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H2020Individual fellowship2016–2018

LARP4MOT · Structural and functional studies of LARP4, a new RNA binding protein involved in mRNA stabilisation and cell migration

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-09-01 → 2018-08-31
EU contribution
€183,455
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Structural and functional studies of LARP4, a new RNA binding protein involved in mRNA stabilisation and cell migration

In every single cell of our bodies, RNA (a chemical variant of DNA) provides the messenger that carries the DNA code information of the nucleus into the cytoplasm, where the proteins are made. However, it turns out that RNA has many other roles and the interplay between RNA-binding proteins and RNA molecules is now known to be central to the life of all cells and organisms. Nonetheless the roles of most RNA-binding proteins remain unknown. LARP4 is a newly discovered RNA-binding protein that is needed for cells to move efficiently. Since anomalous cell migration contributes to the development of human diseases including cancer, chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis, our work on elucidating how LARP4 functions in the cell will advance our understanding of key cellular mechanisms relating to RNA biology. The aim of this project is to understand exactly how LARP4 binds to RNA at the molecular level and how this impacts on cell morphology and migration, especially in the context of cancer cell biology.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) act at multiple levels to regulate gene expression, including mRNA splicing, polyadenylation, localisation, stability, decay and translational efficiency and, although central to health and disease, much of this precise concerted regulation remains to be uncovered. The recently discovered LARP4 is an RBP that affects mRNA stability and binds to polyA as well as the polyA-binding protein (PABP). Intriguingly, LARP4 has recently been identified as a regulator of cell morphology and migration in an RNAi screen, but little is known about how control of gene expression at the translational level is coordinated during cell migration and invasion. Since aberrant cell migration contributes to the development of human diseases including cancer, chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis, LARP4 represents an excellent RBP to advance our understanding of key cellular mechanisms relating to mRNA processing and turnover. The overall aim of the project is to understand at a molecular level how LARP4 regulates mRNA translation and how this impacts on cell migration, especially in the context of cancer cell biology, using human prostate cancer cell lines as models. For this, a multidisciplinary approach combining biochemistry, biophysics, structural and cell biology will be used.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union