Poster abstracts

Poster number 31 submitted by Hsiao-Yun Huang

Genome-wide screening for tRNA processing defects

Hsiao-Yun Huang (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental biology), Anita K. Hopper (Department of Molecular Genetics)

Abstract:
tRNA processing is a multi-step process. Recent studies in the yeast S. cerevisiae have shown that pre-tRNA splicing occurs in the cytoplasm, and there is more than one tRNA nuclear export pathway. However, much remains to be learned about tRNA nuclear-cytoplasmic dynamics and pre-tRNA intron removal. We are employing candidate and genome-wide RNAomics approaches to identify novel gene products involved in pre-tRNA intron removal and pre-tRNA subcellular trafficking. So far, employing genome-wide RNAomics approaches, we learned that the growth phase of yeast cells appears to affect the fate of intron-containing tRNA. The findings suggest that there is cell cycle control over one or more of the tRNA nuclear export or for tRNA splicing. We are also attempting to design an in vivo biomarker for tRNA that will be used to follow the cellular movement of tRNA. This method employs a specific tRNA binding protein. If successful, this method could substitute for the laborious fluorescence in situ hybridization procedures currently used to track tRNA in cells and it will allow us to study tRNA subcellular dynamics in each of the >4000 yeast strains in the deletion collection.

References:
1. Hopper AK, Shaheen HH. A decade of surprises for tRNA nuclear-cytoplasmic dynamics. Trends Cell Biol. 18:98-104(2008).
2. Hopper, A.K. Cellular Dynamics of small RNAs. Critical Rev. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 41:3-19 (2006).
3. Weinert T, Hopper AK. tRNA traffic meets a cell-cycle checkpoint. Cell.; 131: 838-40(2007).

Keywords: tRNA processing