R. S. Harris

A comprehensive study of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitor-resistant mutants selected in a VSV-based system

This study identifies and characterizes SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutations conferring resistance to nirmatrelvir using a VSV-based system and biochemical assays.

APOBEC3 degradation is the primary function of HIV-1 Vif for virus replication in the myeloid cell line THP-1

This study shows that HIV-1 Vif primarily degrades A3 enzymes to enable viral replication in THP-1 cells, as disrupting A3 proteins restores infectivity of Vif-deficient viruses.

Structure-guided inhibition of the cancer DNA-mutating enzyme APOBEC3A

This paper identifies a structural basis for inhibiting APOBEC3A, a mutagenic enzyme in cancer, using a hairpin DNA inhibitor that blocks its activity in human cells.

Human cytomegalovirus mediates APOBEC3B relocalization early during infection through a ribonucleotide reductase-independent mechanism

This paper shows that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) relocalizes APOBEC3B from the nucleus to the cytoplasm through an RNR-independent mechanism, unlike related herpesviruses.

Mutational impact of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B in a human cell line and comparisons to breast cancer

This study quantifies the mutagenic activities of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B in a human cell line and compares their mutation signatures to breast cancer genomes, showing both enzymes contribute to the mutation landscape.

Targeting N-Myc in Neuroblastoma with Selective Aurora Kinase A Degraders

This study develops a first-in-class Aurora-A/N-Myc degrader, HLB-0532259, which effectively reduces N-Myc levels and shows tumor reduction in neuroblastoma models.

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a risk factor for bladder cancer through induction of APOBEC3-mediated genomic damage

This study shows BKPyV infection increases APOBEC3-mediated genomic damage in urothelial cells, contributing to bladder cancer risk in immunocompromised individuals.

Dynamic evolution of great ape Y chromosomes

This study analyzes Y chromosome evolution in great apes, finding accelerated substitution and gene death rates in Pan, and reveals roles for palindromes in gene conversion and regulatory site preservation.

A Conserved Mechanism of APOBEC3 Relocalization by Herpesviral Ribonucleotide Reductase Large Subunits

This study shows that herpesviruses use viral ribonucleotide reductase subunits to relocalize APOBEC3B and APOBEC3A, suggesting a conserved mechanism to evade innate immunity.

High satellite repeat turnover in great apes studied with short- and long-read technologies

The paper uses short- and long-read sequencing to study satellite repeat turnover in great apes, finding rapid repeat evolution and species-specific patterns.

Active site plasticity and possible modes of chemical inhibition of the human DNA deaminase APOBEC3B

This study reports structures of APOBEC3B with loop 7 from APOBEC3G, revealing inactive conformations stabilized by small molecules, providing insights for inhibitor design.