Structural and functional studies of human PNPase in mitochondrial RNA metabolism
Principal Investigator: Katarzyna Bandyra
Human polynucleotide phosphorylase (hPNPase) is a highly conserved exoribonuclease residing mostly in the mitochondrial intermembrane space, where its function is poorly understood. In bacteria, where the enzyme is best understood, PNPase can be re-programmed by the RNA chaperone Hfq and small regulatory RNA (sRNA) to switch from degradative to chaperoning roles in RNA-mediated gene regulation. As the human and bacterial enzymes are homologues, it is possible that hPNPase could have a dual mode of action as well, and could participate in diverse RNA-mediated regulatory processes once trapped in a non-degradative assembly. Our research will address what functions are played by hPNPase present in the intermembrane space of the human mitochondria. We will characterise the full-length enzyme and its capacity to bind substrates in the degradative and non-degradative modes, as well as identify potential hPNPase ternary complexes. In order to achieve these objectives, we will elucidate the structure-function relationship of hPNPase by cryo-EM.
Funding source:
National Science Centre, Poland & EEA and Norway Grants - POLS
Structural and functional studies of human PNPase in mitochondrial RNA metabolism
- PLN 878 220 (EUR 200 000)
- Sep 2021 - Aug 2023
- #2020/37/K/NZ1/02312
- Project PI: Katarzyna Bandyra
This research has received funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 2020/37/K/NZ1/02312
EEA | Norway Grants| NCN
Link to the project page in Polish: PL
Events and news from the project are published in the NEWS section:
2024-07-15 New preprint and first SAXS data deposits
2024-03-27 Science show for preschool children
2023-03-19 XXVIII Sesja sprawozdawcza z działalności naukowej (scientific reporting session of the Department of Chemistry)
Katarzyna Bandyra presented the results of her activities and ongoing research in 2023 in the form of a poster.
2023-03-06 Visit of high school students with teacher dr Tomasz Deptuła - Katarzyna talked about her research.
2023-11-22-24 Joint group meeting with University of Łódź
2023-09-28 Katarzyna gives a talk "Polynucleotide phosphorylase - an exoribonuclease and an RNA chaperone in one" at the Polish RNA Biology Meeting, IIMCB, Warsaw, Poland - photo here
2023-09-19-20 27th Science Festival in Warsaw
2023-05-11 Katarzyna's research in the spotlight
2023-03-01-31 XXVII Sesja sprawozdawcza z działalności naukowej (scientific reporting session of the Department of Chemistry)
Katarzyna Bandyra presented the results of her activities and ongoing research in 2022 in the form of a poster.
2023-01-09 Visit of schoolchildren from Liceum Sobieskiego in Lublin, Poland - Katarzyna talked about her research.
2022-11-30 Katarzyna receives L'Oréal-UNESCO Scholarship
2022-09-20 26th Science Festival in Warsaw
2022-09-09 Go!RNA - BANDyra Lab retreat
2022-04-19 A review of bacterial RNA chaperones
2021-12-07 Katarzyna Bandyra gives a talk at the inaugural 2021/2022 session of the Warsaw RNA Club
2021-10-25 Katarzyna Bandyra wins the Poster Prize at the EMBO Young Scientists Forum 2021!
2021-09-01 Dr Katarzyna Bandyra joins the lab
2020-12-06 NCN POLS grant to Katarzyna Bandyra