Maxence Nachury, PhD

Associate Professor
Ophthalmology
Research Description: 

We study the primary cilium, a surface-exposed organelle required for vision, olfaction and developmental signaling. Our lab is interested in the mechanisms of trafficking in and out of cilia and how trafficking decisions impact signaling at the cilium. One research axis focuses on Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS), a ciliopathy characterized by obesity, skeletal malformations and kidney cysts. The BBSome is an evolutionarily conserved complex of 8 BBS proteins that traffics signaling receptors out of cilia and we aim to decipher the molecular details of BBSome-mediated trafficking and the cellular, biochemical and structural level. A second research direction is aimed at cilia-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). Ciliary signaling receptors that fail conventional exit are packaged into ciliary EVs. By dissecting the mechanisms of ciliary EV biogenesis, we will gain insight into the roles of these extracellular parcels in cell-cell communication.

Primary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Human Genetics
Research Summary: 
Mechanisms of signaling and trafficking at the primary cilium, biogenesis of extracellular vesicles.
Mentorship Development: 

12/19/19    ACRA: Setting Training Expectations for Trainees on the Academic Career Track (1.5 hours)
12/8/20    Setting Expectations with a "Welcome to the Lab' Letter (Parts 1 and 2)

Websites

Featured Publications: 

Microtubules acquire resistance from mechanical breakage through intralumenal acetylation.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

Xu Z, Schaedel L, Portran D, Aguilar A, Gaillard J, Marinkovich MP, Théry M, Nachury MV

An Actin Network Dispatches Ciliary GPCRs into Extracellular Vesicles to Modulate Signaling.

Cell

Nager AR, Goldstein JS, Herranz-Pérez V, Portran D, Ye F, Garcia-Verdugo JM, Nachury MV

Proteomics of Primary Cilia by Proximity Labeling.

Developmental cell

Mick DU, Rodrigues RB, Leib RD, Adams CM, Chien AS, Gygi SP, Nachury MV

The conserved Bardet-Biedl syndrome proteins assemble a coat that traffics membrane proteins to cilia.

Cell

Jin H, White SR, Shida T, Schulz S, Aguiar M, Gygi SP, Bazan JF, Nachury MV

A core complex of BBS proteins cooperates with the GTPase Rab8 to promote ciliary membrane biogenesis.

Cell

Nachury MV, Loktev AV, Zhang Q, Westlake CJ, Peränen J, Merdes A, Slusarski DC, Scheller RH, Bazan JF, Sheffield VC, Jackson PK