Since the beginning my research interest was related to various kinds of microbes interaction with eukaryotes. My main research topic is genomics of soil bacteria of genera Rhizobium and Agrobacterium, with special interest of structure and function on extrachromosomal bacterial genome and the role of megaplasmids in symbiosis with plants and adaptation of bacteria to soil environment as well as the function of bacterial surface polysaccharides both in symbiotic and pathogenic interaction with host plant.
More recently my activity is also focused on the process of wood decay performed by saprophytic fungi. Research within this area mainly comprised the transcriptomes analyses of white root fungi, using high-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) technology (RNAseq)
Moreover I was engaged in application projects supported from The National Center for Research and Development (Poland) related to: Huntington disease gene therapy (the scientific task of research team was monitoring of gene therapy effects in brains of animal models using RNAseq approach) and development of effective vaccine against porcine circoviral disease (the scientific task comprised the development of the method of recombinant circovirus capsid protein overproduction, aimed to be used as antigen in the formulation of vaccine).
Membership in scientific societies:
Polish Genetic Society (PTG)
The Committee of Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Recent projects:
2019-2022: “Significance of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens outer membrane composition in the crops infection process” National Centre of Science – 2018/31/B/NZ9/01755 - investigator
2018-2021: “Enzymatic complex of glycosyltransferases in Rhizobium leguminosarum as a model of exopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway in bacteria” - National Centre of Science - 2017/27/B/NZ9/01849 - investigator
2015-2019: “Light influence on Cerrena unicolor metabolism” - National Centre of Science – 2014/15/B/NZ9/01990 – investigator
2014-2017: “Regulated gene expression for Huntington's disease therapy” (acronym: HD-gene therapy) - National Centre for Research and Development (EUROSTAR PROGRAMME) - E7900/19/NCBR/2014 – task leader
2014-2017: “Development and assessment of biological properties of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) antigens in the aspect of their suitability for vaccine and diagnostic kit production” (acronym: PCV2_Caps) - National Centre for Research and Development - investigator
2014-2017: “Importance of Cerrena unicolor laccase in adaptation to degradation of several wood kinds in various environmental conditions” – National Centre of Science – 2013/09/B/NZ9/01829 – investigator
2011-2015: “Mutants of Bradyrhizobium deprived of a very long chain hydroxyl fatty acids – the influence of the changes in lipid A on the nodulation ability and survival inside eukaryotic cells" – Ministry of Science and Higher Education/National Centre of Science - N N303822840 - investigator
2008-2011: “Genetic conditions for the adaptation of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii to the endosymbiotic and soil environment” – Ministry of Science and Higher Education – N N301 028734 - project leader
Recent papers:
Marczak M., Żebracki K., Koper P., Horbowicz A., Wójcik M., Mazur A. (2023) A new face of the old gene: deletion of the PssA, encoding monotopic inner membrane phosphoglycosyl transferase in Rhizobium leguminosarum, leads to diverse phenotypes that could be attributable to downstream effects of the lack of exopolysaccharide. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 24(2), 1035
Palusińska-Szysz M., Jurak M., Gisch N.,, Waldow F., Zehethofer N., Nehls C., Schwudke D., Koper P., Mazur A. (2022) The human LL-37 peptide exerts antimicrobial activity against Legionella micdadei interacting with membrane phospholipids. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 1867:159138
Pawlik A., Ciołek B., Sulej J, Mazur A., Grela P., Staszczak M., Niścior M., Jaszek M., Matuszewska A., Janusz G., Paszczyński A.(2021) Cerrena unicolor laccases, genes expression and regulation of activity. Biomolecules 11:468
Marczak M. Wójcik M., Żebracki K.,Turska-Szewczuk A., Talarek K., Nowak D., Wawiórka L., Sieńczyk M., Łupicka-Słowik A., Bobrek K., Romańczuk M., Koper P., Mazur A. (2020) PssJ is a terminal galactosyltransferase involved in the assembly of the exopolysaccharide subunit in Rhizobium Leguminosarum bv. trifolii. In. J. Mol. Sci., 21:7764
Pawlik A., Jaszek M., Swatek A., Ruminowicz-Stefaniuk M., Ciołek B., Mazur A., Janusz G. (2020) Lighting conditions influence the dynamics of protease synthesis and proteasomal activity in the white rot fungus Cerrena unicolor. Biomolecules 10:1322
Pawlik A., Jaszek M., Stefaniuk D., Świderska-Burek U., Mazur A., Wielbo J., Koper P., Żebracki K., Janusz G. (2020) Combined effect of light and nutrients on the micromorphology of the white rot fungus Cerrena unicolor. In. J. Mol. Sci., 21:1678
Marczak M., Żebracki K., Koper P., Turska-Szewczuk A., Mazur A., Wydrych J., Wójcik M., Skorupska A. (2019) Mgl2 is a hypothetical methyltransferase involved in exopolysaccharide production, biofilm formation, and motility in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii. Mol. Plant Microbe. Interact., 32, 899-911
Pawlik, A., Ruminowicz-Stefaniuk, M., Frac, M., Mazur, A., Wielbo, J., Janusz, G. (2019) The wood decay fungus Cerrena unicolor adjusts its metabolism to grow on various types of wood and light conditions. PLoS One. 14: e0211744
Pawlik A., Mazur A., Wielbo J., Koper P., Żebracki K., Kubik-Komar A., Janusz G.: RNA sequencing reveals differential gene expression of Cerrena unicolor in response to variable lighting conditions. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 20, 290 (2019)
Janusz G., Mazur A., Wielbo J., Koper P., Żebracki K., Pawlik A., Ciołek B., Paszczyński A., Kubik-Komar A. (2018) Comparative transcriptomic analysis of Cerrena unicolor revealed differential expression of genes engaged in degradation of various kinds of wood. Microbiol. Res., 207, 256-268
Cheng S., Tereshchenkoa J., Zimmer V., Vacheyb G.,Pythoudb C., Reyb M., Liefhebberd J., Rainaa A., Streite F., Mazur A., Bähra M., Konstantinova P., Déglon N., Kügler S. (2018) Therapeutic efficacy of regulable GDNF expression for Huntington's and Parkinson's disease by a high-induction, background-free “GeneSwitch” vector. Exp. Neurol. 309, 79–90
Marczak M., Mazur A., Koper P., Żebracki K., Skorupska A.: Synthesis of rhizobial exopolysaccharides and their importance for symbiosis with legume plants. Genes (Basel), 8, E360 (2017)
Zamłyńska K., Komaniecka I., Żebracki K., Mazur A., Sroka-Bartnicka A., Choma A. (2017) Studies on lipid A isolated from Phyllobacterium trifolii PETP02T lipopolysaccharide. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 110, 1413-1433
Grąz M., Jarosz-Wilkołazka A., Janusz G., Mazur A., Wielbo J., Koper P., Żebracki K., Kubik-Komar A. (2017) Transcriptome-based analysis of the saprophytic fungus Abortiporus biennis – response to oxalic acid. Microbiol. Res., 199, 79-88
Koper P., Żebracki K., Marczak M., Skorupska A., Mazur A. (2016) RepB proteins of the multipartite Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii genome discriminate between centromere-like parS sequences for plasmid segregational stability. Mol. Microbiol. 2016, 102(3): 446-466
Stasiak G., Mazur A., Koper P., Żebracki K., Skorupska A. (2016) Symbiosis of rhizobia with legume plants (Fabaceae). Advancements of Microbiology (quarterly of the Polish Society of Microbiologists), 55, 289-299
Mazur A., De Meyer S., Tian R., Wielbo J., Żebracki K., Seshadri R., Reddy T., Markowitz V., Ivanova N., Pati A., Woyke T., Kyrpides N., Reeve W. (2015) High-quality permanent draft genome sequence of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strain GB30; an effective microsymbiont of Pisum sativum growing in Poland. Stand. Genomic Sci., 10, 36
Żebracki K., Koper P., Marczak M., Skorupska A., Mazur A. (2015) Plasmid-encoded RepA proteins specifically autorepress individual repABC operons in the multipartite Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii genome. PLoS One, 10, e0131907
