Topic: Autophagy and Lysosomes: from Molecular Acrobatics to Neurodegeneration
Date and time: April 17, 10:00–11:30
Speaker: Professor James H. Hurley, Kirsch Springer Chair in Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
Venue: Auditorium, L Building
Host: Yang Bei
Abstract:
Prof. Hurley focuses his research on elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing materials sorting to lysosomes and signaling pathways emanating from them. His laboratory investigates autophagy, the primary cellular process for degrading bulky cargoes such as organelles and aggregates. Autophagy is initiated by the ULK1 protein kinase complex and the class III PI 3- kinase complex I (PI3KC3-C1). In his talk, he will introduce their recent work regarding the structure and activation mechanism of the ULK1-P13KC3-C1 supercomplex. Additionally, his lab explores the roles of Rab GTPases, particularly RAB7A, and their phosphorylation in autophagy and mitophagy regulation. He will highlight a mechanism involving a RAB7A phosphoregulatory switch and modulators of the PI 3-kinase complex II in his talk. He will also demonstrate how ESCRTs, membrane scission machinery, participate in sealing autophagosomes and safeguarding cells from the propagation of the tau protein in Alzheimer’s disease by enhancing lysosomal resilience.
Biography: