Dirk Görlich
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View article: Nuclear pore passage of the HIV capsid is driven by its unusual surface amino acid composition
Nuclear pore passage of the HIV capsid is driven by its unusual surface amino acid composition Open
Nuclear transport receptors (NTRs) carry cargo across the permeability barrier of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs)—an FG phase condensed from disordered but cohesive FG-repeat domains. This phase repels inert macromolecules but allows NTR pas…
View article: The FG Phase—A Biomolecular Condensate That Governs Transport Through Nuclear Pores
The FG Phase—A Biomolecular Condensate That Governs Transport Through Nuclear Pores Open
In this Viewpoint, 2025 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award winner Dirk Görlich describes discoveries that exposed the structures and functions of protein sequences of low complexity, revealing new principles of intracellular transp…
View article: A nanobody specific to prefusion glycoprotein B neutralizes HSV-1 and HSV-2
A nanobody specific to prefusion glycoprotein B neutralizes HSV-1 and HSV-2 Open
The nine human herpesviruses, including herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, human cytomegalovirus and Epstein–Barr virus, present a significant burden to global public health 1 . Their envelopes contain at least ten different glycoproteins, whic…
View article: Muscle growth by sarcomere divisions
Muscle growth by sarcomere divisions Open
The sarcomere is the elementary contractile unit of muscles. Adult muscle cells are large and chain thousands of sarcomeres into long periodic myofibrils that attach to the skeleton. During development, muscle cells must increase in length…
View article: Titin-dependent biomechanical feedback tailors sarcomeres to specialized muscle functions in insects
Titin-dependent biomechanical feedback tailors sarcomeres to specialized muscle functions in insects Open
Sarcomeres are the universal contractile units of muscles that enable animals to move. Insect muscles display a remarkable functional diversity: they operate at extremely different contraction frequencies (ranging from ~1 to 1000 hertz) an…
View article: Governed by surface amino acid composition: HIV capsid passage through the NPC barrier
Governed by surface amino acid composition: HIV capsid passage through the NPC barrier Open
Nuclear transport receptors (NTRs) carry cargo across the permeability barrier of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) - an FG phase condensed from disordered but cohesive FG repeats. This phase repels ‘normal’ macromolecules but allows NTR passa…
View article: Muscle growth by sarcomere divisions
Muscle growth by sarcomere divisions Open
The sarcomere is the elementary contractile unit of muscles. Adult muscle cells chain thousands of sarcomeres into long periodic myofibrils that attach to the skeleton. How new sarcomeres are added during muscle growth is unknown. By live …
View article: Titin-dependent biomechanical feedback tailors sarcomeres to specialised muscle functions in insects
Titin-dependent biomechanical feedback tailors sarcomeres to specialised muscle functions in insects Open
Sarcomeres are the contractile units of muscles that enable animals to move. Insect muscles are remarkable examples because they use extremely different contraction frequencies (ranging from ∼1 to 1000 Hz) and amplitudes for flying, walkin…
View article: HIV-1 capsids enter the FG phase of nuclear pores like a transport receptor
HIV-1 capsids enter the FG phase of nuclear pores like a transport receptor Open
HIV-1 infection requires nuclear entry of the viral genome. Previous evidence suggests that this entry proceeds through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), with the 120 × 60 nm capsid squeezing through an approximately 60-nm-wide central channe…
View article: Nanobodies to multiple spike variants and inhalation of nanobody-containing aerosols neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture and hamsters
Nanobodies to multiple spike variants and inhalation of nanobody-containing aerosols neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture and hamsters Open
The ongoing threat of COVID-19 has highlighted the need for effective prophylaxis and convenient therapies, especially for outpatient settings. We have previously developed highly potent single-domain (VHH) antibodies, also known as nanobo…
View article: Nucleoporin-binding nanobodies that either track or inhibit nuclear pore complex assembly
Nucleoporin-binding nanobodies that either track or inhibit nuclear pore complex assembly Open
Nuclear pore complex (NPC) biogenesis is a still enigmatic example of protein self-assembly. We now introduce several cross-reacting anti-Nup nanobodies for imaging intact NPCs from frog to human. We further report a simplified assay that …
View article: N4-hydroxycytidine, the active compound of Molnupiravir, promotes SARS-CoV-2 mutagenesis and escape from a neutralizing nanobody
N4-hydroxycytidine, the active compound of Molnupiravir, promotes SARS-CoV-2 mutagenesis and escape from a neutralizing nanobody Open
N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC), the active compound of the drug Molnupiravir, is incorporated into SARS-CoV-2 RNA, causing false base pairing. The desired result is an "error catastrophe," but this bears the risk of mutated virus progeny. To add…
View article: Barrier properties of Nup98 FG phases ruled by FG motif identity and inter-FG spacer length
Barrier properties of Nup98 FG phases ruled by FG motif identity and inter-FG spacer length Open
Nup98 FG repeat domains comprise hydrophobic FG motifs linked through uncharged spacers. FG motifs capture nuclear transport receptors (NTRs) during nuclear pore complex (NPC) passage, confer inter-repeat cohesion, and condense the domains…
View article: A nanobody toolbox to investigate localisation and dynamics of Drosophila titins and other key sarcomeric proteins
A nanobody toolbox to investigate localisation and dynamics of Drosophila titins and other key sarcomeric proteins Open
Measuring the positions and dynamics of proteins in intact tissues or whole animals is key to understanding protein function. However, to date, this is challenging, as the accessibility of large antibodies to dense tissues is often limited…
View article: Nanobodies combined with DNA-PAINT super-resolution reveal a staggered titin nanoarchitecture in flight muscles
Nanobodies combined with DNA-PAINT super-resolution reveal a staggered titin nanoarchitecture in flight muscles Open
Sarcomeres are the force-producing units of all striated muscles. Their nanoarchitecture critically depends on the large titin protein, which in vertebrates spans from the sarcomeric Z-disc to the M-band and hence links actin and myosin fi…
View article: Author response: A nanobody toolbox to investigate localisation and dynamics of Drosophila titins and other key sarcomeric proteins
Author response: A nanobody toolbox to investigate localisation and dynamics of Drosophila titins and other key sarcomeric proteins Open
Article Figures and data Abstract Editor's evaluation eLife digest Introduction Results Discussion Methods Data availability References Decision letter Author response Article and author information Metrics Abstract Measuring the positions…
View article: Author response: Nanobodies combined with DNA-PAINT super-resolution reveal a staggered titin nanoarchitecture in flight muscles
Author response: Nanobodies combined with DNA-PAINT super-resolution reveal a staggered titin nanoarchitecture in flight muscles Open
Article Figures and data Abstract Editor's evaluation eLife digest Introduction Results Discussion Methods Data availability References Decision letter Author response Article and author information Metrics Abstract Sarcomeres are the forc…
View article: Barrier properties of Nup98 FG phases ruled by FG motif identity and inter-FG spacer length
Barrier properties of Nup98 FG phases ruled by FG motif identity and inter-FG spacer length Open
Nup98 FG repeat domains comprise hydrophobic FG motifs linked through uncharged spacers. FG motifs capture nuclear transport receptors (NTRs) during nuclear pore complex (NPC) passage, confer inter-repeat cohesion, and condense the domains…
View article: Crystal structures of FNIP/FGxxFN motif-containing leucine-rich repeat proteins
Crystal structures of FNIP/FGxxFN motif-containing leucine-rich repeat proteins Open
The Cafeteria roenbergensis virus (Crov), Dictyostelium , and other species encode a large family of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins with FGxxFN motifs. We determined the structures of two of them and observed several unique structural …
View article: Compellingly high SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of Golden Syrian hamsters suggests multiple zoonotic infections of pet hamsters during the COVID-19 pandemic
Compellingly high SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of Golden Syrian hamsters suggests multiple zoonotic infections of pet hamsters during the COVID-19 pandemic Open
Golden Syrian hamsters ( Mesocricetus auratus ) are used as a research model for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Millions of Golden Syrian hamsters are also kept as pets in close contact to humans. To det…
View article: A simple thermodynamic description of phase separation of Nup98 FG domains
A simple thermodynamic description of phase separation of Nup98 FG domains Open
The permeability barrier of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) controls nucleocytoplasmic transport. It retains inert macromolecules but allows facilitated passage of nuclear transport receptors that shuttle cargoes into or out of nuclei. The b…
View article: Compellingly high SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of Golden Syrian hamsters suggests multiple zoonotic infections of pet hamsters during the COVID-19 pandemic
Compellingly high SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of Golden Syrian hamsters suggests multiple zoonotic infections of pet hamsters during the COVID-19 pandemic Open
Golden Syrian hamsters ( Mesocricetus auratus ) are used as a research model for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Millions of Golden Syrian hamsters are also kept as pets in close contact to humans. To det…
View article: A nanobody toolbox to investigate localisation and dynamics of <i>Drosophila</i> titins
A nanobody toolbox to investigate localisation and dynamics of <i>Drosophila</i> titins Open
Measuring the positions and dynamics of proteins in intact tissues or whole animals is key to understand protein function. However, to date this is still a challenging task, as accessibility of large antibodies to dense tissues is often li…
View article: Mechanical control of nuclear import by Importin-7 is regulated by its dominant cargo YAP
Mechanical control of nuclear import by Importin-7 is regulated by its dominant cargo YAP Open
Mechanical forces regulate multiple essential pathways in the cell. The nuclear translocation of mechanoresponsive transcriptional regulators is an essential step for mechanotransduction. However, how mechanical forces regulate the nuclear…
View article: Therapeutische Nanobodies gegen SARS-CoV-2
Therapeutische Nanobodies gegen SARS-CoV-2 Open
Monoclonal immunoglobulins are widely successful as therapeutics and have also been effective in treating COVID-19. However, their production in mammalian cells is expensive and cannot be scaled to meet the demand in a global pandemic. Cam…