D. A. Fletcher

Application of an NMR/crystallography fragment screening platform for the assessment and rapid discovery of new HIV-CA binding fragments

The paper uses NMR and crystallography to identify and assess new HIV-CA binding fragments, leading to the discovery of two compounds with improved binding properties.

The Quest to Identify USP8 Inhibitors for Parkinsons Disease, a PAINful Experience.

The paper identifies PAINS in a USP8 inhibitor screening campaign for Parkinson's disease and discusses interference mechanisms affecting assay reliability.

Engineered molecular sensors of cell surface crowding

This paper designs molecular sensors to quantify cell surface crowding and shows it affects ligand binding and varies with cell type and oncogene expression.

The molecular mechanism of load adaptation by branched actin networks

This study investigates how applied forces affect branched actin network assembly, revealing that force alters nucleation and capping rates, increasing network density through a Brownian Ratchet mechanism.

Biased localization of actin binding proteins by actin filament conformation

The paper shows that actin-binding proteins preferentially localize to different actin structures based on filament conformation, using live cell imaging and in vitro binding measurements.

Variable optical properties of light-harvesting complex II revisited

The paper investigates how protein-protein interactions in LHCII affect its optical properties and energy dissipation mechanisms in photosynthesis.

Antibody:CD47 ratio regulates macrophage phagocytosis through competitive receptor phosphorylation

This study shows that the ratio of activating to inhibitory ligands on targets regulates macrophage phagocytosis through competitive receptor phosphorylation.

Evolutionarily related small viral fusogens hijack distinct but modular actin nucleation pathways to drive cell-cell fusion

This study shows that two FAST proteins use distinct actin nucleation pathways to drive cell-cell fusion, but their cytoplasmic tails are modular and functionally interchangeable.

Molecular height measurement by cell surface optical profilometry (CSOP)

The paper introduces CSOP, a method to measure molecular heights on cell surfaces with nanometer resolution, and finds that protein height is smaller than contour length and depends on surface and solution conditions.

A weak link with actin organizes tight junctions to control epithelial permeability

This study identifies a weak ZO-1-actin interaction that controls epithelial permeability through kinetic trapping, enabling tunable permeability in engineered monolayers.

Steric Regulation of Tandem Calponin Homology Domain Actin-Binding Affinity

The paper investigates how structural modifications affect the actin-binding affinity of tandem CH1-CH2 domains, finding that steric changes and interface mutations influence binding properties and sub-cellular localization.

Micro-scale fluid behavior during cryo-EM sample blotting

This paper investigates micro-scale fluid dynamics during cryo-EM sample blotting and identifies issues with uniformity in ice thickness resulting from filter paper interactions.

A viral fusogen hijacks the actin cytoskeleton to drive cell-cell fusion

This study shows a viral fusogen uses the actin cytoskeleton to drive cell-cell fusion without requiring conformational changes of its short ectodomain.

Computational design of a protein family that adopts two well-defined and structurally divergent de novo folds

This paper designs a protein family with two structurally divergent folds, showing that sequences can adopt distinct conformations under different conditions.

Single-shot autofocus microscopy using deep learning

This paper introduces a deep learning-based autofocus method for microscopes using off-axis LEDs and single images to estimate and correct defocus distance.

Influenza A virus surface proteins are organized to help penetrate host mucus

This study shows that influenza A virus surface proteins are asymmetrically organized to enable directional movement through mucus while maintaining cell attachment.

Low fidelity assembly of influenza A virus promotes escape from host cells

This study shows that influenza A virus produces morphologically and compositionally variable virions, which help it survive environmental challenges through low fidelity assembly.

Claudin-4 Reconstituted in Unilamellar Vesicles is Sufficient to Form Tight Interfaces that Partition Membrane Proteins

This study shows that claudin-4 reconstituted in vesicles forms tight interfaces that partition membrane proteins, supporting its role as a molecular fence in epithelial polarization.

Size-dependent segregation controls macrophage phagocytosis of antibody-opsonized targets

This study identifies an antigen height threshold that regulates macrophage phagocytosis of antibody-opsonized targets, showing that antigens taller than 10 nm impair phagocytosis by disrupting Fc receptor signaling.

Spectrin is a mechanoresponsive protein shaping the architecture of intercellular invasion

The paper shows spectrin dynamically accumulates at fusogenic synapses in response to shear deformation, forming a sieve-like network that promotes cell membrane fusion during intercellular invasion.