Kroschewski Group
Welcome to the Kroschewski Group!
Mechanisms of cellular diversity − Self and non-self DNA
Bacterial genomes evolve rapidly due to short generation times, lateral gene transfer and infection by viruses. Hundreds of different defense systems against invading viruses bringing along foreign DNA were recently discovered for bacteria.
Also eukaryotic cells are the product of millions of years of evolution. During this period also their genome was constantly challenged by infecting viruses. Remarkably for mammalian cells little is known
• how diverse on the DNA level are clonal cells, nor
• how mammalian cells handle extra-chromosomal DNA, nor
• if there is a differentiation between chromosomal and extra-chromososomal DNA and possibly a cell-autonomous defense system for chromosomal DNA.
The organismal immune system present in mammals possibly built on such cell-autonomous DNA defense system and viruses exploit it.
More...
Congratulations!
The MBoC (Molecular Biology of the Cell) Editorial Board has named Laura Schenkel the winner of the 2024 MBoC paper of the year award.
Most recent Lab's publications:
New Journal Club article in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology: Congrats, Ruth!
The Journal Club article, entitled "The centromere as a tag of self-DNA", is now available online.
Link to Paper:
The centromere as a tag of self-DNA
Ruth Kroschewski
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology (2025)
DOI: external page 10.1038/s41580-025-00827-2
A hygiene program for chromosomes
Cell biologists at ETH Zurich describe a new organelle present in mammalian cells that is made of rings of DNA. This container could potentially play a role in autoimmune diseases, and it could help researchers to understand how cell nuclei evolved.
Link to Paper:
A dedicated cytoplasmic container collects extra-chromosomal DNA away from the mammalian nucleus
Laura Schenkel, Xuan Wang, Nhung Le, Michael Burger, and Ruth Kroschewski
Molecular Biology of the Cell (2023)
DOI: external page 10.1091/mbc.E23-04-0118
Further links to external News:
external page Nature Cell Biology
Contact
Institute of Biochemistry
Otto-Stern-Weg 3
HPM D11.3
8093
Zurich
Switzerland
