2020-2025
Peer-reviewed
Biochemical Profiling and Structural Basis of ADAR1-Mediated RNA Editing. 2025 X Deng, L Sun, M Zhang, R Basavaraj, J Wang, Y-L Weng, Y Gao. Mol. Cell
Structural basis of DNA polymerase θ mediated DNA end joining. 2025 C Li, LM Maksoud, Y Gao. Nat. Commun. 16, 2063
Cryo-EM structures of the Plasmodium falciparum apicoplast DNA polymerase. 2024 C-Y Lo, AR Ung, T Koley, SW Nelson, Y Gao. J. Mol. Biol. 168842
Quinoline-based compounds can inhibit diverse enzymes that act on DNA. 2024 J Zhou, Q Chen, R Ren, J Yang, B Liu, JR Horton, C Chang, C Li, L Maksoud, Y Yang, D Rotili, AK Jain, X Zhang, RM Blumenthal, T Chen, Y Gao. S Valente, A Mai, X Cheng Cell. Chem. Biol.
Observing one-divalent-metal-ion dependent and histidine-promoted His-Me family I-PpoI nuclease catalysis in crystallo. 2024 C Chang, G Zhou, Y Gao. Elife
Sugar ring alignment and dynamics underline cytarabine and gemcitabine inhibition on Pol Eta catalyzed DNA synthesis. 2024 C Chang, G Zhou, C Lee Luo, S Eleraky, M Moradi, Y Gao. J. Biol. Chem. 300, 107361
A new drug discovery platform: application to DNA Polymerase Eta and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 2023 D Das, MAJ Duncton, TM Georgiadis, P Pellicena, J Clark, RW Sobol, MM Georgiadis, J King-Underwood, DV Jobes, C Chang, Y Gao, AM Deacon, and DM Wilson III. IJMS. 24, 16637
Structural basis of the activation of a compact CRISPR-Cas13 nuclease. 2023 X Deng*, E Osikpa*, J Yang, SJ Oladeji, J Smith, X. Gao#, Y Gao#. Nat. Commun. 14, 5845
In crystallo observation of active site dynamics and transient metal ion binding within DNA polymerases. 2023 C Chang, G Zhou, Y Gao. Structural Dynamics 10, 034702
Activity, substrate preference and structure of the HsMCM8/9 helicase. 2023 DR McKinzey*, C Li*, , Y Gao, MA Trakselis. Nucleic Acid Research gkad508
Primer terminal ribonucleotide alters the active site dynamics of DNA Polymerase η and reduces DNA synthesis fidelity. 2023 C Chang, C Lee Luo, S Eleraky, A Lin, G Zhou, Y Gao. J. Biol. Chem. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102938
Structural basis of DNA polymerase θ mediated DNA end joining. 2022 C Li*, H Zhu*, S Jin, LM Maksoud, N Jain, J Sun#, Y Gao#. Nucleic Acid Research 51 (1), 463
Structural and dynamic basis of DNA capture and translocation by mitochondrial Twinkle helicase. 2022 Z Li, P Kaur#, C-Y Lo, N Chopra, JK Smith, H Wang Q, Y Gao#. Nucleic Acid Research 50 (20), 11965
Engineered LwaCas13a with Enhanced Collateral Activity for Nucleic Acid Detection. 2022 J Yang*, Y Song*, X Deng, JA Vanegas, Z You, YX Zhang, Z Wang, L Avery, KD Dieckhaus, A Peddi, Y Gao#, Y Zhang#, X Gao #. Nat. Chem. Biol. doi: 10.1038/s41589-022-01135-y.
Computationally exploring the mechanism of bacteriophage T7 gp4 helicase translocating along ssDNA. 2022 S Jin, C Bueno, W Lu, Q Wang, X Chen, PG Wolynes#, Y Gao#. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (32), e2202239119
In crystallo observation of three metal ion promoted DNA polymerase misincorporation 2022 C Chang, C Lee Luo Y Gao. Nat. Commun. 13, 2346
Assembling bacteriophage T7 leading-strand replisome for structural investigation 2022 C-Y Lo, Y Gao. Methods in Enzymology.
DNA Polymerase-Parental DNA Interaction Is Essential for Helicase-Polymase Coupling during Bacteriophage T7 DNA Replication 2022 C-Y Lo, Y Gao. IJMS. 23 (3), 1342
Early Drug Discovery and Development of Novel Cancer Therapeutics Targeting DNA Polymerase Eta (POLH) 2021 DM Wilson III, MAJ Duncton, C Chang, C Lee Luo, TM Georgiadis, P Pellicena, AM Deacon, Y Gao, D Das. Front. Oncol. 11, 778925
DNA helicase–polymerase coupling in bacteriophage DNA replication 2021 C-Y Lo, Y Gao. Virus. 13 (9), 1739
Structural basis of the stereoselective formation of the spirooxindole ring in the biosynthesis of citrinadin 2021 Z Liu, F Zhao, B Zhao, J Yang, J Ferrara, B Sankaran, BV Prasad, BB Kundu, GN Phillips Jr., Y Gao, L Hu, T Zhu, X Gao. Nat. Commun. 12 (1), 4158
Multiple deprotonation paths of the nucleophile 3′-OH in the DNA synthesis reaction 2021 MT Gregory, Y Gao#, Q Cui, W Yang#. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118 (23), e2103990118
Functional evaluation of the C-terminal region of bacteriophage T4 Rad50. 2020 HE Streff, Y Gao, SW Nelson. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 526, 485-90
2016-2019
Different mechanisms for translocation by monomeric and hexameric helicases. 2019 Y Gao#, W Yang#. Current Opinion in Structural Biology 61, 25-32
Replisome structure suggests mechanism for continuous fork progression and post-replication repair. 2019 W Yang, MM Seidman, WD Rupp, Y Gao. DNA repair, 102658
- Recommended by F1000.
Structures and operating principles of the replisome. 2019 Y Gao, Y Cui, T Fox, S Lin, H Wang, N de Val, ZH Zhou, W Yang. Science 363 (6429), eaav7003
- Perspective in Science: DNA replication from two different worlds.
- Recommended by F1000.
Bypassing a 8, 5′-cyclo-2′-deoxyadenosine lesion by human DNA polymerase η at atomic resolution. 2018 PJ Weng*, Y Gao*, MT Gregory, P Wang, Y Wang, W Yang. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115 (42), 10660-10665
Translesion and repair DNA polymerases: Diverse structure and mechanism. 2018 W Yang, Y Gao. Annual Review of Biochemistry 87, 239-261
A new paradigm of DNA synthesis: three-metal-ion catalysis. 2017 W Yang, PJ Weng, Y Gao. Cell and Bioscience 7
Detection of reaction intermediates in Mg2+-dependent DNA synthesis and RNA degradation by time-resolved X-ray crystallography. 2017 NL Samara*, Y Gao*, J Wu, W Yang. Methods in Enzymology 592, 283-327
A network of allosterically coupled residues in the bacteriophage T4 Mre11–Rad50 complex. 2016 Y Gao*, JR Meyer*, SW Nelson. Protein Science 25 (11), 2054-2065
Capture of a third Mg2+ is essential for catalyzing DNA synthesis. 2016 Y Gao, W Yang. Science 352 (6291), 1334
2010-2015
How a homolog of high-fidelity replicases conducts mutagenic DNA synthesis. 2015 YS Lee, Y Gao, Y Wei. NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 22, 298–303
- News & Views in Nat Struct Mol Biol.: Structures of human DNA polymerases ν and θ expose their end game.
- Recommended by F1000.
Autoinhibition of bacteriophage T4 Mre11 by its C-terminal domain. 2014 Y Gao, SW Nelson. Journal of Biological Chemistry 289 (38), 26505-26513
Central cavity of fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase and the evolution of AMP/fructose 2, 6-bisphosphate synergism in eukaryotic organisms. 2014 Y Gao, L Shen, RB Honzatko. Journal of Biological Chemistry 289 (12), 8450-8461
Mechanism of displacement of a catalytically essential loop from the active site of mammalian fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase. 2013 Y Gao, CV Iancu, S Mukind, JY Choe, RB Honzatko. Biochemistry 52 (31), 5206-5216
Insights into diterpene cyclization from structure of bifunctional abietadiene synthase from Abies grandis. 2012 K Zhou, Y Gao, JA Hoy, FM Mann, RB Honzatko, RJ Peters. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287 (9), 6840-6850
Terpenoid synthase structures: a so far incomplete view of complex catalysis. 2012 Y Gao, RB Honzatko, RJ Peters. Natural product reports 29 (10), 1153-1175