Christos Spanos

Sequential pathways preserve kinetochore integrity in meiosis

This study identifies three distinct pathways maintaining kinetochore integrity during meiosis in budding yeast, with distinct temporal requirements and interactions involving Ctf19cCCAN, Mif2CENP-C, and Cse4CENP-A-Okp1CENP-Q-Ame1CENP-U.

AKT-like kinase regulates early steps in the Trypanosoma brucei quorum sensing signalling pathway

This study identifies AKT-like kinase as a regulator of quorum sensing in Trypanosoma brucei, showing its role in differentiation and potential as a therapeutic target.

HECT-type ligases facilitate autoubiquitination and degradation of other ubiquitin ligases to activate plant immunity

This study shows that HECT-type ligases UPL3/4 promote the degradation of other E3 ligases like PUB22, thereby regulating immune-related substrate stability and plant immunity.

H2A.Z-H2B.V nucleosomes form a specialised scaffold for transcription initiation in Trypanosoma brucei

This study investigates the role of H2A.Z-H2B.V nucleosomes in transcription initiation in Trypanosoma brucei, revealing their unique structural and functional properties.

Meiotic kinetochore reconstitution identifies chromosome segregation factors

This study reconstitutes vertebrate meiotic kinetochores to identify conserved factors essential for chromosome segregation in mammalian oocytes.

A Kinetochore-Associated Proteasome Pool Drives a Second Pathway of Cohesin Removal during Meiosis

This study identifies a proteasome function that drives centromeric cohesin removal during meiosis II independently of separase activation, revealing a dual role for the proteasome in chromosome segregation.

A conserved mechanism for targeted cohesin loading organises specialised chromosomal domains

This study identifies a conserved mechanism for targeted cohesin loading that organises specialised chromosomal domains in S. pombe.

The structure of the apo-PIWI HSP90 complex

The paper determines the structure of the apo-PIWIL4-HSP90 complex and shows it adopts an open conformation distinct from piRNA-bound PIWI.

Differential reconfiguration of the RNA-interactome during low glucose stress in memory and cytotoxic T cells

The paper examines how RNA-protein interactions change in memory and cytotoxic T cells under low glucose stress, revealing distinct metabolic and functional responses.

Dysfunction of a SET3-like complex underlies a family of related neurological disorders

The paper identifies a dysfunction in the SET3-like complex involving TBLR1, ANKRD11, and SETD5 as a molecular basis for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Specialisation of meiotic kinetochores revealed through a synthetic spindle assembly checkpoint strategy

The paper introduces a synthetic SAC strategy to study meiosis II in yeast, revealing differences in kinetochore composition and phosphorylation between meiotic metaphase I and II.

Defining the chromatin-associated protein landscapes on Trypanosoma brucei repetitive elements using synthetic TALE proteins

The paper uses synthetic TALE proteins to identify chromatin-associated proteins on repetitive elements in Trypanosoma brucei, revealing their roles in chromosome structure and function.

Ubiquitin recognition integrates plant immune signaling by cell-surface and intracellular receptors

This study identifies ubiquitin recognition as the mechanism enabling mutual potentiation between cell-surface and intracellular receptors in plant immunity.

Pervasive binding of the stem cell transcription factor SALL4 shapes the chromatin landscape

This study shows SALL4 binds across the genome to shape chromatin and gene expression in stem cells.

Cryptococcus neoformans employs both PP1 and PP2A phosphatases to silence the spindle checkpoint

This study identifies PP1 and PP2A phosphatases as key regulators of spindle checkpoint silencing in Cryptococcus neoformans, revealing their recruitment mechanisms and roles in mitotic exit.

Tetramerisation governs SALL transcription factor function in development and disease

This study identifies tetramerisation as essential for SALL transcription factor function, showing its role in DNA binding and linking it to developmental disorders.

Metabolic tuning enables immediate adaptation to energy stress in yeast

The paper shows that yeast rapidly adapts to glucose depletion by using metabolic changes to control translation, prioritizing stress-response genes.

Chromatin Protection by the Chromosomal Passenger Complex

This study reveals how the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) interacts with nucleosomes to protect centromeric chromatin, showing its non-catalytic role in maintaining chromatin stability.

Rules of engagement for condensins and cohesins guide mitotic chromosome formation

In DT40 cells, condensins displace extrusive cohesin, bypass cohesive cohesin and stall against each other while extruding ~1-3 kb/sec, yielding irregular helical chromatids of consecutive loops.

Fission yeast Caprin protein is required for efficient heterochromatin establishment

The paper identifies Cpn1, a fission yeast ortholog of human Caprin1, as a factor that facilitates heterochromatin establishment by regulating non-coding transcripts and interacting with stress granules.

Nucleosomal Asymmetry Shapes Histone Mark Binding and Promotes Poising at Bivalent Domains

The paper shows that asymmetric bivalent nucleosomes at developmental gene promoters promote a poised state by recruiting repressive H3K27me3 binders and specific chromatin proteins like KAT6B, which is critical for ESC differentiation.

The kinetoplastid kinetochore protein KKT23 acetyltransferase is a structural homolog of GCN5 that acetylates the histone H2A C-terminal tail

This study determines the structure and function of KKT23, a kinetochore acetyltransferase in trypanosomes, showing it acetylates histone H2A and interacts with KKT22.

Improved detection and consistency of RNA-interacting proteomes using DIA SILAC

This study improves RNA-interactome detection using DIA SILAC over DDA SILAC, achieving higher protein detection and lower variation with single-shot analysis.

DAXX adds a de novo H3.3K9me3 deposition pathway to the histone chaperone network

The paper identifies DAXX as a novel histone chaperone pathway that deposits H3.3K9me3 before DNA deposition, expanding the histone chaperone network's role in heterochromatin assembly.

The SPARC complex defines RNAPII promoters in Trypanosoma brucei

The paper identifies the SPARC complex in Trypanosoma brucei, showing it defines RNAPII promoters and regulates transcription start site positioning and directionality.

RNA pull-down-Confocal Nanoscanning (RP-CONA) detects quercetin as pri-miR-7/HuR interaction inhibitor that decreases α-Synuclein levels

The paper introduces RP-CONA, a method to identify RNA-protein interaction modulators, and finds quercetin inhibits HuR-pri-miR-7-1 interaction, increasing miR-7 and reducing α-Synuclein.

Substrate Specificity of the TRAMP Nuclear Surveillance Complexes

The paper identifies three TRAMP complexes in yeast and shows Trf4/Trf5 confer substrate specificity, with TRAMP binding co-enriching functionally related mRNAs.

Hap2-Ino80 facilitated transcription promotes de novo establishment of CENP-A chromatin

The paper identifies Hap2-Ino80's role in promoting de novo CENP-A chromatin assembly by facilitating transcription and H3 turnover at centromeres.

RNA-binding activity of TRIM25 is mediated by its PRY/SPRY domain and is required for ubiquitination

This study identifies the PRY/SPRY domain of TRIM25 as its RNA-binding region and shows its role in ubiquitination.

Swr1 mediated H2A.Z/Pht1 incorporation designates centromere DNA for de novo CENP-A/Cnp1 assembly

The paper identifies H2A.ZPht1 and Swr1 as essential for de novo CENP-A/Cnp1 assembly at centromeres in fission yeast.