Project description
Understanding how Ribosome-associated Quality Control protects against neurodegeneration
Proteostasis regulates protein function, and its disruption can cause abnormal protein accumulation in neurons, which is linked to neurodegenerative diseases. The ERC-funded SuTra project aims to explore how Ribosome-associated Quality Control (RQC) maintains proteostasis and protects against neurodegeneration. Specifically, it focuses on how incomplete proteins from stalled ribosomes are targeted for degradation, in particular through the actions of Listerin/Ltn1 and NEMF. Early findings suggest that while Ala-tailing initially protects against neurodegeneration in Ltn1-mutant mice, proteins that evade degradation can accumulate and contribute to disease. The project will develop cell models and methods to study RQC's role in cellular dysfunction caused by disease-related mutations. These insights will be key to understanding RQC's impact on neurodegeneration and for developing targeted therapies.
Objective
Proteostasis is a dynamic network integrating protein biogenesis, folding, trafficking, and degradation to build a functional proteome. Disrupted proteostasis resulting the accumulation and aggregation of aberrant proteins in neurons is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. This project’s overall goal is to uncover molecular mechanisms that maintain proteostasis and protect against neurodegeneration, by taking a fresh look at these processes through the lens of Ribosome-associated Quality Control (RQC), a fundamental translational surveillance mechanism whose defect causes neurodegeneration. RQC targets incomplete proteins produced by stalled ribosomes for proteolysis through two pathways mediated by factors associated with the large (60S) subunit: the E3 ubiquitin ligase, Listerin/Ltn1, and NEMF, which tags the nascent-chains with polyAla-tails that act as degrons sensed by other E3 ligases. Our preliminary data uncover that Ala-tailing modifies neurodegeneration in Ltn1-mutant mice: while Ala-tailing provides initial protection against loss of Ltn1 function, Ala-tailed proteins that evade degradation eventually accumulate and aggregate, contributing to the disease. We will create mammalian cell models, develop methods to study endogenous RQC, and use state-of-the-art biochemical and functional approaches, to: elucidate how Ala-tailed protein accumulation contributes to cellular dysfunction and toxicity (Aim 1), investigate the role of RQC in proteostasis dysfunction and cytotoxicity caused by disease-associated gene mutations (Aim 2), and uncover novel factors that sense ribosomal stalling (Aim 3). The results will lay the foundation for understanding how defects in RQC cause neuronal dysfunction, whether RQC plays a broader role in human disease, and why neurons are especially susceptible to RQC defects. These insights will provide critical molecular understanding of proteostasis and disease, which is essential for developing new target-based therapies.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-ADG
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69117 Heidelberg
Germany
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