Research Profile

John LaCava, Ph.D.

Group Leader, European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing
Research Associate Professor, The Rockefeller University
Managing Director, B13LOGY LLC

Emerging Lines of Investigation

  • The role of LINE-1 retrotransposons in colorectal cancer development
  • Transcription factor co-regulator protein interaction networks

Recent Funding (previous 5 years)

  • Robertson Therapeutic Fund, Proof-of-Concept Grant – Awarded 2019
    • Diagnostic detection of L1 retrotransposons, a newly recognized hallmark of cancer
  • Worldwide Cancer Research, Project Grant – 19-0223, Awarded 2019
    • Protein interactions mediate the contribution of LINE-1 retrotransposons to cancer development
  • The National Institute of General Medical Science, Research Program Grant – R01 GM126170, Awarded 2017
    • An integrated pipeline for next-generation interactomics
  • The National Cancer Institute, Small Business Technology Transfer Program Grant – R41 CA210822, Awarded 2016
    • Monospecific monoclonal antibodies against human protein complexes on an interactome-wide scale

2019

Carter, V., J. LaCava, M.S. Taylor, S.Y. Liang, C. Mustelin, K.C. Ukadike, A. Bengtsson, C. Lood, T. Mustelin. 2019. High prevalence and disease correlation of autoantibodies against p40 encoded by long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1) in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis & Rheumatology. DOI:10.1002/art.41054

Jiang, H., M. S. Taylor, K. R. Molloy, I. Altukhov, & J. LaCava. 2019. Identification of RNase-sensitive LINE-1 Ribonucleoprotein Interactions by Differential Affinity Immobilization. Bio-protocol. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3200

LaCava, J. 2019. RNA Binding Proteins as Regulators of Retrotransposon‐Induced Exonization. Bioessays. DOI: 10.1002/bies.201800263

2018

Pronier, E., P. Cifani, T.R. Merlinsky, K.B. Berman, A.V.H. Somasundara, R.K. Rampal, J. LaCava, K. Wei, F. Pastore, J. Maag, J. Park, R. Koche, A. Kentsis, & R.L. Levine. 2018. Targeting the CALR Interactome in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms. JCI Insight. DOI 10.1172/jci.insight.122703

Chan, H.L., F. Beckedorff, J. Garcia-Huidobro, Y. Zhang, H. Jiang, A. Colaprico, M.E. Figueroa, J. LaCava, R. Shiekhattar, & L. Morey. 2018. Polycomb Complexes Associate with Enhancers and Promote Oncogenic Transcriptional Programs in Cancer through Multiple Mechanisms. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05728-x

Zinoviev, A., A. Goyal, S. Jindal, J. LaCava, A.A. Komar, M.V. Rodnina, C.U.T. Hellen, & T.V. Pestova. 2018. Functions of unconventional mammalian translational GTPases GTPBP1 and GTPBP2. Genes & Development. DOI: 10.1101/gad.314724.118

Taylor, M.S., I. Altukhov, K.R. Molloy, P. Mita, H. Jiang, E.M. Adney, A. Wudzinska, S. Badri, D. Ischenko, G. Eng, K.H. Burns, D. Fenyö, B.T. Chait, D. Alexeev, M.P. Rout, J.D. Boeke, & J. LaCava. 2018. Dissection of affinity captured LINE-1 macromolecular complexes. eLife. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.30094

Mita, P., A. Wudzinska, X. Sun, J. Andrade, S. Nayak, D.J. Kahler, S. Badri, J. LaCava, B. Ueberheide, C.Y. Yun, D. Fenyö, & J.D Boeke. 2018. LINE-1 protein localization and functional dynamics during the cell cycle. eLife. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.30058

Winczura, K., M. Schmid, C. Iasillo, K.R. Molloy, L.M. Harder, J.S. Andersen, J. LaCava, & T.H. Jensen. 2018. Characterizing ZC3H18, a multi-domain protein at the interface of RNA production and destruction decisions. Cell Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.037

2017

Ma, Y., L. Silveri, J. LaCava, & S. Dokudovskaya. 2017. Tumor suppressor NPRL2 induces ROS production and DNA damage response. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15497-0

Santanach, A., E. Blanco, H. Jiang, K.R. Molloy, M. Sansó, J. LaCava, L. Morey, & L. Di Croce. 2017. The Polycomb group protein CBX6 is an essential regulator of embryonic stem cell identity. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01464-w

Domanski, M., & J. LaCava. 2017. RNA Degradation Assay Using RNA Exosome Complexes, Affinity-purified from HEK-293 Cells. Bio-protocol. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.2239

Domanski, M., & J. LaCava. 2017. Affinity Purification of the RNA Degradation Complex, the Exosome, from HEK-293 Cells. Bio-protocol. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.2238

2016

Domanski, M., P. Upla, W.J. Rice, K.R. Molloy, N.E. Ketaren, D.L. Stokes, T.H. Jensen, M.P. Rout, & J. LaCava. 2016. Purification and Analysis of Endogenous Human RNA Exosome Complexes. RNA. DOI: 10.1261/rna.057760.116

LaCava, J., H. Jiang, & M.P. Rout. 2016. Protein complex affinity capture from cryomilled mammalian cells. Journal of Visualized Experiments. DOI: 10.3791/54518

2015

Hakhverdyan, Z., M. Domanski, L. Hough, A.A. Oroskar, A.R. Oroskar, D.J. Dilworth, K.R. Molloy, V. Sherman, J.D. Aitchison, B.T. Chait, T.H. Jensen, M.P. Rout, & J. LaCava. 2015. Rapid, Optimized Interactomic Screening. Nature Methods. DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.3395

LaCava, J., K. R. Molloy, M. S. Taylor, M. Domanski, B. T. Chait, & M. P. Rout. 2015. Affinity proteomics to study endogenous protein complexes: Pointers, pitfalls, preferences and perspectives. BioTechniques. DOI: 10.2144/000114262

2014

Dai, L., J. LaCava, M.S. Taylor, & J.D. Boeke. 2014. Expression and detection of LINE-1 ORF-encoded proteins. Mobile Genetic Elements. DOI: 10.4161/mge.29319

2013

Andersen, P.R., M. Domanski, M.S. Kristiansen, H. Storvall, E. Ntini, C. Verheggen, J. Bunkenborg, I. Poser, M. Hallais, R. Sandberg, A. Hyman, J. LaCava, M.P. Rout, J.S. Andersen, E. Bertrand, & T.H. Jensen. 2013. The human cap-binding complex is functionally connected to the nuclear RNA exosome. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2703

Taylor, M.S., J. LaCava, P. Mita, K.R. Molloy, C.R.L. Huang, D. Li, E.M. Adney, H. Jiang, K.H. Burns, B.T. Chait, M.P. Rout, J.D. Boeke, & L. Dai. 2013. Affinity proteomics reveals human host factors implicated in discrete stages of LINE-1 retrotransposition. Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.10.021

LaCava, J., N. Chandramouli, H. Jiang, & M.P. Rout. 2013. Improved native isolation of endogenous Protein A-tagged protein complexes. BioTechniques. DOI: 10.2144/000114012

2012

Domanski, M., K. Molloy, H. Jiang, B.T. Chait, M.P. Rout, T.H. Jensen, & J. LaCava. 2012. Improved methodology for the affinity isolation of human protein complexes expressed at near endogenous levels. BioTechniques. DOI: 10.2144/000113864

2006

Houseley, J., J. LaCava, & D. Tollervey. 2006. RNA-quality control by the exosome. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. DOI: 10.1038/nrm1964

2005

LaCava, J., J. Houseley, C. Saveanu, E. Petfalski, E. Thompson, A. Jacquier, & D. Tollervey. 2005. RNA degradation by the exosome is promoted by a nuclear polyadenylation complex. Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.04.029

2016

LaCava, J., J. Fernandez-Martinez, Z. Hakhverdyan, & M.P. Rout. 2016. Protein Complex Purification by Affinity Capture. In B. Andrews, C. Boone, T. Davis, & S. Fields (Eds.), Budding Yeast: A Laboratory Manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top077545. Includes 3 companion protocols: DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot087932; DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot087940; DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot087957

Taylor, M.S., J. LaCava, L. Dai, P. Mita, K.H. Burns, M.P. Rout, & J.D. Boeke. Characterization of L1-RNPs. 2016. In J.L. Garcia (Ed.), Transposons and Retrotransposons: Methods and Protocols. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3372-3_20

2015

Oroskar, A.A., A.R. Oroskar, J.P. LaCava, & M.P. Rout . 2015. Apparatus and Method for Parallel Collection and Analysis of the Proteome and Complex Compositions. US Patent No. 9,084,994.