Xinyu Zhao, PhD, and Waisman Center colleagues Anita Bhattacharyya, PhD, and research associate Meng Li, published their paper “Identification of FMR1-regulated molecular networks in human neurodevelopment” in the March issue of the journal Genome Research.
Using an improved technique to study this protein in human neurons that were derived from induced human pluripotent stem cells for the first time, the research team found that FMR1 (a protein whose absence causes fragile X syndrome) seems to bind longer transcripts of mRNA rather than shorter transcripts.
“When we started the project, there was no study using real human neurons or a human brain,” Zhao said. “Our study is really the first one to identify what mRNAs are bound by this protein in human neurons and human neural progenitor cells.”
For the full article about their research, click here: https://www.waisman.wisc.edu/2020/04/09/improved-technique-illuminates-fragile-x-protein/
Li M, Shin J,Risgaard RD, Parries MJ,Wang J,Chasman DA, Liu S, Roy S,Bhattacharyya A, and Zhao X. Identification of FMRP regulated molecular networks in human neurodevelopment. Genome Res. 2020 Mar 16. doi: 10.1101/gr.251405.119.