Publications — Gennerich Lab

Shatarupa A., L. Rao, A. Gennerich, and H. Sosa. Beyond binding affinity: how a conformation-specific salt bridge tunes KIF1A mechanochemistry. 2026. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken). Online ahead of print. doi:10.1002/cm.70163. PDF

Shatarupa A.*, L. Rao*, A. B. Asenjo, A. Gennerich#, and H. Sosa#. Pathogenic KIF1A R350 mutations disrupt a conserved and conformation-dependent kinesin–tubulin salt bridge. 2026. Nat. Commun. 17:5175 (*: co-first authors; #: corresponding authors). PDF

Rao L.*, X. Liu, M. Arnold, R. McKenney, K. Stengel, S. Sidoli, F. Berger, and A. Gennerich*. Adaptor-mediated recruitment of three dyneins to dynactin enhances force generation. 2026. Nat. Cell Biol. 28:480–491 (*: corresponding authors). PDF

Gennerich, A. “KIF1A Motor Function Revisited: From Mechanochemical Models to Disease Mechanisms.” 27th Solvay Conference on Chemistry — “Exploring Frontiers in Chemistry,” Brussels, Belgium, October 8–11, 2025. PDF

Rao L., W. Li, Y. Shen, W. Chung#, and A. Gennerich#. Distinct Clinical Phenotypes in KIF1A-Associated Neurological Disorders Result from Different Amino Acid Substitutions at the Same Residue in KIF1A. 2025. Biomolecules 15:656 (#: corresponding authors). PDF

Liu X.*, L. Rao*, W. Qiu, F. Berger#, A. Gennerich#. Kinesin-14 HSET and KlpA are non-processive microtubule motors with load-dependent power strokes. 2024. Nat. Commun. 15:6564 (*: co-first authors; #: corresponding authors). PDF

Benoit, M. P. M. H.*, L. Rao*, A. B. Asenjo, A. Gennerich#, and H. Sosa#. Cryo-EM Unveils Kinesin KIF1A Processivity Mechanism and the Impact of its Pathogenic Variant P305L. 2024. Nat. Commun. 15:5530 (*: co-first authors; #: corresponding authors). PDF

Rao, L., and A. Gennerich. Structure and Function of Dynein's Non-Catalytic Subunits. 2024. Cells 13:330. PDF

Liu, X., and A. Gennerich. Insect cell-based expression of cytoskeletal motor proteins for single-molecule studies. 2024. Single-Molecule Analysis III. Methods Mol. Biol. 2694:69–90. PDF

Liu, X., L. Rao, and A. Gennerich. Measurements of the Force-Dependent Detachment Rates of Cytoplasmic Dynein from Microtubules. 2023. Methods Mol. Biol. 2623:221–238. PDF

Fu, X.*,#, L. Rao*, P. Li, X. Liu, Q. Wang, A. I. Son, A. Gennerich#, and J. S.-H. Liu#. Doublecortin and JIP3 are neural-specific counteracting regulators of dynein-mediated retrograde trafficking. 2022. eLife e82218 (*: co-first authors; #: corresponding authors). PDF

Rao, L., and A. Gennerich. Single-molecule studies on the motion and force generation of the Kinesin-3 motor KIF1A. 2022. Methods Mol. Biol. 2478:585–608. PDF

Pant, D. C.*, J. Parameswaran*, L. Rao, L. Shi, G. Chilukuri, Z. McEachin, G. Bassell, S. Atienzar-Saez, B. Traynor, J. Glass, A. Gennerich, and J. Jiang. ALS-linked KIF5A exon27 mutant causes neuronal toxicity through gain of function. 2022. EMBO Rep. e54234 (*: co-first authors). PDF

Impastato A. C., A. Shemet, N. A. Vepek, G. Saper, H. Hess, L. Rao, A. Gennerich*, and D. Trauner*. Optical Control of Mitosis with a Photoswitchable Eg5 Inhibitor. 2022. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 61:e202115846 (*: corresponding authors). PDF

Blasius, L. T.*, Y. Yue*, R. Prasad, X. Liu, A. Gennerich, and K. J. Verhey. Separate sequences in the stalk domain regulate autoinhibition and ciliary tip localization of the immotile kinesin-4 KIF7. 2021. J. Cell Sci. 134:jcs258464 (*: co-first authors). PDF

Lam, A. J., L. Rao, Y. Anazawa, K. Okada, K. Chiba, S. Niwa, A. Gennerich*, D. W. Nowakowski*, R. J. McKenney*. Human disease mutation within a conserved 3₁₀-helix in the KIF1A motor domain reveals a critical role for kinesin function. 2021. Sci. Adv. 7:eabf1002 (*: corresponding authors). PDF

Boyle, L., L. Rao, S. Kaur, X. Fan, C. Mebane, L. Hamm, A. Thornton, J. T. Ahrendsen, M. P. Anderson, J. Christodoulou, A. Gennerich, Y. Shen, W. K. Chung. Genotype and defects in microtubule-based motility correlate with clinical severity in KIF1A-associated neurological disorder. 2021. HGG Advances 100026. PDF

Budaitis, B. G.*, S. Jariwala*, L. Rao*, Y. Yue, D. Sept#, K. J. Verhey#, and A. Gennerich#. Pathogenic mutations in the kinesin-3 motor KIF1A diminish force generation and movement through allosteric mechanisms. 2021. J. Cell Biol. 220:e202004227 (*: co-first authors, listed alphabetically; #: corresponding authors). PDF

Liu, X., L. Rao, and A. Gennerich. The regulatory function of the AAA4 ATPase domain of cytoplasmic dynein. 2020. Nat. Commun. 11:5952. PDF

Brenner, S., F. Berger, L. Rao, M. P. Nicholas, and A. Gennerich. Force production of human cytoplasmic dynein is limited by its processivity. 2020. Sci. Adv. 6:eaaz4295. PDF

Rao, L., F. Berger, M. P. Nicholas, and A. Gennerich. Molecular mechanism of cytoplasmic dynein tension sensing. 2019. Nat. Commun. 10:3332. PDF

Rao, L., M. Hülsemann, and A. Gennerich. Combining structure-function and single-molecule studies on cytoplasmic dynein. 2018. Methods Mol. Biol. 1665:53–89. PDF

Nicholas, M. P., F. Berger, L. Rao, S. Brenner, C. Cho, and A. Gennerich. Cytoplasmic dynein regulates its attachment to microtubules via nucleotide state-switched mechanosensing at multiple AAA domains. 2015. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 112:6371–6376. PDF

Nicholas, M. P.*, P. Hook*, S. Brenner, C. Lazar, R. B. Vallee#, and A. Gennerich#. Control of cytoplasmic dynein force production and processivity by its C-terminal domain. 2015. Nat. Commun. 6:6206 (*: co-first authors; #: corresponding authors). PDF

Nicholas, M. P., L. Rao, and A. Gennerich. Covalent immobilization of microtubules on glass surfaces for molecular motor force measurements and other single-molecule assays. 2014. Methods Mol. Biol. 1136:137–169. PDF

Nicholas, M. P., L. Rao, and A. Gennerich. An improved optical tweezers assay for measuring the force generation of single kinesin molecules. 2014. Methods Mol. Biol. 1136:171–246. PDF

Gennerich, A. Molecular Motors: DNA Takes Control. 2014. Nat. Nanotechnol. 9:11–12 (invited News & Views article). PDF

Rao, L.*, E. M. Romes*, M. P. Nicholas, S. Brenner, T. Ashutosh, A. Gennerich#, and K. C. Slep#. The yeast dynein Dyn2–Pac11 complex is a dynein dimerization/processivity factor: structural and single-molecule characterization. 2013. Mol. Biol. Cell 24:2362–2377 (*: co-first authors; #: corresponding authors). PDF

Shih, S.-M., F. Kocabas, B. Engel, A. Gennerich, W. Marshall, and A. Yildiz. Intraflagellar transport drives flagellar surface motility. 2013. eLife 2:e00744:1–19. PDF

Reck-Peterson, S. L., R. D. Vale, and A. Gennerich. “Motile Properties of Cytoplasmic Dynein.” In: Dynein Handbook (Pan Stanford Publishing). 2012. Editors: Linda Amos and Keiko Hirose. PDF

Gennerich, A. and S. L. Reck-Peterson. Probing the force generation and stepping behavior of cytoplasmic dynein. 2011. Methods Mol. Biol. 783:63–80. PDF

Huckaba, T., A. Gennerich, J. E. Wilhelm, A. Chishti, and R. D. Vale. Kinesin 73 is a processive motor that localizes to Rab5-containing organelles. 2011. J. Biol. Chem. 286:7457–7467. PDF

Gennerich, A. and R. D. Vale. Walking the walk: how kinesin and dynein coordinate their steps. 2009. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 21:59–67. PDF

Yildiz, A., M. Tomishige, A. Gennerich, and R. D. Vale. Intramolecular strain coordinates kinesin stepping behavior along microtubules. 2008. Cell 134:1030–1041. PDF

Gennerich, A., A. P. Carter, S. L. Reck-Peterson, and R. D. Vale. Force-induced bidirectional stepping of cytoplasmic dynein. 2007. Cell 131:952–965. PDF

Imanishi, M., N. F. Endres, A. Gennerich, and R. D. Vale. Autoinhibition regulates the motility of the C. elegans intraflagellar transport motor OSM-3. 2006. J. Cell Biol. 174:931–937. PDF

Reck-Peterson, S. L., A. Yildiz, A. P. Carter, A. Gennerich, N. Zhang, and R. D. Vale. Stepping behavior and structural requirements for cytoplasmic dynein processivity. 2006. Cell 126:335–348. PDF

Gennerich, A. and D. Schild. Finite-particle tracking reveals sub-microscopic size changes of mitochondria during transport in mitral cell dendrites. 2006. Phys. Biol. 3:45–53. PDF

Gennerich, A. and D. Schild. Sizing-up finite fluorescent particles with nanometer-scale precision by convolution and correlation image analysis. 2005. Eur. Biophys. J. 34:181–199. PDF

Czesnik, D., W. Rössler, F. Kirchner, A. Gennerich, and D. Schild. Neuronal representation of odourants in the olfactory bulb of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. 2003. Eur. J. Neurosci. 17:113–118. PDF

Gennerich, A. and D. Schild. Anisotropic diffusion in mitral cell dendrites revealed by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. 2002. Biophys. J. 83:510–522. PDF

Peters, F., A. Gennerich, D. Czesnik, and D. Schild. Low frequency voltage clamp: recording of voltage transients at constant average command voltage. 2000. J. Neurosci. Meth. 99:129–135. PDF

Gennerich, A. and D. Schild. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in small cytosolic compartments depends critically on the diffusion model used. 2000. Biophys. J. 79:3294–3306. PDF

Schild, D., A. Gennerich, and H. A. Schultens. Microcontrollers as inexpensive pulse generators and parallel processors in electrophysiological experiments. 1996. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 34:305–307. PDF