Rose Martin

• BSc (Hons) Biochemistry
• Activities of the La protein required to maintain SRP RNA integrity

The La protein is important for the biogenesis of many stable cellular RNAs, plays roles in translation of some mRNAs and is a major autoantigen. The protein has several RNA binding sites, and mutations to these have different effects on its functions. We found that La is important for integrity of SRP RNA, the core of the signal recognition particle, a complex required for secretory protein biogenesis. In this project, the aim is to study the effect of mutations in the various RNA binding sites of La, to determine which are important in SRP RNA biogenesis.

Funding source: Wellcome Trust