The computational cell biology group of Ramachandra Bhaskara has used MARTINI models of Ubiquitinated RHD proteins to show volume exclusion and non-specific Ub-Ub interactions driving the formation of homomeric and heteromeric complexes on ER membranes boosting selective-ER phagy. The computation-based findings are supported by super-resolution imaging and in vitro membrane remodeling assays apart from cell biology experiments. Published in TWO (!) Nature papers:
González, A., Covarrubias-Pinto, A., Bhaskara, R. M., Glogger, M., Kuncha, S. K., Xavier, A., Seemann, E., Misra, M., Hoffmann, M. E., Bräuning, B., Balakrishnan, A., Qualmann, B., Dötsch, V., Schulman, B. A., Kessels, M. M., Hübner, C. A., Heilemann, M., Hummer, G., & Dikić, I. (2023). Ubiquitination regulates ER-phagy and remodelling of endoplasmic reticulum. Nature, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06089-2
Foronda, H., Fu, Y., Covarrubias-Pinto, A., Bocker, H. T., González, A., Seemann, E., Franzka, P., Bock, A., Bhaskara, R. M., Liebmann, L., Hoffmann, M. E., Katona, I., Koch, N., Weis, J., Kurth, I., Gleeson, J. G., Reggiori, F., Hummer, G., Kessels, M. M., Qualmann, B., . . . Hübner, C. A. (2023). Heteromeric clusters of ubiquitinated ER-shaping proteins drive ER-phagy. Nature, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06090-9