The Mansfeld Lab

Post-translational Modifications and Cell Proliferation

The decision to proliferate or not to proliferate is fundamental for development and healthy maintenance of multicellular organisms. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylation and ubiquitylation tightly regulate the cell cycle control machinery responsible for this decision-making. PTMs are covalent modifcations of proteins to regulate their function by changing their activity, stability, interactions and localization. Recently, also thiol oxidation of cysteines by reactive oxygen species (ROS) emerges as a prime candidate PTM to control cell cycle and proliferation control and thus became a focus of our lab.

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Within two lines of research our lab combines cell biological and biochemical approaches to reveal how the cell cycle control machinery and thus the decision to continue or halt cell cycle progression is regulated by ubiquitin/ubiquitin-like molecules and cysteine oxidation. Since key cell cycle regulators often are targeted by  multiple PTMs we are in particular interested in deciphering cross-talk between  cell cycle  regulatory PTMs.

To enable cutting edge research in the laboratory and translate our findings into potential approaches to treat cancer we routinely develop new technologies and molecules enabling us identify, visualize and manipulate cell cycle proteins and their PTMs at will.