Yongqiang Gao

This study shows that pressure-induced membrane tension opens the GerA ion channel in Bacillus subtilis spores, triggering germination through a stretch-to-open mechanism.

The paper reports cryo-EM structures of GerA, revealing how nutrient binding triggers channel opening through allosteric switches and subunit interactions.

This paper shows YpeB inhibits SleB in dormant Bacillus subtilis spores through direct interaction, preventing premature cortex degradation.

The paper shows that basal bodies in Bacillus subtilis are mobile during early assembly and become immobilized when the rod transits the peptidoglycan, suggesting rod polymerization probes the peptidoglycan for pores.