New research to understand fundamental role of ubiquitin in cell death or survival

An effective regulation of programmed cell death is crucial for the correct development of embryos, a working innate immune system, and the prevention of cancer. How cells control the switch between cell survival and death, and which signaling pathways are involved, remain unclear. Proteins that interact with death receptors in these signaling pathways are often marked with various forms of ubiquitin chains, such as linear (M1) and K63-linked polyubiquitin chains. Deubiquitinating enzymes, which specifically break down ubiquitin chains, play a central role in the regulation of these chains, death receptor signaling, and cell fate.

"In our project, we want to investigate the network of M1-deubiquitinating enzymes and interactions with death receptor signaling in mammalian cells in order to understand the fundamental role of the ubiquitin in cell death or survival," explains Sjoerd van Wijk, group leader at the Institute of Experimental Cancer Research in Pediatrics. The ultimate goal is to understand human diseases, in particular how cancer develops and spreads, and how cells protect themselves against invasive bacteria.

In his research group, van Wijk pursues multidisciplinary approaches using state-of-the-art technology. Through collaborations with Dr. Manuel Kaulich (CRISPR/Cas9 Screening Centre at Goethe University), he has access to highly efficient screening methods to unravel the molecular events that control death receptor function. The analysis of these molecular complexes is also being supported by the ubiquitin mass spectrometry at the Institute for Biochemistry II at Goethe University (Prof. Dr. Ivan Dikic) and at the Institute of Molecular Biology in Mainz (Dr. Petra Beli), as well as by the high-resolution microscopy at the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at Goethe University (Prof. Dr. Mike Heilemann).