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Researchers at the Crick are tackling the big questions about human health and disease, and new findings are published every week.

Our faculty have picked some of the most significant papers published by Crick scientists, all of which are freely available thanks to our open science policy.

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Structure of V1H

Researchers discover how cells raise the alarm when damaged or infected

Our cells need acidic compartments for digestion and recycling of nutrients. Acid is pumped in by a complex assembly of proteins called the V-ATPase. But what happens when our cells get damaged? The acid leaks out and the cell has to respond. Researchers at the Crick discovered how the V-ATPase proton pump itself sounds the alarm: one protein in the complex recruits a crucial part of the self-eating (autophagy) machinery. They think this is especially important during infection since some bacteria target this pathway, and many viruses like influenza trigger it.

The V-ATPase/ATG16L1 axis is controlled by the V1H subunit

Published in Molecular Cell

Published