PhD Oral Defense:Revealing the architecture of gene regulatory circuits in trypanosomatids

PhD Oral Defense of Vahid H Gazestani, Institute of Parasitology

Trypanosomatid pathogens, causative agents of serious diseases in humans and animals, are vector-borne parasites with intricate life cycle. These pathogens rely on fine regulation of  gene expression to respond and adapt to variable environments, with implications in transmission and infectivity. Unlike mammals (hosts) or most other eukaryotes, trypanosomatid gene regulation occurs at the post-transcriptional level mostly through interaction of trans-acting RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and cognate cis-acting sequence elements (¬RNA Regulatory Elements, RREs) that direct mRNA maturation, localization, stability, and translation rate. However, these regulatory elements and their mechanisms of actions are largely unknown. In this thesis, we use integrated computational experimental strategies to unravel the regulatory circuits controlling RNA processing and abundance in these human parasites that can be eventually exploited to identify novel chemotherapeutics.

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