Hopfner Lab - Structural Molecular Biology

Research Topics

Cryo-EM and crystallography
Structural Genome Biology
Innate Immune RNA and DNA Sensing
Therapeutic Protein Engineering

Prof. Karl-Peter Hopfner

phone: +49 (0)89 - 2180 76953
hopfner@genzentrum.lmu.de

Assistant: Stephanie Wolf

phone: +49 (0)89 - 2180 76950
swolf@genzentrum.lmu.de

We are interested in how cells shape and protect their genomic information. Using cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography and functional approaches, we study the architectures and mechanisms of macromolecular complexes in genome biology with a focus on chromatin remodelers, DNA double-strand break repair enzymes and innate immune nucleic acid sensors. Moreover, we also focus on innovative antibody engineering with the aim of exploiting immune checkpoints to improve cancer immunotherapy. Read more...

Selected Publications

Structural basis for sequestration and autoinhibition of cGAS by chromatin.
Michalski S, de Oliveira Mann CC, Stafford CA, Witte G, Bartho J, Lammens K, Hornung V, Hopfner KP.
Nature. 2020 Nov;587(7835):678-682. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2748-0. PubMed

Mechanism of DNA End Sensing and Processing by the Mre11-Rad50 Complex.
Käshammer L, Saathoff JH, Lammens K, Gut F, Bartho J, Alt A, Kessler B, Hopfner KP.
Mol Cell. 2019 Nov 7;76(3):382-394.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.07.035. PubMed

Structural basis for ATP dependent chromatin remodelling by the INO80 complex.
Eustermann S, Schall K, Kostrewa D, Lakomek K, Strauss M, Moldt M, Hopfner KP.
Nature. 2018 April 11; doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0029-y. PubMed

cGAS senses long and HMGB/TFAM-bound U-turn DNA by forming protein-DNA ladders.
Andreeva L, Hiller B, Kostrewa D, Lässig C, de Oliveira Mann CC, Jan Drexler D, Maiser A, Gaidt M, Leonhardt H, Hornung V, Hopfner KP.
Nature. 2017 Sep 21;549(7672):394-398. doi: 10.1038/nature23890. Epub 2017 Sep 13. PubMed