Jessberger Group

Prof. Dr. Rolf Jessberger

Rolf Jessberger is an expert on the role of cohesin with a focus on chromosomal segregation and DNA damage effects. The Jessberger lab has identified the first and only meiosis-specific SMC cohesin protein, has proposed the hypothesis of age-dependent cohesin deterioration in oocytes as a major cause for aneuploidies – now a widely accepted hypothesis – and has revealed a role of cohesin in meiocyte telomere protection. He contributes expertise in chromosome and meiocyte biology, biochemistry, and sophisticated mouse models.

Publications

  • Nabi D, Drechsler H, Pschirer J, Korn F, Schuler N, Diez S, Jessberger R*, Chacón M*. (2021) CENP-V is required for proper chromosome segregation through interaction with spindle microtubules in mouse oocytes. Nature Commun. 2021 Nov 11;12(1):6547. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26826-3
  • McNicoll F, Kühnel A, Biswas U, Hempel K, Whelan G, Eichele G, Jessberger R (2020) Meiotic sex chromosome cohesion and autosomal synapsis are supported by Esco2. Life Sci Alliance. 2020 Feb 12;3(3):e201900564.
  • Biswas U, Stevense M, Jessberger R (2018) SMC1α Substitutes for Many Meiotic Functions of SMC1β but Cannot Protect Telomeres from Damage. Current Biol.  28(2):249-261.
  • Akpınar, M., Lesche, M., Fanourgakis, G., Fu, J., Anasstasiadis, K., Dahl, A. Jessberger  R (2017) TDRD6 mediates early steps of spliceosome maturation in primary spermatocytes. PLoS Genet., 13(3), e1006660
  • Fanourgakis G., Lesche M., Akpinar M., Dahl A., Jessberger R. (2016) Chromatoid body protein TDRD6 supports long 3’ UTR triggered nonsense mediated mRNA decay in spermatogonia. PLoS Genet., 12(5), e1005857.
  • Biswas U., Hempel K., Llane E., Pendas A., Jessberger R (2016) Distinct roles of meiosis-specific cohesin complexes in mammalian spermatogenesis. PLoS Genet., 12(10), e1006389
  • Winters T, McNicoll F, Jessberger R (2014) Meiotic cohesin STAG3 is required for chromosome axis formation and sister chromatid cohesion. EMBO J. 33(11):1256-70.
  • Revenkova, E., K. Herrmann, C. Adelfalk, Jessberger R (2010) Oocyte cohesin expression restricted to predictyate stages provides full fertility and aneuploidy. Current Biology, 20, 1529-1533.
  • Vasileva, A., D. Tiedau, A. Firooznia, T. Müller-Reichert, Jessberger R (2009) Tudor domain protein Tdrd6 is required for spermiogenesis, chromatoid body architecture and regulation of miRNA expression. Current Biology, 19, 630-639.
  • Adelfalk, C., Janschek. E. Revenkova, C. Blei, B. Liebe, E. Göb, M. Alsheimer, R. Benavente, E. de Boer, I. Novak, C. Höög, H. Scherthan, Jessberger R(2009) Cohesin SMC1b protects telomeres in meiocytes. J Cell Biol., 187, 185-199