Rizo lab

Chattopadhyay, M., Xu, J., and Rizo, J. (2026) Guiding AlphaFold to predict how Munc13-1 opens Syntaxin-1, FEBS Open Bio.

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Rizo, J., Chattopadhyay, M., Wosztyl, A., and Xu, J. (2026) The local detergent model of SNARE-mediated membrane fusion, J Cell Sci 139, jcs.264344.

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Rizo, J., Pan, Y. Z., and Rastegar, C. T. (2026) The lever model of synaptotagmin-1 function, J Cell Sci 139, jcs.264345.

Jaczynska, K., Esser, V., Xu, J., Sari, L., Lin, M. M., Rosenmund, C., and Rizo, J. (2025) A lever hypothesis for Synaptotagmin-1 action in neurotransmitter release, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 122, e2417941121.

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Rizo, J., Sari, L., Jaczynska, K., Rosenmund, C., and Lin, M. M. (2024) Molecular mechanism underlying SNARE-mediated membrane fusion enlightened by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121, e2321447121.

 

Xu, J., Esser, V., Golebiowska-Mendroch, K., Bolembach, A. A., and Rizo, J. (2024) Control of Munc13-1 Activity by Autoinhibitory Interactions Involving the Variable N-terminal Region, J Mol Biol 436, 168502.

 

Stepien, K. P., Xu, J., Zhang, X., Bai, X. C., and Rizo, J. (2022) SNARE assembly enlightened by cryo-EM structures of a synaptobrevin-Munc18-1-syntaxin-1 complex, Sci Adv 8, eabo5272.

 

Rizo, J., Sari, L., Qi, Y., Im, W., and Lin, M. M. (2022) All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of Synaptotagmin-SNARE-complexin complexes bridging a vesicle and a flat lipid bilayer, Elife 11, e76356.

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Rizo, J. (2022) Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Neurotransmitter Release, Annu Rev Biophys 51, 377-408.

 

Stepien, K. P., and Rizo, J. (2021) Synaptotagmin-1-, Munc18-1-, and Munc13-1-dependent liposome fusion with a few neuronal SNAREs, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 118.

 

Voleti, R., Jaczynska, K., and Rizo, J. (2020) Ca(2+)-dependent release of Synaptotagmin-1 from the SNARE complex on phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-containing membranes, Elife 9, e57154.

 

Tien, C. W., Yu, B., Huang, M., Stepien, K. P., Sugita, K., Xie, X., Han, L., Monnier, P. P., Zhen, M., Rizo, J., Gao, S., and Sugita, S. (2020) Open syntaxin overcomes exocytosis defects of diverse mutants in C. elegans, Nat Commun 11, 5516.

 

Quade, B., Camacho, M., Zhao, X., Orlando, M., Trimbuch, T., Xu, J., Li, W., Nicastro, D., Rosenmund, C., and Rizo, J. (2019) Membrane bridging by Munc13-1 is crucial for neurotransmitter release, Elife 8, e42806.

 

Prinslow, E. A., Stepien, K. P., Pan, Y. Z., Xu, J., and Rizo, J. (2019) Multiple factors maintain assembled trans-SNARE complexes in the presence of NSF and alphaSNAP, Elife 8, e38880.

 

Stepien, K. P., Prinslow, E. A., and Rizo, J. (2019) Munc18-1 is crucial to overcome the inhibition of synaptic vesicle fusion by alphaSNAP, Nat Commun 10, 4326.

 

de Jong, A. P. H., Roggero, C. M., Ho, M. R., Wong, M. Y., Brautigam, C. A., Rizo, J., and Kaeser, P. S. (2018) RIM C2B Domains Target Presynaptic Active Zone Functions to PIP2-Containing Membranes, Neuron 98, 335-349 e337.

 

Xu, J., Camacho, M., Xu, Y., Esser, V., Liu, X., Trimbuch, T., Pan, Y. Z., Ma, C., Tomchick, D. R., Rosenmund, C., and Rizo, J. (2017) Mechanistic insights into neurotransmitter release and presynaptic plasticity from the crystal structure of Munc13-1 C1C2BMUN, Elife 6, e22567.

 

Sitarska, E., Xu, J., Park, S., Liu, X., Quade, B., Stepien, K., Sugita, K., Brautigam, C. A., Sugita, S., and Rizo, J. (2017) Autoinhibition of Munc18-1 modulates synaptobrevin binding and helps to enable Munc13-dependent regulation of membrane fusion, Elife 6, e24278.

 

Liu, X., Seven, A. B., Camacho, M., Esser, V., Xu, J., Trimbuch, T., Quade, B., Su, L., Ma, C., Rosenmund, C., and Rizo, J. (2016) Functional synergy between the Munc13 C-terminal C1 and C2 domains, elife 5, e13696.

 

Brewer, K. D., Bacaj, T., Cavalli, A., Camilloni, C., Swarbrick, J. D., Liu, J., Zhou, A., Zhou, P., Barlow, N., Xu, J., Seven, A. B., Prinslow, E. A., Voleti, R., Haussinger, D., Bonvin, A. M., Tomchick, D. R., Vendruscolo, M., Graham, B., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (2015) Dynamic binding mode of a Synaptotagmin-1-SNARE complex in solution, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol 22, 555-564.

 

Wang, H., Sun, L., Su, L., Rizo, J., Liu, L., Wang, L. F., Wang, F. S., and Wang, X. (2014) Mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein MLKL causes necrotic membrane disruption upon phosphorylation by RIP3, Mol. Cell 54, 133-146.

 

Trimbuch, T., Xu, J., Flaherty, D., Tomchick, D. R., Rizo, J., and Rosenmund, C. (2014) Re-examining how complexin inhibits neurotransmitter release, elife 3, e02391.

 

Ma, C., Su, L., Seven, A. B., Xu, Y., and Rizo, J. (2013) Reconstitution of the vital functions of Munc18 and Munc13 in neurotransmitter release, Science 339, 421-425.

 

Ma, C., Li, W., Xu, Y., and Rizo, J. (2011) Munc13 mediates the transition from the closed syntaxin-Munc18 complex to the SNARE complex, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol 18, 542-549.

 

Sheard, L. B., Tan, X., Mao, H., Withers, J., Ben-Nissan, G., Hinds, T. R., Kobayashi, Y., Hsu, F. F., Sharon, M., Browse, J., He, S. Y., Rizo, J., Howe, G. A., and Zheng, N. (2010) Jasmonate perception by inositol-phosphate-potentiated COI1-JAZ co-receptor, Nature 468, 400-405.

 

Shin, O. H., Lu, J., Rhee, J. S., Tomchick, D. R., Pang, Z. P., Wojcik, S. M., Camacho-Perez, M., Brose, N., Machius, M., Rizo, J., Rosenmund, C., and Sudhof, T. C. (2010) Munc13 C2B domain is an activity-dependent Ca2+ regulator of synaptic exocytosis, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol 17, 280-288.

 

Xue, M., Ma, C., Craig, T. K., Rosenmund, C., and Rizo, J. (2008) The Janus-faced nature of the C(2)B domain is fundamental for synaptotagmin-1 function, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol 15, 1160-1168.

 

Gerber, S. H., Rah, J. C., Min, S. W., Liu, X., de, W. H., Dulubova, I., Meyer, A. C., Rizo, J., Arancillo, M., Hammer, R. E., Verhage, M., Rosenmund, C., and Sudhof, T. C. (2008) Conformational switch of syntaxin-1 controls synaptic vesicle fusion, Science 321, 1507-1510.

 

Dulubova, I., Khvotchev, M., Liu, S., Huryeva, I., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (2007) Munc18-1 binds directly to the neuronal SNARE complex, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A 104, 2697-2702.

 

Lu, J., Machius, M., Dulubova, I., Dai, H., Sudhof, T. C., Tomchick, D. R., and Rizo, J. (2006) Structural Basis for a Munc13-1 Homodimer to Munc13-1/RIM Heterodimer Switch, PLoS. Biol 4, e192.

 

Arac, D., Chen, X., Khant, H. A., Ubach, J., Ludtke, S. J., Kikkawa, M., Johnson, A. E., Chiu, W., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (2006) Close membrane-membrane proximity induced by Ca(2+)-dependent multivalent binding of synaptotagmin-1 to phospholipids, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol 13, 209-217.

 

Tang, J., Maximov, A., Shin, O. H., Dai, H., Rizo, J., and Sudhof, T. C. (2006) A complexin/synaptotagmin 1 switch controls fast synaptic vesicle exocytosis, Cell 126, 1175-1187.

 

Basu, J., Shen, N., Dulubova, I., Lu, J., Guan, R., Guryev, O., Grishin, N. V., Rosenmund, C., and Rizo, J. (2005) A minimal domain responsible for Munc13 activity, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol 12, 1017-1018.

 

Dulubova, I., Lou, X., Lu, J., Huryeva, I., Alam, A., Schneggenburger, R., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (2005) A Munc13/RIM/Rab3 tripartite complex: from priming to plasticity?, EMBO J 24, 2839-2850.

 

Garcia, J., Gerber, S. H., Sugita, S., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (2004) A conformational switch in the Piccolo C2A domain regulated by alternative splicing, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol 11, 45-53.

 

Luo, X., Tang, Z., Xia, G., Wassmann, K., Matsumoto, T., Rizo, J., and Yu, H. (2004) The Mad2 spindle checkpoint protein has two distinct natively folded states, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol 11, 338-345.

 

Chen, X., Tomchick, D. R., Kovrigin, E., Arac, D., Machius, M., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (2002) Three-dimensional structure of the complexin/SNARE complex, Neuron 33, 397-409.

 

Fernandez-Chacon, R., Konigstorfer, A., Gerber, S. H., Garcia, J., Matos, M. F., Stevens, C. F., Brose, N., Rizo, J., Rosenmund, C., and Sudhof, T. C. (2001) Synaptotagmin I functions as a calcium regulator of release probability, Nature 410, 41-49.

 

Fernandez, I., Arac, D., Ubach, J., Gerber, S. H., Shin, O., Gao, Y., Anderson, R. G., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (2001) Three-dimensional structure of the synaptotagmin 1 c(2)b-domain. Synaptotagmin 1 as a phospholipid binding machine, Neuron 32, 1057-1069.

 

Dulubova, I., Sugita, S., Hill, S., Hosaka, M., Fernandez, I., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (1999) A conformational switch in syntaxin during exocytosis: role of munc18, EMBO J 18, 4372-4382.

 

Fernandez, I., Ubach, J., Dulubova, I., Zhang, X., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (1998) Three-dimensional structure of an evolutionarily conserved N-terminal domain of syntaxin 1A, Cell 94, 841-849.

 

Ubach, J., Zhang, X., Shao, X., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (1998) Ca2+ binding to synaptotagmin: how many Ca2+ ions bind to the tip of a C2-domain?, EMBO J 17, 3921-3930.

 

Shao, X., Li, C., Fernandez, I., Zhang, X., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (1997) Synaptotagmin-syntaxin interaction: the C2 domain as a Ca2+-dependent electrostatic switch, Neuron 18, 133-142.

 

Shao, X., Davletov, B. A., Sutton, R. B., Sudhof, T. C., and Rizo, J. (1996) Bipartite Ca2+-binding motif in C2 domains of synaptotagmin and protein kinase C, Science 273, 248-251.