The LIU LAB

Electron Tomography at Yale University

Last updated on December 25, 2025

All Publications (Google Scholar)

Selected publications

Liu J, Lin T, Botkin DJ, McCrum E, Winkler H, and Norris SJ: Intact flagellar motor of Borrelia burgdorferi revealed by cryo-electron tomography: Evidence for stator ring curvature and rotor/C-ring assembly flexion, J Bacteriol 2009, 191(16):5026-36.
Liu J, Hu B, Morado DR, Jani S, Manson MD, and Margolin W: Molecular architecture of chemoreceptor arrays revealed by cryoelectron tomography of Escherichia coli minicells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012, 109(23):E1481-8.
Hu B, Margolin W, Molineux IJ, and Liu J: The bacteriophage T7 virion undergoes extensive structural remodeling during infection. Science 2013, 339(6119):576-9.
Hu B, Morado DR, Margolin W, Rohde JR, Arizmendi O, Picking WL, Picking WD, and Liu J: Visualization of the type III secretion sorting platform of Shigella flexneri. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015, 112(4):1047-1052.
Hu B, Margolin W, Molineux IJ, and Liu J: Structural remodeling of bacteriophage T4 and host membranes during infection initiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015, 112(35):E4919-28.
Zhu S, Nishikino T, Hu B, Kojima S, Homma M, Liu J: Molecular architecture of the sheathed polar flagellum in Vibrio alginolyticus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017 Oct 10;114(41):10966-10971.
Hu B, Lara-Tejero M, Kong Q, Galán JE, Liu J: In situ molecular architecture of the Salmonella type III secretion machine. Cell 2017, 168(6):1065-1074.e10.
Chetrit D, Hu B, Christie PJ, Roy CR, Liu J: A unique cytoplasmic ATPase complex defines the Legionella pneumophila type IV secretion channel, Nature Microbial 3(6):678-686, 2018.
Park D, Lara-Tejero M, Waxham MN, Li W, Hu B, Galán JE, Liu J: Visualization of the type III secretion mediated Salmonella-host cell interface using cryo-electron tomography, Elife 2018 Oct 3;7. pii: e39514. doi: 10.7554/eLife.39514.
Wang C, Tu J, Liu J, Molineux IJ: Structural dynamics of bacteriophage P22 infection initiation revealed by cryo-electron tomography, Nature Microbiology 2019.
Chang Y, Zhang K, Carroll BL, Zhao X, Charon NW, Norris SJ, Motaleb MA, Li C, Liu J: Molecular mechanism for rotational switching of the bacterial flagellar motor. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020 Nov;27(11):1041-1047.
Guo S, Xu H, Chang Y, Motaleb MA, Liu J: FliL-ring enhances the function of periplasmic flagella, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022 119 (11), e2117245119
Tachiyama S, Rosinke K, Khan MF, Zhou X, Xin Y, Botting JM, Yue J, Roujeinikova A, Hoover TR, Liu J: FlgY, PflA, and PflB form a spoke-ring network in the high-torque flagellar motor of Helicobacter pylori. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A2025 Apr 29;122(17):e2421632122.
Yue J, Heydari S, Park D, Chetrit D, Tachiyama S, Guo W, Botting JM, Wu S, Roy CR, Liu J. In situ structures of the Legionella Dot/Icm T4SS identify the DotA-IcmX complex as the gatekeeper for effector translocation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Sep 30;122(39):e2516300122.
Yu H, Wang C, Yue J, Guo W, Molineux IJ, Liu J. Structural basis of bacteriophage Ur-lambda infection initiation. Sci Adv. 2025 Nov 14;11(46):eadw7914.
Guo W, Zhang S, Park JH, Stanton V, Asp M, Herrera H, Tai JB, Yue J, Wang J, Guo J, Kumar R, Botting JM, Wu S, Yan J, Klose KE, Yildiz FH, Liu J. Structures of the sheathed flagellum reveal mechanisms of assembly and rotation in Vibrio cholerae. Nat Microbiol. 2025 Dec;10(12):3305-3314.

The LIU LAB

Electron Tomography at Yale University

All Publications (Google Scholar)

Selected publications

Liu J, Lin T, Botkin DJ, McCrum E, Winkler H, and Norris SJ: Intact flagellar motor of Borrelia burgdorferi revealed by cryo-electron tomography: Evidence for stator ring curvature and rotor/C-ring assembly flexion, J Bacteriol 2009, 191(16):5026-36.

Liu J, Hu B, Morado DR, Jani S, Manson MD, and Margolin W: Molecular architecture of chemoreceptor arrays revealed by cryoelectron tomography of Escherichia coli minicells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012, 109(23):E1481-8.

Hu B, Margolin W, Molineux IJ, and Liu J: The bacteriophage T7 virion undergoes extensive structural remodeling during infection. Science 2013, 339(6119):576-9.

Hu B, Morado DR, Margolin W, Rohde JR, Arizmendi O, Picking WL, Picking WD, and Liu J: Visualization of the type III secretion sorting platform of Shigella flexneri. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015, 112(4):1047-1052.

Hu B, Margolin W, Molineux IJ, and Liu J: Structural remodeling of bacteriophage T4 and host membranes during infection initiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015, 112(35):E4919-28.

Zhu S, Nishikino T, Hu B, Kojima S, Homma M, Liu J: Molecular architecture of the sheathed polar flagellum in Vibrio alginolyticus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017 Oct 10;114(41):10966-10971.

Hu B, Lara-Tejero M, Kong Q, Galán JE, Liu J: In situ molecular architecture of the Salmonella type III secretion machine. Cell 2017, 168(6):1065-1074.e10.

Chetrit D, Hu B, Christie PJ, Roy CR, Liu J: A unique cytoplasmic ATPase complex defines the Legionella pneumophila type IV secretion channel, Nature Microbial 3(6):678-686, 2018.

Park D, Lara-Tejero M, Waxham MN, Li W, Hu B, Galán JE, Liu J: Visualization of the type III secretion mediated Salmonella-host cell interface using cryo-electron tomography, Elife 2018 Oct 3;7. pii: e39514. doi: 10.7554/eLife.39514.

Wang C, Tu J, Liu J, Molineux IJ: Structural dynamics of bacteriophage P22 infection initiation revealed by cryo-electron tomography, Nature Microbiology 2019.

Chang Y, Zhang K, Carroll BL, Zhao X, Charon NW, Norris SJ, Motaleb MA, Li C, Liu J: Molecular mechanism for rotational switching of the bacterial flagellar motor. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020 Nov;27(11):1041-1047.

Guo S, Xu H, Chang Y, Motaleb MA, Liu J: FliL-ring enhances the function of periplasmic flagella, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022 119 (11), e2117245119

Tachiyama S, Rosinke K, Khan MF, Zhou X, Xin Y, Botting JM, Yue J, Roujeinikova A, Hoover TR, Liu J: FlgY, PflA, and PflB form a spoke-ring network in the high-torque flagellar motor of Helicobacter pylori. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A2025 Apr 29;122(17):e2421632122.

Yue J, Heydari S, Park D, Chetrit D, Tachiyama S, Guo W, Botting JM, Wu S, Roy CR, Liu J. In situ structures of the Legionella Dot/Icm T4SS identify the DotA-IcmX complex as the gatekeeper for effector translocation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Sep 30;122(39):e2516300122.

Yu H, Wang C, Yue J, Guo W, Molineux IJ, Liu J. Structural basis of bacteriophage Ur-lambda infection initiation. Sci Adv. 2025 Nov 14;11(46):eadw7914.

Guo W, Zhang S, Park JH, Stanton V, Asp M, Herrera H, Tai JB, Yue J, Wang J, Guo J, Kumar R, Botting JM, Wu S, Yan J, Klose KE, Yildiz FH, Liu J. Structures of the sheathed flagellum reveal mechanisms of assembly and rotation in Vibrio cholerae. Nat Microbiol. 2025 Dec;10(12):3305-3314.