[CSBi-events] CSBi Seminar - Dr. Ben Blencowe - 12/9

[csbi-events@mit.edu]

Dear CSBi Community,

You may want to take note of the upcoming CSBi Speaker Series seminar 
on Friday, December 9.  Please join us if your schedule permits. 
Thanks very much.
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Dr. Benjamin J. Blencowe
Banting and Best Department of Medical Research and
Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
University of Toronto

Global Analysis of Mammalian Alternative Splicing
using a Quantitative Microarray Platform

Friday, December 9, 2005
Maclaurin Building (4-270)
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Light refreshments served.

Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS), the process by which exons in primary 
transcripts are joined in different combinations to generate multiple 
mRNA variants, represents an important mechanism for the expression 
of structurally and functionally distinct proteins from a limited 
number of genes. A major goal of the postgenomic era is to define 
physiologically- and disease-relevant AS events, in particular, where 
and when these events occur, what their specific roles are, and how 
they are integrated and regulated in the context of global gene 
expression patterns. To address these questions, we have developed a 
quantitative microarray platform for the global analysis of AS1. 
Profiling of "cassette-type" alternative exons in diverse mouse 
tissues has resulted in the identification of thousands of new 
tissue-specific AS events, insights into how the evolutionary origin 
of exons influences their global inclusion levels, and information on 
how transcription and AS are coordinated globally to define tissue 
type. More recently, we have used the microarray platform to 
investigate the global exon targets of specific splicing factors and 
the role of AS in the regulation of gene expression via the process 
of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. In addition, we are employing new 
microarray designs and profiling data to identify and characterize 
factors associated with cell and tissue type-specific regulation of 
AS. Progress in these areas will be presented.

1 Pan et al. (2004) Mol Cell 16: 929-941

Host: Dr. Christopher B. Burge
Biology Department and
Biological Engineering
                                   
				Contact: Brenda E. Pepe
 
				617.452.3885
http://csbi.mit.edu/

Sponsored by CSBi
Annual CSBi Seminar Series in Computational and Systems Biology
The entire MIT Community is welcome to attend!

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