University Events Calendar

April, 2024

Guest lecture: Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases: therapeutics for microbial and cardiovascular diseases

Date/Time: Wednesday, 29 April 2015, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Location: Charles Hawker Conference Centre, Waite Campus

Cost: Free

Speaker: Dr John Reader - University of North Carolina.

Dr Reader obtained his DPhil at the Chemistry Department, University of Oxford under the direction of Professor Sheena Radford FRS on mechanisms of protein folding. As a NASA-funded fellow at the Scripps Research Institute, Dr Reader used chemical biology and Darwinian approaches to evolve nucleic acids with novel functional properties.

In Professor Schimmel's laboratory also at Scripps, Dr Reader's work focused on aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, ancient enzymes that are essential for protein translation and identified an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase as the target of the plant tumour biocontrol agent Agrobacterium K1026. Strain 1026 was developed into a commercial product for control of crown gall disease, based on University of Adelaide research by Professor Allen Kerr AO, FRS, FAA and colleagues in the 1970s and 80s.

Dr Reader's current research at UNC Chapel Hill investigates tRNA synthetases as catalysts of aminoacylation and their connection to disease. Microbial tRNA synthetases are prominent but under-utilised targets for antibiotics. Research explores a tRNA synthetase-targeting antibiotic from Agrobacterium K1026 that employs a novel tRNAdependent inhibition mechanism.

In mammalian cells, tRNA synthetases have expanded functions, including in angiogenesis and inflammation. Dr Reader's work has focused on fragments of tRNA synthetases that stimulate angiogenesis and his group has recently identified a fragment that has cardioprotective effects in a murine model of myocardial infarction. Understanding the mechanistic side of expanded functions of tRNA synthetases may open the way to new therapeutic applications.

Contact: Dr Maarten Ryder, Email: maarten.ryder@adelaide.edu.au, Website: http://agwine.adelaide.edu.au/research/farming/legumes-nitrogen/nfixconf2014.html, Extension officer , School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

John Reader - Event Flyer    (48.23K)