How Cajal Bodies and the Nucleolus Respond to DNA Damage

About

Our research explores how Cajal bodies and the nucleolus, important structures within the cell nucleus, change their organization when DNA is damaged and repaired. Using advanced 3D super-resolution microscopy (STED and STORM), we can see in detail how key proteins — SMN, Coilin, Fibrillarin (FBL), and RNAP1 — move and rearrange after stress such as UV light or oxidative damage.

By using live-cell imaging with fluorescently tagged proteins, we can watch these movements in real time, observing how SMN shuttles between Cajal bodies and nucleoli during DNA repair. We also use FRAP (Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching) to measure how fast these proteins move and how their interactions change during and after repair.

Together, these studies help us understand how the nucleolus and Cajal bodies adapt to DNA damage, ensuring the cell can recover and maintain its normal functions.

Techniques: Super-resolution microscopy (STED, STORM), live-cell imaging, FRAP, immunofluorescence