Katrin Stade (»Add to Infobox)

Independant post-doc Thomas Sommer's Group Academic: Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin Phone:  +49 30 94063736 Email:  kstademdc-berlin.de

General description: Post-translational modification by the small ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO is emerging as a defining feature of eukaryotic cells. To better understand the role of sumoylation for protein function, in particular during nuclear transport processes and gene silencing, we use genetic as well as biochemical strategies to identify and analyse SUMO substrates from budding yeast. A focus is currently put on the characterisation of several potential SUMO substrates isolated in a high copy suppressor analysis of a desumoylation enzyme mutant. In the course of the RUBICON project, we want to further analyse these genes with respect to their SUMO conjugation status and the consequences of the SUMO modification for the respective gene function. In addition, we plan to identify the corresponding human genes and study the role of the SUMO modification in mammalian cells. Link: http://www.mdc-berlin.de/sommer/nwg_stade.htm l Role in RUBICON: Apart from standard genetic and biochemical methods for yeast cell analysis, our technical expertise comprises fluorescence and electron microscopy on yeast cells and in vitro sumoylation assays with recombinant yeast enzymes. In addition, a collection of yeast mutants, corresponding plasmids and SUMO antibodies is available.