Professor
Ph.D., Russian Academy of Science
Office: 501-603-1170
Lab: 501-603-1171
Email: vvlupashin@uams.edu
Currently accepting new students
The Lupashin Lab is focused on uncovering the molecular principles that govern intracellular membrane trafficking—a fundamental process required for protein transport and cellular communication in all human cells. By understanding how transport vesicles deliver proteins to the correct location at the right time, we aim to gain new insights into cellular homeostasis, intercellular signaling, and disease mechanisms.
Our work has direct relevance to a wide range of disorders, including Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG), cystic fibrosis, neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s), ALS, cancer, and diabetes. Through in-depth mechanistic studies, we seek to identify novel therapeutic targets for these conditions.
A major focus of the lab is the Conserved Oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex, which regulates vesicle tethering and glycosylation within the Golgi apparatus—the central hub for protein modification and sorting. Using a combination of biochemistry, gene editing (CRISPR/Cas9), proteomics/glycomics, cutting-edge microscopy, and both tissue culture and iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell) cellular models, we explore how disruptions in the trafficking machinery lead to disease, particularly in CDG patients with inherited COG mutations.
In parallel, we study Golgi-localized SNARE proteins and the GARP (Golgi-associated retrograde protein) complex, which mediate retrograde trafficking from endosomes to the Golgi. We aim to understand how SNAREs and GARP coordinate vesicle fusion, regulate glycosylation fidelity, and maintain Golgi structure. These efforts complement our broader goal of mapping the vesicle trafficking landscape in human cells.
We are also investigating how pathogens exploit Golgi trafficking pathways. Viruses (such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, and Dengue), intracellular bacteria (Chlamydia, Brucella), and bacterial toxins (e.g., Ricin, Shiga, Cholera) rely on COG, GARP, and SNARE functions to hijack host cells. Our goal is to uncover the mechanisms behind these interactions and identify potential strategies to prevent pathogen-mediated damage.
With over 100 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals—including eLife, Journal of Cell Biology, Nature Communications, and PNAS—and sustained support from the NIH and NSF, our lab is committed to advancing the field of membrane trafficking and its implications in health and disease.
Representative Publications
Sumya FT, Walter S Aragon-Ramirez, Vladimir Lupashin. Deep Proteomic Profiling of the Intra-Golgi Trafficking Intermediates., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E24-12-0556 PMID: 40397568
Khakurel A, Pokrovskaya I, Aragon-Ramirez WS, Lupashin VV. Acute GARP Depletion Disrupts Vesicle Transport, Leading to Severe Defects in Sorting, Secretion, and O-Glycosylation. Traffic. 2025 Jan-Mar;26(1-3):e70003. doi: 10.1111/tra.70003 PMID: 40100055
Marsilia C., M. Batra, I. D Pokrovskaya, C. Wang, D. Chaput, D. A Naumova, V.V Lupashin, E. S Suvorova. Essential role of the Conserved Oligomeric Golgi complex in Toxoplasma gondii., mBio. 2023 Nov 15:e0251323. doi: 10.1128/mbio.02513-23. PMID: 37966241
D’Souza Z, Pokrovskaya I, Lupashin VV. Syntaxin-5’s flexibility in SNARE pairing supports Golgi functions. Traffic. 2023 Aug;24(8):355-379. doi: 10.1111/tra.12903. PMID: 37340984
Sumya FT, Pokrovskaya I, D’Souza Z, Lupashin VV. 2023. Acute COG inactivation unveiled its immediate impact on Golgi and illuminated the nature of intra-Golgi recycling vesicles. Traffic doi: 10.1111/tra.12876 PMID: 36468177
Khakurel A, Kudlyk T, Lupashin VV. 2023. Generation and analysis of hTERT-RPE1 VPS54 knock-out and rescued cell lines. Methods Mol Biol. 2557:349-364.
Prydz K, Lupashin V, Wang Y, Saraste J. Editorial: Golgi Dynamics in Physiological and Pathological Conditions. Front Cell Dev Biol. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00007 PMCID: PMC7000357
Realegeno, S.; Priyamvada, L.; Kumar, A.; Blackburn, J.B.; Hartloge, C.; Puschnik, A.S.; Sambhara, S.; Olson, V.A.; Carette, J.E.; Lupashin, V.; Satheshkumar, P.S. Conserved Oligomeric Golgi (COG) Complex Proteins Facilitate Orthopoxvirus Entry, Fusion and Spread. Viruses 2020, 12, 707
Blackburn JB, D’Souza Z, Lupashin VV. Maintaining order: COG complex controls Golgi trafficking, processing, and sorting. FEBS Lett. 2019 Aug 5. doi:10.1002/1873-3468.13570. Review. PMID: 31381138.
D’Souza Z, Blackburn JB, Kudlyk T, Pokrovskaya ID, Lupashin VV. Defects in COG Mediated Golgi Trafficking Alter Endo-Lysosomal System in Human Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2019 Jul 3;7:118. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00118. eCollection 2019. PMID: 31334232;
Miller CN, Smith EP, Knodler LA, Cundiff JA, Blackburn JB, Lupashin V, Celli J. A Brucella Type IV effector remodels COG-dependent secretory traffic to promote intracellular replication. Cell Host Microbe. 2017 Sep 13;22(3):317-329.e7.
Comstra SH, Zlatic SA, Gokhale A, Blackburn JB, Werner E, McArthy J, Petris M, D’Souza P, Panuwet P, Boyd Barr D, Lupashin V, Vrailas-Mortimer A, Faundez V. The Interactome of the Copper Transporter ATP7A Belongs to a Network of Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegeneration Factors. ELife 2017 Mar 29;6. pii: e24722. doi: 10.7554/eLife.24722.
Siegel N, Lupashin V, Storrie B, Brooker G. High-magnification super-resolution FINCH microscopy using birefringent crystal lens interferometers. Nature Photonics 2016; 10 (12), 802-808
Willett R, Bailey J, Climer L, Pokrovskaya I, Kudlyk T, Wang W, Lupashin VV. COG lobe B sub-complex engages v-SNARE GS15 and functions via regulated interaction with lobe A sub-complex. Scientific Reports 2016; 6; 29139
Climer LK, Dobretsov M, Lupashin V. Defects in the COG complex and COG-related trafficking regulators affect neuronal Golgi function. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2015; 9, 405.
Willett R, Kudlyk T, Pokrovskaya I, Schonherr R, Ungar D, Duden R, Lupashin VV. COG complexes form spatial landmarks for distinct SNARE complexes. Nature Communications 2013, 4:1553
Richardson BC, Smith RD, Ungar D, Nakamura A, Jeffrey PD, Lupashin VV, Hughson FM. Structural basis for a human glycosylation disorder caused by mutation of the COG4 gene. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences USA 2009;106(32):13329-13334
Zolov SN, Lupashin VV. Cog3p depletion blocks vesicle-mediated Golgi retrograde trafficking in HeLa cells. Journal of Cell Biology 2005;168(5):747-759.