GRK 2355:  Regulatory networks in the mRNA life cycle: from coding to noncoding RNAs

• Subject Area: Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: since 2018
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 325443116

The genome contains the blueprints for all RNAs and proteins available to a cell. Some of these perform basic cellular functions and are continuously produced, others are only required in specialised cell types or under exceptional circumstances and can even be detrimental if produced at the wrong time. The ability to adopt an optimal pattern of gene expression is a key determinant of cellular fitness and has been an important driver of evolution. Maintaining a mode of gene regulation that is both flexible and robust is a fundamental challenge for all biological systems. The need to integrate many different inputs and to establish feedback control mechanisms has led to the development of complex gene-regulatory networks with many interdependencies. RNA is a central molecule of gene expression that is not only a direct target of regulation, but also a regulatory agent. Both of these roles are the particular focus of our research training programme. Advances in high-throughput sequencing approaches over the last decade have identified many novel classes of non-coding RNAs, and we are only beginning to appreciate how versatile these molecules are used in cells. Examples of non-coding RNA function that have been reported in this highly active research area with many open questions include their roles as scaffolds and recruiting platforms, protein or RNA sponges, allosteric regulators of protein activity, or molecular sensors. Since function can strongly depend on RNA structure, regulatory interventions that have an impact on base-pairing abilities and RNA folding offer an additional layer of control that is underexplored. Within our programme, we aim to establish how such mechanisms that allow control and fine-tuning of RNA function contribute to the plasticity of gene-regulatory networks. As the regulation of gene expression underpins all cellular processes, this research has the potential to improve our understanding of many topics of high medical relevance, such as bacterial biofilm formation, diet-induced changes to metabolism, virus infection, and disease.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
• Participating Institution: Max-Planck-Institut für Herz- und Lungenforschung; W.G. Kerkhoff-Institut; Max-Planck-Institut für terrestrische Mikrobiologie; Philipps-Universität Marburg
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Katja Sträßer
• Participating Researchers: Privatdozent Dr. Thomas Böttger; Professorin Dr. Elena Evguenieva-Hackenberg; Professor Dr. Peter Friedhoff; Professor Dr. Alexander Goesmann; Professor Dr. Roland K. Hartmann; Dr. Katharina Höfer; Professor Dr. Stefan Janssen, since 4/2023; Dr. Cornelia Kilchert; Professor Dr. Andreas Krueger, since 7/2024; Professor Dr. Michael Niepmann; Dr. Oliver Roßbach; Dr. Andre Schneider; Dr. Lyudmila Shalamova; Professor Dr. Friedemann Weber; Professor Dr. John Ziebuhr