Research profile Dr. Dmitry Shvarev

Photosynthesis is essential for life, and chlorophyll plays a central role in this process. The biogenesis of chlorophyll is conserved across photosynthetic organisms and involves intricate enzymatic steps. Our group focuses on understanding how the multiprotein complexes that control and regulate chlorophyll biosynthesis function. We use biochemical methods and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to explore the mechanisms behind this pathway.

Research topics

• Analysis of magnesium chelatase function and regulation
• Study of the mechanisms of chlorophyll synthase and membrane-associated insertion of chlorophyll into chlorophyll-binding proteins
• Investigation of other macromolecular complexes from photosynthetic organisms

Model systems

• Isolated membrane and cytoplasmic proteins and protein complexes
• Reconstituted membrane systems
• Cyanobacteria (Nostoc, Synechocystis)

Methods

• Cryo-EM and single particle analysis
• Protein expression and purification
• Enzymatic activity and protein interaction assays
• Protein expression and purification
• Physiological studies of cyanobacteria

Selected publications

• Doello S., Shvarev D., Theune M., Sauerwein J., Klon A., Keskin E., Boehm M., Gutekunst K. & Forchhamer, K. (2024):  Structural basis of the allosteric regulation of cyanobacterial glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by the redox sensor OpcA. PNAS 121.
• Shvarev D, König C, Susan N, Langemeyer L, Walter S, Perz A, Fröhlich F, Ungermann C, Moeller A (2024):  Structure of the endosomal CORVET tethering complex. Nat Commun 15.
• Shvarev D, Scholz AI, Moeller A (2023):  Conformational variability of cyanobacterial ChlI, the AAA+ motor of magnesium chelatase involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis. mBio.
• Shvarev D, Schoppe J, König C, Perz A, Füllbrunn N, Kiontke S, Langemeyer L, Januliene D, Schnelle K, Kümmel D, Fröhlich F, Moeller A, Ungermann C (2022):  Structure of the HOPS tethering complex, a lysosomal membrane fusion machinery. Elife 11.