Audronė Rukšėnaitė

This study identifies Csx15 as a ring nuclease that degrades cyclic nucleotides from both CRISPR-Cas and CBASS systems, revealing its role in regulating signaling pathways.

The paper shows that deoxydinucleotides activate the bacterial anti-phage defense system ApeA by binding to a conserved pocket, enabling broad protection against phage infection.

The paper characterizes the CRISPR SAVED-Lon system, showing that filament formation activates protease and ring nuclease activities, leading to growth arrest in E. coli.

The paper designs and tests novel covalent inhibitors targeting CAIX, achieving high affinity and selectivity for cancer treatment.

The paper shows short prokaryotic Argonautes, when associated with Sir2, deplete NAD+ to defend against invading DNA.