Priv.-Doz. Marion Schmidt-Zachmann, Ph.D.

Ge W, Wolf A, Feng T, Ho CH, Sekirnik R, Zayer A, Granatino N, Cockman ME, Loenarz C, Loik ND, Hardy AP, Claridge TD, Hamed RB, Chowdhury R, Gong L, Robinson CV, Trudgian DC, Jiang M, Mackeen MM, McCullagh JS, Gordiyenko Y, Thalhammer A, Yamamoto A, Yang M, Liu-Yi P, Zhang Z, Schmidt-Zachmann M, Kessler BM, Ratcliffe PJ, Preston GM, Coleman ML, Schofield CJ. (2012). Oxygenase-catalyzed ribosome hydroxylation occurs in prokaryotes and humans. Nat Chem Biol. 8(12):960-2. 

Voltmer-Irsch, S., Kneissel, S., Adenot, P., Schmidt-Zachmann, M.S. (2007). Regulatory mechanisms governing the oocyte-specific synthesis of the karyoskeletal protein NO145.
J. Cell Sci. 120, 1412-1422.

Isono, K., Mizutani-Koseki, Y., Komori, T., Schmidt-Zachmann, M.S., Koseki, H. (2005). Mammalian polycomb-mediated repression of Hox genes requires the essential spliceosomal protein Sf3b1. Genes Dev. 19, 536-541.

Eilbracht, J., Kneissel, S., Hofmann, A., Schmidt-Zachmann, M.S. (2005). Protein NO52 – a constitutive nucleolar component sharing high sequence homologies to protein NO66.
Eur. J. Cell Biol. 84, 279-294. 

Namboodiri, V.M, Schmidt-Zachmann M.S., Head J.F., Akey C.W. (2004). Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the N-terminal domain of NO38, a nucleolar protein from Xenopus laevis. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 60, 2325-2327.

Namboodiri, V.M, Akey I.V., Schmidt-Zachmann M.S., Head J.F., Akey, C.W. (2004). The structure and function of Xenopus NO38-core, a histone chaperone in the nucleolus.
Structure 12, 2149-2160.

 Eilbracht, J., Reichenzeller, M., Hergt,M., Schnölzer, M., Heid, H., Stöhr, M., Franke, W.W., Schmidt-Zachmann, M.S. (2004). NO66, a highly conserved dual location protein in the nucleolus and in a special type of synchronously replicating chromatin. Mol Biol Cell 15, 1816-1832.

Kneissel, S., Franke, W.W., Gall, J.G., Heid, H., Reidenbach, S., Schnölzer, M., Spring, H., Zentgraf, HW., Schmidt-Zachmann, M.S. (2001). A novel karyoskeletal protein: Characterization of protein NO145, the major component of nucleolar cortical skeleton in Xenopus oocytes. Mol Biol. Cell 12, 3904-3918

 Eilbracht, J., Schmidt-Zachmann, M.S. (2001). Identification of a sequence element directing a protein to nuclear speckles. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 3849-3854. Zirwes, R., Eilbracht, J., Kneissel, S., Schmidt-Zachmann, M.S. (2000). A novel helicase-type protein in the nucleolus: Protein NOH61. Mol. Biol. Cell 11, 1153-1167

 
Project: Functional characterization of nucleolar proteins and their roles in hematological malignancies
 
The identification of histone lysine demethylases (KDMs) including proteins containing a jumonji (JmjC)-domain has provided strong evidence that the modification of histones is dynamically regulated and plays a major role in the activation/deactivation of target genes.

The two nucleolar proteins NO52 and NO66 are members of the JmjC-protein family. Over the years diverse functions have been ascribed to these enzymes, e.g. in the process of ribosome biogenesis, gene transcription, proliferation and cell cycle progression. However, their precise functions are still unknown. We are performing overexpression as well as knockdown experiments to obtain new insights into the biological role(s) of these multifunctional epigenetic modifiers. Moreover, we determined changes in gene expression caused by overexpression of NO52/NO66 in U2OS cells.

Upregulation of NO52/NO66 has been documented in some human cancers, indicating that these proteins may play a crucial role in tumorigenesis. We started to study the potential correlation between the expression of these proteins and cellular chemoresistance.  

Since epigenetic dysfunctions seem to have a central role in the pathology of myeloid malignancies, we investigate the expression level of NO52/NO66 in various human leukemia cell lines as well as patient material in order to explore the relevance of these proteins as potential prognostic biomarkers for the development and/or manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).  

The International PhD Program at DKFZ

Candidates from Germany and abroad who are interested in a PhD are encouraged to apply to the International PhD Program of the DKFZ. The program provides interdisciplinary training and research opportunities in the field of Biology and Cancer Research:

Helmholtz International Graduate School for Cancer Research


Teaching

Seminar at the Faculty for Biosciences organized together with PD Dr. Renate Voit/ Molecular Biology of the Cell II: