Prof. Ciaran Seath
Title: Proximity labeling approaches to study transcription
Abstract:
Aberrant activation of gene transcription is the genesis of many human diseases including cancer and neurodegeneration. This process is controlled by a network of DNA binding proteins called transcription factors (TFs), which act in concert with nucleosomes, epigenetic readers, ncRNAs, and a host of other chromatin associated factors to regulate cellular RNA and protein concentrations. This seminar will discuss our efforts to understand how transcription is regulated both in disease and through the action of bioactive ligands. By coupling light-activated chemistry with programmable targeting, this approach captures transcription-associated interactions with high specificity and minimal perturbation. Using these methods, we identify a signaling pathway that is co-opted by cancer to stabilize the oncogene c-Myc and drive proliferation and migration. Furthermore, by performing proximity labeling across the surface of chromatin we de-orphan a transcriptionally active ligand that promotes postsynaptic plasticity for improved learning and memory. Together, these results demonstrate how photocatalytic proximity labeling provides a powerful platform for understanding transcriptional regulation in native cellular contexts, with broad applications in gene regulation, development, and disease.
Keywords: Proteomics, photochemistry, transcription, drug discovery
Bio: See here- https://www.seathlab.com/team
Host: Prof. Katrina Forest