Seminar "Signaling by WW Domain Proteins in Hippo-YAP Tumor Suppressor Pathway, Mechanotransduction and a Genetic Disorder of the Brain"

Speaker: Prof. Marius Sudol

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) A*STAR, Mechanobiology Institute, Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Title: Signaling by WW Domain Proteins in Hippo-YAP Tumor Suppressor Pathway, Mechanotransduction and a Genetic Disorder of the Brain

Abstract: In my seminar I will review our research on the Hippo-YAP tumor suppressor pathway with special emphasis on a modular protein domain, the WW domain, which is present in several Hippo pathway proteins, and regulates protein complexes that maintain a balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis. The WW domain-containing protein, named YAP, is a potent effector of the Hippo signaling pathway, and YAP was recently shown to act as a mechanosensor. Our current research focus is on the dissection of molecular mechanisms of by which YAP acts as mechanosensor and mechanotransducer.

A single point mutation within the WW domain of a brain factor encoded by the PQBP1 gene, which regulates mRNA splicing, causes Golabi-Ito-Hall syndrome of intellectual disability. I will discuss recent advances in our understanding of molecular changes that are caused by the single point mutation within the PQBP1 gene.