High-throughput identification of conserved structures in mRNAs (B14)

• Subject Area: Biochemistry
• Term: from 2015 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 161793742

Post-transcriptional gene regulation is essential for cells to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Regulation at the mRNA level is mainly mediated by cis-regulatory elements encoded in UTRs. These are recognized by trans-acting factors dependent on sequence and/or shape. Similar to sequence conservation, the evolutionary conservation of a UTR’s structure thus reflects its functional importance. We will use this structural conservation to identify previously unknown cis-regulatory elements and establish a high-throughput screen for the parallel analysis of thousands of conserved 3’UTR structures in different cell types and under different stress conditions. The importance of trans-acting factors known to recognize mRNA structures will be tested globally for all functional motifs, and the best candidates characterized in detail.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 902: Molecular Principles of RNA-based Regulation
• Applicant Institution: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• Co-Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Darmstadt
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Julia Erika Weigand