Max Koppers

Neuronal processes contain the essential components for the late steps of ribosome biogenesis | PNAS Neurons rely on spatial and temporal control of protein synthesis to respond rapidly and locally to external stimuli, a process facilitated by the ...

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Cryo-EM structures of Egl-BicD-RNA complexes reveal how diverse mRNAs are selected for subcellular localization https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.02.668268v1

mRNA trafficking directs cell-size-scaling of mitochondria distribution and function - Nature Communications How mitochondria positioning dynamically adapts to changes in cell shape is poorly understood. Here, Bradbury et al. show that cell-size-dependent trafficking of TRAK2 mRNA underpins the cell-size-sca...

If you’ve ever wondered how cells tune positioning of organelles in response to cell shape change, and what happens when this goes wrong, please check out our new manuscript – mRNA trafficking controls cell-size-scaled organelle dynamics! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

RNA can control cell migration by acting at focal adhesions - Scientific editing and writing experts - Life Science Editors Scientific editing and writing experts for manuscripts and grants

RNA can control cell migration by acting at focal adhesions www.lifescienceeditors.com/2025/06/24/r...

📢 For all HaloTag lovers💙💚💛❤️💜🩶 we are excited to share that our work, in which we developed a new biotin-HaloTag ligand, is now published in @jcb.org! Full link here: rupress.org/jcb/article-...

FMRP drives mRNP targets into translationally silenced complexes Translational repression by FMRP has been attributed primarily to ribosome stalling. We show that FMRP sequesters its target mRNAs from translation initiation. FMRP binds not only to the transcript body but also directly to cap-bound eIF4E and poly(A)-tail-bound PABPC1. Through binding these two proteins, FMRP protects its target mRNAs from translation and decay.

Online Now: FMRP drives mRNP targets into translationally silenced complexes Online now:

Kicking off the lab BlueSky with this picture of a happy hairy growing #axon!
Looking forward to connecting with science chats and to growing research ideas 🧠🔬✨

Optogenetic storage and release of protein and mRNA in live cells and animals - Nature Communications Spatiotemporal control of biomolecules is a key challenge in cell biology. Here, authors introduce RELISR, an optogenetic condensate system enabling reversible, light-dependent sequestration and relea...

Optogenetic storage and release of protein and mRNA in live cells and animals | Nature Communications share.google/gz8nYXZ3hUVh...

#spatialbiology #imagingtools #fluorescencemicroscopy

Hello! Ever wonder what's "talking to" your favorite transcript, but were too scared to ask? In our review in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social, @mardakheh.bsky.social and I highlight new RNA-focused tools for discovering RNA interactions across organizational scales. Checkit!

tinyurl.com/ydn6e3ac

Targeting 22q11.2 deletion syndrome Gene-targeting molecules known as antisense oligonucleotides help improve cognitive function in mouse models of a severe chromosomal disorder.

Researchers have found that turning down a single gene, EMC10, can boost memory and brain function in mice with a genetic condition linked to #schizophrenia. The findings offer hope for future treatments for 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Neuronal potassium channel activity triggers initiation of mRNA translation through binding of translation regulators Activated Slack potassium channels bind translation regulators to stimulate translation of cortical β-actin mRNA.

Neuronal potassium channel activity triggers initiation of mRNA translation through binding of translation regulators.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Programmable control of spatial transcriptome in live cells and neurons - Nature CRISPR-TO, a system for programmable control of spatial localization of cellular RNAs, is presented and enables functional investigation of endogenous RNA localization in diverse living cells.

Programmable control of spatial transcriptome in live cells and neurons.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A 🧵 to walk those interested through this paper...

Murphy et al. @amsterdamumc.bsky.social show that MUNC13 is essential for dense core vesicle secretion, while RIM prevents MUNC13 degradation. Key membrane-binding domains of RIM & MUNC13 play differing roles, revealing distinct mechanisms from synaptic vesicle release. rupress.org/jcb/article/...

Genome-wide mapping of mesoscale neuronal RNA organization and condensation Subcellular RNA organization can affect critical cellular functions. However, our understanding of RNA microenvironments, particularly biomolecular condensates, remains limited, largely due to a lack ...

What drives cytoplasmic mRNA organization? We created unbiased, genome-wide maps of mesoscale RNA-RNA spatial proximity, revealing impact of encoded protein function. Fantastic work from @lindsayabecker.bsky.social @sofiquinodoz.bsky.social @davidaknowles.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Nanobinders for Synaptotagmin 1 enable the analysis of synaptic vesicle dynamics in rodent and human models. Synaptic neurotransmission is a critical hallmark of brain activity and one of the first processes to be affected in neural diseases. Monitoring this process, and in particular synaptic vesicle recycl...

Excited for our latest work! We developed nanobinders for the luminal domain of Synaptotagmin 1 (calcium sensor for synaptic vesicles). Thanks among others to @verstrekenlab.bsky.social @opazo.bsky.social @meunierlab.bsky.social @volkerhaucke-lab.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Dynamic modulation of the motor neuron translatome during developmental synapse elimination Superfluous axons are removed from muscle fibers through temporal changes in mRNA translation.

In getting too excited about the front cover, I forgot to link to the actual paper 🤦‍♂️ Here it is: Dynamic modulation of the motor neuron translatome during developmental synapse elimination | Science Signaling www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Perturbing RNA localization for functional study in neurons Spatial RNA organization plays a pivotal role in diverse cellular processes and diseases, but the functional implications of spatial RNA localization remain underexplored. We present CRISPR-mediated t...

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Ever wondered how several individual RBPs cooperate to repress translation?

Lead by @marcopayr.bsky.social and in great collaboration with @hennig-lab.bsky.social, we simultaneously tracked the binding of several proteins to single mRNA molecules in real-time!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

DELTA: a method for brain-wide measurement of synaptic protein turnover reveals localized plasticity during learning - Nature Neuroscience Researchers developed DELTA, a method for brain-wide measurement of synaptic protein turnover with single-synapse resolution, providing a powerful tool to localize and study mechanisms underlying syna...

Honored to help enable two back-to-back papers in @natureneuro.bsky.social; first DELTA www.nature.com/articles/s41... with collaborators at @hhmijanelia.bsky.social and then EPSILON www.nature.com/articles/s41... with @adamezracohen.bsky.social; @dyerfulchymist.bsky.social is always in the mix!

Alternative start codon selection shapes mitochondrial function during evolution, homeostasis, and disease Mitochondrial endosymbiosis was a pivotal event in eukaryotic evolution, requiring core proteins to adapt to function both within the mitochondria and in the host cell. Here, we systematically profile...

It's out!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A nearly 9 year effort to design and implement new CLIP-based technologies to define multimeric protein assemblies on RNA.

Enables ‘watching’ of RNP assemblies inside living cells

Special congrats to Luca Ducoli, Brian Zarnegar, and Paul Khavari @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We are recruiting!!
If you are looking for a post-doc (ephys, slice imaging) or a PhD position (molecular neuroscience), are interested in Axon Initial Segment plasticity and want to join a nice team in a great environment, have a look!
And, that's us 👇

ANXA11 biomolecular condensates facilitate protein-lipid phase coupling on lysosomal membranes - Nature Communications Nixon-Abell et al. show that ANXA11 condensation on lysosomal membranes causes a coupled phase transition of the underlying lipids and mechanical stiffening of the overall ensemble involved in RNP gra...

ANXA11 biomolecular condensates facilitate protein-lipid phase coupling on lysosomal membranes!

Annexin A11 tethers RNP granules to membranes in a Ca2+ dependent manner.

@abelljonny.bsky.social, @michael-e-ward.bsky.social, et al.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Axonal RNA localization is essential for long-term memory - Nature Communications Axonal transcriptomes have been characterized, but their regulation and role in neuronal circuits remain unclear. Here authors uncover activity-dependent RNA localization in axons important for memory...

Axonal RNA localization is essential for long-term memory
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Mitochondrial respiratory complex IV deficiency recapitulates amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - Nature Neuroscience Cheng et al. identify a mitochondrial complex IV (CIV) deficiency in the brains of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). They demonstrate that defects in mitochondrial CIV induce...

Whoa - are a significant proportion of sporadic ALS/motor neuron disease cases a mitochondrial DNA disease?! #mitochondria
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Multi-organelle-mediated mRNA localization in neurons and links to disease Brain function requires precise spatiotemporal regulation of the neuronal proteome. To allow adaptation of the proteome in distal outposts of neurons,…

The first review paper from our lab is out!! @viviennebauer.bsky.social discussed the rapidly emerging knowledge on (the interplay between multiple) organelles and neuronal mRNA localization. Hope you enjoy the read! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Disruption of G3BP1 granules promotes mammalian CNS and PNS axon regeneration | PNAS Depletion or inhibition of core stress granule proteins, G3BP1 in mammals and TIAR-2 in Caenorhabditis elegans, increases the growth of spontaneous...

Our CNS regeneration work has now been published in @PNAS. It was a huge undertaking in collaboration with @Twiss @Benowitz @WardLab_Emory @KristyWelshhans @Marktuszynski @jenniferDulin
@ArthurEnglish @JohnHolule labs. Thank you all, and @MerkinPnnrCtr, for funding.

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

A subcellular map of translational machinery composition and regulation at the single-molecule level Millions of ribosomes are packed within mammalian cells, yet we lack tools to visualize them in toto and characterize their subcellular composition. In this study, we present ribosome expansion micros...

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Tour de force by Barna Lab

Profiling local translatomes and RNA binding proteins of somatosensory neurons reveals specializations of individual axons Individual neurons have one or more axons that often extend long distances and traverse multiple microenvironments. However, it is not known how the composition of individual axons is established or l...

New preprint from Roz Segal’s group on specialization in local axonal translation

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...