Dysregulation of mRNA translation in neurodegeneration
Speaker: Dr Harrison Evans
New York University
USA
Title: Dysregulation of mRNA translation in neurodegeneration
Abstract: In the brain, the synthesis of new proteins is vital for many neuronal and cognitive processes such as synaptic plasticity and the formation, updating, and extinction of long-term memories. Recent studies by myself and others have identified dysregulated protein synthesis as a molecular hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases in which memory formation is impaired, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (Evans et al., EMBO J, 2019; Evans et al., Acta Neuropathoc Comms, 2021; Elder et al., Commun Biol. 2021). This dysregulation of protein synthesis is thought to be driven in part by pathogenic alterations to tau, a neuronally enriched microtubule binding protein.
In this talk, I will detail the development of a series of new techniques for studying protein synthesis in both mice and in neurons grown from patient-derived inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Using these techniques, I have been able to reveal that pathogenic tau impairs long-term memory associated protein synthesis, slows ribosomal elongation speeds, and induces the collision of ribosomes. I also explore how modulating various translational pathways, such as the integrated stress response (ISR), could be used as a potential therapy for diseases such as frontotemporal dementia.
About Neuroscience Seminars
Neuroscience seminars at the QBI play a major role in the advancement of neuroscience in the Asia-Pacific region. The primary goal of these seminars is to promote excellence in neuroscience through the exchange of ideas, establishing new collaborations and augmenting partnerships already in place.
Seminars in the QBI Auditorium on Level 7 are held on Wednesdays at 12-1pm, which are sometimes simulcast on Zoom (with approval from the speaker). We also occassionally hold seminars from international speakers via Zoom. The days and times of these seminars will vary depending on the time zone of the speaker. Please see each seminar listed below for details.
