T. Wittmann

Doublecortin reinforces microtubules to promote growth cone advance in soft environments

This study shows DCX stabilizes microtubules in growth cones, enabling neuron morphogenesis in soft environments by resisting actomyosin contractile forces.

Protein-protein interactions with G3BPs drive stress granule condensation and gene expression changes under cellular stress

The paper identifies key residues in G3BPs that drive stress granule formation and gene expression changes under cellular stress, with G3BP2B showing specific roles in ER stress.

Growth cone advance requires EB1 as revealed by genomic replacement with a light-sensitive variant

This study replaces endogenous EB1 with a light-sensitive variant in human neurons to show EB1's role in growth cone dynamics and neurite guidance through optogenetic inactivation.

Optogenetic EB1 inactivation shortens metaphase spindles by disrupting cortical force-producing interactions with astral microtubules

This study uses optogenetic inactivation of EB1 to show that it regulates metaphase spindle length by controlling astral microtubule interactions with cortical dynein/dynactin.

pHLARE: A Genetically Encoded Ratiometric Lysosome pH Biosensor

The paper introduces pHLARE, a genetically encoded ratiometric lysosome pH biosensor, and demonstrates its use in showing decreased lysosome pH in cancer cell lines.

Conserved tau microtubule-binding repeat histidines confer pH-dependent tau-microtubule association

This study identifies conserved histidine residues in tau that act as pH sensors modulating tau-microtubule binding through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions.

Local Control of Intracellular Microtubule Dynamics by End Binding Protein 1 (EB1) Photo-Dissociation

This paper demonstrates precise spatial and temporal control of microtubule dynamics using photo-dissociation of EB1, showing that neither the GTP cap nor CKAP5 can sustain polymerization at physiological rates.