M. A. Cianfrocco

Structural and dynamic changes in P-Rex1 upon activation by PIP3 and inhibition by IP4

This study identifies structural changes in P-Rex1 upon activation by PIP3 and inhibition by IP4, revealing how these interactions regulate its GEF activity.

The Bicaudal-D/Egalitarian complex defines the specificity of cargo transport by Dynein.

This study identifies BicD cargo interactome and shows that Egl is required for BicD to link cargos to Dynein, with a SMA mutation affecting cargo transport and mobility.

HIV-1 binds dynein directly to hijack microtubule transport machinery

This study shows HIV-1 directly binds dynein to hijack microtubule transport for motility, bypassing traditional cargo adaptors.

Autoinhibited kinesin-1 adopts a hierarchical folding pattern

This study determines the structure of autoinhibited kinesin-1 using XL-MS, EM, and AlphaFold, showing how light chains stabilize the inhibited state and how activation requires disrupting multiple domain interactions.

The N-terminal GTPase of Miro1 regulates oligomer formation

This study shows that the N-terminal GTPase domain of Miro1 promotes oligomer formation, which affects mitochondrial trafficking by reducing interaction with TRAK1.

Kinesin-1, -2 and -3 motors use family-specific mechanochemical strategies to effectively compete with dynein during bidirectional transport

The paper investigates how kinesin-1, -2, and -3 motors compete with dynein during bidirectional transport and finds that all three families can withstand hindering loads through distinct kinetic strategies.

Optimized path planning surpasses human efficiency in cryo-EM imaging

This paper introduces an algorithm called cryoRL that uses reinforcement learning to optimize cryo-EM data collection, outperforming human operators in efficiency and image quality.

A kinesin-1 variant reveals motor-induced microtubule damage in cells

This study shows a kinesin-1 variant causes microtubule damage in cells, leading to breakage and fragmentation, suggesting evolutionary pressure against such variants.

Kinesin-binding protein remodels the kinesin motor to prevent microtubule-binding

This study determines the structural mechanism by which KIFBP remodels kinesin motors to block microtubule-binding, revealing a 2-pronged inhibition strategy.

High-resolution cryo-EM using beam-image shift at 200 keV

The paper tests beam-image shift data collection at 200 keV cryo-EM on aldolase, showing resolution improvement from 4.9 to 2.8 Å through aberration correction.

Molecular determinants for α-tubulin methylation by SETD2

This study identifies the molecular mechanisms by which SETD2 methylates α-tubulin, revealing distinct substrate recognition and catalytic requirements for tubulin versus histone methylation.

SETD2 is an actin lysine methyltransferase

This study identifies SETD2 as an actin lysine methyltransferase that regulates actin polymerization and cell migration through methylation of the actin cytoskeleton.

High-throughput cryo-EM enabled by user-free preprocessing routines

This paper introduces an automatic cryo-EM preprocessing pipeline using deep learning and image analysis tools, verified on multiple datasets and extended to include user-free sample screening.

Cryo-EM structure of the human Mixed Lineage Leukemia-1 complex bound to the nucleosome

The paper reports the cryo-EM structure of the human MLL1 complex bound to the nucleosome, revealing how it interacts with histone H3K4 and promotes tri-methylation.

Lis1 has two opposing modes of regulating cytoplasmic dynein

This study reveals that Lis1 regulates cytoplasmic dynein through two opposing modes of microtubule-binding affinity, dependent on Lis1 stoichiometry and dynein's nucleotide state.