Tony M. Mertz

Squamous-state excursions activate APOBEC3A in cancer

The paper identifies transient squamous-state excursions in cancer cells as a source of APOBEC3A mutagenesis, linking it to lineage-state plasticity rather than persistent inflammation.

APOBEC3A is the predominant global editor of cytosines in human mRNAs and in single-strand RNA viruses

The paper identifies APOBEC3A as the main RNA editor in human cells and viruses, showing its preference for specific motifs in mRNA and viral RNA.

Genetic modifiers of APOBEC-induced mutagenesis

This paper identifies genetic modifiers of APOBEC-induced mutagenesis in yeast and human tumors, revealing factors that influence mutation patterns and DNA repair mechanisms.

The Shu Complex Prevents Mutagenesis and Cytotoxicity of Single-Strand Specific Alkylation Lesions

This study shows the yeast Shu complex prevents mutagenesis from 3meC lesions by binding to them and reducing replication errors.