Publications by authors named "Joseph Anthony Lyons"
The C3 protein is the central molecule within the complement system and undergoes proteolytic activation to C3b in the presence of pathogens. Pattern-independent activation of C3 also occurs via hydrolysis, resulting in C3(HO), but the structural details of C3 hydrolysis remain elusive. Here we show that the conformation of the C3(HO) analog, C3MA, is indistinguishable from C3b.
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- NKCC1 is a sodium-potassium-chloride transporter critical for balancing cell volume, hearing, blood pressure, and neurotransmitter signaling in the central nervous system.
- Researchers utilized cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the structure of NKCC1 in its substrate-loaded state, highlighting the importance of Cl binding sites for transporter function and regulation.
- The findings suggest a possible Na release pathway and improve understanding of how NKCC1 operates, which could have implications for studying other transporters in the SLC12 family.
The ability to regulate transmembrane ion transport in response to various cues is vital to any living cell. In neurons, one key example of critical ion control relates to the extrusion of chloride mediated by the potassium-chloride-cotransporters (KCC1-4). In a recent hallmark study, Chi et␣al (2021) report cryo-EM structures of human KCC1 and KCC3b, delineating in detail how regulation by phosphorylation inhibits the transport activity.
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