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SUMMARY:Transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms of cell divers
 ification - lessons from C. elegans - Dr Luisa Cochella\; Assistant Profes
 sor\, Molecular Biology and Genetics\, Johns Hopkins University School of 
 Medicine\, Baltimore\, USA
DTSTART:20220223T150000Z
DTEND:20220223T160000Z
UID:TALK161620@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Bobbie Claxton
DESCRIPTION:The evolution of multicellularity occurred hand in hand with t
 he diversification of cell types with disparate morphologies and functions
 . This segregation of function across different cell types enabled astound
 ing animal complexity\; but at the same time\, extreme specializations of 
 individual cell types often leave them vulnerable to genetic or environmen
 tal variations (e.g. the highly specialized physiology of some neurons or 
 muscle cells makes them particularly susceptible to mutations in broadly e
 xpressed genes\, that do not affect other cell types). Therefore\, underst
 anding how cells diversify and what makes them unique\, is important to un
 derstand animal physiology in health and disease. Our work has explored tw
 o aspects of animal cell diversification\, with a focus on the gene-regula
 tory mechanisms that underlie this process. First\, we ask how different c
 ell types are specified along the developmental process. Specifically\, we
  have focused on neurons and muscle cells that follow different trajectori
 es but later seemingly converge to the same terminal identity. Development
 al convergence is widespread in animal development\, and we have establish
 ed models and tools to study the gene-regulatory mechanisms behind two asp
 ects of this phenomenon: i) how do cells from different lineages converge 
 to the same terminal identity\, and ii) do convergent cell types carry mol
 ecular and functional signatures of their different histories. Second\, we
  explore what defines the unique properties of specialized cells. Post-tra
 nscriptional repression by miRNAs contributes to cell specialization\, and
  we focus on the roles of miRNAs in neuron and muscle diversification. Mor
 eover\, we found that miRNAs support the unique physiology of some special
 ized cells by selective repression of otherwise broadly-transcribed\, hous
 e-keeping genes. Such reduced house- keeping function represents a possibl
 e source of susceptibilities in specialized cells\, which we have been fol
 lowing up in the context of neurons and muscle cells. To address these que
 stions\, we draw from the molecular biology\, genetics and RNA biochemistr
 y toolsets. To extract fundamental concepts in cellular differentiation\, 
 we use the nematode C. elegans as our primary model system. \n\nJoin live 
 here - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81871988828\n\nThis webinar is hosted by 
 Dr Stefan Schoenfelder.
LOCATION:Online via zoom
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