The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) has approved funding for a new Research Unit (FOR 6037) dedicated to understanding the molecular mechanisms that control transcription – the first and most critical step of gene expression. The Research Unit, “Multi-subunit RNA Polymerases Across All Domains of Life: Mechanisms Underlying Transcription Activity and Regulation,” brings together researchers from leading German universities and research institutions. It will initially receive multi-million-euro funding for four years, with the option of renewal for an additional four-year period. The Research Unit bringing together thirteen project leaders over nine projects is coordinated by Claus-D. Kuhn, professor of RNA biochemistry at the University of Bayreuth, who serves as spokesperson, together with Lydia Herzel, professor at Freie Universität Berlin’s Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, who is the Research Unit’s vice spokesperson. Dr. Nelly Said and Professor Markus Wahl, also from the Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Freie Universität Berlin, are project leaders within the Research Unit.

Decoding One of Life’s Most Fundamental Processes

The new Research Unit will focus on multi-subunit RNA polymerases (msRNAPs), which are central to gene expression. These molecular machines transcribe DNA into RNA and drive the transcription cycle through the phases of initiation, elongation, and termination. Although the central machinery of these enzymes works in a very similar way across different forms of life, the surrounding components and control mechanisms vary widely. Scientists are only beginning to understand this diversity, as most research so far has focused on a small number of well-studied organisms. Thanks to recent technological advances in areas such as cryo-electron microscopy, the Research Unit will delve further into this area and investigate transcription regulation across bacterial, archaeal, eukaryotic, plastid, and viral systems – a novel approach that no other group has pursued until now. The unit will pursue three scientific goals: 1. Dissect the molecular principles of template-based RNA synthesis by multi-subunit RNA polymerases across all domains of life, 2. Pinpoint the regulatory mechanisms influencing transcription dynamics and output, and 3. Organize and summarize its findings into overarching principles that govern transcriptional output and regulation.

A Nationwide, Interdisciplinary Research Consortium

The Research Unit unites early-career and senior researchers from across Germany, including the University of Bayreuth, Freie Universität Berlin, University of Göttingen, Leibniz University Hannover, the University of Regensburg, University of Würzburg, the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry. Project teams will collaboratively investigate related stages of the transcription cycle across different organisms and apply complementary methods to study diverse msRNAPs.

“I am delighted to hear that our Research Unit was successful in securing funding. Our diverse team of interdisciplinary researchers will shed light upon aspects of msRNAP transcription that have remained elusive until now due to the complexity of the process. I am especially thrilled that Freie Universität Berlin’s Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry will be contributing three project leaders to the unit’s efforts,” says Professor Herzel.

By combining structural, biophysical, and systems-level approaches, the Research Unit expects to reveal both the conserved mechanisms and the specialized strategies that organisms across the tree of life use to regulate gene expression. The unit will thus advance our understanding of transcription and its regulation well beyond what any single project could achieve on its own.

Further Information

Contact

• Prof. Dr. Lydia Herzel, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Email: lydia.herzel@fu-berlin.de
• Claus-D. Kuhn, Professor of RNA Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Email: claus.kuhn@uni-bayreuth.de