None | July 07, 17:00
Why all this RNA? The transcriptome from the perspective of RNA binding proteins.
In eukaryotic cells mRNA levels do not directly translate
into protein levels because processing, transport, translation and
degradation of mRNA are controlled post-transcriptionally. The key
players in this mode of gene regulation are RNA binding proteins
(RBPs). Their specific substrate is the pool of cellular RNA,
containing large amounts of untranslated, regulatory sequences that
are oftentimes crucial to the development of complex multi-cellular
organism and are linked to various human diseases. In contrast to
gene promoters, the concentration of RNA regulatory elements is not
fixed but linked to the highly dynamic abundances of mRNA molecules.
Together with the oftentimes weak specificities of RBPs the deeper
understanding of RBP:mRNA interactions requires to explicitely account for
competition effects. In this talk I will present general features of transcriptomes at different
leafs of the evolutionary tree of the metazoa, recent results on the human RBP
HuR/ELAVL1, and the outline of a project to experimentally test predictions of
a competition theory of RBP binding.
Max-Dellbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine
Ground floor lecture theater Biocenter, Zülpicher Str. 47b
Contact: not specified