbon residues. Because aberrant tyrosine nitration has been associated with human disorders and with animal models of disease, we have created an updated and curated database of 908 human nitrated proteins. We have also analyzed this new resource to provide insight into the role of tyrosine nitration in cancer biology, an area that has not previously been considered in detail. Unexpectedly, we have found that 879 of the 1971 known sites of tyrosine nitration are also sites of phosphorylation suggesting an extensive role for nitration in cell signaling. Overall, the review offers several forward-looking opportunities for future research and new perspectives for understanding the role of tyrosine nitration in cancer biology.

Breaking ground on translational stem cell research.

Sponsored by the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), the "Fourth Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference: Breaking Ground" convened October 13-14, 2009 at The Rockefeller University in New York City to discuss translational stem cell research. Attracting over 400 scientists, patient advocates, and stem cell research supporters from fifteen countries, the two-day conference featured an afternoon of panel discussions, intended for a broad audience, followed by a second day of scientific talks and poster presentations. This report summarizes both days of this exciting conference.

California dreaming? A new start for regenerative medicine in the Golden State. Interview with Dr. Zach Hall.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was established in 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The statewide ballot measure, which provided US$3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was approved by California voters, and called for the establishment of an entity to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities and other vital research opportunities. Here, Dr Zach Hall, Interim President of the CIRM, outlines the ethos and aspirations of the CIRM to Regenerative Medicine. Dr Hall trained as a basic neuroscientist and became a faculty member and department chair at the University of California, San Francisco. In 1994, he was appointed Director of National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke within the National Institutes of Health, and was responsible for a research program that awarded more than US$500 million a year in grants and contracts. Since that time, he has held senior positions in research administration within both the University of California, San Francisco, where he was Executive Vice Chancellor, and the University of Southern California. Full information about the CIRM can be found at www.cirm.ca.gov.