Matthias Mann's Group (»Add to Infobox)

Am Klopferspitz 18 82152 D Martinsried (near Munich) Internet:  http://www.biochem.mpg.de/mann/

General description: The department of proteomics and signal transduction, led by Prof. Matthias Mann, was established in July 2005 and is currently comprised of 30 people. The department develops and applies powerful tools of ‘proteomics', which is the analysis of the protein complement in protein complexes, cells, tissues and organisms. The goal of proteomics is not only to determine the level of proteins but also their localization, dynamics, post-translational modifications and interaction partners. Proteomics can be done at the whole cell or tissue level but, often more interestingly, can be focused on specific and functionally relevant ‘sub-proteomes' such as all phosphorylated proteins. Role in RUBICON: Part of the activities in the Mann group at the Max-Planck-Institut for Biochemistry will be to develop mass spectrometric methods to characterize protein modification with ubiquitin and small ubiquitin like modifiers. In particular, we will aim to analyze the ubiquitin modified proteome in a quantitative way using Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino acids in Cell culture (SILAC). Pull downs of tagged ubiquitin from SILAC labeled or not labeled cells allow us to quantitatively compare the ubiquitination of total cellular protein following some perturbation such as DNA damage. We have performed similar experiments in the case of phosphorylation but to our knowledge no quantitative, unbiased studies of the ubiquitin proteome have ever been performed before. Secondly, we will develop streamlined methods to map ubiquitination sites on single, purified proteins present in weak coomassie stainable amounts. We have already performed such analyses before but so far our methods are too complicated and labor intensive to carry out in a routine manner. Automation of the entire process will allow us to map ubiquitin and other modification sites in a streamlines manner. The group will also make the developed analytical methods available in selected collaborations with other partners in consortium.

MEMBERS (4/4)

Mann Matthias (Principal Investigator / Matthias Mann's Group)