Chromatin biology & proteomics

Maintenance of genome stability is essential for the prevention of cancer and premature ageing. A complex network of proteins and signalling pathways ensures genome maintenance in response to external stressors such as UV light, as well as in response to DNA damage introduced through physiological processes such as DNA replication and transcription. The research in our group focuses on identifying and understanding the mechanisms that function in the cellular DNA damage response.

To achieve these goals, we are developing and employing mass spectrometry-based proteomics methods to analyse DNA damage-dependent protein-protein interactions, as well as phosphorylation and ubiquitin-dependent mechanisms that regulate the DNA damage response.

Research website

Positions held

  • Since 2020: Adjunct Director, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and Full Professor, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz
  • Since 2013: Emmy Noether Group Leader, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz
  • 2010 - 2013: Postdoctoral Researcher, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen

Education

  • 2011: PhD in Biology, Goethe University Frankfurt
  • 2007: Masters in Molecular Biology, University of Zagreb

Selected publications by Petra Beli

Endres T, Solvie D, Heidelberger JB, Andrioletti V, Baluapuri A, Ade CP, Muhar M, Eilers U, Vos SM, Cramer P, Zuber J, Beli P, Popov N, Wolf E, Gallant P and Eilers M (2021) Ubiquitylation of MYC couples transcription elongation with double-strand break repair at active promoters. Mol Cell, 81:830-844.e13 Link

Lobato-Gil S, Heidelberger JB, Maghames CM, Bailly A, Brunello L, Rodriguez MS, Beli P# and Xirodimas D# (2020) Proteome-wide identification of NEDD8 modification sites reveals distinct proteomes for canonical and atypical NEDDylation. Cell Reports, 34:108635 (#indicates joint correspondence) Link

Hildebrandt A, Brüggemann M, Rücklé C, Boerner S, Heidelberger JB, Busch A, Hänel H, Voigt A, Möckel MM, Ebersberger S, Scholz A, Dold A, Schmid T, Ebersberger I, Roignant J-Y, Zarnack K#, König J# and Beli P# (2019) The RNA-binding ubiquitin ligase MKRN1 functions in ribosome-associated quality control of poly(A) translationGenome Biol, 20:216 (#indicates joint correspondence) Link

Borisova ME, Voigt A, Tollenaere MAX, Sahu SK, Juretschke T, Kreim N, Mailand N, Choudhary C, Bekker-Jensen S, Akutsu M, Wagner SA and Beli P (2018) p38-MK2 signaling axis regulates RNA metabolism after UV-light-induced DNA damageNat Commun, 9:1017 Link

Heidelberger JB, Voigt A, Borisova ME, Petrosino G, Ruf S, Wagner SA and Beli P (2018) Proteomic profiling of VCP substrates links VCP to K6‐linked ubiquitylation and c‐Myc functionEMBO Rep, 19:e44754 Link

Wagner SA, Oehler H, Voigt A, Dalic D, Freiwald A, Serve H and Beli P (2016). ATR inhibition rewires cellular signaling networks induced by replication stress. Proteomics, 16:402-16 Link