D. W. Taylor

DNA targeting by compact Cas9d and its resurrected ancestor

This study reports cryo-EM structures of Cas9d, revealing its DNA targeting mechanism and demonstrating a compact variant with robust nuclease activity in mammalian cells.

An amino acid-resolution interactome for motile cilia illuminates the structure and function of ciliopathy protein complexes

The paper defines an amino acid-resolution interactome of motile cilia using XL/MS in Tetrahymena thermophila, revealing structural and functional insights into ciliary machines and ciliopathy proteins.

Lipid droplets as substrates for protein phase separation

This study shows that intrinsically disordered proteins can undergo phase separation on lipid droplet surfaces, forming liquid-like protein-rich phases.

Type III-B CRISPR-Cas signaling-based cascade of proteolytic cleavages

This study characterizes a type III-B CRISPR-Cas system in Haliangium ochraceum, revealing a proteolytic cascade involving SAVED-CHAT and PCaspase that activates immune responses against RNA targets.

Unraveling the mechanisms of PAMless DNA interrogation by SpRY Cas9

This study investigates how SpRY-Cas9 recognizes DNA targets without requiring a PAM sequence, revealing structural and kinetic mechanisms that improve genome editing versatility.

Structural basis of Cas12a R-loop propagation on pathway to DNA cleavage

This study uses cryo-EM to capture Cas12a R-loop intermediates, revealing how the enzyme accommodates R-loop extension and coordinates nuclease activation.

Kiwa is a bacterial membrane-embedded defence supercomplex activated by phage-induced membrane changes

The paper characterizes the Kiwa defence system as a bacterial membrane supercomplex that detects phage-induced membrane changes and inhibits phage replication.

Integrative modeling reveals the molecular architecture of the Intraflagellar Transport A (IFT-A) complex

The paper models the structure of the IFT-A complex using experimental and computational methods, revealing insights into ciliopathy-associated mutations.

Modes of inhibition used by phage anti-CRISPRs to evade type I-C Cascade

The paper presents a cryo-EM structure of the type I-C Cascade complex and describes how anti-CRISPR proteins inhibit it by blocking DNA binding.

Assembly of multi-subunit fusion proteins into the RNA-targeting type III-D CRISPR-Cas effector complex

The paper determines the structure of a type III-D CRISPR-Cas effector complex and characterizes its RNA cleavage mechanism, revealing how multi-subunit fusion proteins assemble into an active RNA endonuclease.

Large-scale structural rearrangements unleash indiscriminate nuclease activity of CRISPR-Cas12a2

The paper reports structures of Cas12a2 to elucidate its activation pathway and mechanism of indiscriminate nuclease activity against various substrates.

Structural basis for broad anti-phage immunity by DISARM

This study determines the cryo-EM structures of the DISARM complex DrmAB and elucidates its mechanism of phage DNA recognition and activation.

Cross-seeding Controls Aβ Fibril Populations and Resulting Function

This study investigates how cross-seeding of amyloid-beta peptides affects fibril structure and toxicity, showing that mutant seeds influence both structure and cytotoxicity in WT peptides.

Structural basis for mismatch surveillance by CRISPR/Cas9

This study identifies a linear gRNA:DNA duplex conformation that prevents Cas9 activation in the presence of PAM-distal mismatches, offering insights for improving Cas9 specificity.

SCOPE: Flexible targeting and stringent CARF activation enables type III CRISPR-Cas diagnostics

This study identifies key regions in type III CRISPR-Cas systems for RNA targeting and cOA production, leading to the development of the SCOPE diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Improving integrative 3D modeling into low- to medium- resolution EM structures with evolutionary couplings

The paper improves integrative 3D modeling of low- to medium-resolution EM structures using evolutionary couplings to better fit atomic models into EM maps.

Isolation of the Buchnera aphidicola flagellum basal body from the Buchnera membrane

The paper isolates Buchnera aphidicola flagella from their membrane, showing enrichment of flagellum proteins in the proteome.

Remdesivir is a delayed translocation inhibitor of SARS CoV-2 replication in vitro

This study shows remdesivir inhibits SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase by blocking RNA translocation after three base incorporations, leading to delayed chain termination.

Structure of a type IV CRISPR-Cas effector complex

The paper determines the structure of a type IV-B CRISPR-Cas effector complex using cryo-EM, revealing its unique assembly and function.

CryoEM Structure of Drosophila Flight Muscle Thick Filaments at 7A Resolution

The paper reports the 7Å resolution CryoEM structure of Drosophila flight muscle thick filaments, revealing conserved myosin tail arrangements and novel non-myosin densities.

Functionalized Mesoporous Silicas Direct Structural Polymorphism of Amyloid-β Fibrils

This paper shows that functionalized mesoporous silicas control the structural polymorphism of Aβ1-40 fibrils, with hydrophobic silicas producing fibrils more similar to those in AD patient samples.

Lek-associated movement of a putative Ebolavirus reservoir, the Hammer-headed fruit bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), in northern Republic of Congo

This study tracks hammer-headed fruit bats to understand their movement patterns and supports the site as a lek, with males showing stronger association than females.

Basis for discrimination by engineered CRISPR/Cas9 enzymes

This study investigates how engineered CRISPR/Cas9 variants improve off-target discrimination by analyzing their kinetic behavior during DNA cleavage.

Separating distinct structures of multiple macromolecular assemblies from cryo-EM projections

The paper develops a method to separate distinct macromolecular structures from heterogeneous cryo-EM data by using common lines in a graphical framework, enabling ab initio 3D structure reconstruction without stringent purification.

Tightly-orchestrated rearrangements govern catalytic center assembly of the ribosome

The paper determines Cryo-EM structures of six intermediates in ribosome assembly, revealing the mechanism of catalytic center formation through protein and RNA rearrangements.

Snapshots of single particles from single cells using electron microscopy

This paper combines microfluidic single cell extraction with single particle electron microscopy to study protein complexes in C. elegans embryos, revealing ribosome structures and developmental dynamics.

Supercharging enables organized assembly of synthetic biomolecules

The paper describes a method to assemble synthetic protein oligomers and higher-order structures using supercharged variants of fluorescent proteins, resulting in novel biomaterials.

Classification of Single Particles from Human Cell Extract Reveals Distinct Structures

The paper uses shotgun EM combined with mass spectrometry to classify single particles from human cell extracts, revealing native proteasome structures and an unknown ~1 MDa complex.

DNA unwinding is the primary determinant of CRISPR-Cas9 activity

The paper investigates CRISPR-Cas9 activity, finding that DNA unwinding is the primary determinant of its cleavage efficiency.