Marcus Hartmann

Molecular recognition and catalysis

Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
IMPRS Adjunct Faculty

Portrait of Marcus Hartmann, a group leader at the MPI for Biology, Tübingen

Vita

PhD at the MPI for Developmental Biology, 2006-2012
Head of the crystallography facility at the MPI since 2009
Project leader at the MPI since 2012
Temporary chair of biochemistry at Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen since 2021

Research Interest
We are a structural biochemistry lab trying to understand and manipulate macromolecular machines and systems. For their understanding, we follow a holistic approach, in which we integrate a variety of biophysical, structural and computational approaches and exploit our findings for drug development in multidisciplinary consortia with medicinal chemists.

We pursue two main lines of research. The first focuses on basic research on the spatial organization, functional dynamics, and regulation of biomolecular interactions in metabolic pathways and macromolecular complexes. In the second line, we are exploring promising novel therapeutic approaches, with one focus on targeted protein degradation via the repurposing of E3 ubiquitin ligases for various human pathologies, and another focus on pathogenicity blockers against Salmonella infections.

In the foreground are the enzymatic components of the AROM complex, the background shows scetches of chemical reactions. — Figure 1. The ten enzymatic components of the AROM complex at work, catalyzing the chemical reactions sketched in the background.

Figure 1. The ten enzymatic components of the AROM complex at work, catalyzing the chemical reactions sketched in the background.

Model of amidosuccinimide, stylised as a fishing rod, fishing for parts of the human proteome in a bucket. — Figure 2. Amidosuccinimide, a building block for pharmaceutical protein degradation to fish for targets in the human proteome.

Figure 2. Amidosuccinimide, a building block for pharmaceutical protein degradation to fish for targets in the human proteome.

Available PhD Projects

Currently not recruiting doctoral researchers.

Selected Reading

Steinebach C, Bricelj A, Murgai A, Sosič I, Bischof L, Ng YLD, Heim C, Maiwald S, Proj M, Voget R, Feller F, Košmrlj J, Sapozhnikova V, Schmidt A, Zuleeg MR, Lemnitzer P, Mertins P, Hansen FK, Gütschow M, Krönke J, Hartmann MD (2023) Leveraging Ligand Affinity and Properties: Discovery of Novel Benzamide-Type Cereblon Binders for the Design of PROTACs. J Med Chem. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00851
Selim KA, Haffner M, Mantovani O, Albrecht R, Zhu H, Hagemann M, Forchhammer K, Hartmann MD (2023) Carbon signaling protein SbtB possesses atypical redox-regulated apyrase activity to facilitate regulation of bicarbonate transporter SbtA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2205882120
Joiner JD, Steinchen W, Mozer N, Kronenberger T, Bange G, Poso A, Wagner S, Hartmann MD (2023) HilE represses the activity of the Salmonella virulence regulator HilD via a mechanism distinct from that of intestinal long-chain fatty acids. J Biol Chem. PubMed
Heim C, Spring AK, Kirchgäßner S, Schwarzer D, Hartmann MD (2022) Identification and structural basis of C-terminal cyclic imides as natural degrons for cereblon. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.11.001
Arora Verasztó H, Logotheti M, Albrecht R, Leitner A, Zhu H, Hartmann MD (2020) Architecture and functional dynamics of the pentafunctional AROM complex. Nat Chem Biol. PubMed