Molecular switches regulating stress granule oscillation (A14)

• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 278001972

Stress granules (SGs) are cytosolic condensates that form under a variety of stress conditions such as virus infection and contain stalled mRNAs. The team of A. Ruggieri / G. Stoecklin (A14) discovered that chronic infection with hepatitis C virus leads to an oscillating SG response with ON and OFF phases of protein synthesis, regulated by the antagonistic action of two main switches, the double-stranded RNA-activated Protein Kinase R and GADD34, a regulatory subunit of Protein Phosphatase 1. The proposed work will establish molecular principles by which oscillating stress responses are achieved and serve as a cellular strategy to mount an effective anti-viral program while maintaining cellular homeostasis.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 186: Molecular Switches: Spatio-temporal Control of Cellular Signal Transmission
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Heads: Dr. Alessia Ruggieri, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Georg Stoecklin