In the right place, at the right time
The precise orchestration of cellular processes requires proteins and other macromolecules to be organized in space and time. While working in the lab of Manuel Leonetti at the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, first author Marco Hein and Biohub colleagues mapped the subcellular distributions of more than 7,600 human proteins. Using a viral infection model, the authors then showed that many proteins are regulated by changes in their subcellular localization rather than by changes in their abundance. The study, published in Cell, is the culmination of research Marco conducted during his work as a Biohub fellow.
Imaging across scales
Scientific facilities at the Perutz support research groups at the institute and beyond. In our third part of the ‘Scientific Facilities - Behind the Scenes’ series, we explore how the BioOptics Light Microscopy and Histology facilities drive cutting-edge research at the Perutz by providing state-of-the-art tools and expert support.
Lisa Appel and Johannes Benedum are Researchers of the Month at the Medical University of Vienna
Every month, the Medical University of Vienna features outstanding researchers by presenting and honoring their research achievements. For the month of December, Perutz scientists Johannes Benedum and Lisa Appel from the Slade lab are named Researchers of the Month for their respective first-author publications in Nature Communications in 2023.
Seipin: Guardian of Lipid Balance
The inner nuclear membrane, a hub of genome regulation and nuclear envelope organization, holds untapped mysteries in lipid metabolism. In a study published in Nature Communications, the Köhler lab identified Seipin – a protein previously linked to a severe lipid storage disorder – as a key regulator of inner nuclear membrane lipid homeostasis and nuclear envelope integrity.
Christa Bücker awarded ERC Consolidator Grant
Perutz group leader Christa Buecker has been awarded the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant for her project ‘GENE-TUNE’, securing nearly €2 million in funding over the next five years. With this support, the Buecker lab will take a bottom-up approach to unravel the complexities of gene regulatory landscapes, focusing on a wide range of regulatory elements. This grant brings the total number of ERC grants awarded to scientists at the Perutz to 20.
More than the sum of its parts
Precise regulation of gene expression is crucial for the development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms. However, regulatory sequences, such as enhancers, are often located at vast genomic distances from their target gene, and it is still a mystery how enhancers communicate with their target gene. The Buecker lab has recently demonstrated how enhancers differentially located in the genome can cooperate to drive gene expression. In their study published in Molecular Cell, the researchers used a novel synthetic platform to reveal how weak and strong enhancers work together to amplify gene expression.
One step back, two steps forward
Many organisms are capable of regenerating damaged or lost tissue, but why some can, while others cannot, is not known. In work published in Nature Communications, first authors Alexander Stockinger and Leonie Adelmann from the Raible lab show that specialized marine worm cells de-differentiate into stem cells to regenerate the lost tissue. The researchers’ findings support hypotheses posited over 60 years ago and suggest new directions for future studies on regeneration.
ASAP: more Parkinson’s funding for the Martens lab
The Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Initiative (ASAP) fosters collaborative research to accelerate Parkinson’s disease discoveries. Since 2020, the Martens lab has been part of the ASAP-funded Team Hurley, also known as the ‘mito911’ team, a high-profile research collaboration focused on understanding the link between mitophagy and Parkinson’s disease.
Laura Santini recognized with Vienna BioCenter PhD Award
Perutz alumna Laura Santini, who obtained her PhD in Martin Leeb’s lab, has been recognized with this year’s Vienna BioCenter PhD Award for her outstanding thesis on cell fate differentiation. The Vienna BioCenter PhD Award was introduced in 2005 by former Perutz group leader Renée Schroeder to honor the best PhD theses across four institutes on campus. Laura Santini is the 21st Perutz student to receive the award.
Time for lunch
Aggregated, misfolded proteins need to be removed by cells to avoid their build-up. Failure to do so often leads to disease. During a process called aggrephagy, aggregated proteins are marked with ubiquitin and clustered into molecular condensates, which are then degraded with the help of the autophagic machinery. In a new study published in EMBO Journal, Bernd Bauer, a PhD student in the Martens group, reveals how the cargo receptor protein TAX1BP1 facilitates the switch from cargo collection to autophagosome formation. Bernd’s findings show that TAX1BP1 recruits pro-autophagic factors to initiate autophagosome biogenesis by sensing the amount of ubiquitin within the cargo.
Controlling condensation by phosphorylation
Condensate formation as an organizing principle is rapidly gaining traction in many biological processes. However, the mechanisms by which the size, composition and subcellular localization of these condensates are regulated are largely unknown. Harald Hornegger, a PhD student in the Karagöz lab, has revealed that phosphorylation of the RNA-binding protein IGF2BP1 significantly impacts the biogenesis, size and number of stress granules. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that post-translational modification of intrinsically disordered regions of IGF2BP1 alters its condensation properties, a mechanism which the authors propose allows cells to tune their transcriptional output in response to specific environmental conditions.
Kristina Djinovic-Carugo named Ambassador of Science of Slovenia
This award recognizes significant achievements in the field of scientific research and development by Slovenians abroad. By appointing distinguished researchers as Science Ambassadors, the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Slovenia seeks to foster cross-border partnerships and inspire future generations of scientists.
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