Education
- PhD, 2013, University of California, Berkeley
- BS, 2008, Genetics, University of Georgia
Research Summary
We study the interplay of gene expression and genome organization. Our work focuses on understanding how large molecular machineries involved in genome organization and gene transcription regulate each others’ function to ultimately determine cell fate and identity. We employ a broad range of approaches including single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), X-ray crystallography, biochemistry, and genetics to mechanistically understand how these molecular assemblies regulate each other across molecular scales.
Awards
- New Innovator Award, National Institutes of Health Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program, 2021
Key Publications
- Structure of transcribing RNA polymerase II-nucleosome complex. Farnung, L, Vos, SM, Cramer, P. 2018. Nat Commun 9, 5432.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07870-yPMID:30575770 - Structure of paused transcription complex Pol II-DSIF-NELF. Vos, SM, Farnung, L, Urlaub, H, Cramer, P. 2018. Nature 560, 601-606.
doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0442-2PMID:30135580 - Structure of activated transcription complex Pol II-DSIF-PAF-SPT6. Vos, SM, Farnung, L, Boehning, M, Wigge, C, Linden, A, Urlaub, H, Cramer, P. 2018. Nature 560, 607-612.
doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0440-4PMID:30135578 - Direct control of type IIA topoisomerase activity by a chromosomally encoded regulatory protein. Vos, SM, Lyubimov, AY, Hershey, DM, Schoeffler, AJ, Sengupta, S, Nagaraja, V, Berger, JM. 2014. Genes Dev 28, 1485-97.
doi: 10.1101/gad.241984.114PMID:24990966
Recent Publications
- Structure of a backtracked hexasomal intermediate of nucleosome transcription. Farnung, L, Ochmann, M, Garg, G, Vos, SM, Cramer, P. 2022. Mol Cell 82, 3126-3134.e7.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.06.027PMID:35858621 - Structural advances in transcription elongation. Mohamed, AA, Vazquez Nunez, R, Vos, SM. 2022. Curr Opin Struct Biol 75, 102422.
doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102422PMID:35816930 - Structural basis of nucleosome retention during transcription elongation. Filipovski, M, Soffers, JHM, Vos, SM, Farnung, L. 2022. Science 376, 1313-1316.
doi: 10.1126/science.abo3851PMID:35709268 - Assembly of RNA polymerase II transcription initiation complexes. Farnung, L, Vos, SM. 2022. Curr Opin Struct Biol 73, 102335.
doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102335PMID:35183822 - MYCN recruits the nuclear exosome complex to RNA polymerase II to prevent transcription-replication conflicts. Papadopoulos, D, Solvie, D, Baluapuri, A, Endres, T, Ha, SA, Herold, S, Kalb, J, Giansanti, C, Schülein-Völk, C, Ade, CP et al.. 2022. Mol Cell 82, 159-176.e12.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.11.002PMID:34847357 - Chronicles of the human SAGA co-activator complex. Vos, SM. 2021. Nat Struct Mol Biol 28, 959-960.
doi: 10.1038/s41594-021-00696-1PMID:34819676 - Allosteric transcription stimulation by RNA polymerase II super elongation complex. Chen, Y, Vos, SM, Dienemann, C, Ninov, M, Urlaub, H, Cramer, P. 2021. Mol Cell 81, 3386-3399.e10.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.06.019PMID:34265249 - Understanding transcription across scales: From base pairs to chromosomes. Vos, SM. 2021. Mol Cell 81, 1601-1616.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.03.002PMID:33770487 - Stress-induced nuclear condensation of NELF drives transcriptional downregulation. Rawat, P, Boehning, M, Hummel, B, Aprile-Garcia, F, Pandit, AS, Eisenhardt, N, Khavaran, A, Niskanen, E, Vos, SM, Palvimo, JJ et al.. 2021. Mol Cell 81, 1013-1026.e11.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.01.016PMID:33548202 - Drugging the "Undruggable" MYCN Oncogenic Transcription Factor: Overcoming Previous Obstacles to Impact Childhood Cancers. Wolpaw, AJ, Bayliss, R, Büchel, G, Dang, CV, Eilers, M, Gustafson, WC, Hansen, GH, Jura, N, Knapp, S, Lemmon, MA et al.. 2021. Cancer Res 81, 1627-1632.
doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-3108PMID:33509943