Research Programmes

• Advanced Nanotechnologies and Microtechnologies
  • Functional Properties of Nanostructures
  • Submicron Systems and Nanodevices
  • Experimental Biophotonics
  • Fabrication and Characterisation of Nanostructures
  • Development of Methods for Analysis and Measuring
  • X-ray Micro CT and Nano CT
  • Optoelectronic Characterisation of Nanostructures
  • Micro and Nanotribology
  • Plasma Technologies
  • Synthesis and Analysis of Nanostructures
  • Transport and Magnetic Properties
• Advanced Materials
  • Advanced Ceramic Materials
  • Materials for Sensors and Technological Processes Control Systems
  • Advanced Polymers and Composites
  • Advanced Metallic Materials and Metal Based Composites
  • Structure and Phase Analysis
• Structural Biology
  • Bioinformatics
  • CD Spectroscopy of Nucleic Acids and Proteins
  • CryoEM
  • Glycobiochemistry
  • RNA Quality Control
  • Nanobiotechnology
  • Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy
  • NMR Spectroscopy II
  • NMR Spectroscopy III
  • Protein/RNA Interactions
  • X-ray Crystallography I
  • X-ray Crystallography II
  • Structure and Dynamics of Nucleic Acids
  • Structure and Interaction of Biomolecules at Surfaces
  • Computational Chemistry
• Genomics and Proteomics of Plant Systems
  • Bioanalytical Instrumentation
  • Plant Cytogenomics
  • Functional Genomics and Proteomics of Plants
  • Hormonal Crosstalk in Plant Development
  • Metabolomics
  • Core Facility – Proteomics
  • Developmental and Cell Biology of Plants
  • Chromatin Molecular Complexes
  • Developmental and Production Biology – Omics Approaches
• Molecular Medicine
  • Medical Genomics
  • Molecular Oncology I – Hematooncology
  • Molecular Oncology II – Solid Cancer
  • Inherited Diseases I – Genetic Research
  • Inherited Diseases II – Transcriptional Regulation
  • Molecular Immunology and Microbiology
  • Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology
  • Genome Dynamics
  • Core Facility – Genomics
  • Laboratory of Human Molecular Genetics
• Brain and Mind Research
  • Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
  • Molecular and Functional Neuroimaging
  • Experimental and Applied Neuropsychopharmacology
  • Psychophysiology
  • Behavioural and Social Neuroscience
  • Applied Neuroscience
• Molecular Veterinary Medicine
  • Molecular Virology
  • Molecular Bacteriology
  • Parasitology
  • Food Safety
  • Orthopaedics and Surgery
  • Animal Imunogenomics
  • Animal Cytogenomics
  • Mammalian Reproduction

Protein/RNA Interactions

Mgr. Richard Štefl, Ph.D.
Research Group Leader

THEMATIC RESEARCH FOCUS

RESEARCH AREAS

• Proteins-RNA interactions and their role in regulation of gene expression
• 3’-end processing and transcription termination
• NMR spectroscopy of proteins and nucleic acids and their complexes
• Development and application of new methods to aid the interpretation of NMR data

MAIN OBJECTIVES

• Investigation of the role of RNA in gene expression, development and human diseases.
• Establishing an isotope laboratory for NMR studies and the development of new strategies for the preparation of isotopically labelled proteins in eukaryotic cells.

CONTENT OF RESEARCH

RNA is essential for cell survival. It is not only a messenger between the genomes and proteomes but also carries out or participates in many functions such as RNA processing and protein translation, acting as structural scaffolds, transporters, gene regulators and biocatalysts. We will help to clarify molecular mechanisms underlying RNA quality control in eukaryotic cells by the investigation of the detailed biochemical principles of RNA recognition, processing and degradation. We will use a combination of biochemical, genetic, and structural methods to unravel the molecular mechanism of the eukaryotic RNA surveillance.

KEY RESEARCH EQUIPMENT

PLANNED RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE

Technology Units

Central supporting laboratory for NMR, X-ray, and CRYO-EM

MAIN PROJECTS

• Structural studies of protein-RNA complexes involved in RNA quality control (GA204/08/1212), Czech Science Foundation, 2008-2010, R. Štefl, Masaryk University.
• Structural studies of protein-RNA complexes involved in RNA quality control (1263), Howard Hughes Medical Institute / European Molecular Biology Organization Startup Grant, 2007-2009, R. Štefl, Masaryk University.
• Structural basis of transcription termination of nonpolyadenylated transcripts (IAA401630903), Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 2009-2011, R. Štefl, Masaryk University.
• Structural studies of protein-RNA interactions involved in RNA quality control (CDA0049/2006), Human Frontier Science Program Career Development Award, 2007-2009, R. Štefl, Masaryk University.
• Structural basis for poly(A) independent transcription termination pathway (GAP305/10/1490), Czech Science Foundation, 2010-2014, R. Štefl, Masaryk University.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• HOBOR, F., PERGOLI, R., KUBICEK, K., HROSSOVA, D., BACIKOVA, V., ZIMMERMANN, M., PASULKA, J., HOFR, C., VANACOVA, S., STEFL, R. Recognition of transcription termination signal by the nuclear polyadenylated RNA-binding (Nab)3 protein. J. Biol. Chem. 2011, 286, p. 3645-3657.
• STEFL, R., OBERSTRASS, F., C., HOOD, J., L., JOURDAN, M., ZIMMERMANNN, M., SKRISOVSKA, L., MARIS, C., PENG, L., HOFR, C., EMESON, R., B., ALLAIN, F., H. The solution structure of the ADAR2 dsRBM-RNA complex reveals a sequence-specific read out of the minor groove. Cell. 2010, 143, p. 225-237.
• VANACOVA, S., STEFL, R. The exosome and RNA quality control in the nucleus. EMBO Rep. 2007, 8, p. 651-657.
• OBERSTRASS, F., C., LEE, A., STEFL, R., JANIS, M., CHANFREAU, G., ALLAIN, F., H.-T. Shape-specific recognition in the structure of the Vts1p SAM domain with RNA. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2006, 13, p. 160-167.