By Dr. Pablo Manavella from IAL
For the fifth “CIQUIBIC Open Doors” Lecture, CIQUIBIC is pleased to welcome Dr. Pablo Manavello. Dr. Manavella is Associate Researcher of CONICET at the Agrobiotechnology Institute from Litoral (IAL-CONICET). He´s also recipient of the Career Development Award (CDA) of the Human Frontiers Science Program Organization.
The conference will be held on July 2, at 11:00 am in the Auditorium of the Scientific-Technological Center CONICET (CCT-Córdoba).
How to regulate a regulator: new actors in the biogenesis of microRNAs
The post-transcriptional gene regulation is a fundamental process to achieve precise levels of gene expression, both spatially and temporally. The mechanisms of microRNA-mediated gene silencing (miRNAs) have become a major focus of research. In higher organisms, miRNAs are essential components of genetic regulatory networks by silencing transcripts of complementary sequences. To achieve a proper balance between gene expression and gene silencing, the synthesis of miRNAs must be tightly regulated. In animals, several factors that regulate the production or action of miRNAs have been identified. In contrast, only a few have been described in plants. In order to identify the cofactors that modulate miRNA pathways in plants, we have developed a new system to study the production and maturation of miRNAs. By using different mutant plants, we isolated several components of this pathway. The characterization of some of these new co-factors has revealed new principles in the regulation of miRNA in both plants and animals. Understanding these mechanisms is essential to comprehend the complex regulatory networks mediated by miRNAs, and their effects on plant development and adaptation.
Design: Jeremías Di Pietro / Graphic design CCT CONICET CORDOBA