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Niels Bøgholm: Uncovering the GTPase activity of the cilium associated small GTPase RabL2

PhD defence, Thursday 31 March 2022. Niels Bøgholm.

Niels Bøgholm

During his PhD studies, Niels Bøgholm investigated the small GTPase RabL2 that associates with the cilium. The cilium is a hair-like structure found on the surface of essentially all cells in our body. The buildup and maintenance of the cilium is dependent on an active transport of material from the cell body called intraflagellar transport (IFT). The IFT complex is composed of 22 proteins and contains two GTPases. Niels Bøgholm has characterized the recently discovered GTPase RabL2 and has described its association with the IFT complex and CEP19. The study showed that the IFT complex acts a GTPase activator for RabL2, which places RabL2 as a key step in the initiation of the IFT process.

The new research findings contribute to the understanding of how the IFT process is regulated and initiated with the help of RabL2.

The PhD study was completed at Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Thursday, 31 March at 16:00
Place: Building 1871, room 120, Lecture Theatre, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C
Title of PhD thesis: Biochemical studies of the cilium associated small GTPase RABL2 uncover the IFT-B1 complex as a GTPase activator
Contact information: Niels Bøgholm, e-mail: nb@mbg.au.dk, tel.: +4523744251

Members of the assessment committee:

  • Professor Peter K. Jackson, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA
  • Professor Lotte Bang Pedersen, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Associate Professor Anni H. Andersen (chairman), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Main supervisor:
Associate Professor Esben Lorentzen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.

The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS, Katrinebjergvej 89F, building 5132, 8200 Aarhus N.