New perspectives on gene regulation

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Molecular biologist Dr. Marta Russo is a new research group leader at LMU’s Biomedical Center (BMC). She has been awarded 2.1 million euros in funding through the German Research Foundation’s Emmy Noether Program.

Marta Russo's research focuses on a largely unexplored aspect of gene regulation: how metabolism in the cell nucleus can influence gene activity. For more than 100 years, metabolic pathways were studied almost exclusively in other compartments, particularly in the mitochondria. However, recent discoveries – including her own – have shown that important metabolic enzymes involved in the production of acyl-CoAs can also be located in the cell nucleus.

The metabolites produced by these enzymes are not only metabolic intermediates, but also play an important role in modifying histones, the proteins that package DNA, and thus help to control which genes are switched on or off. In her Emmy Noether-funded project “Nuclear synthesis of acyl-CoAs in the reprogramming of chromatin and gene activity,” Marta Russo is investigating how such metabolic enzymes influence gene expression.

Her laboratory combines genomics, proteomics, metabolite profiling, and advanced imaging techniques in a multidisciplinary approach to understand how nuclear metabolism interacts with the transcriptional apparatus. Macrophages, immune cells known for their rapid and dynamic transcriptional and metabolic changes, serve as the primary model system. Through her research, Marta Russo aims to shed light on how nuclear metabolism contributes to cellular identity, immune responses, and the development of human diseases.

Current job offer: Computational Postdoctoral positions in Gene Regulation and Chromatin Metabolism (m/f/x)

Source: LMU Newsroom

Interview

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In a recent interview, Dr Russo shared her vision for the lab and the questions that drive her research.