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Prof. Dr. Martin Schlee

Member

Institute of Clinical Chemistry & Clinical Pharmacology

Medical Faculty, University of Bonn University Hospital of Bonn Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25 53127 Bonn

martin.schlee@uni-bonn.de

+49 228 28716080

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The focus of Martin Schlee’s research group is immune recognition and immune tolerance of viral and endogenous nucleic acids. Nucleic acid receptors of the innate immune system initiate and control the antiviral immune response of the infected organism. The detection of pathogenic RNA/DNA by nucleic acid receptors is based on recognition of unusual RNA/DNA localization, structure and modifications, so-called pattern recognition motifs. The challenge here is that the innate immune system detects sensitively pathogenic nucleic acids without false activation by the endogenous nucleic acids. While an insensitive recognition favors the spread of infection, an excessive immune detection of nucleic acids leads to autoimmune diseases. The group has identified and characterized recognition motifs of the cytosolic DNA receptor cGAS and the cytosolic RNA receptor RIG-I and endogenous as well as viral RNA modifications that prevent recognition by RIG-I.

Martin Schlee

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Recent publications

  • Top publication

    A conserved isoleucine in the binding pocket of RIG-I controls immune tolerance to mitochondrial RNA.

    Nucleic acids research

    Authors: Ann Kristin de Regt, Kanchan Anand, Katrin Ciupka, Felix Bender, Karl Gatterdam, Bastian Putschli, David Fusshöller, Daniel Hilbig, Alexander Kirchhoff, Charlotte Hunkler, Steven Wolter, Agathe Grünewald, Christina Wallerath, Christine Schuberth-Wagner, Janos Ludwig, Katrin Paeschke, Eva Bartok, Gregor Hagelueken, Gunther Hartmann, Thomas Zillinger, Matthias Geyer, Martin Schlee

  • Influenza A Infection Stimulates RIG-I and Enhances Effector Function of Primary Human NK Cells.

    International journal of molecular sciences

    Authors: Adham Abuelola Mohamed, Sofía Soler, Julia Wegner, Eva Bartok, Sanda Stankovic, Andrew G Brooks, Martin Schlee

  • Increased IKKϵ protein stability ensures efficient type I interferon responses in conditions of TBK1 deficiency.

    Frontiers in immunology

    Authors: Julia Wegner, Charlotte Hunkler, Katrin Ciupka, Gunther Hartmann, Martin Schlee

All publications by Prof. Dr. Martin Schlee