People

 

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
 
2023 Group Leader, Institute of Applied Physiology, Ulm University
2016-2023 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.

Dr. Ion Cristian Cirstea

Address: Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm
Email: Ion.Cirstea(at)uni-ulm.de
Fon: +497315036214
Fax: +497315036202