Regulation of Synaptic Translation by tRNAs and their Modifications.

Despite the ubiquitous nature of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and their essential role in every cell type, tRNA dysfunction uniquely targets the nervous system in both humans and model organisms. Several tRNA modifications are critical for neuroplasticity, a process heavily reliant on local synaptic translation to enable rapid, spatially restricted protein synthesis. This project investigates tRNAs and their post-transcriptional modifications as a crucial layer of synaptic translation control, utilizing mouse synaptosomes, primary mouse neuronal cultures, and reconstituted in vitro systems. 

rRNA modifications in Blood Malignancies.

Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) carry hundreds of post-transcriptional modifications, the majority of which are installed by small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) -guiding machineries. snoRNA are tightly regulated during haematopoiesis in stage- and lineage-specific manner. Blood malignancies including Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) are frequently characterized by aberrant snoRNA profiles. This project investigates how snoRNAs support ribosome biogenesis and how snoRNA-mediated modifications modulate ribosomal function in AML. To decouple these two roles, the project utilizes snoRNA mutants that support ribosome production but lack the ability to guide chemical modifications.