Brian Luke
RNA-DNA hybrids, telomere biology & genomic instability
Telomeres make up the physical ends of chromosomes and ensure that they are not mistakenly recognized as DNA damage. Each time a cell divides the telomeres shorten. Short telomeres drive replicatively “old” cells into a non-proliferative state referred to as replicative senescence. Accelerated telomere shortening leads to the premature accumulation of senescent cells, a scenario seen in the degenerative disease dyskeratosis congenita.
Recent findings demonstrate that telomeres are transcribed into a long non-coding RNA, dubbed TERRA (Telomeric repeat-containing RNA). We employ genetic, biochemical, molecular and proteomic -based approaches to understand how TERRA regulates telomere length in yeast and human cells.
Positions held
- Since 2017: Adjunct Director, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz
- Since 2017: Professor, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz
- 2014 - 2017: Group Leader, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz
- 2009 - 2014: Group Leader, ZMBH, University of Heidelberg
- 2005 - 2009: Postdoc, EPFL Lausanne
- 2005: Postdoctoral Fellow, Biochemistry, ETH Zürich
Education
- 2005: PhD ETH, Zurich
- 1999: Bachelor of Science, Biology, Queen’s University
Selected publications by Brian Luke
Niehrs C* and Luke B* (2020) Regulatory R-loops as facilitators of gene expression and genome stability. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol, 21:167–178 (*indicates joint contribution) Link
Pérez-Martínez L, Öztürk M, Butter F# and Luke B# (2020) Npl3 stabilizes R-loops at telomeres to prevent accelerated replicative senescence. EMBO Rep, 21:e49087 (#indicates joint correspondance) Link
Kellner V# and Luke B# (2019) Molecular and physiological consequences of faulty eukaryotic ribonucleotide excision repair. EMBO J, 12:e102309 (#indicates joint correspondence) Link
Graf M*, Bonetti D*, Lockhart A*, Serhal K, Kellner V, Maicher A, Jolivet P, Teixeira MT and Luke B (2017) Telomere length determines TERRA and R-loop regulation through the cell cycle. Cell, 170:72–85 (*indicates joint contribution) Link
Rippe K# and Luke B# (2015) TERRA and the state of the telomere. Nat Struct Mol Biol, 22:853–858 (#indicates joint correspondence) Link