Poster abstracts

Poster number 52 submitted by Daniel L Kiss

Probing the structure and function of exosome subunit subcomplexes in vivo

Daniel L. Kiss (Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology), Amy C. Graham (Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology), Sarah B. Smith (Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology), Erik D. Andrulis (Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology)

Abstract:
Exosome complexes are 3’ to 5’ exoribonucleases comprised of subunits that are essential for viability, conserved in all eukaryotes and archaea, and critical for numerous distinct RNA metabolic pathways. Despite much progress in defining the RNA substrates of the exosome, the exact mechanisms underlying how the exosome either processes or degrades these substrates remains unclear. Genetic and biochemical studies in yeast suggest that exosome subunits assemble into and function in multiple distinct exosome sub-complexes. Our recent cell biological studies show that exosome subunits differentially distribute in Drosophila melanogaster tissue culture cells. We are thus testing the following hypothesis: differential exosome subunit subcellular localization reflects distinct exosome subunit subcomplexes with correspondingly specialized functions and RNA substrates.

Keywords: exosome, RNAi, RNA turnover