L. Alvarez

Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Characterization of ElyC-Defective Escherichia coli Cells Reveal the Importance of ElyC in Cell Envelope Biology at Optimal and Sub-Optimal Temperatures

This study shows ElyC is essential for cell envelope integrity and PG biosynthesis at 21°C but has a moderate role at 37°C, affecting morphology, antibiotic resistance, and stress response pathways.

Deciphering rapid cell signaling and control of cell motility by reverse opto-chemical engineering

This paper introduces ROCE to study cell signaling and motility by using light to control and observe cellular responses in various cell types.

CD4+ T Cell Depletion Before Primary Dengue and/or Secondary Zika Infection Reveals Mechanistic Correlates of Antibody Functionality in Rhesus Macaques.

This study shows that CD4+ T cell depletion before DENV infection affects antibody specificity and cross-reactivity during subsequent ZIKV infection in rhesus macaques.

Structural Insights into The Role of MAGEA4 in RAD18 Regulation: Implications for Ubiquitin Ligase-Binding across the MAGE Protein Family

This study identifies the interaction between MAGEA4 and RAD18 using NMR and AlphaFold2, revealing structural insights into how MAGEA4 regulates RAD18's ubiquitination activity and its implications for cancer.

A distinctive family of L,D-transpeptidases catalyzing L-Ala-mDAP crosslinks in Alpha and Betaproteobacteria

This paper identifies and characterizes a novel LD-transpeptidase in Gluconobacter oxydans that forms 1,3-type crosslinks, revealing structural and functional differences from known transpeptidases.

Unveiling the antiviral capabilities of targeting Human Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase against SARS-CoV-2

This study identifies quinone-based compounds that inhibit HsDHODH and show anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity with low toxicity and nanomolar IC50.

Peptidoglycan remodeling in response to cell wall acting antibiotics in Bacillus subtilis

This study examines how antibiotics affecting peptidoglycan synthesis alter its composition in Bacillus subtilis, revealing correlations between crosslinking and modifications like de-N-acetylation and amidation.

Genome-wide peptidoglycan profiling of Vibrio cholerae

The paper develops a high-throughput peptidoglycan analysis pipeline to systematically study V. cholerae's genome-wide peptidoglycan homeostasis and identifies novel genetic determinants and a bifunctional penicillin-binding protein.

Visualizing proteins by expansion microscopy

This paper introduces ONE microscopy, a technique that enables nanoscale imaging of single proteins and molecular complexes, revealing structural details in cells and disease samples.

Structural basis for tunable affinity and specificity of LxCxEdependentprotein interactions with the retinoblastoma protein family

This study presents crystal structures of the p107 pocket domain bound to LxCxE peptides, revealing structural determinants that explain differences in binding affinity between viral and cellular proteins.

EstG is a novel esterase required for cell envelope integrity

This study identifies EstG, a novel esterase in Caulobacter crescentus that protects against cellular stress by acting on cyclic osmoregulated periplasmic glucans rather than the cell wall.

Automatically tracking feeding behavior in populations of foraging C. elegans

This paper develops PharaGlow, an imaging and analysis tool to track feeding and locomotion in large populations of unrestrained C. elegans with high-throughput and precision.

Lytic transglycosylases mitigate periplasmic crowding by degrading soluble cell wall turnover products

This study identifies lytic transglycosylases (LTGs) as essential for preventing periplasmic crowding by degrading peptidoglycan turnover products, independent of peptidoglycan recycling.

External fertilization is orchestrated by a pH-regulated soluble adenylyl cyclase controlling sperm motility and chemotaxis

This paper identifies a pH-regulated soluble adenylyl cyclase in non-mammalian sperm that controls motility and chemotaxis, revealing evolutionary adaptations to aquatic environments.

Ivermectin repurposing for COVID-19 therapy: Safety and pharmacokinetic assessment of a novel nasal spray formulation in a pig model

This study evaluates the safety and pharmacokinetics of a nasal ivermectin spray in pigs, showing higher drug concentrations in nasal and lung tissues compared to oral administration.

Deep learning enables the design of functional de novo antimicrobial proteins

This paper uses deep learning to design de novo antimicrobial peptides with antifungal activity comparable to wild-type peptides.

Class A Penicillin-Binding Protein-mediated cell wall synthesis promotes structural integrity during peptidoglycan endopeptidase insufficiency

This study investigates the role of endopeptidases and class A PBPs in PG synthesis and structural integrity in V. cholerae, showing that aPBPs can compensate for EP insufficiency.

Multifocal imaging for precise, label-free tracking of fast biological processes in 3D

This paper introduces a new open-source 3D reconstruction algorithm for multifocal imaging, enabling label-free, high-speed tracking of fast biological processes in 3D.

Mechanistic insights into RNA binding and RNA-regulated RIG-I ubiquitination by TRIM25

This study identifies RNA binding sites on TRIM25 and shows that RNA binding enhances its E3 ligase activity and affects RIG-I ubiquitination.

Structural basis of peptidoglycan endopeptidase regulation

This study solves the crystal structure of ShyA, a peptidoglycan endopeptidase, revealing a regulatory mechanism involving conformational changes that activate its catalytic activity.

Impaired alanine transport or exposure to D-cycloserine increases the susceptibility of MRSA to beta-lactam antibiotics

The paper shows that impairing alanine transport or exposing MRSA to D-cycloserine increases susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics by reducing peptidoglycan crosslinking.

The conserved transcriptional regulator CdnL is required for metabolic homeostasis and morphogenesis in Caulobacter

This study shows that CdnL is essential for metabolic homeostasis and morphogenesis in Caulobacter crescentus by regulating biosynthetic gene expression and lipid II production.

A Vibrio cholerae BolA-like protein is required for proper cell shape and cell envelope integrity

This study identifies IbaG, a BolA-like protein in V. cholerae, as critical for cell shape and envelope integrity through its role in iron-sulfur cluster protein biogenesis.

Endopeptidase regulation as a novel function of the Zur-dependent zinc starvation response

This paper identifies ShyB, a zinc-dependent endopeptidase in Vibrio cholerae, as a novel component of the Zur-mediated zinc starvation response that sustains cell growth under low-zinc conditions.