Institute for Molecular Bio Science

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Research

There are currently eleven working groups at the Institute; they investigate a wide variety of molecular aspects of life. This research primarily focuses on microorganisms and plants. Membrane Biology is traditionally one of the strongest areas at the Institute. In this context, the focal point is the analysis of the structure and function of membrane-bound proteins, as well as their regulation and participation in intracellular signalling cascades. In the field of Biotechnology, work is being conducted on the development of microbial cell factories using both classical and recombinant methods to bring about overproduction of a range of enzymes and chemicals. Another new aspect of this field is the identification, characterisation and application of new metabolites from the secondary metabolism of entomopathogenic microbes. Metabolic pathways are selectively altered, e.g. to produce biofuels or to develop therapeutic methods of improving cellular defence.

In Microbial Physiology the emphasis is on metabolic physiology, specifically on its regulation and genetic basis in the Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota. The results of this study form the basis of analysis by membrane biologists and biotechnologists, leading to close networking both within the faculty and beyond. Research topics in Molecular Plant Physiology are the energy metabolism of photosynthetic organisms and its underlying organelle interactions. Physiological, structural, biochemical and genetic investigation all play an important part in this research.

Degenerative Processes and Molecular Stress focuses on the investigation of molecular aging mechanisms, especially the role of mitochondria in the aging process, as well as the analysis of cellular responses to heat and light stress. The groups working on Protective Functions of Carotenoids are investigating the molecular mechanism of carotenoid function in strong light conditions, as well as in protection from reactive oxygen species and membrane damage caused by external factors. In the field of Regulatory RNAs, the research focuses on structural and functional analysis of regulatory non-coding RNAs and their interactions with proteins, as well as their biological functions and cellular regulation.

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Resarch Objects




Department


Title


First Name



Surname

Biology and Genetics of Procaryotes


Prof.


Jörg



Soppa

Natural Product Genomics


Prof.


Eric



Helfrich

Merck-Stiftungsprofessur Molecular Biotechnology


Prof.


Helge



Bode

Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics


Prof.


Volker 



Müller

Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics


Prof.


Beate



Averhoff

Molecular Cell Biology of Plants


Prof.


Enrico



Schleiff

mRNA-based gene regulation


Prof.


Andreas



Schlundt

Plant Cell Physiology


Prof.


Claudia



Büchel

Physiology and Genetics of Lower Eukaryotes


Prof.


Eckhard



Boles

RNA Regulation in Higher Eukaryotes


Prof.


Michaela



Müller-McNicoll

RNA Structural Biology


Prof.


Jens



Wöhnert



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Teaching

The Institute is involved the Bachelor's Programmes in Biological Sciences, Biophysics and Bioinformatics as well as in Teacher Education in Biological Sciences and in the biological training of medical science students. In addition, it offers two master's programmes, Molecular Biological Sciences and Molecular Biotechnology, as well as participating in interdisciplinary master's programmes.

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Colloquium

The talks starts at 17:15 

Campus Rieberg, Biocenter, Section of the Building 260 Room 3.13

Male gametophyte development: from phosphoproteome to selected candidate genes

Jan Fíla, Institute of Experimental Botany of the CASBiologicum, Prague, Czech Republic

Thursday, December 7th - 17:00 - Biocenter, Hörsaal B2

The male gametophyte of flowering plants (Angiospermae) represents a unique model on which various processes can be studied at the level of a single cell, for example the study of ion gradients, vesicle transport, cytoskeleton dynamics, but also translational regulation and protein phosphorylation. The last process has been studied in our experiments, which have led to the identification of a number of phosphorylated proteins with exact position of their phosphorylation sites. From the tobacco pollen phosphoproteome, several protein candidates were selected for subsequent detailed functional analyses.

The heterodimeric nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) represents one of these studied candidates. In Arabidopsis thaliana genome, there are five genes encoding the NACα-subunit, and two genes encoding the NACβ-subunit. The double homozygous mutants of both NACβ genes were acquired by a conventional cross of two available T-DNA insertion lines. These double homozygous mutants showed several phenotypic traits different from the Columbia-0 wild type plants, such as delayed development, abnormal number of flower organs, and abnormally short siliques, which carried a lower number of seeds. Both NACβ genes were localized to nuclei and cytoplasm and their promoters were active in many organs (leaves, cauline leaves, flowers, pollen grains, and siliques together with seeds). Since flowers were the most affected organs by nacβ mutation, the transcriptome of flower buds was identified by RNA sequencing, and their proteome by gel-free approach. The differential expression analyses of transcriptomic and proteomic datasets suggest the involvement of NACβ subunits in stress responses, male gametophyte development, and photosynthesis.

Acknowledgment: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Czech Science Foundation (22-29717S, 23-07000S), and Mobility Plus Program with DAAD (DAAD-23-06).

Invited by Dr. Fragkostefanakis

The molecular control of root stem cell homeostasis

Prof. Yvonne Stahl, Institut für Molekulare Biowissenschaften, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt

Tuesday, January 23rd 2024, 17:00, Hörsaal 3, Otto-Stern-Zentrum

The root system of higher plants originates from the activity of a root meristem comprising a group of highly specialized and long-lasting stem cells. Maintenance and homeostasis of the stem cell niche (SCN) in the root is essential for plant growth and development and is controlled by feedback signaling from differentiated cells involving intricate gene regulatory networks. Although some plant transcription factors (TFs) are known as important regulators of root SCN maintenance, much of the necessary tight but also dynamic regulation of the transition from stem cell fate to differentiation still remains largely elusive.

We found that key TFs in root SCN regulation contain intrinsically disordered regions and prion-like domains (PrDs) which are necessary for complex formation with other TFs and their dynamic subcellular localization to nuclear bodies (NBs). Furthermore, we observed that the recruitment to these NBs is important for distal root stem cell homeostasis.

We propose that the observed partitioning of TF complexes to NBs, possibly by liquid-liquid phase separation, is important for the determination of distal stem cell fate. These dynamic translocations could act as another, dynamic layer of regulation, ensuring stem cell homeostasis, in response to differential internal and external cues.

Invited by Dr. Fragkostefanakis

Male gametophyte development: from phosphoproteome to selected candidate genes

Jan Fíla, Institute of Experimental Botany of the CASBiologicum, Prague, Czech Republic

Thursday, December 7th - 17:00 - Biocenter, Hörsaal B2

The male gametophyte of flowering plants (Angiospermae) represents a unique model on which various processes can be studied at the level of a single cell, for example the study of ion gradients, vesicle transport, cytoskeleton dynamics, but also translational regulation and protein phosphorylation. The last process has been studied in our experiments, which have led to the identification of a number of phosphorylated proteins with exact position of their phosphorylation sites. From the tobacco pollen phosphoproteome, several protein candidates were selected for subsequent detailed functional analyses.

The heterodimeric nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) represents one of these studied candidates. In Arabidopsis thaliana genome, there are five genes encoding the NACα-subunit, and two genes encoding the NACβ-subunit. The double homozygous mutants of both NACβ genes were acquired by a conventional cross of two available T-DNA insertion lines. These double homozygous mutants showed several phenotypic traits different from the Columbia-0 wild type plants, such as delayed development, abnormal number of flower organs, and abnormally short siliques, which carried a lower number of seeds. Both NACβ genes were localized to nuclei and cytoplasm and their promoters were active in many organs (leaves, cauline leaves, flowers, pollen grains, and siliques together with seeds). Since flowers were the most affected organs by nacβ mutation, the transcriptome of flower buds was identified by RNA sequencing, and their proteome by gel-free approach. The differential expression analyses of transcriptomic and proteomic datasets suggest the involvement of NACβ subunits in stress responses, male gametophyte development, and photosynthesis.

Acknowledgment: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Czech Science Foundation (22-29717S, 23-07000S), and Mobility Plus Program with DAAD (DAAD-23-06).

Invited by Dr. Fragkostefanakis

The molecular control of root stem cell homeostasis

Prof. Yvonne Stahl, Institut für Molekulare Biowissenschaften, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt

Tuesday, January 23rd 2024, 17:00, Hörsaal 3, Otto-Stern-Zentrum

The root system of higher plants originates from the activity of a root meristem comprising a group of highly specialized and long-lasting stem cells. Maintenance and homeostasis of the stem cell niche (SCN) in the root is essential for plant growth and development and is controlled by feedback signaling from differentiated cells involving intricate gene regulatory networks. Although some plant transcription factors (TFs) are known as important regulators of root SCN maintenance, much of the necessary tight but also dynamic regulation of the transition from stem cell fate to differentiation still remains largely elusive.

We found that key TFs in root SCN regulation contain intrinsically disordered regions and prion-like domains (PrDs) which are necessary for complex formation with other TFs and their dynamic subcellular localization to nuclear bodies (NBs). Furthermore, we observed that the recruitment to these NBs is important for distal root stem cell homeostasis.

We propose that the observed partitioning of TF complexes to NBs, possibly by liquid-liquid phase separation, is important for the determination of distal stem cell fate. These dynamic translocations could act as another, dynamic layer of regulation, ensuring stem cell homeostasis, in response to differential internal and external cues.

Invited by Dr. Fragkostefanakis

Contact

Institute for Moelcular Bio Science

Campus Riedberg
Biocentre

Building N210-207
Post office box 6
Max-von-Laue-Str. 9
D-60438 Frankfurt

T +49 69 798-29603
F +49 69 798-29600
info-mbw@bio.uni-frankfurt.de

Managing Director:
Prof. Dr. Michaela Müller-McNicoll

Assis. Managing Director:
Prof. Dr. Claudia Büchel

Further information: eMail
Dr. Markus Fauth
Tel: 069 798 29603
Dr. Matthias Rose
Tel: 069 798 29529