Migrating neurons in the cerebral cortex

Ian Taylor group

Macromolecular assemblies

Many of the fundamental processes carried out within living cells are directed by macromolecular assemblies of protein and nucleic acid molecules, often referred to as ‘Molecular Machines’. Malfunction of a molecular machine resulting in the breakdown of a normal cellular process is the cause of many human cancers, developmental defects, neurological disorders and other congenital disease states. In order to prevent, combat or repair defects that lead to disease it is vital that we understand how the macromolecular components of molecular machines assemble, function and cooperate with one another in order to carry out complex biological processes.

To understand how molecular machines function and perform their biological task we study molecular assemblies by applying structural, biophysical and biochemical methodologies. These approaches allow us to dissect a macromolecular complex, visualise the components and examine the interactions between the molecules that make up the complex. Current projects include examining complexes that mediate transcriptional elongation, 3’-end processing and polyadenylation and the investigation of the retroviral capsid together with assemblies that mediate the retroviral restriction in host cells.

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Structures of the transcriptional 3’-end processing factor, Rna15, bound to different ribonucleotides; Left, guanosine nucleotide located in binding site. Right, uracil bound in binding site.

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Mapping the residues that determine MLV tropism and restriction factor susceptibility onto the viral capsid. Residues that are the major determinants of N- and B-tropism are highlighted in blue. Other residues that result in NB and other minor tropisms are highlighted in red.

Selected publications

Taylor group

Dr Ian Taylor

Ian Taylor
itaylor@nimr.mrc.ac.uk

Recent publications

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