Out in Chromosoma. Topics include cell cycle regulation & DNA replication, replication stress & chromosome fragility, telomere maintenance & ALT, emerging links between repair condensates and the nuclear cytoskeleton.
In a recent publication we found that the essential replication protein A (RPA) self-interacts and forms dynamic non-stoichiometric condensates with ssDNA, regulated by phosphorylation of an IDR.
Motivated applications from postdoc candidates with a strong interest in genome stability and willing to apply for fellowships are always encouraged. PhD students are recruited through the Life Science Zurich Graduate School.
October 2024
Sandhya Manohar joins us from ETH to set up her research program on implications of cell size on mammalian genome homeostasis. Supported by the SNSF Ambizione Career Development Program, Sandhya will investigate how cells sense their own enlargement and how changes in cell size affect cell cycle commitment and genome integrity.
FEBS J. 2024 Jun;291(11):2291-2305
Mol Cell. 2023 Nov 16;83(22):4032-4046.e6
More about Sandhya and her research
April 2023
RPA binds ssDNA with sub-nanomolar affinity. Vincent found that, despite their ultra-high affinity for one another, RPA and ssDNA form dynamic non-stoichiometric condensates, which are regulated by phosphorylation and help to coordinate telomere recombination in cancer cells. Published in NSMB
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 30, pages 451–462 (2023)
Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2023 May;24(5):310
June 2021
Fragile genomic regions undergo mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS). Aleksandra found evidence for post-mitotic DNA synthesis (post-MiDAS). Post-MiDAS occurs at telomeres, particularly in ALT-positive cancer cells, and is amplified by replication stress. Published in Nature Communications.
Lezaja et al., Nat Commun. 2021 Jun 22;12(1):3827.
November 2020
From a close collaboration with the lab of Haico van Attikum, and with great help from the labs of Sébastien Huet, Alfred Vertegaal, Jessica Downs and Martijn Luijsterburg, the chromatin remodeler CHD7 emerged as an early responder to DNA damage to regulate chromatin dynamics around DNA break sites and initiate repair. Finally out in Nature Communications.
Rother, Pellegrino et al., Nat Commun. 2020 Nov 13;11(1):5775.
August 2020
We found that the ubiquitin E3 ligase TRIP12, through its PAR-binding WWE domain, targets PARP1 for proteasomal degradation, affecting PARP functions and PARP inhibitor efficiency. Congratulations to Marco and big thanks to our collaborators Qingyao Huang and Michael Baudis for their help. Published in Cell Reports.
Gatti et al., Cell Rep. 2020 Aug 4;32(5):107985.
