Scientific evenings
University of Nova Gorica invites to the lecture: "The unexpected role of a modest, ubiquitous, cell nucleous protein in neurodegeneration" by Prof. Dr. Francisco Ernesto Baralle (General Director - International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology - ICGEB).
Lecture will take place on Thursday, 21 November 2013 at 7 p.m. at the Lanthieri mansion in Vipava.
Lecture will be in English.
The gene expression process summarized by Crick in the “central dogma” DNA>RNA>protein is not as simple as described in these three words. Genes are interrupted. All genes are copied from DNA to RNA (transcribed) and processed to join together the protein coding sequences (exons) discarding the long intervening sequences (introns). This process is called pre mRNA splicing and is extremely complex with over 100 proteins and RNA-protein complexes involved grouped in a molecular machinery called “spliceosome”. There are many additional protein factors that enhancer or inhibit splicing (SR proteins and hnRNPs respectively).
The hnRNP called TDP 43, has been identified and studied by our group for over a decade, analyzing a splicing defect in Cystic Fibrosis (CFTR gene). In 2006 the modest nuclear factor TDP 43 had a surprising jump to fame when a group of neuropathologists identified it as the main component of inclusions found in the brain of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Fronto Temporal Lobar Degeneration, two neurodegenerative diseases that has now been shown to have a common molecular basis and hence a common therapeutic approach may be possible.
Contact
Andreja Leban
Public Relations
T: +386 5 3315 397
E: andreja.leban@ung.si