Laboratorium Iwony Mruk
dr hab. Iwona Mruk, prof. UG
Associate Professor
Dept. of Microbiology
Faculty of Biology
University of Gdansk
Poland
Mruk lab studies the bacterial genetics with special focus on:
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Genetic regulatory networks and gene expression control
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Molecular basis of genetic switch and temporal regulators
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Biology and dynamics of restriction-modification systems
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Control of horizontal gene transfer
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Bacteria – phages interaction dynamics
Selected publications:
Wons E, Gucwa K, Lewandowska N, Wisniewska A, Kozłowski LP, Mruk I*: A transcription factor From the cryptic Escherichia coli Rac prophage controls both phage and host operons. Nucleic Acids Res. (2025) accepted
Gucwa K, Wons E, Wisniewska A, Jakalski M, Dubiak Z, Kozlowski LP, Mruk I: Lethal perturbation of an Escherichia coli regulatory network is triggered by a restriction-modification system’s regulator and can be mitigated by excision of the cryptic prophage rac. Nucleic Acids Res. (2024) 52(6):2942-2960
Wisniewska A, Wons E, Potrykus K, Hinrichs R., Gucwa K, Graumann P, Mruk I: Molecular basis for lethal cross-talk between two unrelated bacterial transcription factors – the regulatory protein of a restriction-modification system and the repressor of a defective prophage. Nucleic Acids Res. (2022) 50(19):10964-10980
Negri A, Werbowy O, Wons E., Dersch S, Hinrichs R., Graumann P, Mruk I: Regulator-dependent temporal dynamics of a restriction-modification system’s gene expression upon entering new host cells: single-cell and population studies. Nucleic Acids Res. (2021) 49(7):3826-3840
Negri A, Jakalski M, Szczuka A, Pryszcz LP, Mruk I: Transcriptome analyses of cells carrying the Type II Csp231I restriction-modification system reveal the cross-talk between two unrelated transcription factors: C protein and the Rac prophage repressor. Nucleic Acids Res. (2019) 47(18):9542-9556
Mruk I, Kaczorowski T, Witczak A.: Natural tuning of restriction endonuclease synthesis by cluster of rare arginine codons. Sci Rep. (2019) 9(1):5808
Mruk I, Kobayashi I.: Epigenetics mediated by restriction modification systems. Book chapter in: Stress and environmental regulation of gene expression and adaptation in bacteria, vol.1/ ed. by Frans J. De Bruijn; Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Blackwell, (2016)
Rezulak M., Borsuk I., Mruk I.: Natural C-independent expression of restriction endonuclease in a C protein-associated restriction-modification system. Nucleic Acids Res. (2016) 44(6):2646-60
Mruk I. and Kobayashi I. To be or not to be: regulation of restriction-modification systems and other toxin-antitoxin systems. Nucleic Acids Res. (2014) 42(1):70-86