PINK1 caught on the brink of phosphorylation

Scientists have caught a rare view of an unusual kinase poised to phosphorylate its substrate. Led by David Komander, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, U.K., the researchers reported the crystal structure of the kinase PINK1 bound to ubiquitin in the October 30 Nature.  “We captured a pre-catalytic state, a snapshot of PINK1 holding ubiquitin before the phosphate group jumps on,” said first author Alexander Schubert. More…