学术讲座：Epitranscriptomic regulation of mammalian brain development
主讲人：Feng Zhang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, U.S.
时间：8:30 - 9:30, November 14, 2023 (Beijing Time)
地点：Online
讲座摘要：
Brain development involves the proliferation, differentiation, migration, and maturation of neural stem cells during the embryonic stage, and its disruption, which can be induced by various genetic and environmental factors, is often associated with human neurodevelopmental disorders. Increasing evidence implicates critical roles of various epitranscriptomic RNA modifications in regulating brain development, while currently most of these studies mainly focus on m6A mRNA modifications. Beyond m6A mRNA modifications, there are many other types of RNA modifications whose roles in modulating brain development remain unknown. Here, using both mouse and human organoid models, we uncover a novel epitranscriptomic regulation of neural stem cell maintenance in the brain, which involves METTL8, mitochondrial tRNAThr/Ser(UCN) m3C modifications, and mitochondrial protein translation. Together, our study reveals a conserved epitranscriptomic mechanism of METTL8 and mt-tRNA m3C modification in maintaining embryonic cortical neural stem cells in mice and humans.
主讲人简介：
Feng Zhang, who obtained his bachelor’s degree from Shandong University and PhD degree from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and focusing on investigating the postnatal hippocampal development and novel epitranscriptomic mechanisms regulating brain development. He takes advantage of mouse and human organoid models to study the significant effects of epitranscriptomics, epigenetics and ZIKA virus infection in modulating brain development, resulting in more than 20 publications, including first/co-first author papers published in Science, Cell Stem Cell, Nature Communications, PNAS, etc. With his experience and expertise, Feng Zhang is dedicated to gain further insights into the intricate regulatory machinery involved in the complex brain function and the pathogenesis mechanisms of diverse human brain disorders using various rapidly evolving technologies. Please feel free to email him at feng.zhang@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
