RNA editing of respiratory/photosynthetic complexes is widespread in plants + lack of editing leads to severe phenotypes. How do these edits affect protein function? We examine structures of plant resp complexes to find out! Kaitlyn Abe @lettsscience mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/2…

We use these biochemical and structural principles to explain the phenotypes of several mutants of PPR (RNA editing) proteins. We predict that the same principles will apply to RNA editing in chloroplast proteins. Kaitlyn Abe @lettsscience mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/2…

Our latest work revealing the structures of the Tetrahymena respiratory complexes is out Science Magazine The structures of Tt-SC I+III2 and the massive Tt-CIV dimer uncover the diversity in this core metabolic pathway across eukaryotes. science.org/doi/10.1126/sc… 1/5

We’re excited that our analysis of respiratory supercomplex I+III2 from mung bean came out back-to-back with SC I+III2 from Arabidopsis! James A. Letts + Braun/Kuhlbrandt labs (not on Tw) Mung bean: rdcu.be/c2s0y Arabidopsis: rdcu.be/c2wBs 1/14

UC Davis plant biologists publish structures of respiratory protein supercomplexes, key to understanding plant metabolism Biological Sciences DOE Office of Science bit.ly/3GDiNwL

Our latest publication reports the cryo-EM structures of the human Polα-Primase DNA elongation complexes - rdcu.be/c96yY A Lim lab X Tahirov lab collaboration led by Qixiang He 贺琦翔 and Andrey. Thank you, Sara Osman & NatureStructMolBiol, for working with us! Please RT to share! 1/4

1/6: #CryoEM Exhausted with fighting the air-water interface (AWI) problem during sample grid plunge freezing? We may have an easy solution for you! Read our latest preprint on how we use LEA proteins as AWI sample protectants for challenging samples: biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

2/6: Led by Kaitlyn Abe, we found small LEA proteins from nematodes and tardigrades (water bears!) to be incredibly effective in protecting two test fragile complexes - human DNA polymerase α-primase and polycomb repressive complex 2 - from AWI damage during plunge freezing.

3/6: The human DNA polymerase α-primase is a challenging complex to determine its structure. By simply adding nematode AavLEA1 protein to our complexes before plunge freezing, we achieved the highest-resolution cryo-EM map reported for the apo complex at 3 Å. #DNAReplication

Interested in trying LEA proteins on your own samples for cryo-EM air-water-interface protection? Our plasmid for RvLEAMshort is now available on addgene! addgene.org/218122/

My lab is recruiting a postdoc to work on biochemistry, structure and function of plant🌱respiratory complexes and supercomplexes! Come join us at UC Davis! Learn more about the lab here: letts.faculty.ucdavis.edu Apply for the job here: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06484

We are recruiting a Junior Specialist (technician)! They will lead mitochondrial isolations and characterize respiratory complexes from various photosynthetic organisms using biochemistry and cryoEM. Apply here: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06498

Excited to share our review article “Bacterial chromatin proteins, transcription, and DNA topology: Inseparable partners in the control of gene expression” is now online: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mm… #transcription #supercoiling #NAPs #BCPs

1/7 Our latest preprint is out! 🚨 Sourav Agrawal | ସୌରଭ , Xiuhua Lin , Vivek Susvirkar et al. discover human RPA is a critical telomerase processivity factor essential for telomere maintenance. This reshapes our understanding of human telomerase regulation. biorxiv.org/content/10.110…