Fedor Karginov
University of California-Riverside, CA·Biochemistry
Cells constantly cut, trim and destroy their own RNA molecules to control which genes are active, yet for most of the proteins that grab and cut RNA, nobody knows what they do or how they are controlled. This project focuses on one such protein, EndoU, an enzyme that cuts RNA strands.
- Fields
Biochemistry
Biology
Microbiology & Immunology
- Topics
EndoU
endoribonuclease
RNase
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jul 2028
What they work on
- Determine how EndoU, a calcium-activated RNA-cutting enzyme, controls survival-or-death decisions in developing thymocytes (immature T cells) as calcium levels inside the cell change.
- Identify the RNA targets of EndoU in cells to define which transcripts this enzyme cleaves and how that cleavage links to cellular function.
- Uncover the molecular mechanism of EndoU's RNA cleavage and how calcium ions change the protein's shape to switch on its activity, using in vitro and cell-culture systems.
More about the research
EndoU is unusual because its cutting activity is switched on directly by calcium ions. Calcium is one of the cell's main internal alarm signals, so EndoU may be one way cells turn calcium signals into changes in their RNA. EndoU is also linked to cancer. It is strongly reduced in esophageal, oral and cervical cancers, and its levels help predict outcomes in head and neck and colorectal cancers.
Why it matters
EndoU misregulation is associated with several squamous cell cancers, including uterine, cervical, skin, bronchial and lung cancers. It is also a strong prognostic marker in head and neck and colorectal cancers. Learning how this calcium-activated RNA-cutting enzyme works could help explain its role in cancer development. It could also support later studies of squamous epithelium and placental tissue, informing research on epithelial cancers.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
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University of California-Berkeley, CA·Plant Science & Agriculture
Identify the calcium influx channels and efflux transporters that shape cytosolic Ca2+ signals in Arabidopsis, using genetic screens followed by electrophysiology and cell biology to reconstitute each pathway in cells.
Jiahui Wu
University of Massachusetts, MA·Biochemistry
Develop an RNA tag with ultrahigh affinity to accurately identify the RNA-binding proteins that make up ribonucleoprotein complexes and trigger condensate formation.
The school
University of California-Riverside: 21 labs on PI Pages, $232M a year on research, 328 research doctorates a year.
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