Research

How do proteins talk to each other to regulate biological processes?

Post-Translational Modifications - From Systems to Mechanisms

Life is stressful, however, cells have the capacity to adapt. They are constantly responding to a wide range of internal and environmental signals. How? Post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate protein function within seconds to minutes, altering their activity, localization or interacting partners. In recent years, thousands of PTM sites have been identified thanks to revolutionary advancements in quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics. However, what is the function of all these PTMs and how they interplay to regulate biological processes is vastly unknown. Functional studies have been lagging behind due to methodological limitations.

How do we study that?

Combining systems biology approaches with molecular biology

Now taking advantage of a new approach based on reverse genetics and chemical genomics, we can study the function of PTM sites at scale using S. cerevisiae as a model organism (Viéitez C, Nature Biotech 2022). In my group, we are expanding this method and in combination with other cutting-edge high-throughput approaches, we aim to functionally study the role of PTMs in the regulation of the Singalling to Chromatin network. For biologically relevant novel regulatory events, mechanistic work will follow using molecular biology and biochemistry techniques.

Funding:

ERC Starting grant 2024- PTMtalk- European Research Council (2025-2030)
Proyecto Generación del Conocimiento PID2022-141321OA-I00 - AEI & Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (2023-2026)
Ramón y Cajal RYC2021-033994-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR (2023-2028)
L´Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award (2023)

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