))
Josh Dubnau: Endogenous Retroviruses and Retrotransposons in Brain Aging and Degenerative Disorders
Manage episode 448628009 series 3558288
Content provided by Mark Mattson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Mark Mattson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.
More than 40 percent of the human genome consists of retrotransposons which are DNA sequences related to retroviruses that can jump within the genome and have the ability to replicate although most are dormant. In this episode Professor Josh Dubnau at the University of Stony Brook talks about endogenous retroviruses and retrotransposons and recent evidence that some of them are activated in neurons during brain aging and may play roles in the pathogenesis of ALS, frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Using the powerful molecular genetic tools in Drosophila models the Dubnau and his team have shown that activated retrotransposons can cause pathological aggregation of the protein TDP43 in neurons and the spreading of the TDP43 pathology between cells similar to that which occurs in ALS and frontotemporal dementia. This basic research advances an understanding of brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders and suggests new approaches for preventing and treating these disorders.
LINKS
Dr. Dubnau’s web page
https://renaissance.stonybrookmedicine.edu/anesthesiology/research/Dubnau
Review article on endogenous retroviruses and retrotransposons and their putative roles in neurodegenerative disorders
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38663088/
Original research articles
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9944888/pdf/41467_2023_Article_36649.pdf
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8096092/pdf/pgen.1009535.pdf
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6783360/pdf/nihms-1536529.pdf
165 episodes
Share
