Publications

List of Publications Dr. Blagovesta Popova

Ali T. T., Zhornyak A., Merghani M., Buschenlange Z., Sakata E., Outeiro, T.F, Popova B.*, Braus G. H.* (2026) Blm10/PA200-Activated 20S Proteasomes Promote α-Synuclein Degradation and Bypass Proteasome Inhibition in Parkinson’s Disease Models. Aging Cell 25, e70566. doi:10.1111/ACEL.70566

Ali, T. T., Merghani, M., Al-Azzani, M., Gatzemeier, L. M., Hoppert, M., Kaloyanova, D., Outeiro, T. F., Neumann, P., Popova B.*, and Braus, G. H.* (2025) Rationally designed peptides inhibit the formation of α-synuclein fibrils and oligomers. Eur. J. Med. Chem. 289, 117452 . doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117452

Chen, W., Sasse, C., Köhler, A. M., Wang, D., Popova B., Strohdiek, A., and Braus, G. H. (2025) Resolving the fungal velvet domain architecture by Aspergillus nidulans VelB. MBio. doi:10.1128/MBIO.00261-25

Galka, D., Ali, T.T., Bast, A., Niederleithinger, M., Gerhardt, E., Motosugi, R., Sakata, E., Knop, M., Outeiro, T.F., Popova B.*, Braus, G.H.* Inhibition of 26S proteasome activity by α-synuclein is mediated by the proteasomal chaperone Rpn14/PAAF1. Aging Cell 2024, 23, e14128, doi:10.1111/ACEL.14128.

Sirati, N., Shen, Z., Olrichs, N.K., Popova B., Verhoek, I.C., Lagerwaard, I.M., Braus, G.H., Kaloyanova, D. V., Helms, J.B. GAPR-1 Interferes with Condensate Formation of Beclin 1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J. Mol. Biol. 2023, 435, 167935, doi:10.1016/J.JMB.2022.167935.

Simm, D., Popova, B., Braus, G.H., Waack, S., Kollmar, M. Design of typical genes for heterologous gene expression. Sci. Rep. 2022, 12, 1–14, doi:10.1038/s41598-022-13089-1.

Popova B.*, Galka, D., Häffner, N., Wang, D., Schmitt, K., Valerius, O., Knop, M., Braus, G.H*. α-synuclein decreases the abundance of proteasome subunits and alters ubiquitin conjugates in yeast. Cells 2021, 10, 2229, doi:10.3390/cells10092229.

Popova B., Wang, D., Pätz, C., Akkermann, D., Lázaro, D.F., Galka, D., Kolog Gulko, M., Bohnsack, M.T., Möbius, W., Bohnsack, K.E., et al. DEAD-box RNA helicase Dbp4/DDX10 is an enhancer of α-synuclein toxicity and oligomerization. PLOS Genet. 2021, 17, e1009407, doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009407.

Popova B., Wang, D., Rajavel, A., Dhamotharan, K., Lázaro, D.F., Gerke, J., Uhrig, J.F., Hoppert, M., Outeiro, T.F., Braus, G.H. Identification of Two Novel Peptides That Inhibit α-Synuclein Toxicity and Aggregation. Front. Mol. Neurosci. 2021, 14, 54, doi:10.3389/FNMOL.2021.659926.

Sirati, N., Popova B., Molenaar, M.R., Verhoek, I.C., Braus, G.H., Kaloyanova, D. V., Helms, J.B. Dynamic and Reversible Aggregation of the Human CAP Superfamily Member GAPR-1 in Protein Inclusions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J. Mol. Biol. 2021, 433, 167162, doi:10.1016/J.JMB.2021.167162.

Klionsky, D.J., Abdel-Aziz,… Braus, G.H.… Popova B. et al. Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy. Autophagy 2021, 1–382, doi:10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280.

Brás, I.C., Popova B., Braus, G.H., Outeiro, T.F. Yeast-Based Screens to Target Alpha-Synuclein Toxicity. Methods Mol. Biol. 2019, 1948, 145–156, doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-9124-2_12.

Merker, D., Popova B., Bergfeldt, T., Weingärtner, T., Braus, G.H., Peter, J., Popov, C. Diamond & Related Materials Antimicrobial propensity of ultrananocrystalline diamond fi lms with embedded silver nanodroplets. Diam. Relat. Mater. 2019, 93, 168–178, doi:10.1016/j.diamond.2019.02.003.

Magalhães, R.S.S., Popova B., Braus, G.H., Outeiro, T.F., Eleutherio, E.C.A. The trehalose protective mechanism during thermal stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: the roles of Ath1 and Agt1. FEMS Yeast Res. 2018, 18, 1–10, doi:10.1093/femsyr/foy066.

Popova B., Kleinknecht, A., Arendarski, P., Mischke, J., Wang, D., Braus, G.H. Sumoylation Protects Against β-Synuclein Toxicity in Yeast. Front. Mol. Neurosci. 2018, 11:94, doi:10.3389/fnmol.2018.00094.

Kolog Gulko, M., Heinrich, G., Gross, C., Popova, B., Valerius, O., Neumann, P., Ficner, R., Braus, G.H. Sem1 links proteasome stability and specificity to multicellular development. PLOS Genet. 2018, 14, e1007141, doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1007141.

Klionsky, D.J., Abdelmohsen, K., ,… Braus, G.H.… Popova B. et al. Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition). Autophagy 2016, 12, 1–222, doi:10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356.

Kleinknecht, A#., Popova B.#, Lázaro, D.F., Pinho, R., Valerius, O., Outeiro, T.F., Braus, G.H. C-Terminal Tyrosine Residue Modifications Modulate the Protective Phosphorylation of Serine 129 of α-Synuclein in a Yeast Model of Parkinson’s Disease. PLOS Genet. 2016, 12, e1006098, doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1006098.

Tenreiro, S., Rosado-Ramos, R., Gerhardt, E., Favretto, F., Magalhães, F., Popova B., Becker, S., Zweckstetter, M., Braus, G.H., Outeiro, T.F. Yeast reveals similar molecular mechanisms underlying alpha- and beta-synuclein toxicity. Hum. Mol. Genet. 2016, 25, 275–290, doi:10.1093/hmg/ddv470.

Popova B.*, Schubert, S., Bulla, I., Buchwald, D., Kramer, W. A Robust and Versatile Method of Combinatorial Chemical Synthesis of Gene Libraries via Hierarchical Assembly of Partially Randomized Modules. PLOS One 2015, 10, e0136778, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136778.

Popova B., Kleinknecht, A., Braus, G.H. Posttranslational Modifications and Clearing of alpha-Synuclein Aggregates in Yeast. Biomolecules 2015, 5, 617–634, doi:10.3390/biom5020617.

Hoppenau, C.E., Tran, V.T., Kusch, H., Aßhauer, K.P., Landesfeind, M., Meinicke, P., Popova, B., Braus-Stromeyer, S.A., Braus, G.H. Verticillium dahliae VdTHI4, involved in thiazole biosynthesis, stress response and DNA repair functions, is required for vascular disease induction in tomato. Environ. Exp. Bot. 2014, 108, 14–22, doi:10.1016/j.envexpbot.2013.12.015.

Shahpasandzadeh, H.#, Popova B.#, Kleinknecht, A., Fraser, P.E., Outeiro, T.F., Braus, G.H. Interplay between sumoylation and phosphorylation for protection against alpha-synuclein inclusions. J Biol Chem 2014, 289, 31224–31240, doi:10.1074/jbc.M114.559237.

Lázaro, D.F., Rodrigues, E.F., Langohr, R., Shahpasandzadeh, H., Ribeiro, T., Guerreiro, P., Gerhardt, E., Kröhnert, K., Klucken, J., Pereira, M.D., Popova B., Kruse, N., Mollenhauer, B., Rizzoli, S.O., Braus, G.H., Danzer, K.M., Outeiro, T.F. Systematic Comparison of the Effects of Alpha-synuclein Mutations on Its Oligomerization and Aggregation. PLOS Genet. 2014, 10, e1004741.

Herzog, B., Popova, B., Jakobshagen, A., Shahpasandzadeh, H., Braus, G.H. Mutual cross talk between the regulators Hac1 of the unfolded protein response and Gcn4 of the general amino acid control of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Eukaryot. Cell 2013, 12, 1142–54, doi:10.1128/EC.00123-13.

Petroi, D., Popova B., Taheri-Talesh, N., Irniger, S., Shahpasandzadeh, H., Zweckstetter, M., Outeiro, T.F., Braus, G.H. Aggregate clearance of alpha-synuclein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae depends more on autophagosome and vacuole function than on the proteasome. J Biol Chem 2012, 287, 27567–27579, doi:M112.361865 [pii]10.1074/jbc.M112.361865.

Popova B., Kuhlmann, M., Hinas, A., Söderbom, F., Nellen, W. HelF, a putative RNA helicase acts as a nuclear suppressor of RNAi but not antisense mediated gene silencing. Nucleic Acids Res. 2006, 34, 773–784, doi:10.1093/nar/gkj465.

Kuhlmann, M., Popova B., Nellen, W. RNA interference and antisense-mediated gene silencing in Dictyostelium. Methods Mol Biol 2006, 346, 211–226, doi:10.1385/1-59745-144-4:211.

* corresponding author
# equal contribution