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Publications

  • Nickerson DP, Russell MRG, Lo SY and Merz AJ. Gyp3/Msb3 GAP and calcineurin-mediated stress responses regulate Rab signaling at endolysosomal organelles. Submitted [request preprint].
  • *Schwartz ML, *Chapin HC and Merz AJ. 2012. Isolation of yeast vacuoles and assays of in vitro homotypic fusion. Journal of Visualized Experiments, in press. *Equal contributors.
  • Lo S-Y, Brett CL, Plemel R, Vignali M, Fields S, Gonen T and Merz AJ. 2012. Intrinsic tethering activity of endosomal Rab proteins. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 19:40-47 [pdf].
  • *Plemel RL, *Lobingier BT, Brett CL, Nickerson, DP, Angers CG, Paulsel A, Sprague D and Merz AJ. 2011. Subunit organization and Rab interactions of Vps-C complexes that control endolysosomal membrane traffic. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 22:1353-63 [pdf]. *Equal contributors.
  • Angers CG and Merz AJ.  2011. Review: New links between vesicle coats and Rab-mediated vesicle targeting. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology 22:18-26 [pdf].
  • Hood RD, Singh P, Hsu F, Güvener T, Carl MA, Trinidad RRS, Silverman JM, Ohlson BB, Hicks KG, Plemel RL, Li M, Schwartz S, Wang WY, Merz AJ, Goodlett D, Mougous J. 2010. Discovery of Type VI secretion substrates in Psudomonas aeruginosa: identification of a toxin targeted to bacteria. Cell Host & Microbe 7:25-37 [pdf]. *Cover article; Faculty of 1000 Must Read.
  • Zheng H, Taraska J, Merz AJ and Gonen T. 2010. The prototypical H+/galactose symporter GalP assembles into functional trimers. Journal of Molecular Biology 396:593 [pdf]. *Cover article.
  • Angers CG and Merz AJ. 2009. HOPS interacts with Apl5 at the vacuole membrane and is required for consumption of AP-3 transport vesicles. Molecular Biology of the Cell 20:4563-4574 [pdf].
  • Nickerson DP, Brett CL and Merz AJ. 2009. Review: Vps-C complexes: master regulators of endolysosomal membrane traffic. Current Opinion in Cell Biology 21:543-559 [pdf].
  • Collette JR, Chi RJ, Boettner DR, Fernandez-Golbano IM, Plemel RL, Merz AJ, Geli MI, Traub LM, Lemmon SK. 2009. Clathrin functions in the absence of the terminal domain binding site for adaptor-associated clathrin-box motifs. Molecular Biology of the Cell 20:3401-3413 [pdf].
  • Schwartz ML and Merz AJ. 2009. Capture and release of partially-zipped trans-SNARE complexes on intact organelles. Journal of Cell Biology 185:535-549 [pdf].
  • Brett CL, *Plemel RL, *Lobingier BT, Vignali M, Fields S and Merz AJ. 2008. Efficient termination of vacuolar Rab GTPase signaling requires coordinated action by a GAP and a protein kinase. Journal of Cell Biology 182:1141-51 [pdf]. *Equal contributors. JCB featured paper;  Faculty of 1000 Recommended.
  • Brett CL and Merz AJ.  2008. Osmotic regulation of Rab-mediated organelle docking. Current Biology 18:1072-7 [pdf].
  • Lee SW, Higashi DL, Snyder, A, Merz AJ, Potter L and So M. 2005. PilT is required for PI(3,4,5)P-mediated crosstalk between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and epithelial cells. Cellular Microbiology 7:1271-1284 [pdf].
  • Thorngren N, Collins KM, Fratti R, Wickner WT and Merz AJ. 2004. A soluble SNARE drives rapid docking, bypassing the need for ATP and Sec17/18p for vacuole fusion. EMBO Journal 23:2765-2776 [pdf].
  • Merz AJ and Wickner WT. 2004. Resolution of organelle docking and fusion kinetics in a cell-free assay. PNAS 101:11549-11553 [pdf].
  • Fratti RA, Jun Y, Merz AJ, Margolis N and Wickner WT. 2004. Interdependent assembly of specific regulatory lipids and membrane proteins into the vertex ring domain of docked vacuoles. Journal of Cell Biology 167:1087-1098 [pdf].
  • Merz AJ and Wickner WT. 2004. Trans-SNARE interactions elicit Ca2+ efflux from the yeast vacuole lumen. Journal of Cell Biology 164:195-206 [pdf].  *Faculty of 1000 Must Read paper.
  • Merz AJ and Higgs HN. 2003. Dispatch: Listeria motility: biophysics pushes things forward. Current Biology 13:R302-304 [PubMed].
  • Wang L, Merz AJ, Collins KM and Wickner WT. 2003. Hierarchy of protein assembly at the vertex ring domain for yeast vacuole docking and fusion. Journal of Cell Biology 160:365-374 [pdf].
  • Boeddinghaus C, Merz AJ, Laage R and Ungermann C. 2002. A cycle of Vam7p release from and PtdIns-3-P-dependent rebinding to the yeast vacuole is required for homotypic vacuole fusion. Journal of Cell Biology 157:79-89 [pdf]. *Faculty of 1000 Recommended Paper.
  • Merz AJ and Forest KT. 2002. Review: Bacterial surface motility: slime trails, grappling hooks, and nozzles. Current Biology 12:R297-303 [pdf].
  • Wang L, Seeley, S, Wickner WT and Merz AJ. 2002. Vacuole fusion at a ring of vertex docking sites leaves membrane fragments within the organelle. Cell 108:357-69 [pdf].  *Faculty of 1000 Exceptional Paper – top 1%.
  • Merz AJ, So M and Sheetz MP. 2000. Pilus retraction powers bacterial twitching motility. Nature 407:98-102 [pdf].
  • Merz AJ and So M. 2000. Review: Interactions of pathogenic Neisseriae with epithelial cell membranes. Ann. Rev. Cell & Developmental Biology 16:423-457 [pdf].
  • Hopper S, Vasquez B, Merz A, Clary S, Wilbur JS and So M. 2000. Effects of the immunoglobulin A1 protease on Neisseria gonorrhoeae trafficking across polarized T84 epithelial monolayers. Infection & Immunity 68:906-911 [PubMed].
  • Merz AJ, Enns CA and So M. 1999. Type IV pili of pathogenic Neisseriae elicit cortical plaque formation in epithelial cells. Molecular Microbiology 32:1316-1332 [pdf]. *Cover article.
  • Merz AJ and So M. 1997. Attachment of piliated, Opa- and Opc- gonococci and meningococci to epithelial cells elicits cortical actin rearrangements and clustering of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. Infection & Immunity 65:4341-4349 [PubMed].
  • Merz AJ, Rifenbery DB, Arvidson CG and So M. 1996. Traversal of a polarized epithelium by pathogenic Neisseriae: facilitation by type IV pili and maintenance of epithelial barrier function. Molecular Medicine 2:745-754 [PubMed].
  • Waldbeser LS, Ajioka RS, Merz AJ, Puaoi D, Lin L, Thomas M and So M. 1994. The opaH locus of Neisseria gonorrhoeae MS11A is involved in epithelial cell invasion. Molecular Microbiology 13:919-928 [PubMed].