Publications de Rudolf Hovius | EPFL Graph Search

The HP1 box of KAP1 organizes HP1α for silencing of endogenous retroviral elements in embryonic stem cells

Rudolf Hovius, Matteo Dal Peraro, Beat Fierz, Maria Josefina Marcaida Lopez

Repression of endogenous retroviral elements (ERVs) is facilitated by KAP1 (KRAB-associated protein 1)-containing complexes, however the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that binding of KAP1 to the major component of the heterochromatin ...

Springer Science and Business Media LLC2025

A covalently linked probe to monitor local membrane properties surrounding plasma membrane proteins

Rudolf Hovius, Luc Reymond

We present a method probing the local membrane environment surrounding membrane proteins in the plasma membrane by linking a solvatochromic dye to the target, and provide evidence for lipid-based sorting. The insulin receptor environment changed upon insul ...

Rockefeller University Press2022

International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. CX. Classification of Receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine; Pharmacology and Function

Rudolf Hovius, Horst Vogel

5 HT receptors expressed throughout the human body are targets for established therapeutics and various drugs in development. Their diversity of structure and function reflects the important role 5-HT receptors play in physiologic and pathophysiological pr ...

AMER SOC PHARMACOLOGY EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS2021

Torsin ATPases influence chromatin interaction of the Torsin regulator LAP1

Rudolf Hovius, Beat Fierz

The inner nuclear membrane is functionalized by diverse transmembrane proteins that associate with nuclear lamins and/or chromatin. When cells enter mitosis, membrane-chromatin contacts must be broken to allow for proper chromosome segregation; yet how thi ...

2020

Structural mechanism of cGAS inhibition by the nucleosome

Rudolf Hovius, Simone Cavadini, Beat Fierz, Andrea Ablasser, Sélène-Véronique Glück, Baptiste Claude André Guey, Alexiane Clara Decout, Kristina Makasheva, Pauline Ambre Melenec

The DNA sensor cGAS initiates innate immune responses following microbial infection, cellular stress, and cancer1. Upon activation by double-stranded DNA, cytosolic cGAS produces 2’3’ cyclic GMP-AMP and triggers inflammatory cytokine and type I interferon ...

2020

Chromatin Fiber Invasion and Nucleosome Displacement by the Rap1 Transcription Factor

Rudolf Hovius, Maxime Nicolas Mivelaz, Beat Fierz, Iuliia Boichenko, Anne-Marinette Thi Phuong Hanh Cao

Pioneer transcription factors (pTFs) bind to target sites within compact chromatin, initiating chromatin remodeling and controlling the recruitment of downstream factors. The mechanisms by which pTFs overcome the chromatin barrier are not well understood. ...

2020

A genetic algorithm based design and experimental characterization of a highly thermostable metalloprotein

Rudolf Hovius, Ursula Röthlisberger, Esra Bozkurt, Marta Andreia Da Silva Perez, Nicholas John Browning

The development of thermostable and solvent-tolerant metalloproteins is a long-sought goal for many applica- tions in synthetic biology and biotechnology. In this work, we were able to engineer a highly thermo- and organic solvent- stable metallo variant o ...

2018

A Chemogenetic Approach for the Optical Monitoring of Voltage in Neurons

Rudolf Hovius, Kai Johnsson, Luc Reymond, Howard Riezman, Efthymia Prifti

Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH2018

Evaluating Cellular Drug Uptake with Fluorescent Sensor Proteins

Rudolf Hovius, Kai Johnsson, Kui Thong Tan, Rudolf Griss, Silvia Scarabelli

We are introducing a new approach to evaluate cellular uptake of drugs and drug candidates into living cells. The approach is based on converting the protein target of a given class of compounds into a fluorescent biosensor. By measuring the binding of dif ...

Amer Chemical Soc2017

Tetrahydrobiopterin Biosynthesis as a Potential Target of the Kynurenine Pathway Metabolite Xanthurenic Acid

Rudolf Hovius, Kai Johnsson, Miriam Grønlund Pedersen, Hirohito Haruki

Tryptophan metabolites in the kynurenine pathway are up-regulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines or glucocorticoids, and are linked to anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities. In addition, they are up-regulated in pathologies such as cancer, auto ...

Amer Soc Biochemistry Molecular Biology Inc2015

Biomimetic Sequestration of CO2: reprogramming the B1 domain of protein g through a combined computational and experimental approach

Rudolf Hovius, Ursula Röthlisberger, Esra Bozkurt

Wiley-Blackwell2015

Microfluidic Single-Cell Analysis with Affinity Beads

Rudolf Hovius, Horst Vogel, Loïc Arvind Roger Arm, Michael Werner

A micrometer-sized affinity bead (red) is (i) taken up into a cell by phagocytosis, (ii) photochemically released from phagosomes, (iii) optically trapped by the cell, and (iv) isolated by cell lysis for subsequent analysis of captured intracellular analyt ...

2015

X-ray structure of the mouse serotonin 5-HT3 receptor

Rudolf Hovius, Henning Paul-Julius Stahlberg, Horst Vogel, Cédric Deluz, Luigino Grasso, Romain Wyss, Menno Berend Tol, Ghérici Hassaïne

Neurotransmitter-gated ion channels of the Cys-loop receptor family mediate fast neurotransmission throughout the nervous system. The molecular processes of neurotransmitter binding, subsequent opening of the ion channel and ion permeation remain poorly un ...

Nature Publishing Group2014

A fluorogenic probe for SNAP-tagged plasma membrane proteins based on the solvatochromic molecule Nile Red

Rudolf Hovius, Kai Johnsson, Luc Reymond, Howard Riezman, Efthymia Prifti

A fluorogenic probe for plasma membrane proteins based on the dye Nile Red and SNAP-tag is introduced. It takes advantage of Nile Red, a solvatochromic molecule highly fluorescent in an apolar environment, such as cellular membranes, but almost dark in a p ...

Amer Chemical Soc2014

Dithiol amino acids can structurally shape and enhance the ligand-binding properties of polypeptides

Rudolf Hovius, Christian Heinis, Florence Pojer, Shiyu Chen, Ranganath Gopalakrishnan

The disulfide bonds that form between two cysteine residues are important in defining and rigidifying the structures of proteins and peptides. In polypeptides containing multiple cysteine residues, disulfide isomerization can lead to multiple products with ...

Nature Publishing Group2014

Natural compounds boldine and menthol are antagonists of human 5-HT

Rudolf Hovius

Background Impaired 5-HT3 receptor function is likely involved in the pathogenesis of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) and 5-HT3 receptor antagonists are effective treatments for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and irritable bow ...

2014

Characterization and Validation of Fluorescent Receptor Ligands: A Case Study of the Ionotropic Serotonin Receptor

Rudolf Hovius

The application of fluorescent receptor ligands has become widespread, incited by two important reasons. “Seeing is believing”—it is possible to visualize in real time in live cells ligand–receptor interactions, and to locate the receptors with subcellular ...

2013

Downscaling the Analysis of Complex Transmembrane Signaling Cascades to Closed Attoliter Volumes

Rudolf Hovius, Horst Vogel, Joachim Piguet, Luigino Grasso, Romain Wyss, Michael Werner, Ghérici Hassaïne

Cellular signaling is classically investigated by measuring optical or electrical properties of single or populations of living cells. Here we show that ligand binding to cell surface receptors and subsequent activation of signaling cascades can be monitor ...

Public Library of Science2013

Microfluidic single cell analysis with affinity beads

Rudolf Hovius, Horst Vogel, Loïc Arvind Roger Arm, Michael Werner

Springer2013

Correlated Optical and Electrical Single-Molecule Measurements Reveal Conformational Diffusion from Ligand Binding to Channel Gating in the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor

Rudolf Hovius, Horst Vogel, Davor Kosanic, Ralf Schmauder

Wiley-Blackwell2011