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Biochemistry Seminar: Dr. Joel McManus (Carnegie Mellon University), "Unraveling the functions of mRNA transcript leaders - from yeast, to mice, to humans"

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
Department of Biochemistry (HOST: Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)
Location
Charles G. Miller Auditorium, B102 Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory
Date
Feb 24, 2023   12:00 pm  
Speaker
Dr. Joel McManus
Contact
Cara Day
E-Mail
caraday@illinois.edu
Phone
217-333-2013
Views
58
Originating Calendar
Biochemistry Department Seminars

Abstract: Protein synthesis is an essential process that is highly regulated. In eukaryotes, protein synthesis is highly influenced by RNA sequences and structures in mRNA transcript leaders (5' UTRs). In particular, upstream open reading frames (uORFs) alter the rate of ribosome loading on mRNA coding regions by acting as decoys to scanning ribosomes. However, these elements can be difficult to identify, as the locations of mRNA transcript leaders are often poorly annotated. My talk will cover three vignettes of studies in our lab on transcript leader function. First, we mapped thousands of transcript leaders and uORFs in multiple yeast species, assayed their influence on gene expression, and built models that quantitate the roles of sequence and structural features on mRNA translation. Next, I will discuss how errors in mouse mRNA annotations led to incorrect models of transcript leader function, resulting in a substantial paradigm "unshift" in mammalian developmental biology. Finally, I will describe our current research, in which we apply the tools we developed in yeast and the lessons we learned from mice to study the functions of human transcript leaders using comparative genomics, RNA structure probing, and massively parallel reporter assays.

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