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Alushin Lab

@alushinlab.bsky.social

Alushin lab at Rockefeller University. Interested in cryo-EM, the cytoskeleton, and mechanosensation at the molecular level.

515 Followers  |  342 Following  |  40 Posts  |  Joined: 13.09.2023
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Posts by Alushin Lab (@alushinlab.bsky.social)

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Class-I myosin responds to changes in membrane tension during clathrin-mediated endocytosis in human induced pluripotent stem cells | PNAS Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is an essential cellular process that needs to operate efficiently across a wide range of conditions. Internali...

Class-I myosin responds to changes in membrane tension during clathrin-mediated endocytosis in human induced pluripotent stem cells | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

24.02.2026 18:48 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Excited to share our work on epithelial multilayering - identifying why stem cell stay in the basal layer and how and why differentiating cells move up. Great collab with @manningresearch.bsky.social and Niessen labs! Check out preprint and great summary below www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

10.02.2026 06:14 β€” πŸ‘ 84    πŸ” 37    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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#InMemoriam: Dr. Robert Bruce Nicklas, who spent over 50 years unraveling the mysteries of how #chromosomes move during #CellDivision, died on February 19, 2025, at the age of 92. Leocadia Paliulis commemorates his life and work. rupress.org/jcb/article/...

13.02.2026 17:01 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Myosin II regulates cellular thermo-adaptability and the efficiency of immune responses Company-Garrido et al. show that small, fever-like temperature increases accelerate immune cell migration to wounds and lymphatic vessels, boosting immune response efficiency. This thermo-adaptability...

Myosin II regulates cellular thermo-adaptability and the efficiency of immune responses

www.cell.com/developmenta...

12.02.2026 11:59 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Proud and excited to share our work with the community! Helen @helenfoster.bsky.social Foster et al. study how #cilia axonemes are built. πŸ‘€ Don't miss the gorgeous and insightful movies by @margotriggi.bsky.social, they really show our discoveries in full action!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

09.02.2026 20:03 β€” πŸ‘ 74    πŸ” 26    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
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Introducing The Structural History of Eukarya (SHE): The first proteome-scale phylogeny constructed entirely from 3D structure.
We computed 300 trillion alignments across 1,542 species to map the tree of life. πŸ§΅πŸ‘‡ (1/5)

07.02.2026 08:50 β€” πŸ‘ 84    πŸ” 40    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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We’re excited to share our latest preprint! We identify SKT, a mechanosensitive adhesion protein that recruits mTORC2 to cell–matrix adhesions, linking metabolic demand to matrix stiffness. Disrupting this axis strongly inhibits PDAC tumor growth. shorturl.at/V0tpK

06.02.2026 10:35 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
LinkedIn This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

@mathildemathieu.bsky.social @ivaskalab.bsky.social New discovery from us! Leupaxin, a paxillin family member typically expressed in immune cells, negatively regulates durotaxis and mechanoresponsiveness in metastatic breast cancer cell variants and in cells cultured on soft ECM lnkd.in/diEk8DSR

05.02.2026 09:33 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A TRPV4-dependent calcium signaling axis regulates lamellipodial actin architecture to promote cell migration Cell migration is crucial for development and tissue homeostasis, while its dysregulation leads to severe pathologies. Cell migration is driven by the…

Our paper on how calcium controls lamellipodial actin assembly is out in Current Biology! Huge congrats to Ernest Iu, Alex Bogatch, and all the authors - fantastic collaboration!

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

05.02.2026 16:18 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Calcium directs actin assembly via allosteric activation of formin INF2 Calcium signals spatiotemporally orchestrate cytoskeletal dynamics, typically through Rho GTPase-mediated signaling cascades, yet the direct molecular transducers that convert local calcium transients into spatially controlled actin assembly have remained elusive. Here, we uncover a structure-based mechanism by which calcium-bound calmodulin (Ca2+-CaM) directly activates formin INF2 to drive actin assembly. We demonstrate that Ca2+-CaM binds to the diaphanous inhibitory domain (DID) of INF2 with nanomolar affinity, inducing allosteric conformational changes that sterically disrupt INF2 autoinhibition. The unexpected bipartite Ca2+-CaM binding interface on INF2 enables ultrasensitive decoding of local calcium microdomains, such as ER-mitochondrial contacts, where activated INF2 promotes actin polymerization to facilitate mitochondrial fission. We further show that the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease-associated INF2 R91G mutation enhances Ca2+-CaM binding via optimized interfacial dynamics, suggesting a gain-of-function disease mechanism. Our work establishes the Ca2+-CaM-INF2 axis as a direct molecular transducer linking spatial calcium signals to actin-dependent organelle dynamics, defining a Rho-GTPase-independent paradigm for calcium-cytoskeleton communication, with broad implications for INF2-linked pathologies. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Calcium directs actin assembly via allosteric activation of formin INF2

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

30.01.2026 13:14 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A FAST plant myosin (Chara MyoXI) drives formation of actin chiral rings

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

29.01.2026 13:20 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Four representative slices of cryo-tomograms showing annotated organelles.

Four representative slices of cryo-tomograms showing annotated organelles.

New on the CryoET Data Portal: ~27,000 tomograms of affinity-captured lysosomes from HEK293T cells across 4 physiological states. Includes raw data, AreTomo3 reconstructions & Membrain-Seg annotations. Openly available for reuse!

cryoetdataportal.czscience.com/depositions/...

27.01.2026 19:59 β€” πŸ‘ 72    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 3
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Committee Releases Conferenced Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bi... United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

The conference (agreement between House and Senate) appropriations bill that includes HHS and NIH was released this morning.

www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majorit...

1/5

20.01.2026 15:55 β€” πŸ‘ 95    πŸ” 75    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 11
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Long-range chemical signalling in vivo is regulated by mechanical signals - Nature Materials Tissue stiffness mediated by Piezo1 is shown to regulate the expression of diffusive guidance cues in the developing Xenopus laevis brain, revealing a crosstalk between mechanical signals and long-ran...

Paper alert: Our study led by @evapillai.bsky.social and @sudimukherjee.bsky.social showing that mechanical properties of the #brain actively shape the molecular landscape during development and #axonpathfinding is finally out! www.nature.com/articles/s41... @pdncambridge.bsky.social @fau.de @MPZPM

19.01.2026 16:38 β€” πŸ‘ 85    πŸ” 27    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 5
Cartoon showing key challenges in evolutionary cell biology. This schematic illustrates four central challenges in the field: (1) integrating cell biology with evolutionary theory and experimental evolution, (2) bridging the genotype–phenotype gap, (3) identifying and developing new model systems, and (4) incorporating ecological context into evolutionary cell biology. Each quadrant highlights a conceptual hurdle that must be addressed to advance the discipline.

Cartoon showing key challenges in evolutionary cell biology. This schematic illustrates four central challenges in the field: (1) integrating cell biology with evolutionary theory and experimental evolution, (2) bridging the genotype–phenotype gap, (3) identifying and developing new model systems, and (4) incorporating ecological context into evolutionary cell biology. Each quadrant highlights a conceptual hurdle that must be addressed to advance the discipline.

@gautamdey.bsky.social, @fritzlaylin.bsky.social, @alebenoit.bsky.social and @eelcotromer.bsky.social discuss how the field of evolutionary cell biology works to understand how cells evolve & diversify, highlighting current challenges & the future outlook.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

08.01.2026 14:00 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Join us to study developmental cell biology with a focus on cell migration and morphogenesis.

More info about our research:
www.bischofflab.com

Job posting and application details:
focalplane.biologists.com/cell-biology...

#Science #CellBio #DevBio #AcademicJobs #PhDJobs #PhDPosition #Drosophila

06.01.2026 12:41 β€” πŸ‘ 54    πŸ” 18    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 3
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New paper out!
We show how mechanosensitive adherens junction proteins link actomyosin contractility to actin assembly using in vitro reconstitution.
Huge congrats to AurΓ©lie Favarin, Rayan Said, & all authors!
In Science Advances: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#actin #myosin #mechanobiology

02.01.2026 16:00 β€” πŸ‘ 65    πŸ” 27    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 4

This looks remarkable!! Building my favorite subcellular structure from the ground up--WOW!!

02.01.2026 12:33 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Scientists in the @alushinlab.bsky.social figured out how cells build a structure that lets them migrate. Unpacking these β€œfinger-like” protein bundles that protrude from cells may lead to novel treatments for #metastasis. #RockefellerScience #YearInReview

πŸ”—: https://bit.ly/3PKErmA

31.12.2025 22:30 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

A 1.25 A!!! cryo EM structure of rubisco.

24.12.2025 11:15 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Research Technician - Reck-Peterson Lab Primary Work Address: 418 E 71st St #21, New York, NY, 10021 Current HHMI Employees, click here to apply via your Workday account. About the role: The Reck-Peterson lab studies the molecular mechanism...

Join the Reck-Peterson lab in NYC as a HHMI Research Technician! This role will support our new work on the cell biology of secondary metabolite production in filamentous fungi. Apply here: hhmi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...

22.12.2025 14:10 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Final version is out! Our large-scale cryo-ET dataset πŸ”¬ of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii 🦠 is now published in @cp-molcell.bsky.social

Huge collaborative effort! So glad to see the community already using it to develop new resources & tools.

Check it out here: shorturl.at/z4i4c
#CryoEM #CryoET

19.12.2025 16:45 β€” πŸ‘ 137    πŸ” 47    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1

Organelles do NOT have a single uniform pH.
And if you think they must, because β€œprotons diffuse fast,” this paper is for you.
A thread on why that assumption is wrong; and what we found instead. 🧡 1/n

17.12.2025 00:46 β€” πŸ‘ 517    πŸ” 221    πŸ’¬ 28    πŸ“Œ 31
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The Reck-Peterson lab at Weill Cornell Medicine is seeking a technician or staff scientist to work on Aspergillus projects. Broad background in fungal biology and techniques required. Bioinformatics skills preferred. Find out more at: reckpetersonlab.org.

14.12.2025 16:28 β€” πŸ‘ 26    πŸ” 32    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
R35 MIRA NOFO

R35 MIRA NOFO

NIGMS R35 Maximizing Investigator's Research Award (MIRA) for Outstanding Investigators new NOFO is available!!
Submission dates starting in January 2026 through May 2028.
See link below: simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/...

14.12.2025 13:16 β€” πŸ‘ 30    πŸ” 22    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
Image of cell junction puncta from 
https://www.molbiolcell.org/doi/full/10.1091/mbc.E23-03-0077

Image of cell junction puncta from https://www.molbiolcell.org/doi/full/10.1091/mbc.E23-03-0077

To build the body plan of an animal, cells must adhere to one another via cell-cell junctions. We now know these assemble as punctate protein complexes containing thousands of proteins, but how this occurs remains mysterious. 1/n πŸ§ͺ
www.molbiolcell.org/doi/full/10....

14.12.2025 14:59 β€” πŸ‘ 90    πŸ” 25    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2

πŸ“’ Deadline approaching fast πŸ“’
to submit an abstract for the great cytoskeleton extravaganza!

10.12.2025 16:45 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 13    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Structural Basis of Human Kinetochore-Microtubule Coupling by the Ndc80 and Ska Complexes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.06.692780v1

07.12.2025 23:46 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Cryo-electron microscopy ensemble optimization using individual particles and physical constraints Biomolecules are inherently dynamic, and understanding their conformational ensemble distributions is essential for understanding their dynamics and biological roles. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM...

Happy to share our cryoEM Ensemble Optimization method! πŸŽ‰It infers optimal structures and their weights directly from individual cryoEM images - no maps just physics! with David Sliva-SΓ‘nchez, @erikhthiede.bsky.social & Roy Lederman www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

05.12.2025 16:13 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The decision by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to downgrade its recommendations to protect infants from hepatitis B is a dangerous move that will harm children.

Click here to read AAP's full statement: bit.ly/3Y9ZQJT

05.12.2025 16:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1187    πŸ” 649    πŸ’¬ 35    πŸ“Œ 38