Dr. Rotem Rubinstein

Our laboratory studies extracellular proteins that underlie central biological functions, focusing on the specific recognition and the signaling complexes these proteins form on the cell surfaces. Of particular interest, are the functional aspects pertaining to signaling in neuronal development and immune regulation. We rely on a range of interdisciplinary techniques that include computational biology, X-ray crystallography, and protein biochemistry to investigate the different levels of biological functions ranging from the macromolecular to the tissue scale.

Projects in the lab include:

• Understanding the principles underlining the specific molecular recognition of cellular interactions.
• Studying the arrangement of receptor-ligands signaling assemblies on the cell surface.   
• Developing methods for high throughput discovery of new receptor-ligands interactions.

K.M. Goodman*, R. Rubinstein*, F. Bahna, S. Mannepalli, H. Dan, G. Ahlsen, C.A. Thu, R.V. Sampogna, T. Maniatis, L. Shapiro, and B. Honig. “Protocadherin cis-dimer architecture and recognition unit diversity” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114 (46) (2017).

R. Rubinstein*, K.M. Goodman*, T. Maniatis, L. Shapiro, and B. Honig. “Structural origins of clustered protocadherin-mediated neuronal barcoding” Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 69, 140-150 (2017).

K.M. Goodman*, R. Rubinstein*, C.A. Thu, S. Mannepalli, F. Bahna, G. Ahlsen, C. Rittenhouse, T. Maniatis, B. Honig, and L. Shapiro. “y-Protocadherin structural diversity and functional implications” Elife, 10.7554/eLife.20930 (2016).

K.M. Goodman*, R. Rubinstein*, C.A. Thu, F. Bahna, S. Mannepalli, G. Ahlsen, C. Rittenhouse, T. Maniatis, B. Honig, and L. Shapiro. “Structural basis of diverse homophilic recognition by α- and β-protocadherins” Neuron, 90, 709-723 (2016).

R. Rubinstein*, C.A Thu*, K.M. Goodman*, H.N. Wolcott*, F. Bahna, S. Mannepalli, G. Ahlsen, M. Chevee, A. Halim, H. Clausen, T. Maniatis, L.Shapiro, and B. Honig. “Molecular Logic of Neuronal Self-Recognition through Protocadherin Domain Interactions” Cell, 163, 629–642 (2015).

C.A. Thu, W.V. Chen, R. Rubinstein, M. Chevee, H.N. Wolcott, K.O. Felsovalyi, J.C. Tapia, L. Shapiro, B. Honig, T. Maniatis. “Single-cell identity generated by combinatorial homophilic interactions between α, β, and γ protocadherins” Cell, 158, 1045-59 (2014).

R. Rubinstein, U.A. Ramagopal, S.G. Nathenson, S.C. Almo, A. Fiser. “Functional classification of immune regulatory proteins” Structure, 21, 766-76 (2013).

L. Wang, R. Rubinstein, J.L. Lines, A. Wasiuk, C. Ahonen, Y. Guo, L. Lu, D. Gondek, Y. Wang, R.A. Fava, A. Fiser, S. Almo and R.J. Noelle. “VISTA, a novel Ig-superfamily ligand that negatively regulates T cell responses” Journal of experimental medicine, 208,577-592 (2011).