Seminars and Events

Past Events

Category Seminar
Date and Time 2009-10-14 16:45 - 17:30
Venue Seminar Room A7F
Speaker Thomas Becker
Affiliation The Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney
Title Using Zebrafish Genomics to elucidate Human Disease
Poster click here to download(PDF)
Host Raj Ladher
Summary Many genes with multiple regulatory roles during development are surrounded by extended chromosomal domains termed genomic regulatory blocks (GRBs), often encompassing unrelated genes. In many cases, these unrelated genes, termed bystanders, contain conserved non-coding sequences which likely act as enhancers of a neighboring target (developmental) gene. We have tested the GRB concept through insertion of cis-regulatory sequences within a GRB, and through the testing of individual enhancers from within bystander genes in transgenic zebrafish. Furthermore, we have used GRBs to re-analyze human mapping data and find that there are prominent cases of ?mistaken identity, where a bystander gene is indicted in a human disease while the phenotype is likely a defect resulting from the mutation or deletion of regulatory sequence within this gene affecting a neighboring transcriptional unit. I will discuss the implications of the GRB concept for vertebrate evolution and human disease.
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