Dr. rer. nat. Ion Cristian Cirstea
Research interest
RAS signaling pathways and biological processes dysregulated in RASopathies, cancer and (premature) aging.
Identification of novel RAS interactors and their underlying role in RAS function.
Functional characterization of novel RASopathy genes/mutations.
Non-canonical functions of RAS: energy metabolism, bone remodeling, cardiac dysfunction and SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Academic and Scientific education
2016-… Group Leader, Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, Ulm University
2012-2016 Independent Research Fellow, Leibniz Institute on Aging, Jena
2007-2012 Postdoc, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Heinrich-Heine-University Hospital, Düsseldorf
2003-2007 PhD, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology (Dortmund, Germany)
2001-2003 Master, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest
1996-2000 Diploma, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest
Selected publications
Motta M*, Fidan M*, Bellacchio E, Pantaleoni F, Schneider-Heieck K, Coppola S, Borck G, Salviati L, Zenker M, Cirstea IC**, Tartaglia M**. Dominant Noonan syndrome-causing LZTR1 mutations specifically affect the Kelch domain substrate-recognition surface and enhance RAS-MAPK signaling. Hum. Mol. Genet. 28(6), 1007–1022 (2019). *, equal contribution; **, equal contribution and joint coordination
Cirstea IC, Gremer L, Dvorsky R, Zenker M, Ahmadian MR. Diverging gain-of-function mechanisms of two novel KRAS mutations associated with Noonan and Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous syndromes. Hum. Mol. Genet. 2013 Jan 15; 22(2):262-70.
Cirstea IC, Kutsche K, Dvorsky R, Gremer L, Carta C, Horn D, Roberts AE, Lepri F, Merbitz-Zahradnik T, König R, Kratz CP, Pantaleoni F, Dentici ML, Joshi VA, Kucherlapati RS, Mazzanti L, Mundlos S, Patton MA, Silengo MC, Rossi C, Zampino G, Digilio C, Stuppia L, Seemanova E, Pennacchio LA, Gelb BD, Dallapiccola B, Wittinghofer A, Ahmadian MR, Tartaglia M, Zenker M. A restricted spectrum of NRAS mutations causes Noonan syndrome. Nat. Genet. 2010 Jan;42(1):27-9.