Signaling Differentiation: The six-transmembrane protein GDE2 promotes differentiation through extracellular glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (GDPD) activity and induces neuronal differentiation through inhibition of Notch signaling—a major pathway that maintains stem or progenitor cell states and is implicated in multiple cancers. How then, does GDPD activity inhibit Notch signaling, given that GDPD enzymes are known to metabolize glycerophosphodiesters into glycerol-3-phosphate and corresponding alcohols? Park et al. (p. 324 ) show that the six-transmembrane GDPDs such as GDE2, do not function as conventional GDPD enzymes, but instead cleave the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors of GPI-anchored proteins. GDE2 GDPD activity cleaves and inactivates the GPI-anchored protein RECK, which normally acts to prevent shedding of the Notch ligand Delta. Accordingly, RECK inactivation stimulates Delta shedding leading to Notch inactivation in progenitors and the initiation of cellular differentiation.

Significance: Despite the integral role of cell mechanics, efforts to target mechanics for drug development have lagged. Here, we present an approach to identifying small molecules capable of modulating mechanics. We characterize 4-hydroxyacetophenone (4-HAP), isolated as a breakdown product of a hit from our pilot screen of over 22,000 compounds. We show that 4-HAP specifically alters the localization of the mechanoenzyme myosin II, increasing the stiffness of cells. The effect of 4-HAP on myosin II, whose specificity we have defined, occurs across phylogeny. In particular, we have demonstrated 4-HAP’s ability to convert the mechanical profile of metastasis-derived pancreatic cancer cells toward a normal WT-like state. Invasion and migration of these cells, which are hallmarks of the invasive capacity of malignant lesions, are decreased by 4-HAP.

Emerging resistance of human pathogens to anti-infective agents make it necessary to develop new agents to treat infection. The methylerythritol phosphate pathway has been identified as an anti-infective target, as this essential isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway is widespread in human pathogens but absent in humans. The first enzyme of the pathway, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP) synthase, catalyzes the formation of DXP via condensation of D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (D-GAP) and pyruvate in a thiamine diphosphate-dependent manner. Structural analysis has revealed a unique domain arrangement suggesting opportunities for the selective targeting of DXP synthase; however, reports on the kinetic mechanism are conflicting. Here, we present the results of tryptophan fluorescence binding and kinetic analyses of DXP synthase and propose a new model for substrate binding and mechanism. Our results are consistent with a random sequential kinetic mechanism, which is unprecedented in this enzyme class.