On Thursday 27.03 in the CN lecture hall we will host Dimitris P. Xirodimas PhD, CRBM (Cell Biology Research Centre of Montpellier), CNRS, Montpellier, France). His lecture will be entitled: "Proteostasis Control: Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-like modifications in protein misfolding and aggregation”. The lecture will take place at 3 p.m. in the CN lecture hall and it will be followed by a get together.

Abstract:

Maintaining a functional and balanced proteome is a constant challenge for cells due to persistent proteotoxic stresses that cause protein damage. Misfolded and aberrant proteins have a tendency to aggregate, a process linked to various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), as well as cancer and aging. To counteract aggregation, the protein quality control (PQC) network employs molecular chaperones for protein repair and refolding, while terminally damaged proteins are degraded via lysosomal and the Ubiquitin-proteasome pathways. Additionally, the spatial regulation of stress-induced protein aggregation in both the cytoplasm and nucleus plays a crucial role in maintaining proteostasis.

He will discuss how Ubiquitin and the Ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8 are involved in the clearance of nuclear aggregates associated with the nucleolus, as well as cytoplasmic protein-RNA condensates known as stress granules. Furthermore, he will highlight potential therapeutic strategies targeting components of the NEDD8 pathway for the treatment of ALS.