Announcement of the 3rd Waseda IARBD seminar ““tale” of protein that protects mitochondria ~The story of C-terminal isoform of Cx43~”
Daisuke Shimura, Associate Instructor, University of Utah
The third seminar of the Waseda IARBD seminar series was a lecture given by Dr. Daisuke Shimura, Associate Instructor (Senior Project Leader) in Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI) at University of Utah. The lecture title was ““tale” of protein that protects mitochondria ~The story of C-terminal isoform of Cx43~”.
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Date : |
4 March (Fri), 2022 |
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Time : |
14:00-15:00 (Japan Standard Time) |
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Venue : |
Webinar, Zoom (You will know the link after your registration) |
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Lecturer : |
Dr. Daisuke Shimura Associate Instructor (Senior Project Leader), Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI), University of Utah, USA |
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Title : |
““tale” of protein that protects mitochondria ~The story of C-terminal isoform of Cx43~” |
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Registration Fee : |
Free |
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Language : |
English |
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Registration : |
Please register in the following link: https://forms.gle/NckQR235aMrgsA9m9 |
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Registration Deadline: |
2 March (Wed), 2022 |
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Contact : |
IARBD-office@list.waseda.jp（IARBD-Office） |
Biography
Dr. Daisuke Shimura received his Ph.D. in the Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience at Waseda University in 2016 where he established an atrium-specific gene targeting mouse model and explored the metabolic profile between the heart atria and ventricles. During that time, Dr. Shimura was awarded a Research Fellowship and Grant-Aid for Young Scientists from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS DC1). For postdoctoral studies, he joined the lab of Professor Robin Shaw at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA in Los Angeles and, in late 2019, he moved to University of Utah as an Associate Instructor in the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute which is the largest freestanding collection of cardiac muscle electrophysiology and metabolism biologists in the United States. Dr. Shimura is currently focusing on a small peptide, GJA1-20k, that is an internally translated isoform of Connexin 43 (Cx43). His work uncovered the role of GJA1-20k in mediating a novel form of mitochondrial fission which is highly protective against ischemia.
Complete List of Published Work can be found in
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1H33nuyO85eQd/bibliography/public/
Abstract
To maintain proper cardiac electrical function, gap junctions are needed for the rapid spread of electrical excitation between heart cells. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is the primary component of gap junctions in cardiac ventricles and encoded by a single exon of gene Gja1. Interestingly, Gja1 mRNA has six internal start codons (Methionine) and produces N-terminal truncated isoforms from each internal methionine. In this seminar, I will focus on most abundant isoform of Cx43, called GJA1-20k, and introduce its functions. GJA1-20k was originally identified as a trafficking subunit for full-length Cx43. Since then, we recently found that GJA1-20k interacts with actin cytoskeleton and co-localizes with mitochondrial outer membrane. Importantly, this small isoform has powerful cardioprotective effects against ischemic stress. I will present the mechanistic basis of GJA1-20k as a trafficking subunit, actin organizer, and mitochondrial stabilizer, and propose the possibility that GJA1-20k can be used as a therapy against ischemic injury.
- Organized by
Institute for Advanced Research of Biosystem Dynamics (IARBD), , Waseda University
- Co-organized by
School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University
Global Consolidated Research Institute for Science Wisdom, Waseda University