Author
Jake Baum
Other affiliations: University of Melbourne, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, University of London ...read more
Bio: Jake Baum is an academic researcher from Imperial College London. The author has contributed to research in topics: Plasmodium falciparum & Malaria. The author has an hindex of 44, co-authored 133 publications receiving 6524 citations. Previous affiliations of Jake Baum include University of Melbourne & Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
Papers published on a yearly basis
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TL;DR: This study reveals a previously unidentified pathway of P. falciparum biology critical for survival in the host and transmission to mosquitoes and identifies a pathway for the development of agents to block parasite transmission from the human host to the mosquito.
458 citations
TL;DR: Conservation of the motor complex suggests that a common molecular mechanism underlies all Apicomplexan motility, which highlights a number of novel targets for drug intervention to treat major diseases of humans and livestock.
369 citations
TL;DR: Comprehensive model for the molecular basis of parasite invasion is proposed that involves formation of the merozoite-erythrocyte tight junction, which acts as a nexus for rhoptry secretion, surface-protein shedding, and actomyosin motor activation.
337 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focused on identifying the proteins involved and understanding the underlying mechanisms behind merozoite invasion into the protected niche inside the human erythrocyte.
Abstract: Malaria is a major disease of humans caused by protozoan parasites from the genus Plasmodium. It has a complex life cycle; however, asexual parasite infection within the blood stream is responsible for all disease pathology. This stage is initiated when merozoites, the free invasive blood-stage form, invade circulating erythrocytes. Although invasion is rapid, it is the only time of the life cycle when the parasite is directly exposed to the host immune system. Significant effort has, therefore, focused on identifying the proteins involved and understanding the underlying mechanisms behind merozoite invasion into the protected niche inside the human erythrocyte.
298 citations
TL;DR: The cryo-EM structure of the cytoplasmic ribosome from the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in complex with emetine at 3.2 Å resolution is solved, establishing cryo -EM as a powerful tool for screening and guiding the design of drugs that target parasite translation machinery.
Abstract: Malaria inflicts an enormous burden on global human health. The emergence of parasite resistance to front-line drugs has prompted a renewed focus on the repositioning of clinically approved drugs as potential anti-malarial therapies. Antibiotics that inhibit protein translation are promising candidates for repositioning. We have solved the cryo-EM structure of the cytoplasmic ribosome from the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in complex with emetine at 3.2 A resolution. Emetine is an anti-protozoan drug used in the treatment of ameobiasis that also displays potent anti-malarial activity. Emetine interacts with the E-site of the ribosomal small subunit and shares a similar binding site with the antibiotic pactamycin, thereby delivering its therapeutic effect by blocking mRNA/tRNA translocation. As the first cryo-EM structure that visualizes an antibiotic bound to any ribosome at atomic resolution, this establishes cryo-EM as a powerful tool for screening and guiding the design of drugs that target parasite translation machinery.
294 citations
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Journal Article•
TL;DR: It is suggested that the natural selection against large insertion/deletion is so weak that a large amount of variation is maintained in a population.
11,521 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and branch-and-bound maximum likelihood optimization algorithms permit the major steps in cryo-EM structure determination to be performed in hours or minutes on an inexpensive desktop computer.
Abstract: Single-particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful method for determining the structures of biological macromolecules. With automated microscopes, cryo-EM data can often be obtained in a few days. However, processing cryo-EM image data to reveal heterogeneity in the protein structure and to refine 3D maps to high resolution frequently becomes a severe bottleneck, requiring expert intervention, prior structural knowledge, and weeks of calculations on expensive computer clusters. Here we show that stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and branch-and-bound maximum likelihood optimization algorithms permit the major steps in cryo-EM structure determination to be performed in hours or minutes on an inexpensive desktop computer. Furthermore, SGD with Bayesian marginalization allows ab initio 3D classification, enabling automated analysis and discovery of unexpected structures without bias from a reference map. These algorithms are combined in a user-friendly computer program named cryoSPARC (http://www.cryosparc.com).
4,342 citations
TL;DR: Exosomes were described as vesicles of endosomal origin secreted from reticulocytes in the 1980s as discussed by the authors, and their biogenesis, their secretion, and their subsequent fate are discussed, as their functions rely on these important processes.
Abstract: In the 1980s, exosomes were described as vesicles of endosomal origin secreted from reticulocytes. Interest increased around these extracellular vesicles, as they appeared to participate in several cellular processes. Exosomes bear proteins, lipids, and RNAs, mediating intercellular communication between different cell types in the body, and thus affecting normal and pathological conditions. Only recently, scientists acknowledged the difficulty of separating exosomes from other types of extracellular vesicles, which precludes a clear attribution of a particular function to the different types of secreted vesicles. To shed light into this complex but expanding field of science, this review focuses on the definition of exosomes and other secreted extracellular vesicles. Their biogenesis, their secretion, and their subsequent fate are discussed, as their functions rely on these important processes.
3,959 citations
University of Helsinki1, Semmelweis University2, Hungarian Academy of Sciences3, University of Szeged4, University of Palermo5, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto6, University of Porto7, Autonomous University of Barcelona8, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular9, Ikerbasque10, Harvard University11, University of Duisburg-Essen12, Paracelsus Private Medical University of Salzburg13, Salk Institute for Biological Studies14, University of Colorado Denver15, Bilkent University16, Middle East Technical University17, University of Southern Denmark18, Statens Serum Institut19, Ghent University Hospital20, Oslo University Hospital21, University of Belgrade22, University of Ljubljana23, University of Mainz24, Finnish Red Cross25, University of Gothenburg26, Latvian Biomedical Research and Study centre27, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW28, University of Valencia29, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares30, University of Freiburg31, Utrecht University32, Trinity College, Dublin33, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies34, University of Barcelona35, International University Of Catalonia36, Aarhus University Hospital37
TL;DR: A comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the physiological roles of EVs is provided, drawing on the unique EV expertise of academia-based scientists, clinicians and industry based in 27 European countries, the United States and Australia.
Abstract: In the past decade, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been recognized as potent vehicles of intercellular communication, both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This is due to their capacity to transfer proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, thereby influencing various physiological and pathological functions of both recipient and parent cells. While intensive investigation has targeted the role of EVs in different pathological processes, for example, in cancer and autoimmune diseases, the EV-mediated maintenance of homeostasis and the regulation of physiological functions have remained less explored. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the physiological roles of EVs, which has been written by crowd-sourcing, drawing on the unique EV expertise of academia-based scientists, clinicians and industry based in 27 European countries, the United States and Australia. This review is intended to be of relevance to both researchers already working on EV biology and to newcomers who will encounter this universal cell biological system. Therefore, here we address the molecular contents and functions of EVs in various tissues and body fluids from cell systems to organs. We also review the physiological mechanisms of EVs in bacteria, lower eukaryotes and plants to highlight the functional uniformity of this emerging communication system.
3,690 citations
01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: The definition of exosomes and other secreted extracellular vesicles, which mediating intercellular communication between different cell types in the body, and thus affecting normal and pathological conditions are focused on.
Abstract: In the 1980s, exosomes were described as vesicles of endosomal origin secreted from reticulocytes. Interest increased around these extracellular vesicles, as they appeared to participate in several cellular processes. Exosomes bear proteins, lipids, and RNAs, mediating intercellular communication between different cell types in the body, and thus affecting normal and pathological conditions. Only recently, scientists acknowledged the difficulty of separating exosomes from other types of extracellular vesicles, which precludes a clear attribution of a particular function to the different types of secreted vesicles. To shed light into this complex but expanding field of science, this review focuses on the definition of exosomes and other secreted extracellular vesicles. Their biogenesis, their secretion, and their subsequent fate are discussed, as their functions rely on these important processes.
3,321 citations