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SUMMARY:From conformational chaos to robust regulation: the structure and 
 function of a multi-enzyme machine from RNA metabolism -  Prof. Ben Luisi 
  Department of Biochemistry\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20101013T093000Z
DTEND:20101013T103000Z
UID:TALK27026@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Alfonso De Simone
DESCRIPTION:The RNA degradosome is a massive multi-enzyme assembly found i
 n Escherichia coli and many other bacteria\, and it occupies a nexus in RN
 A metabolism and post-transcriptional control of gene expression. Function
 ing as a macromolecular machine that powers the turnover and quality contr
 ol of RNA\, the degradosome serves also to process structured RNA precurso
 rs during their maturation. The capacity to switch between modes of cooper
 ative degradation on the one hand and processing through restrained cleava
 ges on the other bears on the mechanism of RNA surveillance in all organis
 ms. The organisation of degradosome components and cellular comparmentalis
 ation are mediated through small recognition domains that punctuate a nati
 vely unstructured segment within a scaffolding core. Dynamic in conformati
 on\, variable in composition\, and non-essential under certain laboratory 
 conditions\, the degradosome has nonetheless been maintained throughout th
 e evolution of many bacterial species\, most likely due to its contributio
 ns to global cellular regulation.  The presentation will describe the modu
 lar architecture and molecular evolution of the degradosome\, its roles in
  RNA degradation\, quality control surveillance\, processing\, non-coding 
 RNA regulation\, and potential communication with central metabolism. Para
 llels with analogous machinery in other organisms will be described. 
LOCATION:Unilever Lecture Theatre\,  Department of Chemistry
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