M. Makarova

Phospholipid tail asymmetry allows cellular adaptation to anoxic environments

The paper shows that anoxic cells use asymmetric phospholipid acyl-tail length to maintain membrane fluidity, replacing unsaturated species that require oxygen.

Single-molecule analysis of receptor-beta-arrestin interactions in living cells

This study uses single-molecule microscopy and simulations to show that beta-arrestin inserts into the lipid bilayer and interacts with receptors through lateral diffusion, challenging existing models of its function.

An in vitro method for inducing titan cells reveals novel features of yeast-to-titan switching in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii

This paper develops an in vitro method to induce titan cells in Cryptococcus gattii and identifies p-Aminobenzoic acid as a key inducer, revealing strain-specific differences and asynchronous cell cycle features during titanisation.

Asymmetric phospholipids impart novel biophysical properties to lipid bilayers allowing environmental adaptation

This study shows that asymmetric phospholipids in yeast membranes maintain lipid order across a wider temperature range without needing unsaturated tails or sterols.

Host environmental conditions induce small fungal cell size and alter population heterogeneity in Cryptococcus neoformans

The paper investigates the relationship between titan cells, small cells, and titanides in Cryptococcus neoformans, showing their shared features and impact on aneuploidy and drug resistance.

Delineating the rules for structural adaptation of membrane-associated proteins to evolutionary changes in membrane lipidome

The paper investigates how changes in membrane lipid composition drive structural adaptations in membrane-associated proteins across two fission yeast species.