Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions presents Prof. Burton Yang, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto

Talk Title: "Identification and characterization of circular RNA protein interaction and their physiological relevance"

Abstract: Circular RNAs have been identified as naturally occurring non-coding RNAs that are highly represented in the eukaryotic transcriptome. Although a large number of circular RNAs have been reported, the functions of circular RNAs remain largely unknown. Circular RNAs are known to function as miRNA sponges, thereby reducing miRNA ability to target mRNAs. We hypothesize that circular RNAs may bind, store, sort, and sequester proteins to particular subcellular locations, and act as dynamic scaffolding molecules which modulate protein-protein interactions. I will discuss the biological implication and function of circular RNA protein interaction, and present a dynamic model of the interaction in various tissues, development stages and physiological conditions. I will discuss techniques used to identify and characterize the dynamic RNA-protein interactions that are associated with the molecular mechanisms and functional diversity of circular RNAs. I will use the circular RNAs studied in the lab as examples to explain their functions.

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Refreshments will be served.