Christopher W. Akey, PhD

Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

We are studying the structure and function of macromolecular machines and chaperones. In our work, we use biochemistry and molecular biology coupled with structural electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling. This hybrid approach allows us to create snapshots of these large assemblies and thus, to infer function from form.

Publications

  • Published 9/21/2023

    Akey CW, Echeverria I, Ouch C, Nudelman I, Shi Y, Wang J, Chait BT, Sali A, Fernandez-Martinez J, Rout MP. Implications of a multiscale structure of the yeast nuclear pore complex. Mol Cell. 2023 Sep 21; 83(18):3283-3302.e5. PMID: 37738963.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/3/2022

    Akey CW, Singh D, Ouch C, Echeverria I, Nudelman I, Varberg JM, Yu Z, Fang F, Shi Y, Wang J, Salzberg D, Song K, Xu C, Gumbart JC, Suslov S, Unruh J, Jaspersen SL, Chait BT, Sali A, Fernandez-Martinez J, Ludtke SJ, Villa E, Rout MP. Comprehensive structure and functional adaptations of the yeast nuclear pore complex. Cell. 2022 01 20; 185(2):361-378.e25. PMID: 34982960.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/15/2018

    Dorstyn L, Akey CW, Kumar S. New insights into apoptosome structure and function. Cell Death Differ. 2018 07; 25(7):1194-1208. PMID: 29765111.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/14/2018

    Kim SJ, Fernandez-Martinez J, Nudelman I, Shi Y, Zhang W, Raveh B, Herricks T, Slaughter BD, Hogan JA, Upla P, Chemmama IE, Pellarin R, Echeverria I, Shivaraju M, Chaudhury AS, Wang J, Williams R, Unruh JR, Greenberg CH, Jacobs EY, Yu Z, de la Cruz MJ, Mironska R, Stokes DL, Aitchison JD, Jarrold MF, Gerton JL, Ludtke SJ, Akey CW, Chait BT, Sali A, Rout MP. Integrative structure and functional anatomy of a nuclear pore complex. Nature. 2018 03 22; 555(7697):475-482. PMID: 29539637.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/19/2017

    Mendez DL, Akey IV, Akey CW, Kranz RG. Oxidized or Reduced Cytochrome c and Axial Ligand Variants All Form the Apoptosome in Vitro. Biochemistry. 2017 Jun 06; 56(22):2766-2769. PMID: 28510448.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 54 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Member, Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute
    Boston University
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • Cornell University, PhD
  • University of Richmond, BS

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