Grant: Operating Grant

Aged individuals are characterized by an increase in the number of cells that undergo growth arrest, a phenomenon known as replicative senescence. It is believed that the onset of diseases in the aged population is mediated in part by the increased accumulation of these senescent cells. The conversion of DNA into proteins requires the synthesis of an intermediate template molecule called RNA. Several proteins regulate the export of RNA out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm where it is converted into proteins. The research done in my laboratory focuses on such a protein, named HuR that also regulates the longevity of RNA molecules. Although the identity of genes that mediate scenescene is well defined, very little is know as to how they are regulated during this process. Since HuR has been shown to mediate the induction of scenescene, we hypothesize that it does so by regulating the expression of RNAs involved in this phenotype. The purpose of this study is to assess this possibility and to further verify the role of HuR partners (named microRNA) or the implication of modifications of the HuR protein on replicative scenescene. We therefore aim to establish the pathways and mechanisms by which HuR is involved in replicative scenscence.