Molecular mechanisms and interplay of gene expression processes
Gene expression sculpts the cellular RNA and protein composition, and determines the identity of cells. An emerging concept is that gene expression is not a linear pathway but rather a highly dynamic network of interconnected processes.
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Structure
Organization structure of the SFB1565 Collaborative Research Centre, its team members and their research projects
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Events
Seminars, Conferences and other Events of the SFB1565 Collaborative Research Centre
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Publications
All publications of the research team published within the framework of the SFB1565 are listed here
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About SFB1565
While gene expression was traditionally viewed as a linear pathway of consecutive steps, we now know that genome organization and transcription, RNA processing and modification, RNA-protein complex assembly, translation and quality control are highly interconnected processes. Many cross-regulation events occur even between non-consecutive steps of gene expression, and even between processes taking place in different cellular compartments.
This paradigm shift is of central importance for understanding the dynamic regulation of gene expression in various cellular conditions and its dysregulation in diseases.
Key mechanistic and regulatory aspects of gene expression still remain unexplored, and knowledge on the extent and mechanisms of cross-regulation between different processes is still in its infancy.
With this Collaborative Research Centre (SFB1565), we aim to resolve structures and functions of key events in the pathway that have remained enigmatic, but also decipher how different processes are coordinated in space and time, and in different gene expression systems.
Structural views of gene expression machineries and structure-informed functional analyses will pioneer new mechanistic insights and systematic mapping of DNA-/RNA-protein interactions will reveal pivotal interconnections.
Establishing an integrated view of the molecular principles and dynamics of gene expression and the network of cross-regulation will shape our understanding of this important cellular pathway and also of its modulation in different cellular conditions.
Understanding regulatory mechanisms in different gene expression systems will allow principles of regulation and interconnections to be dissected. Tackling these ambitious goals requires the concerted efforts of leading experts in each aspect of gene expression and can therefore only be approached in the context of a Collaborative Research Centre such as SFB1565.
This research initiative holds the promise to provide an unprecedented view of gene expression as a defining network of interconnected cellular processes and thereby also to pave the way for the elucidation of the molecular basis of diseases.
July 17, 2024
Insights into the unique biogenesis of human mitoribosomes
The assembly of human mitoribosomes takes place in modules. This surprising result is the outcome of teamwork by CRC members Ricarda Richter-Dennerlein and Henning Urlaub and the MPI Göttingen. Their study provides a detailed overview of the biogenesis of human mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes) and shows that the biogenesis of these ribosomes is characterized by the formation of protein modules that are then assembled onto ribosomal RNA.
In addition to this comprehensive roadmap, the study highlights their evolutionary divergence from bacterial and cytosolic counterparts and provides an answer to the question of how the coordination of two genomes might occur.
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July 12, 2024
The SFB is getting a new member
Ricarda Richter-Dennerlein has been accepted as a new member of the SFB1565. With her subproject “The interplay of mitochondrial ribosomes and the quality control machinery during ribosome rescue”, she will bring the whole project a decisive step closer to our goal of research. We are looking forward to welcoming her. A warm welcome!
June 20, 2024
Key Function of Antisense Non-Coding RNA as Gene Expression Booster Discovered
Heike Krebber’s team has discovered a previously unanswered question about the occurrence and function of antisense RNA (asRNA). They found that asRNA acts like a booster and accelerates gene expression, especially when the cell has to react quickly and flexibly to changes in the environment. This discovery explains for the first time why cells produce large amounts of asRNA.
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