RNA Innovation Seminar: Sika Zheng, UC Riverside, School of Medicine

“Unexpected determinants of neuronal identity and properties: the curious cases of PTBP1, PTBP2, and neuronal splicing”

Sika Zheng, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Director of Center for RNA Biology and Medicine
UC Riverside, School of Medicine

Flyer in PDF

Virtual Seminar
Zoom: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dltbxWdHQ5KrC3rTl4hqLQ

Abstract:
Alternative splicing is the major contributor to transcriptome diversity, but splicing is noisy and to what extend alternative splicing regulation is indispensable for biolgical processes has been controversial. Our studies have revealed the regulation and function of neural-specific splicing in shaping neuronal identity and estalishing neurons’ two unique attributes: 1. Axonogenesis (Only neurons but no other cell types have one and single axon); 2. Neuronal longevity (Neurons are the most long-lived cell types). We show that obtaining these neuronal features is coordinated by RNA binding proteins PTBP1 and PTBP2, while PTBP1 was suggested by others to be a reprogramming factor of neuronal fate. I will discuss the regulatory mechanism of neural specific splicing underlying neurogensis and maturation.

References:
Zhang M, Ergin V, Lin L, Stork C, Chen L, Zheng S. Neuron. 2019 Feb 20;101(4):690-706.e10.
Ergin V, Zheng S. J Mol Biol. 2020 Jun 26;432(14):4154-4166.
Zheng S. Wiley Interdiscip Rev RNA. 2020 Jul;11(4):e1585.
Lin L, Zhang M, Stoilov P, Chen L, Zheng S. Neuron. 2020 Sep 23;107(6):1180-1196.e8.
Vuong J, Ergin V, Zheng S. Nature Communications (accepted)