We used our new ivRIC method to map host proteins inside HIV-1 particles, finding 100+ proteins that the virus hijacks to boost infection.
This project has a long history, spanning from pre-COVID to now! Driven by Manuel Garcia-Moreno and led by @alf-castello.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/54vb842w
Posts by Alfredo Castello
Proud of Louisa Iselin for this work. Not only a covid baby but had both of her supervisors move lab (@alf-castello.bsky.social and me). The works is a meticulous analysis of the interferon pathway and specifially how RNA binding of proteins are modulated by PTMs.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
She also discovered a phosphosite in MATR3 that regulates its affinity for RNA after interferon stimulation 🤯
we also report an approach (phospho-RIC) to map phosphosites in RNA-binding proteins and define their influence RNA-binding 🏆
Proud of Louisa Iselin. Not the easiest PhD, covid, two supervisors (shabazlab.bsky.social) moving labs, but she pushed through and delivered a really solid piece of work on how interferon reshapes RNA-protein interactions post-translationally www.cell.com/cell-reports...
6/ This study is a collaborative effort with Arvind H. Patel & @alf-castello.bsky.social - @cvrinfo.bsky.social; Rafael Sanjuán - @i2sysbio.es & Miguel Chillón - @uab.cat
👇 Check the original article published in @natcomms.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Delighted to collaborate with @melisupf.bsky.social on this exciting study. Juana Diez and her team reveal that coronaviruses reprogram the cellular tRNA pool to optimise viral gene expression 🤯🍾🥂🥳🥳
1/ 🎯 A therapeutic target that would curb the spread of #coronaviruses has been identified
It is an enzyme that is activated in human cells in response to stress due to infection and causes changes in the cellular machinery that favour the production and spread of coronaviruses
tuit.cat/5y9Rr
Thrilled to contribute to this awesome work led by Ben Davis and @shabazlab.bsky.social on in situ mapping of the in cellulo cysteinome, which opens lots of exciting applications www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thrilled to contribute to @samjwilsonphd.bsky.social’s new Science paper showing that avian flu polymerase, via its PB1 subunit, stays active at fever temperatures, unlike human flu polymerase. A key factor in their different pathology. 🤯🍾🥂🎉
Thrilled to announce the successful thesis viva defense of Zaydah Roland de Laurent 🦟 on her work defining the RNA interactome of mosquitoes. So proud for her successful defence! Well deserved! #MosquitoResearch #RNA #Doctorate.
We’ll soon be advertising a postdoc position (3 years) to study how mRNA-specific translational regulation shapes the innate immune system, in collaboration with @alf-castello.bsky.social. The formal ad will be out soon but get in touch if you’d like an informal chat! #RNASky
Are you thinking on an exciting PHD project at the interface of translation control and innate immunity? @rnanomad.bsky.social and I have a project that might interest you!
Our new PLOS Pathogens paper with @brennanlab.bsky.social is out! We charted the first protein–RNA interaction map for virus-infected tick cells, revealing 283 RNA-binding proteins reshaped by Uukuniemi virus. Some directly control viral particle output. Full story: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Post 5/5 🧵
IMPACT: This transforms tick-borne disease research:
🎯 New drug targets
🎯 Understanding vector competence
🎯 Virus-tick evolution
Testing if mechanisms work across other tick viruses next.
👨🔬 collaborative project with @alf-castello.bsky.social and @alainkohlvirology.bsky.social
🚀 New from Cell: SPIDR is a game-changer—map dozens to hundreds of RNA-binding proteins simultaneously with single-nucleotide precision in one CLIP experiment. An exciting advance for RNA–protein interactomics! 🧬🔗https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.06.042
I am really pleased we managed to squeeze this story out during #ASMS2025. This is our contribution relating to the fantastic Omnitrap/Orbitrap. What we thought would be a straightforward conversation of our exploris-omnitrap turned into quite a journey. (1/n)
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
🚨🚨 News from the @castello-lab.bsky.social and @shabazlab.bsky.social. Our work, led by Louisa Iselin, reveals pervasive changes in the RNA-bound proteome induced by interferon. #RNA, #immunity, #interferon, #host-virus www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Proud of Louisa Iselin for this work. Not only a covid baby but had both of her supervisors move lab (@alf-castello.bsky.social and me). The works is a meticulous analysis of the interferon pathway and specifially how RNA binding of proteins are modulated by PTMs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Happy to see Honglin Chen's paper published! 🎉🎉🍾🥂. Great collaboration with @shabazlab.bsky.social to discover the discordances between RNA and protein in the interferon response...
A basic solution to a very common problem.
collab with @kusterlab.bsky.social and @bendavisgroup.bsky.social
www.mcponline.org/article/S153...
Great conference at @embl.org on the expanding world of #RBPs. After the hard (fun) work, the @castello-lab.bsky.social chilled out in the beautiful Heidelberg
Pre-print is up! SARS-2 produces a truncated N protein to antagonize multiple antiviral pathways. A very collaborative project in the @corcoranlab.bsky.social with @nogasharlin.bsky.social, Danyel Evseev, and Max Bui-Marinos, and of course the boss Jenn Corcoran
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@science.org Cryo-EM reveals mechanisms of natural RNA multivalency | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#RNAsky #RNAbiology #Cryo-EM
Excellent talk of Louisa Iselin on the remodelling of the RBPome by interferon at the "Expanding Universe of RBPs" in @embl.org, Heidelberg. The @castello-lab.bsky.social is very proud 🍾🥂🎊🎊
Translation of mRNA can be triggered with spatiotemporal control in zebrafish 🐟 embryos by light ⚡ & FlashCaps 🧪⚗😊 Kudos to all authors and collaborators 🙏👍
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Amazing work of our dear friends @ilandavis.bsky.social and @jeffylee.bsky.social characterising the interlinked roles of two key RBPs in drosophila brain development, congratulations 🍾🥂🎉🎉🎉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Had a wonderful couple of days with these guys. @alf-castello.bsky.social @marvintanenbaum.bsky.social and Stephen carter. Always a pleasure
At this END of YEAR please check out our new paper on GENE ENDS and a convenient marker of transcription termination: RNAPII CTD T4ph! We think it is relevant to anyone studying human/animal #genes and #genome so put a lot of effort to make it easy to read. #RNABiology and #Epigenetics meet:)