You are invited to attend this seminar hosted by the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology:
Date: Friday, 5 April 2024
Time: 11.00AM – 12.00PM
Venue: IMCB Seminar Room 03-46, Level 3 Proteos, Biopolis, Singapore 138673 (Physical)
Speaker: Dr Jiangbo Wei, NUS
Host: Prof Vinay Tergaonkar, IMCB
Gene Regulation through N6-methyladenosine Demethylation and Suppression
Abstract
m6A is the most prevalent internal mRNA modification in high eukaryotes, which regulates the fate of methylated RNA in almost every aspect. In this talk, I will share two stories that illustrate how m6A demethylation and suppression control gene expression. The first part focuses on the physiological substrate and function of FTO, the first identified RNA demethylase, during mammalian development. I will explain how m6A demethylation of RNA transcribed from LINE1, a crucial transposable element, shapes local chromatin state and nearby gene transcription. In the second part of my talk, I will introduce the concept of the "m6A suppressor" and the identification of Exon Junction Complex (EJC) as the first mRNA m6A suppressor. I will also discuss how exon architecture determines mRNA m6A landscape and subsequent transcript degradation, and its potential implications in cDNA gene therapy and vertebrate evolution. These two stories highlight the significance of RNA m6A in gene regulation and provide insight into translational research applications.
Biography
Jiangbo received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Peking University in 2015. He did his Ph.D. study and Postdoc work at The University of Chicago with Prof. Chuan He, focusing on the context-dependent function of RNA modifications in gene regulation. Recently, Jiangbo was awarded the prestigious NUS Presidential Young Professorship (PYP) in April 2023. He joined the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biological Sciences as a NUS PYP Assistant Professor in December 2023. Jiangbo’s research integrates the eiptranscriptomics with chemical biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and epigenetics, to investigate RNA modification-mediated gene regulation in various biological systems and its translational research potentials in human health as well as mammalian and plant development.
ALL ARE WELCOME (No registration required)
