Joseph J. Loparo

The paper reveals that RPA activates TMEJ by facilitating ssDNA hand-off to Polθ, which initiates microhomology search for DNA repair.

The paper develops a cell-free system using Xenopus egg extracts to study TMEJ, showing that Pol theta and Cyclin B-CDK1 are essential for efficient DNA joining.

The paper investigates how DNA end chemistry affects NHEJ synaptic complex formation and stability using single-molecule imaging in Xenopus egg extract.

The paper shows PAXX and XLF have sequential roles in stabilizing and maturing the NHEJ synaptic complex through distinct interactions.

The paper shows DNA supercoiling selectively enhances productive homology search by RecA filaments in Caulobacter crescentus, independent of DNA compaction.

This study determines the structure of HSV-1 helicase-primase inhibited by HPIs and reveals how it interacts with the replication fork complex.

The paper determines the structure of MreC-MreD complex and shows how MreD controls MreC conformation, essential for bacterial cell shape and antibiotic targeting.

This study shows LpoB transiently binds and activates PBP1b through an allosteric switch, directing PG synthesis to low-density areas and enabling lipoprotein redistribution.

The paper shows that Ku is translocated off DNA ends in an ATP-dependent manner requiring MRN and CtIP, distinct from resection, to enable HR.

This study shows that a unique secondary contact of Pol IV with the processivity clamp enhances its ability to perform translesion synthesis past strong replication blocks.

The paper identifies mechanisms that limit Ku protein accumulation in chromatin, showing DNA-PKcs blocks Ku entry, and two additional mechanisms restrict Ku levels in the absence of DNA-PKcs.

This study reveals how NHEJ minimizes errors by confining end processing to a Lig4-dependent short-range synaptic complex, ensuring accurate DNA ligation.