Welcome to the laboratory of Cynthia Wolberger, located in the Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry. Our research is focused on the structural and mechanistic basis of transcriptional regulation and ubiquitin signaling. We use a combination of x-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and a variety of biophysical and biochemical approaches to gain insights into the fundamental mechanisms underlying these processes. Please follow the links on this page to learn more about our research and lab members.

Prospective graduate students should visit the web sites of the Program in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology,  the Program in Molecular Biophysics, XDbio, or the Chemistry-Biology Interface Program.

Interested in a postdoctoral position? Please see the Contacts page for information.

Looking for a plasmid? Many of our plasmids are available through Addgene. Click here to see the list of available plasmids.

Wolberger lab statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Morgan MT, Ikenoue T, Suga H, Wolberger C. (2021) Potent macrocycle inhibitors of the human SAGA deubiquitinating module. BioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.13.444038

Worden EJ, Zhang X, Wolberger C. (2020) Structural basis for COMPASS recognition of an H2B-ubiquitinated nucleosome. eLife 9. pii: e53199. https://elifesciences.org/articles/53199

Worden EJ, Hoffmann NA, Hicks CW, Wolberger C. (2019) The mechanism of cross-talk between histone H2B ubiquitination and H3 methylation by Dot1L. Cell 176(6):1490-1501.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.02.002

Nune M, Morgan MT, Connell Z, McCullough L, Jbara M, Sun H, Brik A, Formosa T, Wolberger C. (2019) FACT and Ubp10 collaborate to modulate H2B deubiquitination and nucleosome dynamics. eLife, https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.40988

Pasupala N, Morrow ME, Que LR, Malynn BA, Ma A, Wolberger C. (2018) OTUB1 non-catalytically stabilizes the E2 ubiquitin conjugating-enzyme UBE2E1 by preventing its ubiquitination. J. Biol. Chem  293(47):18285-18295.

Morrow ME, Morgan MT, Clerici M, Growkova K, Yan M, Komander D, Sixma TK, Simicek M, Wolberger C. (2018) Active site alanine mutations convert deubiquitinases into high-affinity ubiquitin-binding proteins. EMBO Rep.  pii:e45680. doi: 10.15252/embr.201745680.

Brickner, Soll , Lombardi , Vågbø , Mudge, Oyeniran, Rabe , Jackson, Sullender, Blazosky, Byrum, Zhao, Corbett, Gécz, Field, Vindigni, Slupphaug, Wolberger, Mosammaparast (2017) A ubiquitin-dependent signalling axis specific for ALKBH-mediated DNA dealkylation repair. Nature 551: 389-393.

Morgan MT, Haj-Yahya M, Ringel AE, Bandi P, Brik A, Wolberger C (2016) Structural basis for histone H2B deubiquitination by the SAGA DUB module. Science 351:725-8.

Ringel AE, Cieniewicz AM, Taverna SD, Wolberger C. (2015) Nucleosome competition reveals processive acetylation by the SAGA HAT module. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:E5461-70.