This image shows Dirk Schwarzer

Dirk Schwarzer

Prof. Dr.

EpiSignal Group Leader
Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), University of Tübingen

Contact

+49 7071 2973344
Website

Auf der Morgenstelle 34
72076 Tübingen
Germany

Subject

Chemical Biology

Researchers in the field of Chemical Biology develop and use new chemical tools to decipher complex biochemical pathways. The Schwarzer group focuses on posttranslational modifications (PTM) of proteins and their roles in regulating epigenetic processes. The group develops synthetic amino acids that mimic PTMs or capture the enzymes that introduce or remove these modifications. In addition, the group develops approaches to reconstitute proteins from synthetic and recombinant fragments, allowing to introduce the newly developed residues into full-length proteins. Recent developments include the establishment of designer nucleosomes and tailor-made probes for profiling histone deacetylases.  

Selected Publications

  1. Hanswillemenke, A., Hofacker D.T., Sorgenfrei M., Fruhner C., Franz-Wachtel M., Schwarzer D., Maček B., Stafforst T.* (2024) Nat Chem Biol. 20:555-565.doi:10.1038/s41589-023-01530-z

  2. Kirchgäßner, S., Braun, M., Bartlick, N., Koç, C., Reinkemeier, C., Lemke, E. A., Stehle, T., and Schwarzer, D.* (2022) Synthesis, Biochemical Characterization, and Genetic Encoding of a 1,2,4-Triazole Amino Acid as an Acetyllysine Mimic for Bromodomains of the BET Family. Angew Chem Int Ed. Online ahead of print, doi: 10.1002/anie.202215460. Selected as 'Hot Paper'

  3. Bierlmeier J, Álvaro-Benito M, Scheffler M, Sturm K, Rehkopf L, Freund C, Schwarzer D.* (2021) Sortase-Mediated Multi-Fragment Assemblies by Ligation Site Switching. Angew Chem Int Ed. 61, e202109032. doi: 10.1002/anie.202109032. Selected as 'Hot Paper'

  4. Aparicio Pelaz D, Yerkesh Z, Kirchgäßner S, Mahler H, Kharchenko V, Azhibek D, Jaremko M, Mootz HD, Jaremko Ł, Schwarzer D,* Fischle W.* (2020) Examining histone modification crosstalk using immobilized libraries established from ligation-ready nucleosomes. Chem Sci. 11:9218-9225. doi: 10.1039/d0sc03407j

  5. Dose A, Sindlinger J, Bierlmeier J, Bakirbas A, Schulze-Osthoff K, Einsele-Scholz S, Hartl M, Essmann F, Finkemeier I, Schwarzer D.* (2016) Interrogating Substrate Selectivity and Composition of Endogenous Histone Deacetylase Complexes with Chemical Probes. Angew Chem Int Ed. 55:1192-1195. doi: 10.1039/c2cc34422j

  6. Dose A, Jost JO, Spieß AC, Henklein P, Beyermann M, Schwarzer D.* (2012) Facile synthesis of colorimetric histone deacetylase substrates. Chem Commun. 48:9525-9527. doi: 10.1039/c2cc34422j

  7. Liokatis S, Stützer A, Elsässer SJ, Theillet F-X, Klingberg R, van Rossum B, Schwarzer D, Allis CD, Fischle W, Selenko P.* (2012) Phosphorylation of histone H3 Ser10 establishes a hierarchy for subsequent intramolecular modification events. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 19:819-823. doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2310

  8. Piotukh K, Geltinger B, Heinrich N, Gerth F, Beyermann* M, Freund* C, Schwarzer* D. (2011) Directed evolution of sortase A mutants with altered substrate selectivity profiles. J Am Chem Soc. 133:17536-17539. doi: 10.1021/ja205630g

  9. Tsai W-W, Wang Z, Yiu TT, Akdemir KC, Xia W, Winter S, Tsai C-Y, Shi X, Schwarzer D, Plunkett W, Aronow B, Gozani O, Fischle W, Hung M-C, Patel DJ,* Barton MC.* (2010) TRIM24 links a noncanonical histone signature to breast cancer. Nature. 468:927-932. doi: 10.1038/nature09542

* corresponding authors

ORCID 0000-0002-7477-3319

 

since 10.2011 Professor of Chemical Biology, Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen (Germany)

08.2007 - 09.2011      Emmy-Noether Young Investigator Group Leader, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin (Germany)

07.2006 - 07.2007      PostDoc with Prof. Henning Mootz, Department of Chemistry, University of Dortmund (Germany)

07.2003 - 06.2007      PostDoc with Prof. Philip A. Cole, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Science, Baltimore (USA)

11.2002 - 06.2003      PostDoc with Prof. Mohamed A. Marahiel, Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg (Germany)

09.1999- 10.2002       PhD thesis with Prof. Dr. M.A. Marahiel, Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg (Germany), Grade: summa cum laude

10.1993- 08.1999       Graduate Program in Chemistry (Diploma), Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg (Germany)

 

Selected Activities

  1. Since 01.2023: Acting Director of the Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry of the University of Tübingen
  2. Since 07.2023: Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC)
  3. Since 10.2016: Member of the Academic Commission of the BSc and MSc Biochemistry programs at the University of Tübingen
  4. 10.2016-09.2019: Dean of Studies of the BSc and MSc Biochemistry programs at the University of Tübingen
  5. 10.2024 - 09.2016: Member of the Doctoral and Postdoctoral Qualification Committee of the Faculty of Science at the University of Tübingen.
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