Madalena Tarsounas Ph.D.
Research Themes
Divisional Themes
- Cancer and Haematology
- Cell and Molecular Biology
Group Members
- Sophie Badie, Scientific Officer
- Dr. Jose Escandell Planells, BCC Post Doctoral Fellow
- Dr. Chunyan Liao, CRUK Post Doctoral Researcher
- Maria Thanasoula, CRUK PhD Student
- Rita Carlos, PhD Student funded by Portuguese Research Foundation
Selected Bibliography
- Badie Sophie, Liao Chunyan, Thanasoula Maria, Barber Paul, Hill Mark A, and Tarsounas Madalena (2009) RAD51C facilitates checkpoint signaling by promoting CHK2 phosphorylation. J Cell Biol, 185(4):587-600.
- Martinez P, Thanasoula M, Munoz P, Liao C, Tejera A, McNees C, Flores J M, Fernandez-Capetillo O, Tarsounas M, and Blasco M A (2009) Increased telomere fragility and fusions resulting from TRF1 deficiency lead to degenerative pathologies and increased cancer in mice. Genes Dev.
- Liu Yilun, Tarsounas Madalena, O'regan Paul, and West Stephen C (2007) Role of RAD51C and XRCC3 in genetic recombination and DNA repair. J Biol Chem, 282(3):1973-9.
- Siderakis Manos and Tarsounas Madalena (2007) Telomere regulation and function during meiosis. Chromosome Res, 15(5):667-79.
| madalena.tarsounas@rob.ox.ac.uk | |
| Tel | +44 (0)1865 617319 |
Dr Madalena Tarsounas
The focus of the lab is to understand how homologous recombination (HR), the major error-free pathway for DNA repair in mammalian cells, regulates telomeres and acts to prevent genomic instability, the underlying mechanism of many cancers. Recently we discovered that RAD51D, a protein involved in HR-mediated DNA repair, associates with telomeres in meiotic and somatic cells, and plays a critical role in protecting telomeres against end-to-end fusion and attrition. Thus, our initial aim is to understand the molecular basis of RAD51D function in telomere maintenance, using a combination of biochemical methods and mammalian genetic models. In addition to RAD51D, RAD54 is the only other bona fide HR protein so far known to contribute to telomere integrity. However, additional recombination activities are expected to be required for the formation and stability of telomeric capping structures. Thus, the second aim of our research is to identify which HR factors other than RAD51D and RAD54 act at the telomeres. We expect that these lines of research will allow progress towards establishing the role of HR in telomere maintenance and, from a broader perspective, will enlighten the mechanism of HR reactions in genome stability.
Sources of Funding
- Cancer Research UK
- Breast Cancer Campaign
- The Royal Society
Biography
2006 ROB Junior Group Leader
Radiation Oncology & Biology
University of Oxford
1999-2005 Postdoctoral Fellow
Cancer Research UK
Clare Hall Laboratories
Awards Training and Qualifications
- 2003- 2005 Post Doctoral Fellowship, Breast Cancer Campaign
- 2001- 2003 Post Doctoral Fellowship, Cancer Research UK
- 1999- 2001 Post Doctoral Fellowship, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
- 1999 Ph.D., York University, Toronto, Canada
- 1995 M.Sc., York University, Toronto, Canada
