SFB 579:  RNA-Ligand Interactions

• Subject Area: Chemistry ; Biology ; Medicine
• Term: from 2001 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5484731

Our aim is to develope a better understanding how natural and synthetic ligands recognize RNA. RNA is central to process genetic information and is crucial for catalytic and regulatory processes within a cell. Ligands in our understanding are molecules that bind and are thus able to modulate the functions of the bound target. Here we understand as ligands such diverse substances as proteins, nucleic acids and natural as well as synthetic molecules and ions. The biological groups within the collaborative research centre are characterizing the relevant RNA-protein interactions in the cell. In the centre of the chemical interest is the search for potential drugs or lead compounds which are able to modulate defined biological functions as well as the description of structure and dynamics of RNA-ligand-complexes. The combined efforts are directed towards developing strategies fo find tailormade ligand-molecules for defined RNA-structures. These should be able to block the proliferation of viruses or bacteria in a specific fashion. Here we synthesize and characterize active compound libraries as well as RNA-ligand complexes. Thus it should be possible in special cases like virus replication to obtain defined lead compounds. Finally the collaborative research centre should contribute to the molecular understanding of RNA and deliver a scientific basis for the future design of specific ligands. To achieve lead compounds in exemplary cases like inhibition of virus replication a multidisciplinary team has been established consisting of chemists, biologist, pharmacists and researchers from experimental medicine.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres

Completed projects

• A02 - Chemically modified RNA for Analytics and Therapy (Project Heads Engels, Joachim W. ;  Heckel, Alexander )
• A03 - Synthetic small molecules interfering with RNA functions (Project Head Göbel, Michael )
• A04 - Massenspektrometrische Analytik von RNA und RNA-Wirkstoffkomplexen (Project Head Karas, Michael )
• A05 - Kombinatorische Synthese von RNA-bindenden Kohlenhydratderivaten (Project Heads Kunz, Horst ;  Opatz, Till )
• A06 - Structure and Function of RNA and RNA-Ligand Complexes Studied by Multi- Frequency EPR/ENDOR Spectroscopy (Project Head Prisner, Thomas F. )
• A07 - Molecular dynamics simulations of RNA systems (Project Head Stock, Gerhard )
• A8 - Kombinatorische Synthese und RNA-Bindungsverhalten von Aminoglycosid-Mimetika (Project Head Wittmann, Valentin )
• A09 - NMR-spektroskopische Untersuchungen der Struktur von bakteriellen RNA-bindenden regulatorischen Proteinen und ihrer Wechselwirkung mit RNA (Project Head Wöhnert, Jens )
• A10 - NMR-spectroscopic investigations of RNA and RNA-Ligand-Complexes (Project Head Schwalbe, Harald )
• A11 - Molecular recognition in RNA-ligand complexes and application to structure- and ligand-based molecular design (Project Head Schneider, Gisbert )
• A12 - LILBID mass spectrometry for detecting specific RNA-ligand complexes and RNA macromolecules (Project Heads Barth, Hans-Dieter ;  Brutschy, Bernd )
• A13 - Structural and Biophysical Analysis of RNA Interference (RNAi) (Project Head Chen, Ph.D., Julian C.-H. )
• B01 - Identifizierung von Peptidliganden für funktionelle RNA-Strukturen über Screening von Phage-display-Banken (Project Head Dietrich, Ursula )
• B03 - Functional Analysis of the Essential Nucleolar Nep1 Protein and its Interactions with RNA during Ribosome Biogenesis in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. (Project Heads Entian, Karl-Dieter ;  Kötter, Peter )
• B04 - RNA-Liganden als therapeutische Moleküle (Project Head Grez, Manuel )
• B05 - Ribozyme und siRNA als antivirale Effektormoleküle: Kombinierte endogene Expression und exogene Applikation (Project Head Klein, Stefan A. )
• B06 - Translationskontrolle durch 3-nichttranslatierte mRNA-Bereiche (Project Head Soppa, Jörg )
• B8 - Biopolymere Trägersysteme für RNA-Liganden (Project Heads Kreuter, Jörg ;  Zimmer, Andreas )
• B09 - The use of RNA ligands to search for effective therapeutic measures against trypanosome infections (Project Head Göringer, H. Ulrich )
• B10 - Selektion von RNA Aptameren gegen HIV-1 Hüllproteine (Project Head von Laer, Dorothee )
• B11 - Genetic and biochemical analysis of selenoprotein biosynthesis in Archaea (Project Head Rother, Michael )
• Z01 - Analyse von RNA (Project Heads Engels, Joachim W. ;  Göbel, Michael )
• Z02 - Fluoreszenz-Korrelations-Spektroskopie (Project Head Brutschy, Bernd )
• Z03 - Zentrale Verwaltung des SFB (Project Heads Göbel, Michael ;  Schwalbe, Harald )

• Applicant Institution: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• Participating University: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz; Technische Universität Darmstadt
• Participating Institution: Georg-Speyer-Haus; Institut für Tumorbiologie und experimentelle Therapie
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Harald Schwalbe