LABORATORY OF CANCER GENETICS

Head: Włodzimierz Krzyżosiak

Research Staff:
Anna Jasińska, Piotr Kozłowski, Krzysztof Sobczak

Research Support:
Teresa Dymarek-Bab¶

Ph.D. Students:
Agnieszka Banasiak, Mateusz de Mezer, Danuta Kaczyńska, Marta Olejniczak, Urszula Wilczyńska, Gracjan Michlewski, Agnieszka Mykowska, Maria Drath, Julia Staręga, Jacek Król

Undergraduate Students:
Marcin Dembiński, Katarzyna Golianek

Keywords:
BRCA genes, mutation detection technology, repeat expansion diseases, RNA structure probing, RNA targeting


Our laboratory was originally involved in basic RNA research. Together with the pro-gress in deciphering the human genome and identifying disease genes, our research be-came medically-oriented. Currently, we use RNA technologies and tools of genetics to re-veal new aspects of breast cancer pathogenesis. We also work on the structural basis for both better understanding of pathomechanisms and potential new therapies of a specific group of neurological diseases caused by triplet repeat expansions in single genes.



Current research activities:

  • A more efficient mutation detection method;
  • The role of the BRCA1 gene in hereditary breast cancer;
  • The role of the BRCA1 gene in sporadic breast cancer;
  • Research on neurological diseases;
  • Analysis of STR genotypes in the Polish population;
  • Structure analysis of triplet repeat regions in transcripts;
  • The relevance of RNA structures to pathogenesis of Triplet Repeat Expansion Diseases.



    SELECTED PUBLICATIONS


    A. Jasińska, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Prevalence of BRCA1 founder mutations in western Poland.
    Hum. Mutat. 17, 75 (2001).

    E. Kwiatkowska, M. Teresiak, K. M. Lamperska, A. Karczewska, D. Bręborowicz, M. Stawicka, D. Godlewski, W. J. Krzyżosiak, A. Mackiewicz
    BRCA2 germline mutations in male breast cancer patients in the Polish population.
    Hum. Mutat. 17, 73 (2001).

    P. Kozłowski, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Combined SSCP/duplex analysis by capillary electrophoresis for more efficient mutation detection.
    Nucleic Acids Res. 29, E71 (2001).

    J. Pieńkowska, D. Michałowski, W. J. Krzyżosiak, Z. Szweykowska-Kulińska
    Pseudouridylation of U(35) in the anticodon of Arabidopsis thaliana pre-tRNA(Tyr) depends on length rather than structure of an intron.
    Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1574, 137-144 (2002).

    K. Sobczak, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    RNA structure analysis assisted by capillary electrophoresis.
    Nucleic Acids Res. 30, E24 (2002).

    K. Sobczak, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Structural determinants of BRCA1 translational regulation.
    J. Biol. Chem. 27, 17349-17358 (2002).

    K. Sobczak, M. de Mezer, G. Michlewski, J. Król, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    RNA structure of trinucleotide repeats associated with human neurological diseases.
    Nucleic Acids Res. 31, 5469-82 (2003).

    A. Jasińska, G. Michlewski, M. de Mezer, K. Sobczak, P. Kozłowski, M. Napierała, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Structures of trinucleotide repeats in human transcripts and their functional implications.
    Nucleic Acids Res. 31, 5463-5468 (2003).

    P. Kozłowski, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Optimum sample medium for SNP and mutation detection by capillary electrophoresis.
    Electrophoresis 25, 990-998 (2004).

    G. Michlewski, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Molecular architecture of CAG repeats in human disease related transcripts.
    J. Mol. Biol. 340, 665-679 (2004).

    K. Sobczak, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Imperfect CAG repeats form diverse structures in SCA1 transcripts
    J. Biol. Chem. 279, 41563-72 (2004).

    J. Król, K. Sobczak, U. Wilczyńska, M. Drath, A. Jasińska, D. Kaczyńska, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Structural features of microRNA precursors and their relevance to miRNA biogenesis and siRNA/shRNA design.
    J. Biol. Chem. 279, 42230-9 (2004).

    K. Sobczak, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Patterns of CAG repeat interruptions in SCA1 and SCA2 genes in relation to repeat instability.
    Hum. Mutat. 24, 236-47 (2004).

    J. Król, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Structural aspects of microRNA biogenesis.
    IUBMB Life 56, 95-100 (2004).

    A. Jasińska, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Repetitive sequences that shape the human transcriptome.
    FEBS Lett., 567, 136-141 (2004).

    P. Kozłowski, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Structural factors determining DNA length limitations in conformation – sensitive mutation detection methods.
    Electrophoresis 26, 71-81 (2005).

    P. Kozłowski, M. Olejniczak, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Rapid heteroduplex analysis by capillary electrophoresis.
    Clin. Chim. Acta 353, 209-214 (2005).

    K. Sobczak, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    CAG repeats containing CAA interruptions form branched hairpin structures in SCA2 transcripts.
    J. Biol. Chem. 280, 3898-3910 (2005).

    M. Napierała, D. Michałowski, M. de Mezer, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Facile FMR1 mRNA structure regulation by interruptions in CGG repeats.
    Nucleic Acids Res. 33, 451-463 (2005).

    G. Michlewski, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxias viewed from the RNA perspective.
    The Cerebellum (2005), in press.

    M. Olejniczak, P. Kozłowski, K. Sobczak, W. J. Krzyżosiak
    Accurate and sensitive analysis of triplet repeat expansions by capillary electrophoresis.
    Electrophoresis (2005), in press.