Krios I-Titan Krios I at Diamond
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[21005]
Open Access
Abstract: The dynamic nature of protein and macromolecular complexes means that the capture of multiple sequential states along a reaction pathway can provide much greater insight into function than that obtained from a single static structure. We present a set of modular, easy-to-implement tools and workflows for optical excitation, on-grid characterization and tightly coupled rapid vitrification, establishing a proof-of-principle framework for time-resolved cryoEM and cryo-electron tomography (cryoET). We apply this framework to E. coli chemotaxis, in which serine-sensitive chemoreceptors initiate signalling upon ligand binding and undergo critical conformational changes within the chemosensory arrays. Using DMNB-caged serine [O-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl)-L-serine] as a model trigger, we quantified its photophysical properties and uncaging efficiency using UV–Vis spectroscopy and two-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS). Coupling a femtosecond-pulsed laser to a Vitrobot enabled reproducible reaction-to-vitrification delays of ∼150 ms, yielding intact E. coli minicells with well-preserved chemotaxis arrays suitable for in situ structural analysis by cryoET. This integrated approach provides a robust and generalisable framework for millisecond time-resolved cryoET, laying the groundwork for capturing transient conformational states in their native cellular context.
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Jul 2026
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Krios I-Titan Krios I at Diamond
Krios IV-Titan Krios IV at Diamond
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Mingda
Ye
,
Zhu
Liang
,
Daming
Zhou
,
Ashley C. W.
Pike
,
Siyi
Wang
,
Dong
Wang
,
Souvika
Bakshi
,
Laurent
Brooke
,
Eleanor P.
Williams
,
Jonathan M.
Elkins
,
Benedikt M.
Kessler
,
David I.
Stuart
,
David B.
Sauer
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[28713]
Open Access
Abstract: Arginine, lysine, and ornithine are critical to several fundamental aspects of organismal physiology, including protein structure and function, the urea cycle, and intracellular signaling. These cationic amino acids are imported by several membrane transporters, most notably the Cationic Amino acid Transporters (CATs) in the SLC7 family. Of these, CAT1 is also the receptor for two orthoretroviruses, and determines the host tropism for these viruses. Here, using a combination of CryoEM and in vitro biochemical techniques, we characterize the substrate recognition and transport of CAT1 from Mus musculus. Further, by determining the structures of MmCAT1 in complex with the receptor binding domain from the Friend Murine Leukemia Virus, we identify the key structural interactions that determine the virus’ rodent-specific tropism.
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Feb 2026
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Krios II-Titan Krios II at Diamond
Krios IV-Titan Krios IV at Diamond
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Huanyu Z.
Li
,
Ashley C.
Pike
,
Yung-Ning
Chang
,
Dheeraj
Prakaash
,
Zuzana
Gelova
,
Josefina
Stanka
,
Christophe
Moreau
,
Hannah C.
Scott
,
Frank
Wunder
,
Gernot
Wolf
,
Andreea
Scacioc
,
Gavin
Mckinley
,
Helena
Batoulis
,
Shubhashish
Mukhopadhyay
,
Andrea
Garofoli
,
Adán
Pinto-Fernández
,
Benedikt M.
Kessler
,
Nicola A.
Burgess-Brown
,
Saša
Štefanić
,
Tabea
Wiedmer
,
Katharina L.
Duerr
,
Vera
Puetter
,
Alexander
Ehrmann
,
Syma
Khalid
,
Alvaro
Ingles-Prieto
,
Giulio
Superti-Furga
,
David B.
Sauer
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[28713]
Open Access
Abstract: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a signaling lysolipid critical to heart development, immunity, and hearing. Accordingly, mutations in the S1P transporter SPNS2 are associated with reduced white cell count and hearing defects. SPNS2 also exports the S1P-mimicking FTY720-P (Fingolimod) and thereby is central to the pharmacokinetics of this drug when treating multiple sclerosis. Here, we use a combination of cryo-electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, in vitro binding and in vivo S1P export assays, and molecular dynamics simulations to probe SPNS2’s substrate binding and transport. These results reveal the transporter’s binding mode to its native substrate S1P, the therapeutic FTY720-P, and the reported SPNS2-targeting inhibitor 33p. Further capturing an inward-facing apo state, our structures illuminate the protein’s mechanism for exchange between inward-facing and outward-facing conformations. Finally, using these structural, localization, and S1P transport results, we identify how pathogenic mutations ablate the protein’s export activity and thereby lead to hearing loss.
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Jan 2025
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
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Open Access
Abstract: The human protein kinase ULK3 regulates the timing of membrane abscission, thus being involved in exosome budding and cytokinesis. Herein, we present the first high-resolution structures of the ULK3 kinase domain. Its unique features are explored against the background of other ULK kinases. An inhibitor fingerprint indicates that ULK3 is highly druggable and capable of adopting a wide range of conformations. In accordance with this, we describe a conformational switch between the active and an inactive ULK3 conformation, controlled by the properties of the attached small-molecule binder. Finally, we discuss a potential substrate-recognition mechanism of the full-length ULK3 protein.
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Jun 2021
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Yanchun
Peng
,
Alexander J.
Mentzer
,
Guihai
Liu
,
Xuan
Yao
,
Zixi
Yin
,
Danning
Dong
,
Wanwisa
Dejnirattisai
,
Timothy
Rostron
,
Piyada
Supasa
,
Chang
Liu
,
César
López-Camacho
,
Jose
Slon-Campos
,
Yuguang
Zhao
,
David I.
Stuart
,
Guido C.
Paesen
,
Jonathan M.
Grimes
,
Alfred A.
Antson
,
Oliver W.
Bayfield
,
Dorothy E. D. P.
Hawkins
,
De-Sheng
Ker
,
Beibei
Wang
,
Lance
Turtle
,
Krishanthi
Subramaniam
,
Paul
Thomson
,
Ping
Zhang
,
Christina
Dold
,
Jeremy
Ratcliff
,
Peter
Simmonds
,
Thushan
De Silva
,
Paul
Sopp
,
Dannielle
Wellington
,
Ushani
Rajapaksa
,
Yi-Ling
Chen
,
Mariolina
Salio
,
Giorgio
Napolitani
,
Wayne
Paes
,
Persephone
Borrow
,
Benedikt M.
Kessler
,
Jeremy W.
Fry
,
Nikolai F.
Schwabe
,
Malcolm G.
Semple
,
J. Kenneth
Baillie
,
Shona C.
Moore
,
Peter J. M.
Openshaw
,
M. Azim
Ansari
,
Susanna
Dunachie
,
Eleanor
Barnes
,
John
Frater
,
Georgina
Kerr
,
Oliver
Gould
,
Teresa
Lockett
,
Robert
Levin
,
Yonghong
Zhang
,
Ronghua
Jing
,
Ling-Pei
Ho
,
Richard J.
Cornall
,
Christopher P.
Conlon
,
Paul
Klenerman
,
Gavin R.
Screaton
,
Juthathip
Mongkolsapaya
,
Andrew
Mcmichael
,
Julian C.
Knight
,
Graham
Ogg
,
Tao
Dong
Open Access
Abstract: The development of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines and therapeutics will depend on understanding viral immunity. We studied T cell memory in 42 patients following recovery from COVID-19 (28 with mild disease and 14 with severe disease) and 16 unexposed donors, using interferon-γ-based assays with peptides spanning SARS-CoV-2 except ORF1. The breadth and magnitude of T cell responses were significantly higher in severe as compared with mild cases. Total and spike-specific T cell responses correlated with spike-specific antibody responses. We identified 41 peptides containing CD4+ and/or CD8+ epitopes, including six immunodominant regions. Six optimized CD8+ epitopes were defined, with peptide–MHC pentamer-positive cells displaying the central and effector memory phenotype. In mild cases, higher proportions of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells were observed. The identification of T cell responses associated with milder disease will support an understanding of protective immunity and highlights the potential of including non-spike proteins within future COVID-19 vaccine design.
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Sep 2020
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B24-Cryo Soft X-ray Tomography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[23000]
Abstract: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) kill infected and cancerous cells. We detected transfer of cytotoxic multiprotein complexes from CTLs to target cells, termed supramolecular attack particles (SMAPs). SMAPs were rapidly released from CTLs and were autonomously cytotoxic. Mass spectrometry, immunochemical analysis and CRISPR editing identified a C-terminal fragment of thrombospondin-1 as an unexpected SMAP component that contributed to target killing. Direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy resolved a cytotoxic core surrounded by a thrombospondin-1 shell of ~120 nm diameter. Cryo-soft x-ray tomography analysis revealed that SMAPs had a carbon-dense shell and were stored in multicore granules. We propose that SMAPs are autonomous extracellular killing entities that deliver cytotoxic cargo based on specificity of shell components.
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May 2020
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Aurelia
Stangl
,
Paul R.
Elliott
,
Adan
Pinto-Fernandez
,
Sarah
Bonham
,
Luke
Harrison
,
Annalisa
Schaub
,
Kerstin
Kutzner
,
Kirstin
Keusekotten
,
Paul T.
Pfluger
,
Farid
El Oualid
,
Benedikt M.
Kessler
,
David
Komander
,
Daniel
Krappmann
Open Access
Abstract: OTULIN (OTU Deubiquitinase With Linear Linkage Specificity) specifically hydrolyzes methionine1 (Met1)-linked ubiquitin chains conjugated by LUBAC (linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex). Here we report on the mass spectrometric identification of the OTULIN interactor SNX27 (sorting nexin 27), an adaptor of the endosomal retromer complex responsible for protein recycling to the cell surface. The C-terminal PDZ-binding motif (PDZbm) in OTULIN associates with the cargo-binding site in the PDZ domain of SNX27. By solving the structure of the OTU domain in complex with the PDZ domain, we demonstrate that a second interface contributes to the selective, high affinity interaction of OTULIN and SNX27. SNX27 does not affect OTULIN catalytic activity, OTULIN-LUBAC binding or Met1-linked ubiquitin chain homeostasis. However, via association, OTULIN antagonizes SNX27-dependent cargo loading, binding of SNX27 to the VPS26A-retromer subunit and endosome-to-plasma membrane trafficking. Thus, we define an additional, non-catalytic function of OTULIN in the regulation of SNX27-retromer assembly and recycling to the cell surface.
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Sep 2019
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Melissa
D'Ascenzio
,
Kathryn M.
Pugh
,
Rebecca
Konietzny
,
Georgina
Berridge
,
Cynthia
Tallant
,
Shaima
Hashem
,
Octovia
Monteiro
,
Jason R.
Thomas
,
Markus
Schirle
,
Stefan
Knapp
,
Brian
Marsden
,
Oleg
Fedorov
,
Chas
Bountra
,
Benedikt M.
Kessler
,
Paul E.
Brennan
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[10619]
Open Access
Abstract: Bromodomain‐containing proteins are epigenetic modulators involved in a wide range of cellular processes, from recruitment of transcription factors to pathological disruption of gene regulation and cancer development. Since the druggability of these acetyl‐lysine reader domains was established, efforts were made to develop potent and selective inhibitors across the entire family. Here we report the development of a small molecule‐based approach to covalently modify recombinant and endogenous bromodomain‐containing proteins by targeting a conserved lysine and a tyrosine residue in the variable ZA or BC loops. Moreover, the addition of a reporter tag allowed in‐gel visualization and pull‐down of the desired bromodomains.
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Jan 2019
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Saleta
Vazquez-Rodriguez
,
Miranda
Wright
,
Catherine M.
Rogers
,
Adam P.
Cribbs
,
Srikannathasan
Velupillai
,
Martin
Philpott
,
Henry
Lee
,
James E.
Dunford
,
Kilian V. M.
Huber
,
Matthew B.
Robers
,
James D.
Vasta
,
Marie-Laetitia
Thezenas
,
Sarah
Bonham
,
Benedikt
Kessler
,
James
Bennett
,
Oleg
Fedorov
,
Florence
Raynaud
,
Adam
Donovan
,
Julian
Blagg
,
Vassilios
Bavetsias
,
Udo
Oppermann
,
Chas
Bountra
,
Akane
Kawamura
,
Paul E.
Brennan
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15433]
Open Access
Abstract: Histone lysine demethylases (KDMs) are involved in the dynamic regulation of gene expression and they play a critical role in several biological processes. Achieving selectivity over the different KDMs has been a major challenge for KDM inhibitor development. Here we report potent and selective KDM5 covalent inhibitors designed to target cysteine residues only present in the KDM5 sub‐family. The covalent binding to the targeted proteins was confirmed by MS and time‐dependent inhibition. Additional competition assays show that compounds were non 2‐OG competitive. Target engagement and ChIP‐seq analysis showed that the compounds inhibited the KDM5 members in cells at nano‐ to micromolar levels and induce a global increase of the H3K4me3 mark at transcriptional start sites.
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Jan 2019
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Suzana
Markolovic
,
Qinqin
Zhuang
,
Sarah E.
Wilkins
,
Charlotte D.
Eaton
,
Martine I.
Abboud
,
Maximiliano J.
Katz
,
Helen E.
Mcneil
,
Robert K.
Leśniak
,
Charlotte
Hall
,
Weston B.
Struwe
,
Rebecca
Konietzny
,
Simon
Davis
,
Ming
Yang
,
Wei
Ge
,
Justin L. P.
Benesch
,
Benedikt M.
Kessler
,
Peter J.
Ratcliffe
,
Matthew E.
Cockman
,
Roman
Fischer
,
Pablo
Wappner
,
Rasheduzzaman
Chowdhury
,
Mathew L.
Coleman
,
Christopher J.
Schofield
Abstract: Biochemical, structural and cellular studies reveal Jumonji-C (JmjC) domain-containing 7 (JMJD7) to be a 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)-dependent oxygenase that catalyzes (3S)-lysyl hydroxylation. Crystallographic analyses reveal JMJD7 to be more closely related to the JmjC hydroxylases than to the JmjC demethylases. Biophysical and mutation studies show that JMJD7 has a unique dimerization mode, with interactions between monomers involving both N- and C-terminal regions and disulfide bond formation. A proteomic approach identifies two related members of the translation factor (TRAFAC) family of GTPases, developmentally regulated GTP-binding proteins 1 and 2 (DRG1/2), as activity-dependent JMJD7 interactors. Mass spectrometric analyses demonstrate that JMJD7 catalyzes Fe(ii)- and 2OG-dependent hydroxylation of a highly conserved lysine residue in DRG1/2; amino-acid analyses reveal that JMJD7 catalyzes (3S)-lysyl hydroxylation. The functional assignment of JMJD7 will enable future studies to define the role of DRG hydroxylation in cell growth and disease.
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Jun 2018
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