Publications: Lu Rao — Gennerich Lab

2026

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

2025

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

2024

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

2023

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

2022

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*, D. Trauner*. Optical Control of Mitosis with a Photoswitchable Eg5 Inhibitor. 2022. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 61:e202115846 (*: corresponding authors). PDF

2021

Lam A. J., L. Rao, Y. Anazawa, K. Okada, K. Chiba, M. Dacy, S. Niwa, A. Gennerich, D. W. Nowakowski, R. J. McKenney. A highly conserved 310 helix within the kinesin motor domain is critical for kinesin function and human health. 2021. Sci. Adv. 7:eabf1002. 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 Adv. 2:100026. 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

2020

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

2019

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

2018

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

2015

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

2014

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

2013

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; #: co-corresponding authors). PDF

2011

Rao, L., J. D. Dworkin, W. E. Nell, and U. Bierbach. Interactions of a platinum-modified perylene derivative with the human telomeric g-quadruplex. 2011. J. Phys. Chem. B 115:13701–13712. PDF

Choudhury, J. R., L. Rao, and U. Bierbach. Rates of intercalator-driven platination of DNA determined by a restriction enzyme cleavage inhibition assay. 2011. J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 16:373–380. PDF

2010

Rao, L., T. West, G. Saluta, G. Kucera, and U. Bierbach. Probing platinum-adenine-N3 adduct formation with DNA minor-groove binding agents. 2010. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 23:1148–1150. PDF

2009

Ma, Z., L. Rao, and U. Bierbach. Replacement of a thiourea-S with an amidine-NH donor group in a platinum-acridine antitumor compound reduces the metal’s reactivity with cysteine sulfur. 2009. J. Med. Chem. 52:3424–3427. PDF

2007

Rao, L., and U. Bierbach. Kinetically favored platination of adenine in the G-rich human telomeric repeat. 2007. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129:15764–15765. PDF