Microbial Gene Expression

From RNA biogenesis to translation and decay, deciphering microbial gene expression

Unit Director: Carine Tisné

CNRS – UMR8261 ⎥Université Paris Cité ⎥Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique

Our history

More than 60 years of research on microbial gene expression

The roots of the Microbial Gene Expression unit (EGM) date back to 1959, when a laboratory dedicated to microbial gene expression was established at the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC) by Marianne Grunberg-Manago, a pioneering figure in molecular biology. From its earliest years, the laboratory contributed to the emerging field of molecular genetics and to the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms controlling gene expression. Over the decades, RNA became a central theme of the unit’s research, from its synthesis and maturation to its translation and degradation.

From gene expression to RNA biology

The scientific scope of EGM has progressively evolved alongside major advances in molecular biology.

Research initially focused on fundamental mechanisms of transcription, translation and RNA metabolism in microorganisms. These themes subsequently expanded to include RNA processing and degradation, regulatory RNAs, RNA–protein interactions, ribosome function, RNA modification and the structural mechanisms underlying RNA maturation.

The unit has combined genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry throughout its history, while progressively integrating structural biology, genomics and high-throughput approaches.

Different microbial model organisms have been used to address these questions, including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Synechocystis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 

An evolving research structure

The organization of the laboratory has changed over time while maintaining a strong scientific continuity.

For a number of years, EGM operated as the CNRS UPR9073 research unit. It subsequently evolved into the present UMR8261 – Expression Génétique Microbienne, jointly supported by the CNRS and Université Paris Cité without changing the unit’s central objective: understanding how microorganisms control gene expression at the RNA and translation levels.

EGM today

Today, EGM brings together five scientifically autonomous research teams at the IBPC. 

Their research covers complementary aspects of RNA biology:

  • RNA maturation and decay
  • RNA biogenesis, architecture and interactions
  • RNA-mediated control of gene expression
  • Physiology and regulation of protein synthesis
  • Epitranscriptomic and translational responses to antibacterial stress

Together, these teams investigate how RNA is synthetized, processed, modified, translated and degraded, and how these processes allow microorganisms to regulate gene expression and adapt to changes in their environment.

The unit combines biochemical, genetic, molecular, structural and genome-wide approaches to investigate these mechanisms from the molecular to the cellular level.