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SUMMARY:Assembly and Dynamics of Uber Complex RNPs - Melissa Moore\, Unive
 rsity of Massachusetts Medical School
DTSTART:20121203T161500Z
DTEND:20121203T180000Z
UID:TALK39473@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Scientific Meetings Co-ordinator
DESCRIPTION:The majority of protein-coding genes in multicellular organism
 s contain introns\, noncoding regions that must be excised from newly made
  transcripts (pre-mRNAs) to generate messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Intron excisi
 on is mediated by the spliceosome\, a highly dynamic macromolecular machin
 e containing five stable small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and scores of protein
 s. By altering the splice sites it utilizes\, the spliceosome can produce 
 many different mRNAs from a single gene. Such alternative splicing greatly
  enhances the number of different proteins that can be encoded within a si
 ngle genome and is crucial for development\, maintenance\, and function of
  diverse tissue types.\n\nA central goal of our research is to elucidate t
 he basic mechanisms by which spliceosomes accurately identify pre-mRNA spl
 ice sites and then catalyze intron excision. Recently the lab has develope
 d methodologies for fluorescently labeling individual proteins in crude ce
 ll lysates. In collaboration with Jeff Gelles (Brandeis University)\, we u
 se these lysates to monitor spliceosome assembly and intron excision on in
 dividual pre-mRNA molecules. The use of a multiwavelength fluorescence met
 hod\, colocalization of single-molecule spectroscopy (CoSMoS)\, allows us 
 to analyze the dynamic characteristics of individual spliceosomes in real 
 time. This opens exciting new windows onto previously unaddressable questi
 ons regarding spliceosome assembly and internal its structural transitions
 .\n
LOCATION:Max Perutz Lecture Theatre\, Medical Research Council (MRC) (MRC 
 Laboratory of Molecular Biol
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