Principal Researcher, Karolinska Institute, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden, since 2016
Research Scientist, University of Cambridge, CRUK Cambridge Institute, 2013 - 2016
Postdoctoral Researcher, Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Research Institute, 2007 - 2013
PhD Student, Friedrich Miescher Institute (FMI), Basel, Switzerland, 2003 - 2007
EDUCATION
PhD and Msc (Genetics, summa cum laude), University of Basel, Switzerland, 2003 - 2007
Diplom (Biology), Martin-Luther-University, Halle/Saale, Germany, 1996 - 2001
RESEARCH INTERESTS
comparative and functional genomics, regulatory transcriptomics, metabolomics, interaction of RNA binding proteins and regulatory RNAs (lncRNAs, tRNAs, sRNA) in diseases, Pol III 3D genome organization, tRNA gene evolution and disease association, diet-induced gene expression adaptation and trans
57
Scopus Publications
8875
Scholar Citations
30
Scholar h-index
42
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
RAPseq enables large-scale identification of RBP–RNA interactions and reveals essentials of post-transcriptional gene regulation Riccardo Mosca, Carlos J Gallardo-Dodd, Qun Li, Christian Sommerauer, Justas Šidiškis, et al. Nucleic Acids Research, 2026 Over the past decade, thousands of putative human RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been identified, increasing the need for methods that define their RNA-binding capacities across diverse biological settings. Existing methods rely either on antibody-based in vivo capture (e.g. CLIP-seq), which depends on cross-linking efficiency and antibody availability, or on synthetic oligonucleotide-based assays (e.g. RNAcompete), which use artificial RNA substrates and cannot assess binding across the native transcriptome. To bridge this gap, we developed RNA affinity purification followed by sequencing (RAPseq), an in vitro method that profiles RBP-binding to native cellular RNA, enabling large-scale transcriptome-wide characterization of RNA–protein interactions without antibodies or synthetic probes. Using RAPseq, we characterized the RNA interactomes of 11 canonical RBPs and 26 non-canonical RBPs, and uncovered novel and specialized moonlighting RNA-binding activities. Applying RAPseq to vertebrate HUR proteins revealed recognition of a conserved RNA-binding motif but showed species-specific binding preferences. Profiling of five pathological IGF2BP family variants exhibited distinct gain- and loss-of-function binding patterns, with implications for cancer biology. Our combinatorial RBP-binding assay (co-RAPseq) uncovered cooperative RNA-binding by HUR and PTBP1, including de novo estimation of the optimal binding distance. Lastly, we introduce a modification-sensitive assay (mod-RAPseq) to distinguish between modification-dependent and -independent RNA-binding sites of YTHDF1 and YBX1. Overall, our simple, scalable, and versatile method enables exploration of complex RNA–protein interactions and the regulatory layers that shape post-transcriptional gene regulation.
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF THE AQUATIC FERN Salvinia minima UNDER EXPOSURE TO METALS SUCH Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn AND Li Gabriela Fuentes, Daniel Leal-Alvarado, Ignacio Fuentes-Franco, Tony Hoffmann, Claudia Kutter, et al. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 2025 <p><strong>Background: </strong>Metals can be found in nature, but they are also generated by anthropogenic activities associated with technological waste, such as batteries and electronic components. These metals, when released to the environment may contaminate and cause significant health damage. Phytoremediation is a process to de-contaminate water bodies from metals using plants. Obviously, those plants should be able not only to uptake high amounts of metals, but also, they should be able to tolerate those high concentrations in their tissues. <em>Salvinia minima</em> is a fast-growing, floating aquatic fern and its ability to take up metals from the environment has been evaluated. <strong>Objective</strong>: To characterize the physiological and molecular response of <em>Salvinia minima</em> plants exposed to different metals. <strong>Methodology</strong>: A system was designed to expose <em>Salvinia minima</em> plants to different metals such as Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn and Li, for seven days at different concentrations levels and take samples every 24 h. Various parameters were evaluated including metal uptake, metal concentration in the medium, leaf appearance, PSII efficiency (Fv/Fm), photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance. <strong>Results: </strong><em>S. minima</em> plants were capable to accumulate Pb (28 mg /g DW at 40 uM), Zn (10 mg/g at 80uM) Li (10 mg/g at 20mM), Cu (8 mg/g at 40 uM) and Ni (4 mg/g at 40 uM), at their roots. At short times (0-24 h) and at low concentrations (of certain metals) no significant physiological damage was observed, however, at high concentrations or longer exposure times (48-144 h), physiological damage can be observed in terms of decreased photosynthesis and PSII efficiency, transpiration and stomatal conductance. <strong>Implications</strong>: <em>Salvinia minima</em> plant are capable to take Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn and Li from the medium, which indicates that it is a good candidate to be used in the phytoremediation of water bodies contaminated with these metals. <strong>Conclusions</strong>: <em>Salvinia minima</em> plants take up and accumulate high concentrations of Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn and Li in their tissues, thus reducing the metal content of aqueous media. Even though at high concentrations those metals may affect its physiological performance, this occurs at much higher concentrations than those normally found in natural water bodies, therefore <em>S. minima</em> is certainly a good candidate to be used for the phytoremediation of water bodies contaminated with metals.</p>
The regulatory landscape of interacting RNA and protein pools in cellular homeostasis and cancer Carlos J. Gallardo-Dodd, Claudia Kutter Human Genomics, 2024 Biological systems encompass intricate networks governed by RNA-protein interactions that play pivotal roles in cellular functions. RNA and proteins constituting 1.1% and 18% of the mammalian cell weight, respectively, orchestrate vital processes from genome organization to translation. To date, disentangling the functional fraction of the human genome has presented a major challenge, particularly for noncoding regions, yet recent discoveries have started to unveil a host of regulatory functions for noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). While ncRNAs exist at different sizes, structures, degrees of evolutionary conservation and abundances within the cell, they partake in diverse roles either alone or in combination. However, certain ncRNA subtypes, including those that have been described or remain to be discovered, are poorly characterized given their heterogeneous nature. RNA activity is in most cases coordinated through interactions with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Extensive efforts are being made to accurately reconstruct RNA-RBP regulatory networks, which have provided unprecedented insight into cellular physiology and human disease. In this review, we provide a comprehensive view of RNAs and RBPs, focusing on how their interactions generate functional signals in living cells, particularly in the context of post-transcriptional regulatory processes and cancer.
Estrogen receptor activation remodels TEAD1 gene expression to alleviate hepatic steatosis Christian Sommerauer, Carlos J Gallardo-Dodd, Christina Savva, Linnea Hases, Madeleine Birgersson, et al. Molecular Systems Biology, 2024 Sex-based differences in obesity-related hepatic malignancies suggest the protective roles of estrogen. Using a preclinical model, we dissected estrogen receptor (ER) isoform-driven molecular responses in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced liver diseases of male and female mice treated with or without an estrogen agonist by integrating liver multi-omics data. We found that selective ER activation recovers HFD-induced molecular and physiological liver phenotypes. HFD and systemic ER activation altered core liver pathways, beyond lipid metabolism, that are consistent between mice and primates. By including patient cohort data, we uncovered that ER-regulated enhancers govern central regulatory and metabolic genes with clinical significance in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) patients, including the transcription factor TEAD1. TEAD1 expression increased in MASLD patients, and its downregulation by short interfering RNA reduced intracellular lipid content. Subsequent TEAD small molecule inhibition improved steatosis in primary human hepatocyte spheroids by suppressing lipogenic pathways. Thus, TEAD1 emerged as a new therapeutic candidate whose inhibition ameliorates hepatic steatosis.
Intrinsic deletion at 10q23.31, including the PTEN gene locus, is aggravated upon CRISPR-Cas9–mediated genome engineering in HAP1 cells mimicking cancer profiles Keyi Geng, Lara G Merino, Raül G Veiga, Christian Sommerauer, Janine Epperlein, et al. Life Science Alliance, 2024 The CRISPR-Cas9 system is a powerful tool for studying gene functions and holds potential for disease treatment. However, precise genome editing requires thorough assessments to minimize unintended on- and off-target effects. Here, we report an unexpected 283-kb deletion on Chromosome 10 (10q23.31) in chronic myelogenous leukemia-derived HAP1 cells, which are frequently used in CRISPR screens. The deleted region encodes regulatory genes, includingPAPSS2,ATAD1,KLLN, andPTEN. We found that this deletion was not a direct consequence of CRISPR-Cas9 off-targeting but rather occurred frequently during the generation of CRISPR-Cas9–modified cells. The deletion was associated with global changes in histone acetylation and gene expression, affecting fundamental cellular processes such as cell cycle and DNA replication. We detected this deletion in cancer patient genomes. As in HAP1 cells, the deletion contributed to similar gene expression patterns among cancer patients despite interindividual differences. Our findings suggest that the unintended deletion of 10q23.31 can confound CRISPR-Cas9 studies and underscore the importance to assess unintended genomic changes in CRISPR-Cas9–modified cells, which could impact cancer research.
Coinhibition of topoisomerase 1 and BRD4-mediated pause release selectively kills pancreatic cancer via readthrough transcription Donald P. Cameron, Jan Grosser, Swetlana Ladigan, Vladislav Kuzin, Evanthia Iliopoulou, et al. Science Advances, 2023 Pancreatic carcinoma lacks effective therapeutic strategies resulting in poor prognosis. Transcriptional dysregulation due to alterations in KRAS and MYC affects initiation, development, and survival of this tumor type. Using patient-derived xenografts of KRAS- and MYC-driven pancreatic carcinoma, we show that coinhibition of topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) synergistically induces tumor regression by targeting promoter pause release. Comparing the nascent transcriptome with the recruitment of elongation and termination factors, we found that coinhibition of TOP1 and BRD4 disrupts recruitment of transcription termination factors. Thus, RNA polymerases transcribe downstream of genes for hundreds of kilobases leading to readthrough transcription. This occurs during replication, perturbing replisome progression and inducing DNA damage. The synergistic effect of TOP1 + BRD4 inhibition is specific to cancer cells leaving normal cells unaffected, highlighting the tumor’s vulnerability to transcriptional defects. This preclinical study provides a mechanistic understanding of the benefit of combining TOP1 and BRD4 inhibitors to treat pancreatic carcinomas addicted to oncogenic drivers of transcription and replication.
Exposure of volunteers to microgravity by dry immersion bed over 21 days results in gene expression changes and adaptation of T cells Carlos J. Gallardo-Dodd, Christian Oertlin, Julien Record, Rômulo G. Galvani, Christian Sommerauer, et al. Science Advances, 2023 The next steps of deep space exploration are manned missions to Moon and Mars. For safe space missions for crew members, it is important to understand the impact of space flight on the immune system. We studied the effects of 21 days dry immersion (DI) exposure on the transcriptomes of T cells isolated from blood samples of eight healthy volunteers. Samples were collected 7 days before DI, at day 7, 14, and 21 during DI, and 7 days after DI. RNA sequencing of CD3 + T cells revealed transcriptional alterations across all time points, with most changes occurring 14 days after DI exposure. At day 21, T cells showed evidence of adaptation with a transcriptional profile resembling that of 7 days before DI. At 7 days after DI, T cells again changed their transcriptional profile. These data suggest that T cells adapt by rewiring their transcriptomes in response to simulated weightlessness and that remodeling cues persist when reexposed to normal gravity.
Molecular programming modulates hepatic lipid metabolism and adult metabolic risk in the offspring of obese mothers in a sex-specific manner Christina Savva, Luisa A. Helguero, Marcela González-Granillo, Tânia Melo, Daniela Couto, et al. Communications Biology, 2022 Male and female offspring of obese mothers are known to differ extensively in their metabolic adaptation and later development of complications. We investigate the sex-dependent responses in obese offspring mice with maternal obesity, focusing on changes in liver glucose and lipid metabolism. Here we show that maternal obesity prior to and during gestation leads to hepatic steatosis and inflammation in male offspring, while female offspring are protected. Females from obese mothers display important changes in hepatic transcriptional activity and triglycerides profile which may prevent the damaging effects of maternal obesity compared to males. These differences are sustained later in life, resulting in a better metabolic balance in female offspring. In conclusion, sex and maternal obesity drive differently transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of major metabolic processes in offspring liver, explaining the sexual dimorphism in obesity-associated metabolic risk.
RAPseq enables large-scale identification of RBP–RNA interactions and reveals essentials of post-transcriptional gene regulation R Mosca, CJ Gallardo-Dodd, Q Li, C Sommerauer, J Šidiškis, ... Nucleic Acids Research 54 (5), gkag090 , 2026 2026
Author Correction: Estrogen receptor activation remodels TEAD1 gene expression to alleviate hepatic steatosis C Sommerauer, CJ Gallardo-Dodd, C Savva, L Hases, M Birgersson, ... Molecular Systems Biology 21 (9), 1282-1283 , 2025 2025
Intestinal estrogen receptor beta modulates the murine colon tumor immune microenvironment M Birgersson, M Holm, CJ Gallardo-Dodd, B Chen, L Stepanauskaitė, ... Cancer Letters 622, 217661 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
FISIOLOGÍA DEL HELECHO ACUATICO SALVINIA MINIMA AL SER EXPUESTO A METALES COMO PB, NI, CU, ZN Y LI G Fuentes, D Leal-Alvarado, I Fuentes-Franco, T Hoffmann, C Kutter, ... TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL AGROECOSYSTEMS 28 (1) , 2025 2025
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF THE AQUATIC FERN Salvinia minima UNDER EXPOSURE TO METALS SUCH Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn AND Li G Fuentes, D Leal-Alvarado, I Fuentes-Franco, T Hoffmann, C Kutter, ... Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems 28 (1) , 2025 2025
The regulatory landscape of interacting RNA and protein pools in cellular homeostasis and cancer CJ Gallardo-Dodd, C Kutter Human Genomics 18 (1), 109 , 2024 2024 Citations: 8
Comprehensive analysis of the RBP regulome reveals functional modules and drug candidates in liver cancer M Garbulowski, R Mosca, CJ Gallardo-Dodd, C Kutter, ELL Sonnhammer bioRxiv, 2024.09. 04.611258 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Estrogen receptor activation remodels TEAD1 gene expression to alleviate hepatic steatosis C Sommerauer, CJ Gallardo-Dodd, C Savva, L Hases, M Birgersson, ... Molecular Systems Biology 20 (4), 374 , 2024 2024 Citations: 24
Intrinsic deletion at 10q23. 31, including the PTEN gene locus, is aggravated upon CRISPR-Cas9–mediated genome engineering in HAP1 cells mimicking cancer profiles K Geng, LG Merino, RG Veiga, C Sommerauer, J Epperlein, EK Brinkman, ... Life Science Alliance 7 (2) , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Coinhibition of topoisomerase 1 and BRD4-mediated pause release selectively kills pancreatic cancer via readthrough transcription DP Cameron, J Grosser, S Ladigan, V Kuzin, E Iliopoulou, A Wiegard, ... Science Advances 9 (41), eadg5109 , 2023 2023 Citations: 16
Estrogen receptor activation remodels TEAD1 gene expression to alleviate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease C Sommerauer, CJ Gallardo-Dodd, C Savva, L Hases, M Birgersson, ... bioRxiv, 2023.09. 07.556687 , 2023 2023
Exposure of volunteers to microgravity by dry immersion bed over 21 days results in gene expression changes and adaptation of T cells CJ Gallardo-Dodd, C Oertlin, J Record, RG Galvani, C Sommerauer, ... Science advances 9 (34), eadg1610 , 2023 2023 Citations: 6
Revealing the mechanism of the lipid storage disorder Niemann-Pick C by combining multi-omics and biophysical imaging P Carravilla, U Ceplaite, C Sommerauer, RG Veiga, E Sezgin, C Kutter EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS 52 (SUPPL 1), S122-S122 , 2023 2023
CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome engineering exaggerates genomic deletion at 10q23.31 including the PTEN gene locus mimicking cancer profiles K Geng, LG Merino, RG Veiga, C Sommerauer, J Epperlein, EK Brinkman, ... bioRxiv, 2023.04. 05.535680 , 2023 2023
The long non-coding RNA H19 is a target of pro-inflammatory cytokines in human beta cells and modulates apoptosis and insulin secretion. C Frørup, T Fløyel, AH Mirza, CAS Svane, ML Colli, J Johannesen, ... 2023
Intestinal estrogen receptor beta modulates the tumor immune microenvironment in a mouse model of colitis-associated cancer M Birgersson, M Holm, L Stepanauskaite, C Gallardo-Dodd, L Hases, ... 2023
Molecular programming modulates hepatic lipid metabolism and adult metabolic risk in the offspring of obese mothers in a sex-specific manner C Savva, LA Helguero, M González-Granillo, T Melo, D Couto, B Angelin, ... Communications Biology 5 (1), 1057 , 2022 2022 Citations: 14
Target-enriched nanopore sequencing and de novo assembly reveals co-occurrences of complex on-target genomic rearrangements induced by CRISPR-Cas9 in human cells K Geng, LG Merino, L Wedemann, A Martens, M Sobota, YP Sanchez, ... Genome research 32 (10), 1876 , 2022 2022 Citations: 23
Noncoding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins: emerging governors of liver physiology and metabolic diseases C Sommerauer, C Kutter American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology 323 (4), C1003-C1017 , 2022 2022 Citations: 26
CCT3-LINC00326 axis regulates hepatocarcinogenic lipid metabolism JN Søndergaard, C Sommerauer, I Atanasoai, LC Hinte, K Geng, ... Gut 71 (10), 2081-2092 , 2022 2022 Citations: 62
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
The evolutionary landscape of alternative splicing in vertebrate species NL Barbosa-Morais, M Irimia, Q Pan, HY Xiong, S Gueroussov, LJ Lee, ... Science 338 (6114), 1587-1593 , 2012 2012 Citations: 1315
Five-vertebrate ChIP-seq reveals the evolutionary dynamics of transcription factor binding D Schmidt, MD Wilson, B Ballester, PC Schwalie, GD Brown, A Marshall, ... Science 328 (5981), 1036-1040 , 2010 2010 Citations: 896
Systematic comparison of microarray profiling, real-time PCR, and next-generation sequencing technologies for measuring differential microRNA expression A Git, H Dvinge, M Salmon-Divon, M Osborne, C Kutter, J Hadfield, ... Rna 16 (5), 991-1006 , 2010 2010 Citations: 866
Waves of retrotransposon expansion remodel genome organization and CTCF binding in multiple mammalian lineages D Schmidt, PC Schwalie, MD Wilson, B Ballester, Â Gonçalves, C Kutter, ... Cell 148 (1), 335-348 , 2012 2012 Citations: 729
Aberrant methylation of tRNAs links cellular stress to neuro‐developmental disorders S Blanco, S Dietmann, JV Flores, S Hussain, C Kutter, P Humphreys, ... The EMBO journal 33 (18), 2020-2039 , 2014 2014 Citations: 691
The wound response in tomato–role of jasmonic acid C Wasternack, I Stenzel, B Hause, G Hause, C Kutter, H Maucher, ... Journal of plant physiology 163 (3), 297-306 , 2006 2006 Citations: 422
Rapid turnover of long noncoding RNAs and the evolution of gene expression C Kutter, S Watt, K Stefflova, MD Wilson, A Goncalves, CP Ponting, ... PLoS genetics 8 (7), e1002841 , 2012 2012 Citations: 373
Molecular characterization of geminivirus-derived small RNAs in different plant species R Akbergenov, A Si-Ammour, T Blevins, I Amin, C Kutter, ... Nucleic acids research 34 (2), 462-471 , 2006 2006 Citations: 359
miR393 and Secondary siRNAs Regulate Expression of the TIR1 / AFB2 Auxin Receptor Clade and Auxin-Related Development of Arabidopsis Leaves A Si-Ammour, D Windels, E Arn-Bouldoires, C Kutter, J Ailhas, F Meins Jr, ... Plant physiology 157 (2), 683-691 , 2011 2011 Citations: 271
Epigenetic conservation at gene regulatory elements revealed by non-methylated DNA profiling in seven vertebrates HK Long, D Sims, A Heger, NP Blackledge, C Kutter, ML Wright, ... elife 2, e00348 , 2013 2013 Citations: 260
JAK inhibition reduces SARS-CoV-2 liver infectivity and modulates inflammatory responses to reduce morbidity and mortality J Stebbing, G Sánchez Nievas, M Falcone, S Youhanna, P Richardson, ... Science advances 7 (1), eabe4724 , 2021 2021 Citations: 230
MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of Stomatal Development in Arabidopsis C Kutter, H Schöb, M Stadler, F Meins Jr, A Si-Ammour The Plant Cell 19 (8), 2417-2429 , 2007 2007 Citations: 225
The emergence of piRNAs against transposon invasion to preserve mammalian genome integrity C Ernst, DT Odom, C Kutter Nature communications 8 (1), 1411 , 2017 2017 Citations: 212
Enzymes of jasmonate biosynthesis occur in tomato sieve elements B Hause, G Hause, C Kutter, O Miersch, C Wasternack Plant and Cell Physiology 44 (6), 643-648 , 2003 2003 Citations: 190
Liver macrophages regulate systemic metabolism through non-inflammatory factors C Morgantini, J Jager, X Li, L Levi, V Azzimato, A Sulen, E Barreby, C Xu, ... Nature metabolism 1 (4), 445-459 , 2019 2019 Citations: 129
Role of cis-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid in tomato embryo development S Goetz, A Hellwege, I Stenzel, C Kutter, V Hauptmann, S Forner, ... Plant Physiology 158 (4), 1715-1727 , 2012 2012 Citations: 128
Pol III binding in six mammals shows conservation among amino acid isotypes despite divergence among tRNA genes C Kutter, GD Brown, Â Gonçalves, MD Wilson, S Watt, A Brazma, ... Nature genetics 43 (10), 948-955 , 2011 2011 Citations: 128
Multi-species, multi-transcription factor binding highlights conserved control of tissue-specific biological pathways B Ballester, A Medina-Rivera, D Schmidt, M Gonzalez-Porta, M Carlucci, ... Elife 3, e02626 , 2014 2014 Citations: 127
miRNA, siRNA, piRNA: Knowns of the unknown C Kutter, P Svoboda RNA biology 5 (4), 181-188 , 2008 2008 Citations: 127
High-resolution mapping of transcriptional dynamics across tissue development reveals a stable mRNA–tRNA interface BM Schmitt, KLM Rudolph, P Karagianni, NA Fonseca, RJ White, ... Genome research 24 (11), 1797 , 2014 2014 Citations: 119