Our group is interested in understand how mechanical forces modulate critical biological processes, from muscle elasticity to bacterial adhesion. Specifically, we aim to understand the mechanisms implemented within the cell in response to mechanical cues, describing the genes involved and how the proteins coded by those genes are adapted in nature. In the last years we established a mechanical assay that allowed us to characterize the giant protein of striated muscle, titin (Nature Comm 11; 2060). These experiments will help us to contribute to determining the emerging role that this gene and protein play in the myocyte.Furthermore, we have implemented several experiments that aim to determine how a gene family highly conserved in the Group A Streptococcus—adhesin gene—, is involved in the adhesion to human epithelia. We analyze the evolutive differences found in the sequences, and how these changes are translated to protein structure and modify the adhesion mechanisms (Methods Mol Biol. 2020; 2136:347-364). Currently we are working to develop new strategies for interfering with the folding and formation of bacterial adhesins. We are combing computational tools, protein engineering and single molecule mechanics to probe our anti-adhesive peptides.

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Biography

I have a deep interest in the emerging topic of Mechano-Biology. From the very first moment that a single cell divides, mechanical forces take place in practically all the fundamental processes of the cell, from chromosome segregation to cell-cell communication. Unlike other cellular inputs, such as electrical and chemical signals, the mechanical cues are propagated between and through cells without the diffusion of molecules. Specific protein structures within the cell are in charge of communicating and transmitting these mechanical signals, proteins that are physically connected forming a mechanical network along with the cell. Currently, my research project is focused on understanding the dynamics at the single-molecule level of three elastic proteins: titin, —responsible for the elasticity of muscles—, alpha/beta-catenin, —mechano-transductor of cells— , and the bacterial elastic and adhesive pili proteins– bacterial surface proteins that operate as mechanical anchors mediating the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria to human epitheliums and other substrates–.

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Selected publications

1. Jaime Andrés Rivas-Pardo, Yong Li, Zsolt Mártonfalvi, Rafael Tapia-Rojo, Andreas Unger, Ángel Fernández-Trasancos, Elías Herrero-Galán, Diana Velázquez-Carreras, Wolfgang A. Linke, Julio M. Fernández, and Jorge Alegre-Cebollada (2020). A Halo-TEV genetic cassette for spatial and mechanical phenotyping of native proteins. Nature Communications 11, 2020 (BiorXiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/57744).

2. Fernanda Contreras, Jaime Andrés Rivas-Pardo* (2020). Interfering with the folding of pili protein. Methods in Molecular Biology , 2020, 347.

3. Diego Perez-Stuardo, Allison Espinoza, Sebastián Tapia, Jonathan Morales-Reyes, Claudio Barrientos, Eva Vallejos-Vidal, Ana M Sandino, Eugenio Spencer, Daniela Toro-Ascuy, J Andrés Rivas-Pardo, Felipe E Reyes-López, Sebastián Reyes-Cerpa (2020). Front Immunol 11; 544718.

4. Jaime Andrés Rivas-Pardo*. The Power of the Force: Mechano-Physiology of the Giant Titin (2018). Emerging Topics in Life Science 2; 681-686. (DOI: 10.1042/ETLS20180046).

5. Jaime Andrés Rivas-Pardo*, Carmen L. Badilla, Rafael Tapia-Rojo, Julio M. Fernández. Molecular Strategy for blocking isopeptide bond formation in nascent pilin proteins. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA., 115:92222-9227.

Full list of publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YRRIrKYAAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=2&oi=sra

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8304-3238