Our work is dedicated to understanding basic cellular functions on the mechanistic level of the involved proteins. The complexity of cellular signaling in apoptosis is highly intriguing. Proteolytic systems such as the ubiquitin proteasome system or autophagy are involved to regulate threshold level of initiator and effector caspases. Protein modifications such as phosphorylation, ubiquitinylation and citrullination affect protein stability and are involved in the regulation of cell survival under stress conditions or pathological conditions such as cancer.
We investigate the role of proteasomes (see pictures based on electron microscopy, crystallography and model of regulator bound protesasome, panels from left to right), proteasome regulators and protein-modifying enzymes, contextually focusing on basic cellular processes important to understand tumor biology.
Our research affects diagnosis and development of strategies for treatment of tumor and autoimmune diseases.