Long non-coding RNA and Infection Biology
RNA is a truly remarkable molecule with functions and activities far beyond that of an intermediate information carrier. The abundant class of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contains highly specialized RNA with structural or regulatory functions that range from assembling large protein complexes to localizing, sequestering, or allosterically modifying proteins and other interaction partners. Our genome contains thousands of lncRNAs, many of which are specifically regulated during bacterial or viral infections. However, their contribution to launching and sustaining an effective host response remains elusive. Our group combines a cutting-edge suite of technologies from the fields of biochemistry, genomics, molecular biology, and computational biology to decode how lncRNA work mechanistically and how they contribute to host defense mechanisms. This group is located at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI).
Leader
Publications
*co-first author, #co-corresponding author
Munschauer, M.#, Nguyen, C.T., Sirokman, K., Hartigan C. R., Hogstrom, L., Engreitz, J. M, Fulco, C. P., Subramanian V., Chen, J., Ulirch J. C., Schenone, M. Guttman, M., Carr, S.A. Lander, E. S.# (2018). The NORAD lncRNA assembles a topoisomerase complex critical for genome stability. Nature, 561(7721):132-136. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0453-z
Munschauer, M. and Vogel, J. (2018) Nuclear lncRNA stabilization in the host response to bacterial infection. EMBO J, 37(13). pii: e99875. doi.org/10.15252/embj.201899875.
Khajuria R.K., Munschauer, M., Ulirsch J.C., Fiorini C., Ludwig L.S., McFarland S.K., Abdulhay N.J., Specht H., Keshishian H., Mani D.R., Jovanovic M., Ellis S.R., Fulco C.P., Engreitz J.M., Schütz S., Lian J., Gripp K.W., Weinberg O.K., Pinkus G.S., Gehrke L., Regev A., Lander E.S., Gazda H.T., Lee W.Y., Panse V.G., Carr S.A., Sankaran V.G. (2018). Ribosome Levels Selectively Regulate Translation and Lineage Commitment in Human Hematopoiesis. Cell, 173(1):90-103.e19. doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.036
Fulco, C. P., Munschauer, M., Anyoha, R., Munson, G., Grossman, S. R., Perez, E. M., Kane, M., Cleary B., Lander E. S., Engreitz E. M. (2016). Systematic mapping of functional enhancer-promoter connections with CRISPR interference. Science, 354(6313):769-773. doi.org/10.1126/science.aag2445
Baltz, A.G.*, Munschauer, M.*, Schwanhaeusser, B., Vasile, A., Murakawa, Y., Schueler, M., Youngs, N., Penfold-Brown, D., Drew, K., Milek, M., Wyler, E., Bonneau, R., Selbach, M., Dieterich, C., and Landthaler, M. (2012). The mRNA-bound proteome and its global occupancy profile on protein-coding transcripts. Molecular Cell 46(5):674-90. doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2012.05.021
Further Information
A current overview of the team and further information about the research group can be found on the HIRI page.
