Gabrielle Rudenko, PhD Professor

Lab Web Page

Research

We study molecules that mediate the formation, maintenance and plasticity of synapses, the contact and communication point between neurons. Our proteins of interest organize and regulate protein interaction networks in the synaptic cleft and impact how neurons communicate with each other at synapses. Many of the proteins we study are implicated in neurological disease and serve as potential novel therapeutic targets. Research projects involve protein over-expression and purification, x-ray crystallography, biochemical and biophysical techniques, proteomics, chemical biology and in collaboration electron microscopy and NMR.

Recent Publications

Interplay between hevin, SPARC, and MDGAs: modulators of neurexin-neuroligin transsynaptic bridges. Fan S, Gangwar SP, Machius M, Rudenko G. Structure. 2021 Jan 29:S0969-2126(21)00003-4. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2021.01.003.
Highlight: Comment in& Structure. 2021 Jul 1;29(7):635-637. PMID: 34214438

Highly Conserved Molecular Features in IgLONs Contrast Their Distinct Structural and Biological Outcomes. Venkannagari H, Kasper JM, Misra A, Rush SA, Fan S, Lee H, Sun H, Seshadrinathan S, Machius M, Hommel JD, Rudenko G. J Mol Biol. 432(19):5287-5303 (2020) doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.07.014.

Discovery of phenanthridine analogues as novel chemical probes disrupting the binding of DNA to ΔFosB homodimers and ΔFosB/JunD heterodimers. Li Y, Liu Z, Aglyamova G, Chen J, Chen H, Bhandari M, White MA, Rudenko G, Zhou J. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 30(16):127300 (2020). doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127300.

 Self-assembly of the bZIP transcription factor ΔFosB. Yin Z, Venkannagaria H, Lynch H, Aglyamova G, Bhandari M, Machius M, Nestler EJ, Robison AJ, Rudenko G. Current Research in Structural Biology. 2:1-13 (2020)

Editorial overview: Synapses: bridging the gap between their structure and function. Rudenko G, Takahashi, H. Curr Opin Struct Biol.54:iii-vii.  (2019)

Neurexins - versatile molecular platforms in the synaptic cleft. Rudenko G.  Curr Opin Struct Biol. 54:112-121 (2019)

Structural Plasticity of Neurexin 1α: Implications for its Role as Synaptic Organizer. Liu J, Misra A, Reddy MVVVS, White MA, Ren G, Rudenko G. J Mol Biol. 430(21):4325-4343 (2018)