Russo Lab

Vergrößern

Our lab investigates how metabolic processes directly interface with the regulation of gene expression. Central to our research is the concept that nuclear metabolic activities actively shape chromatin organization and transcriptional control. We focus on the local production of acyl-CoA metabolites within the nucleus and on how these metabolites are functionally coupled to the RNA polymerase II transcriptional machinery. In particular, we study nuclear-localized 2-ketoacid dehydrogenases as enzymatic hubs that generate acetyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA in proximity to chromatin and transcriptional complexes, thereby modulating histone acylation, Pol II–dependent transcription, and gene regulatory outcomes.

Research

We use a multidisciplinary approach to investigate

• how nuclear acyl-CoA–producing enzymes regulate transcriptional programs during immune activation

• how these enzymes interface with chromatin-associated transcription factors, RNA polymerase II co-factors, and other nuclear regulatory proteins

• and how their structural organization and subnuclear localization enable specialized regulatory functions

Technologies used by our group include

• nascent RNA sequencing to capture transcriptional dynamics
• ChIP–seq to profile chromatin states and transcriptional regulation
• proteomics and metabolomics to define nuclear regulatory networks
• proximity labeling approaches (TurboID) to map protein interactions
• super-resolution and live-cell microscopy to study subnuclear organization and dynamics
• CRISPR–Cas9–based genetic perturbations

Our primary model system is the macrophage, an immune cell type characterized by rapid and dynamic transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming during inflammation. Beyond macrophages, we explore how these regulatory principles extend to other mammalian cell types, with broader implications for immunometabolism, development, and disease.

Publications

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1418-4712

Scientific Vita

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