Faculty Appointments
Research Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Education
Ph.D., Cell Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Office Address
465 21st Avenue South
Learned Lab U5217
Nashville, TN 37240
Learned Lab U5217
Nashville, TN 37240
Research Description
Mechanisms of inter- and intracellular transport
Our lab studies how cells organize, move, and exchange material, both within a single cell and between neighboring cells. We're especially interested in the cellular mechanisms that govern this organization: how cytoskeletal filaments, motor proteins, and associated regulators self-organize into functional transport networks. We are also interested in tunneling nanotubes, a recently discovered form of direct cell-cell connection that employs the transport machinery to allow cells to share organelles, nucleic acids, and signaling components.
We combine quantitative live-cell imaging, correlative light-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography, biochemical reconstitution and genetics to resolve these transport systems at high spatial and temporal resolution, connecting molecular-scale architecture to cell-scale function. Because intercellular transport pathways are hijacked or dysregulated in diseases ranging from cancer and pathogenesis to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, our work aims to connect fundamental cell biology to therapeutically relevant questions.
Our lab studies how cells organize, move, and exchange material, both within a single cell and between neighboring cells. We're especially interested in the cellular mechanisms that govern this organization: how cytoskeletal filaments, motor proteins, and associated regulators self-organize into functional transport networks. We are also interested in tunneling nanotubes, a recently discovered form of direct cell-cell connection that employs the transport machinery to allow cells to share organelles, nucleic acids, and signaling components.
We combine quantitative live-cell imaging, correlative light-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography, biochemical reconstitution and genetics to resolve these transport systems at high spatial and temporal resolution, connecting molecular-scale architecture to cell-scale function. Because intercellular transport pathways are hijacked or dysregulated in diseases ranging from cancer and pathogenesis to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, our work aims to connect fundamental cell biology to therapeutically relevant questions.
Research Keywords
Trafficking, Transport, Molecular Motors, Kinesin, Dynein, Intracellular transport, Intercellular transport, Membrane Trafficking, Microtubules, Actin , Cytoskeleton, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Chemical Biology, Extracellular Vesicles, Genetics, Imaging, Infection Biology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Physiology, Neurodegeneration, Neuroscience, Proteomics, Quantitative Biology, Structural Biology
Publications
Basiashvili T, Hutchings J, Chen S, Karasmanis EP, Flaherty WA, Leschziner AE, Villa E. In-cell cryo-electron tomography reveals differential effects of type I and type II kinase inhibitors on LRRK2 filament formation and microtubule association. Elife. 2026 Jul 7/27/2026; 15: PMID: 42504839, PMCID: PMC13405622, PII: 111075, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.111075, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Karasmanis EP, Chen S, Shaikh F, Abrisch RG, Flaherty A, Badell-Grau RA, Riggi M, Nguyen LV, Hutchings J, Basiashvili T, Lattal N, Cherqui S, Villa E, Reck-Peterson SL. The molecular architecture of tunneling nanotubes. BioRxiv. 2026 May 5/28/2026; PMID: 42244744, PMCID: PMC13232226, PII: 2026.05.27.728322, DOI: 10.64898/2026.05.27.728322, ISSN: 2692-8205.
Chin AC, Karasmanis EP. Foundational Discoveries in Actin Regulation: An Interview With Tom Pollard. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) [print-electronic]. 2026 May 5/17/2026; e70146. PMID: 42144867, DOI: 10.1002/cm.70146, ISSN: 1949-3592.
Nguyen KHV, Karasmanis EP, Kendrick AA, Reck-Peterson SL, Leschziner AE. Cryo-EM captures early intermediate steps in dynein activation by LIS1. Nat Commun. 2025 Aug 8/1/2025; 16(1): 7054. PMID: 40750582, PMCID: PMC12317079, PII: 10.1038/s41467-025-62185-z, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62185-z, ISSN: 2041-1723.
Kendrick AA, Nguyen KHV, Ma W, Karasmanis EP, Amaro RE, Reck-Peterson SL, Leschziner AE. Multiple steps of dynein activation by Lis1 visualized by cryo-EM. Nat Struct Mol Biol [print-electronic]. 2025 Aug; 32(8): 1434-44. PMID: 40410592, PMCID: PMC12350149, PII: 10.1038/s41594-025-01558-w, DOI: 10.1038/s41594-025-01558-w, ISSN: 1545-9985.
Kendrick AA, Nguyen KHV, Ma W, Karasmanis EP, Amaro RE, Reck-Peterson SL, Leschziner AE. Cryo-EM visualizes multiple steps of dynein's activation pathway. BioRxiv. 2024 Oct 10/13/2024; PMID: 39416051, PMCID: PMC11482813, PII: 2024.09.28.615567, DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.28.615567, ISSN: 2692-8205.
Dederer V, Sanz Murillo M, Karasmanis EP, Hatch KS, Chatterjee D, Preuss F, Abdul Azeez KR, Nguyen LV, Galicia C, Dreier B, Plückthun A, Versees W, Mathea S, Leschziner AE, Reck-Peterson SL, Knapp S. A designed ankyrin-repeat protein that targets Parkinson's disease-associated LRRK2. J Biol Chem [print-electronic]. 2024 Jul; 300(7): 107469. PMID: 38876305, PMCID: PMC11284679, PII: S0021-9258(24)01970-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107469, ISSN: 1083-351X.
Karasmanis EP, Reimer JM, Kendrick AA, Nguyen KHV, Rodriguez JA, Truong JB, Lahiri I, Reck-Peterson SL, Leschziner AE. Lis1 relieves cytoplasmic dynein-1 autoinhibition by acting as a molecular wedge. Nat Struct Mol Biol [print-electronic]. 2023 Sep; 30(9): 1357-64. PMID: 37620585, PMCID: PMC10497415, PII: 10.1038/s41594-023-01069-6, DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01069-6, ISSN: 1545-9985.
Gillies JP, Reimer JM, Karasmanis EP, Lahiri I, Htet ZM, Leschziner AE, Reck-Peterson SL. Structural basis for cytoplasmic dynein-1 regulation by Lis1. Elife. 2022 Jan 1/7/2022; 11: PMID: 34994688, PMCID: PMC8824474, PII: 71229, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.71229, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Karasmanis EP, Hwang D, Nakos K, Bowen JR, Angelis D, Spiliotis ET. A Septin Double Ring Controls the Spatiotemporal Organization of the ESCRT Machinery in Cytokinetic Abscission. Curr Biol [print-electronic]. 2019 Jul 7/8/2019; 29(13): 2174-2182.e7-2182.e7. PMID: 31204162, PMCID: PMC6620605, PII: S0960-9822(19)30620-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.050, ISSN: 1879-0445.
Karasmanis EP, Phan CT, Angelis D, Kesisova IA, Hoogenraad CC, McKenney RJ, Spiliotis ET. Polarity of Neuronal Membrane Traffic Requires Sorting of Kinesin Motor Cargo during Entry into Dendrites by a Microtubule-Associated Septin. Dev Cell. 2018 Aug 8/20/2018; 46(4): 518-24. PMID: 30130532, PII: S1534-5807(18)30640-3, DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.08.004, ISSN: 1878-1551.
Karasmanis EP, Phan CT, Angelis D, Kesisova IA, Hoogenraad CC, McKenney RJ, Spiliotis ET. Polarity of Neuronal Membrane Traffic Requires Sorting of Kinesin Motor Cargo during Entry into Dendrites by a Microtubule-Associated Septin. Dev Cell. 2018 Jul 7/16/2018; 46(2): 204-218.e7-218.e7. PMID: 30016622, PMCID: PMC6396981, PII: S1534-5807(18)30498-2, DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.06.013, ISSN: 1878-1551.
Karasmanis EP. Doing science in difficult socioeconomic circumstances. Mol Biol Cell. 2018 Jun 6/1/2018; 29(11): 1271-3. PMID: 29851560, PMCID: PMC5994898, DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E17-11-0645, ISSN: 1939-4586.
Bai X, Karasmanis EP, Spiliotis ET. Septin 9 interacts with kinesin KIF17 and interferes with the mechanism of NMDA receptor cargo binding and transport. Mol Biol Cell [print-electronic]. 2016 Mar 3/15/2016; 27(6): 897-906. PMID: 26823018, PMCID: PMC4791134, PII: mbc.E15-07-0493, DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E15-07-0493, ISSN: 1939-4586.
Spiliotis ET, Karasmanis EP, Dolat L. Fluorescence microscopy of actin- and microtubule-associated septins in mammalian cells. Methods Cell Biol [print-electronic]. 2016; 136: 243-68. PMID: 27473913, PII: S0091-679X(16)30006-1, DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.03.014, ISSN: 0091-679X.
Dolat L, Hunyara JL, Bowen JR, Karasmanis EP, Elgawly M, Galkin VE, Spiliotis ET. Septins promote stress fiber-mediated maturation of focal adhesions and renal epithelial motility. J Cell Biol. 2014 Oct 10/27/2014; 207(2): 225-35. PMID: 25349260, PMCID: PMC4210437, PII: jcb.201405050, DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201405050, ISSN: 1540-8140.
Angelis D, Karasmanis EP, Bai X, Spiliotis ET. In silico docking of forchlorfenuron (FCF) to septins suggests that FCF interferes with GTP binding. PLoS One. 2014; 9(5): e96390. PMID: 24787956, PMCID: PMC4008567, PII: PONE-D-14-03008, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096390, ISSN: 1932-6203.
Karasmanis EP, Chen S, Shaikh F, Abrisch RG, Flaherty A, Badell-Grau RA, Riggi M, Nguyen LV, Hutchings J, Basiashvili T, Lattal N, Cherqui S, Villa E, Reck-Peterson SL. The molecular architecture of tunneling nanotubes. BioRxiv. 2026 May 5/28/2026; PMID: 42244744, PMCID: PMC13232226, PII: 2026.05.27.728322, DOI: 10.64898/2026.05.27.728322, ISSN: 2692-8205.
Chin AC, Karasmanis EP. Foundational Discoveries in Actin Regulation: An Interview With Tom Pollard. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) [print-electronic]. 2026 May 5/17/2026; e70146. PMID: 42144867, DOI: 10.1002/cm.70146, ISSN: 1949-3592.
Nguyen KHV, Karasmanis EP, Kendrick AA, Reck-Peterson SL, Leschziner AE. Cryo-EM captures early intermediate steps in dynein activation by LIS1. Nat Commun. 2025 Aug 8/1/2025; 16(1): 7054. PMID: 40750582, PMCID: PMC12317079, PII: 10.1038/s41467-025-62185-z, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62185-z, ISSN: 2041-1723.
Kendrick AA, Nguyen KHV, Ma W, Karasmanis EP, Amaro RE, Reck-Peterson SL, Leschziner AE. Multiple steps of dynein activation by Lis1 visualized by cryo-EM. Nat Struct Mol Biol [print-electronic]. 2025 Aug; 32(8): 1434-44. PMID: 40410592, PMCID: PMC12350149, PII: 10.1038/s41594-025-01558-w, DOI: 10.1038/s41594-025-01558-w, ISSN: 1545-9985.
Kendrick AA, Nguyen KHV, Ma W, Karasmanis EP, Amaro RE, Reck-Peterson SL, Leschziner AE. Cryo-EM visualizes multiple steps of dynein's activation pathway. BioRxiv. 2024 Oct 10/13/2024; PMID: 39416051, PMCID: PMC11482813, PII: 2024.09.28.615567, DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.28.615567, ISSN: 2692-8205.
Dederer V, Sanz Murillo M, Karasmanis EP, Hatch KS, Chatterjee D, Preuss F, Abdul Azeez KR, Nguyen LV, Galicia C, Dreier B, Plückthun A, Versees W, Mathea S, Leschziner AE, Reck-Peterson SL, Knapp S. A designed ankyrin-repeat protein that targets Parkinson's disease-associated LRRK2. J Biol Chem [print-electronic]. 2024 Jul; 300(7): 107469. PMID: 38876305, PMCID: PMC11284679, PII: S0021-9258(24)01970-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107469, ISSN: 1083-351X.
Karasmanis EP, Reimer JM, Kendrick AA, Nguyen KHV, Rodriguez JA, Truong JB, Lahiri I, Reck-Peterson SL, Leschziner AE. Lis1 relieves cytoplasmic dynein-1 autoinhibition by acting as a molecular wedge. Nat Struct Mol Biol [print-electronic]. 2023 Sep; 30(9): 1357-64. PMID: 37620585, PMCID: PMC10497415, PII: 10.1038/s41594-023-01069-6, DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01069-6, ISSN: 1545-9985.
Gillies JP, Reimer JM, Karasmanis EP, Lahiri I, Htet ZM, Leschziner AE, Reck-Peterson SL. Structural basis for cytoplasmic dynein-1 regulation by Lis1. Elife. 2022 Jan 1/7/2022; 11: PMID: 34994688, PMCID: PMC8824474, PII: 71229, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.71229, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Karasmanis EP, Hwang D, Nakos K, Bowen JR, Angelis D, Spiliotis ET. A Septin Double Ring Controls the Spatiotemporal Organization of the ESCRT Machinery in Cytokinetic Abscission. Curr Biol [print-electronic]. 2019 Jul 7/8/2019; 29(13): 2174-2182.e7-2182.e7. PMID: 31204162, PMCID: PMC6620605, PII: S0960-9822(19)30620-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.050, ISSN: 1879-0445.
Karasmanis EP, Phan CT, Angelis D, Kesisova IA, Hoogenraad CC, McKenney RJ, Spiliotis ET. Polarity of Neuronal Membrane Traffic Requires Sorting of Kinesin Motor Cargo during Entry into Dendrites by a Microtubule-Associated Septin. Dev Cell. 2018 Aug 8/20/2018; 46(4): 518-24. PMID: 30130532, PII: S1534-5807(18)30640-3, DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.08.004, ISSN: 1878-1551.
Karasmanis EP, Phan CT, Angelis D, Kesisova IA, Hoogenraad CC, McKenney RJ, Spiliotis ET. Polarity of Neuronal Membrane Traffic Requires Sorting of Kinesin Motor Cargo during Entry into Dendrites by a Microtubule-Associated Septin. Dev Cell. 2018 Jul 7/16/2018; 46(2): 204-218.e7-218.e7. PMID: 30016622, PMCID: PMC6396981, PII: S1534-5807(18)30498-2, DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.06.013, ISSN: 1878-1551.
Karasmanis EP. Doing science in difficult socioeconomic circumstances. Mol Biol Cell. 2018 Jun 6/1/2018; 29(11): 1271-3. PMID: 29851560, PMCID: PMC5994898, DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E17-11-0645, ISSN: 1939-4586.
Bai X, Karasmanis EP, Spiliotis ET. Septin 9 interacts with kinesin KIF17 and interferes with the mechanism of NMDA receptor cargo binding and transport. Mol Biol Cell [print-electronic]. 2016 Mar 3/15/2016; 27(6): 897-906. PMID: 26823018, PMCID: PMC4791134, PII: mbc.E15-07-0493, DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E15-07-0493, ISSN: 1939-4586.
Spiliotis ET, Karasmanis EP, Dolat L. Fluorescence microscopy of actin- and microtubule-associated septins in mammalian cells. Methods Cell Biol [print-electronic]. 2016; 136: 243-68. PMID: 27473913, PII: S0091-679X(16)30006-1, DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.03.014, ISSN: 0091-679X.
Dolat L, Hunyara JL, Bowen JR, Karasmanis EP, Elgawly M, Galkin VE, Spiliotis ET. Septins promote stress fiber-mediated maturation of focal adhesions and renal epithelial motility. J Cell Biol. 2014 Oct 10/27/2014; 207(2): 225-35. PMID: 25349260, PMCID: PMC4210437, PII: jcb.201405050, DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201405050, ISSN: 1540-8140.
Angelis D, Karasmanis EP, Bai X, Spiliotis ET. In silico docking of forchlorfenuron (FCF) to septins suggests that FCF interferes with GTP binding. PLoS One. 2014; 9(5): e96390. PMID: 24787956, PMCID: PMC4008567, PII: PONE-D-14-03008, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096390, ISSN: 1932-6203.