Ribeiro de Almeida Group

Ribeiro de Almeida Group
Ribeiro de Almeida Group
Claudia Ribeiro de Almeida
Tenure Track Group Leader
Ribeiro de Almeida Group

Research Summary

Our goal is to define the emerging role of RNA and RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in controlling B cell development and the diversification of antibody genes.

We are interested in decoding the mechanisms underpinning diversification of antibody genes, to gain insight into how B cells can effectively fight infections, how these responses change through our lives and the role this plays in age-related immune dysfunction.

Our group is focused on the study of a class of RNA remodelling enzymes called RNA helicases. This interest stems from our discovery on the roles of DDX1 and G-quadruplex (G4) RNA structures in targeting the DNA mutator enzyme AID to the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) locus, to initiate Class Switch Recombination (CSR) (Ribeiro de Almeida et al, Mol. Cell 2018). RNA helicases are ubiquitous proteins that dynamically remodel the structure of RNA molecules, thereby controlling various steps of gene expression. The dysfunction of these proteins has been implicated in diverse pathologies but their roles in the immune system remain mostly unknown.

We use a number of cellular and molecular biology tools together with mouse genetics, cell culture systems and in vitro biochemical assays, to gain in depth understanding on the role of RNA helicases in B cell biology. We also employ state-of-the-art genomics and proteomics approaches to profile RNA-protein interactions that control developmental stages when B cells undergo recombination at their antibody genes.

Current Work

Biosynthesis of histone messenger RNA employs a specific 3' end endonuclease

Open Access symbol

Pettinati I, Grzechnik P, Ribeiro de Almeida C, Brem J, McDonough MA, Dhir S, Proudfoot NJ, Schofield CJ

eLife, PMID: 305073802018


 

Deregulated Expression of Mammalian lncRNA through Loss of SPT6 Induces R-Loop Formation, Replication Stress, and Cellular Senescence

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Nojima T, Tellier M, Foxwell J, Ribeiro de Almeida C, Tan-Wong SM, Dhir S, Dujardin G, Dhir A, Murphy S, Proudfoot NJ

Molecular cell, PMID: 304497232018


 

RNA Helicase DDX1 Converts RNA G-Quadruplex Structures into R-Loops to Promote IgH Class Switch Recombination

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Ribeiro de Almeida C, Dhir S, Dhir A, Moghaddam AE, Sattentau Q, Meinhart A, Proudfoot NJ

Molecular cell, PMID: 297314142018


 

Preprints

Tissue-specific consequences of tag fusions on protein expression in transgenic mice

Gillian Taylor, Lewis Macdonald, Natalia Szulc, Evelina Gudauskaite, Brianda Hernandez Moran, Jennifer Brisbane, Molly Donald, Ella Taylor, Dejin Zheng, Bin Gu, Pleasantine Mill, Patricia Yeyati, Wojciech Pokrzywa, Claudia Ribeiro de Almeida, Andrew Wood

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.18.660429v1


 

RNA helicase DDX1 regulates germinal centre selection and affinity maturation by promoting tRNA ligase activity

Rachael Kimber, Sarah Ingelsfield, Michael Screen, Fiamma Salerno, Louise Matheson, Hanneke Okkenhaug, Alex Whale, Jayalini Assalaarachchi, Melanie Stammers, Deniz Akdeniz, Simon Andrews, Claudia Ribeiro de Almeida

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.10.632317v1


 

Group Members

Claudia Ribeiro de Almeida

Tenure Track Group Leader

Aleksandra Beliavskaia

Postdoc Research Scientist

Anna Dowd

PhD Student

Emily Horner

Postdoctoral Training Researcher

Rachael Kimber

Visiting Scientist

Ella Taylor

PhD Student