During her PhD, Yuhui Dou studied proteins in the human cap-binding complex (CBC) which binds the 5’ cap structure of RNAs. The canonical CBC, consisting of nuclear cap-binding protein 1 (NCBP1) and NCBP2, is essential in the life of RNAs with the so-called 5’ cap. Recently, a new cap binding protein, NCBP3, was identified and suggested to form an alternative CBC by replacing NCBP2. However, by applying an improved protein-protein interaction profiling approach, Yuhui found that the interaction profile of NCBP3 was distinct from the NCBP1 and NCBP2, and NCBP3 primarily associated with two other protein complexes. Aided with further functional analyses, she concluded that NCBP3 acts not as a typical CBC protein, but a factor that promotes the productive fate of messenger RNAs. Overall, the study generated comprehensive interaction profiles of NCBPs which has helped to improve our understanding of different aspects of nuclear RNA metabolism.

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

This résumé was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Thursday 20 February 2020 at 13:15
Place: Building 1231, room 114, Kollokvierum, Department of Biomedicine, Wilhelm Meyers Alle 3, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C
Title of dissertation: Protein Interaction Profiling of Human Nuclear Cap-Binding Proteins and the Exosome Cofactor MTR4
Contact information: Yuhui Dou, e-mail: ydou@mbg.au.dk, tel.: +45 87154962
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Niels Gehring, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Germany
Professor Victoria Cowling, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, United Kingdom
Professor Finn Skou Pedersen (chair), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Main supervisor:
Professor Torben Heick Jensen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Co-supervisor:
Professor John LaCava, Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller University, USA
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.

The dissertation is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.