题目：New insights into the control of cytoskeletal protein expression during axon outgrowth in development and regeneration

 报告人：Professor Ben G. Szaro, Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York

时间：2011年6月7日（周一）10:00-11:00

地点：生命学院二楼会议室

报告摘要：

Axons are unique to neurons, which use them to communicate electrochemically with other cells. They are particularly remarkable for their ability to extend from neuronal perikarya to targets tens of thousands of cell diameters away. Not surprisingly, the molecular composition of the axonal cytoskeleton is distinctive, and during development, the expression of cytoskeletal-associated proteins is tightly regulated to accommodate the dynamic growth behaviors of elongating axons. This control has important clinical implications, too, since aberrant control of axonal cytoskeletal protein expression is a pathogenic hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders. During successful regeneration of frog optic axons, post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanisms play an important role in this control, and in newly developing neurons, the expression of a critical subset of axonal cytoskeletal-associated proteins is jointly regulated by a shared RNA-binding protein, hnRNP K. Without hnRNP K, neurons fail not only to make these proteins but also to organize their cytoskeletal polymers into an axon. Because hnRNP K is regulated by multiple kinases associated with axon outgrowth, it may represent an essential component of a novel global regulatory module linking cell signaling with the synthesis of structural proteins needed to build the axon.

报告人简介：Professor Ben G. Szaro

l   Professor of the Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York

l   Expert in Developmental Neurobiology, Specialized in the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Cytoskeletal Proteins in Developing and Regenerating Axons

l   Member of American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Cell Biology, Society for Developmental Biology and Society for Neuroscience.

l   Member of National Science Foundation Review panels

l   More than 100 Publications of Journal articles, including Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Neuroscience, Trends in Neurosciences, Neuroscience, Advanced Neurobiology, Brain Research, Development, Biosensors & Bioelectronics