Publications

All Publications

Structural basis for bacteriophage P22 assembly and infection initiation.Wang C, Yu H, Park T, Molineux IJ, Liu J. J Mol Biol. 2026 Jan 19; 2026 Jan 19. PMID: 41565001.
Structural insights into the assembly and evolution of a complex bacterial flagellar motor.Feng X, Tachiyama S, He J, Zhu S, Zhao H, Botting JM, Liu Y, Chen Y, Hua C, Lara-Tejero M, Baker MAB, Gao X, Liu J, Gao B. Nat Microbiol. 2026 Jan 9; 2026 Jan 9. PMID: 41513997.
DNA nanodevice for analysis of force-activated protein extension and interactions.Zhou K, Chung M, Pandey S, Cheng J, Powell JT, Yan Q, Liu J, Xiong Y, Schwartz MA, Lin C. Nat Nanotechnol. 2025 Dec 15; 2025 Dec 15. PMID: 41398070.
Structures of the sheathed flagellum reveal mechanisms of assembly and rotation in Vibrio cholerae.Guo W, Zhang S, Park JH, Stanton V, Asp M, Herrera H, Tai JB, Yue J, Wang J, Guo J, Kumar R, Botting JM, Wu S, Yan J, Klose KE, Yildiz FH, Liu J. Nat Microbiol. 2025 Dec; 2025 Oct 31. PMID: 41174224.
Visualizing the translation landscape in human cells at high resolution.Zheng W, Zhang Y, Wang J, Wang S, Chai P, Bailey EJ, Zhu C, Guo W, Devarkar SC, Wu S, Lin J, Zhang K, Liu J, Lomakin IB, Xiong Y. Nat Commun. 2025 Nov 28; 2025 Nov 28. PMID: 41315256.
Structural basis of bacteriophage Ur-lambda infection initiation.Yu H, Wang C, Yue J, Guo W, Molineux IJ, Liu J. Sci Adv. 2025 Nov 14; 2025 Nov 14. PMID: 41237242.
In situ structures of the Legionella Dot/Icm T4SS identify the DotA-IcmX complex as the gatekeeper for effector translocation.Yue J, Heydari S, Park D, Chetrit D, Tachiyama S, Guo W, Botting JM, Wu S, Roy CR, Liu J. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Sep 30; 2025 Sep 23. PMID: 40986344.
A flexible peptide linking the periplasmic and cytoplasmic domains of MxiG controls type III secretion signaling and stable sorting platform assembly in Shigella.Tachiyama S, Muthuramalingam M, Whittier SK, Chang Y, Yue J, Younis W, Picking WL, Liu J, Picking WD. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025; 2025 Aug 4. PMID: 40831705.
The Flagellin-Specific Chaperone FliS of Borrelia burgdorferi Controls the Cytoplasmic Pool of Flagellins at the Level of Translation Initiation, Secretion, and Proteolysis.Sze CW, Zhang K, Lynch MJ, Guo W, Liu J, Crane BR, Li C. Mol Microbiol. 2025 Aug; 2025 Jun 9. PMID: 40491023.
High-throughput cryo-electron tomography enables multiscale visualization of the inner life of microbes.Heydari S, Liu J. Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2025 Aug; 2025 May 16. PMID: 40381356.
Outer membrane tube formation by Francisella novicida involves extensive envelope modifications and is linked with type VI secretion and alterations to the host phagosomal membrane.Rashid M, Tachiyama S, Zhu S, Zhao H, McCaig WD, Sun J, Li H, Liu J, Thanassi DG. mBio. 2025 Jun 11; 2025 May 19. PMID: 40387340.
FlgY, PflA, and PflB form a spoke-ring network in the high-torque flagellar motor of Helicobacter pylori.Tachiyama S, Rosinke K, Khan MF, Zhou X, Xin Y, Botting JM, Yue J, Roujeinikova A, Hoover TR, Liu J. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Apr 29; 2025 Apr 22. PMID: 40261933.
Borrelia burgdorferi serine protease HtrA is a pleiotropic regulator of stress response, motility, flagellar hemostasis, and infectivity.Zhang K, Sze CW, Zhao H, Liu J, Li C. Commun Biol. 2025 Mar 1; 2025 Mar 1. PMID: 40025221.
The architecture, assembly, and evolution of a complex flagellar motor.Feng X, Tachiyama S, He J, Zhu S, Zhao H, Botting JM, Liu Y, Chen Y, Hua C, Lara-Tejero M, Baker MAB, Gao X, Liu J, Gao B. bioRxiv. 2025 Feb 19; 2025 Feb 19. PMID: 40027708.
A Helicobacter pylori flagellar motor accessory is needed to maintain the barrier function of the outer membrane during flagellar rotation.Rosinke K, Tachiyama S, Mrásek J, Liu J, Hoover TR. PLoS Pathog. 2025 Jan; 2025 Jan 10. PMID: 39792952.
FlbB forms a distinctive ring essential for periplasmic flagellar assembly and motility in Borrelia burgdorferi.Botting JM, Rahman MK, Xu H, Yue J, Guo W, Del Mundo JT, Hammel M, Motaleb MA, Liu J. PLoS Pathog. 2025 Jan; 2025 Jan 8. PMID: 39777417.
Tetrameric PilZ protein stabilizes stator ring in complex flagellar motor and is required for motility in Campylobacter jejuni.Chen Y, Tachiyama S, Li Y, Feng X, Zhao H, Wu Y, Guo Y, Lara-Tejero M, Hua C, Liu J, Gao B. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Jan 7; 2024 Dec 30. PMID: 39793078.
Saccharibacteria deploy two distinct type IV pili, driving episymbiosis, host competition, and twitching motility.Grossman AS, Lei L, Botting JM, Liu J, Nahar N, Liu J, McLean JS, He X, Bor B. ISME J. 2025 Jan 2. PMID: 40488407.
DNA nanodevice for analysis of force-activated protein extension and interactions.Zhou K, Chung M, Cheng J, Powell JT, Yan Q, Liu J, Xiong Y, Schwartz MA, Lin C. bioRxiv. 2024 Dec 11; 2024 Dec 11. PMID: 39554144.
Broadly conserved FlgV controls flagellar assembly and Borrelia burgdorferi dissemination in mice.Zamba-Campero M, Soliman D, Yu H, Lasseter AG, Chang YY, Silberman JL, Liu J, Aravind L, Jewett MW, Storz G, Adams PP. Nat Commun. 2024 Nov 29; 2024 Nov 29. PMID: 39614093.
Saccharibacteria deploy two distinct Type IV pili, driving episymbiosis, host competition, and twitching motility.Grossman AS, Lei L, Botting JM, Liu J, Nahar N, Souza JGS, Liu J, McLean JS, He X, Bor B. bioRxiv. 2024 Nov 25; 2024 Nov 25. PMID: 39651235.
PilY1 regulates the dynamic architecture of the type IV pilus machine in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Guo S, Chang Y, Brun YV, Howell PL, Burrows LL, Liu J. Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 30; 2024 Oct 30. PMID: 39477930.
Elucidating bacterial coaggregation through a physicochemical and imaging surface characterization.Afonso AC, Botting J, Gomes IB, Saavedra MJ, Simões LC, Liu J, Simões M. Sci Total Environ. 2024 Oct 20; 2024 Jul 20. PMID: 39032752.
A pleiotropic role of sialidase in the pathogenicity of Porphyromonas gingivalis.Pham C, Guo S, Han X, Coleman L, Sze CW, Wang H, Liu J, Li C. Infect Immun. 2024 Mar 12; 2024 Feb 20. PMID: 38376159.
Structure of mavacamten-free human cardiac thick filaments within the sarcomere by cryoelectron tomography.Chen L, Liu J, Rastegarpouyani H, Janssen PML, Pinto JR, Taylor KA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Feb 27; 2024 Feb 22. PMID: 38386705.
Outer membrane vesicles and the outer membrane protein OmpU govern Vibrio cholerae biofilm matrix assembly.Potapova A, Garvey W, Dahl P, Guo S, Chang Y, Schwechheimer C, Trebino MA, Floyd KA, Phinney BS, Liu J, Malvankar NS, Yildiz FH. mBio. 2024 Feb 14; 2024 Jan 11. PMID: 38206049.
Bacterial flagella hijack type IV pili proteins to control motility.Liu X, Tachiyama S, Zhou X, Mathias RA, Bonny SQ, Khan MF, Xin Y, Roujeinikova A, Liu J, Ottemann KM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Jan 23; 2024 Jan 18. PMID: 38236729.
Broadly conserved FlgV controls flagellar assembly and Borrelia burgdorferi dissemination in mice.Zamba-Campero M, Soliman D, Yu H, Lasseter AG, Chang YY, Liu J, Aravind L, Jewett MW, Storz G, Adams PP. bioRxiv. 2024 Jan 9; 2024 Jan 9. PMID: 38260563.
FlgV forms a flagellar motor ring that is required for optimal motility of Helicobacter pylori.Botting JM, Tachiyama S, Gibson KH, Liu J, Starai VJ, Hoover TR. PLoS One. 2023; 2023 Nov 17. PMID: 37976320.
A peek inside the 2023 Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction (BLAST) conference.Hadjifrangiskou M, Liu J, Ottemann KM, Roujeinikova A. Trends Microbiol. 2023 Jun; 2023 Apr 29. PMID: 37127442.
Bacteria require phase separation for fitness in the mammalian gut.Krypotou E, Townsend GE, Gao X, Tachiyama S, Liu J, Pokorzynski ND, Goodman AL, Groisman EA. Science. 2023 Mar 17; 2023 Mar 16. PMID: 36927025.
Anti-σ(28) Factor FlgM Regulates Flagellin Gene Expression and Flagellar Polarity of Treponema denticola.Kurniyati K, Chang Y, Guo W, Liu J, Malkowski MG, Li C. J Bacteriol. 2023 Feb 22; 2023 Jan 30. PMID: 36715541.
Gut colonization by Bacteroides requires translation by an EF-G paralog lacking GTPase activity.Han W, Peng BZ, Wang C, Townsend GE 2nd, Barry NA, Peske F, Goodman AL, Liu J, Rodnina MV, Groisman EA. EMBO J. 2023 Jan 16; 2022 Dec 6. PMID: 36472247.
An essential periplasmic protein coordinates lipid trafficking and is required for asymmetric polar growth in mycobacteria.Gupta KR, Gwin CM, Rahlwes KC, Biegas KJ, Wang C, Park JH, Liu J, Swarts BM, Morita YS, Rego EH. Elife. 2022 Nov 8; 2022 Nov 8. PMID: 36346214.
Cryo-EM structures of prefusion SIV envelope trimer.Gorman J, Wang C, Mason RD, Nazzari AF, Welles HC, Zhou T, Bess JW Jr, Bylund T, Lee M, Tsybovsky Y, Verardi R, Wang S, Yang Y, Zhang B, Rawi R, Keele BF, Lifson JD, Liu J, Roederer M, Kwong PD. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2022 Nov; 2022 Nov 7. PMID: 36344847.
Developmental Transitions Coordinate Assembly of the Coxiella burnetii Dot/Icm Type IV Secretion System.Park D, Steiner S, Shao M, Roy CR, Liu J. Infect Immun. 2022 Oct 20; 2022 Oct 3. PMID: 36190257.
A Tripartite Efflux System Affects Flagellum Stability in Helicobacter pylori.Gibson K, Chu JK, Zhu S, Nguyen D, Mrázek J, Liu J, Hoover TR. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 1; 2022 Oct 1. PMID: 36232924.
Editorial: Biological rotary nanomotors.Manson MD, Nan B, Lele PP, Liu J, Duncan TM. Front Microbiol. 2022; 2022 Sep 21. PMID: 36212881.
Identification and Characterization of the Alternative σ(28) Factor in Treponema denticola.Kurniyati K, Chang Y, Liu J, Li C. J Bacteriol. 2022 Sep 20; 2022 Aug 31. PMID: 36043861.
Transcriptome of Epibiont Saccharibacteria Nanosynbacter lyticus Strain TM7x During the Establishment of Symbiosis.Hendrickson EL, Bor B, Kerns KA, Lamont EI, Chang Y, Liu J, Cen L, Schulte F, Hardt M, Shi W, He X, McLean JS. J Bacteriol. 2022 Sep 20; 2022 Aug 17. PMID: 35975994.
Transcriptional and functional characterizations of multiple flagellin genes in spirochetes.Kurniyati K, Chang Y, Liu J, Li C. Mol Microbiol. 2022 Sep; 2022 Jul 18. PMID: 35776658.
The Bacterial Flagellar Motor: Insights Into Torque Generation, Rotational Switching, and Mechanosensing.Guo S, Liu J. Front Microbiol. 2022; 2022 May 30. PMID: 35711788.
Spindle-shaped archaeal viruses evolved from rod-shaped ancestors to package a larger genome.Wang F, Cvirkaite-Krupovic V, Vos M, Beltran LC, Kreutzberger MAB, Winter JM, Su Z, Liu J, Schouten S, Krupovic M, Egelman EH. Cell. 2022 Apr 14; 2022 Mar 23. PMID: 35325592.
FliL ring enhances the function of periplasmic flagella.Guo S, Xu H, Chang Y, Motaleb MA, Liu J. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Mar 15; 2022 Mar 7. PMID: 35254893.
The flagellar motor protein FliL forms a scaffold of circumferentially positioned rings required for stator activation.Tachiyama S, Chan KL, Liu X, Hathroubi S, Peterson B, Khan MF, Ottemann KM, Liu J, Roujeinikova A. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Jan 25. PMID: 35046042.
Characterization of the Flagellar Collar Reveals Structural Plasticity Essential for Spirochete Motility.Chang Y, Xu H, Motaleb MA, Liu J. mBio. 2021 Dec 21; 2021 Nov 23. PMID: 34809456.
Role of the major determinant of polar flagellation FlhG in the endoflagella-containing spirochete Leptospira.Fule L, Halifa R, Fontana C, Sismeiro O, Legendre R, Varet H, Coppée JY, Murray GL, Adler B, Hendrixson DR, Buschiazzo A, Guo S, Liu J, Picardeau M. Mol Microbiol. 2021 Nov; 2021 Oct 30. PMID: 34657338.
Structural basis of bacterial flagellar motor rotation and switching.Chang Y, Carroll BL, Liu J. Trends Microbiol. 2021 Nov; 2021 Apr 14. PMID: 33865677.
BB0259 Encompasses a Peptidoglycan Lytic Enzyme Function for Proper Assembly of Periplasmic Flagella in Borrelia burgdorferi.Xu H, Hu B, Flesher DA, Liu J, Motaleb MA. Front Microbiol. 2021; 2021 Oct 1. PMID: 34659138.
Interconnecting solvent quality, transcription, and chromosome folding in Escherichia coli.Xiang Y, Surovtsev IV, Chang Y, Govers SK, Parry BR, Liu J, Jacobs-Wagner C. Cell. 2021 Jul 8; 2021 Jun 28. PMID: 34186018.
Composition and Biophysical Properties of the Sorting Platform Pods in the Shigella Type III Secretion System.Tachiyama S, Skaar R, Chang Y, Carroll BL, Muthuramalingam M, Whittier SK, Barta ML, Picking WL, Liu J, Picking WD. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021; 2021 Jun 3. PMID: 34150677.
The peptidoglycan-associated protein NapA plays an important role in the envelope integrity and in the pathogenesis of the lyme disease spirochete.Davis MM, Brock AM, DeHart TG, Boribong BP, Lee K, McClune ME, Chang Y, Cramer N, Liu J, Jones CN, Jutras BL. PLoS Pathog. 2021 May; 2021 May 13. PMID: 33984073.
A CRISPR interference platform for selective downregulation of gene expression in Borrelia burgdorferi.Takacs CN, Scott M, Chang Y, Kloos ZA, Irnov I, Rosa PA, Liu J, Jacobs-Wagner C. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2021 Mar 1; 2020 Nov 30. PMID: 33257311.
Symmetrical arrangement of proteins under release-ready vesicles in presynaptic terminals.Radhakrishnan A, Li X, Grushin K, Krishnakumar SS, Liu J, Rothman JE. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Feb 2. PMID: 33468631.
Molecular mechanism for rotational switching of the bacterial flagellar motor.Chang Y, Zhang K, Carroll BL, Zhao X, Charon NW, Norris SJ, Motaleb MA, Li C, Liu J. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2020 Nov; 2020 Sep 7. PMID: 32895555.
Structural Conservation and Adaptation of the Bacterial Flagella Motor.Carroll BL, Liu J. Biomolecules. 2020 Oct 29; 2020 Oct 29. PMID: 33138111.
The flagellar motor of Vibrio alginolyticus undergoes major structural remodeling during rotational switching.Carroll BL, Nishikino T, Guo W, Zhu S, Kojima S, Homma M, Liu J. Elife. 2020 Sep 7; 2020 Sep 7. PMID: 32893817.
Subnanometer structures of HIV-1 envelope trimers on aldrithiol-2-inactivated virus particles.Li Z, Li W, Lu M, Bess J Jr, Chao CW, Gorman J, Terry DS, Zhang B, Zhou T, Blanchard SC, Kwong PD, Lifson JD, Mothes W, Liu J. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2020 Aug; 2020 Jun 29. PMID: 32601441.
Seeing a Contractile Bactericidal Nanomachine in Action at Near-Atomic Resolution.Gong Q, Liu J. Biochemistry. 2020 Jun 23; 2020 Jun 9. PMID: 32517471.
Establishing rod shape from spherical, peptidoglycan-deficient bacterial spores.Zhang H, Mulholland GA, Seef S, Zhu S, Liu J, Mignot T, Nan B. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Jun 23; 2020 Jun 8. PMID: 32513721.
FlhF regulates the number and configuration of periplasmic flagella in Borrelia burgdorferi.Zhang K, He J, Cantalano C, Guo Y, Liu J, Li C. Mol Microbiol. 2020 Jun; 2020 Feb 21. PMID: 32039533.
Applying Live Cell Imaging and Cryo-Electron Tomography to Resolve Spatiotemporal Features of the Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm Secretion System.Chetrit D, Park D, Hu B, Liu J, Roy CR. J Vis Exp. 2020 Mar 10; 2020 Mar 10. PMID: 32225141.
Phylogenetic Distribution, Ultrastructure, and Function of Bacterial Flagellar Sheaths.Chu J, Liu J, Hoover TR. Biomolecules. 2020 Feb 27; 2020 Feb 27. PMID: 32120823.
Analysis of Dot/Icm Type IVB Secretion System Subassemblies by Cryoelectron Tomography Reveals Conformational Changes Induced by DotB Binding.Park D, Chetrit D, Hu B, Roy CR, Liu J. mBio. 2020 Feb 18; 2020 Feb 18. PMID: 32071271.
BB0326 is responsible for the formation of periplasmic flagellar collar and assembly of the stator complex in Borrelia burgdorferi.Xu H, He J, Liu J, Motaleb MA. Mol Microbiol. 2020 Feb; 2019 Dec 8. PMID: 31743518.
In Situ Structure of the Vibrio Polar Flagellum Reveals a Distinct Outer Membrane Complex and Its Specific Interaction with the Stator.Zhu S, Nishikino T, Takekawa N, Terashima H, Kojima S, Imada K, Homma M, Liu J. J Bacteriol. 2020 Jan 29; 2020 Jan 29. PMID: 31767780.
The cytoplasmic domain of MxiG interacts with MxiK and directs assembly of the sorting platform in the Shigella type III secretion system.Tachiyama S, Chang Y, Muthuramalingam M, Hu B, Barta ML, Picking WL, Liu J, Picking WD. J Biol Chem. 2019 Dec 13; 2019 Nov 7. PMID: 31699894.
High-resolution view of the type III secretion export apparatus in situ reveals membrane remodeling and a secretion pathway.Butan C, Lara-Tejero M, Li W, Liu J, Galán JE. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Dec 3; 2019 Nov 19. PMID: 31744874.
Loss of a Cardiolipin Synthase in Helicobacter pylori G27 Blocks Flagellum Assembly.Chu JK, Zhu S, Herrera CM, Henderson JC, Liu J, Trent MS, Hoover TR. J Bacteriol. 2019 Nov 1; 2019 Oct 4. PMID: 31427391.
Structural insights into flagellar stator-rotor interactions.Chang Y, Moon KH, Zhao X, Norris SJ, Motaleb MA, Liu J. Elife. 2019 Jul 17; 2019 Jul 17. PMID: 31313986.
Architecture and Assembly of Periplasmic Flagellum.Chang Y, Liu J. Microbiol Spectr. 2019 Jul. PMID: 31373267.
In Situ Structures of Polar and Lateral Flagella Revealed by Cryo-Electron Tomography.Zhu S, Schniederberend M, Zhitnitsky D, Jain R, Galán JE, Kazmierczak BI, Liu J. J Bacteriol. 2019 Jul 1; 2019 Jun 10. PMID: 31010901.
Structural dynamics of bacteriophage P22 infection initiation revealed by cryo-electron tomography.Wang C, Tu J, Liu J, Molineux IJ. Nat Microbiol. 2019 Jun; 2019 Mar 18. PMID: 30886360.
Analysis of a flagellar filament cap mutant reveals that HtrA serine protease degrades unfolded flagellin protein in the periplasm of Borrelia burgdorferi.Zhang K, Qin Z, Chang Y, Liu J, Malkowski MG, Shipa S, Li L, Qiu W, Zhang JR, Li C. Mol Microbiol. 2019 Jun; 2019 Apr 26. PMID: 30883947.
A pleiotropic role of FlaG in regulating the cell morphogenesis and flagellar homeostasis at the cell poles of Treponema denticola.Kurniyati K, Liu J, Zhang JR, Min Y, Li C. Cell Microbiol. 2019 Feb; 2018 Jul 23. PMID: 29935042.
Cryo-electron tomography of periplasmic flagella in Borrelia burgdorferi reveals a distinct cytoplasmic ATPase complex.Qin Z, Tu J, Lin T, Norris SJ, Li C, Motaleb MA, Liu J. PLoS Biol. 2018 Nov; 2018 Nov 9. PMID: 30412577.
A tetratricopeptide repeat domain protein has profound effects on assembly of periplasmic flagella, morphology and motility of the lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.Moon KH, Zhao X, Xu H, Liu J, Motaleb MA. Mol Microbiol. 2018 Nov; 2018 Oct 15. PMID: 30303576.
The Vibrio H-Ring Facilitates the Outer Membrane Penetration of the Polar Sheathed Flagellum.Zhu S, Nishikino T, Kojima S, Homma M, Liu J. J Bacteriol. 2018 Nov 1; 2018 Oct 10. PMID: 30104237.
Visualization of the type III secretion mediated Salmonella-host cell interface using cryo-electron tomography.Park D, Lara-Tejero M, Waxham MN, Li W, Hu B, Galán JE, Liu J. Elife. 2018 Oct 3; 2018 Oct 3. PMID: 30281019.
A unique cytoplasmic ATPase complex defines the Legionella pneumophila type IV secretion channel.Chetrit D, Hu B, Christie PJ, Roy CR, Liu J. Nat Microbiol. 2018 Jun; 2018 May 21. PMID: 29784975.
Visualizing Chemoreceptor Arrays in Bacterial Minicells by Cryo-Electron Tomography and Subtomogram Analysis.Qin Z, Hu B, Liu J. Methods Mol Biol. 2018. PMID: 29429093.
Molecular architecture of the sheathed polar flagellum in Vibrio alginolyticus.Zhu S, Nishikino T, Hu B, Kojima S, Homma M, Liu J. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Oct 10; 2017 Sep 25. PMID: 28973904.