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SUMMARY:Huntingtin\, from evolution to pathology
DTSTART:20110526T140000
DTSTAMP:20260501T083831Z
UID:0f3d6e2c1a4db4ab8ee1115910d55fca06bf343c2baf993eb57db78c
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Professor Elena Cattaneo\nHuntingtin (htt) is the 3144 amino a
 cid protein product of the Huntington’s disease (HD) gene that contains 
 a polymorphic tri-nucleotide CAG repeat that is translated into polyglutam
 ine amino acid (polyQ) residues in the protein. When this polyQ stretch at
  the 18 aminoacid (aa) position of the protein expands to over 39 residues
 \, HD occurs\, a fatal\, genetically dominant\, neurodegenerative disease.
  The CAG repeats are well conserved in deuterostomes\, which suggests that
  they are an ancestral feature retained during the evolution of the protei
 n. Our lab has demonstrated that huntingtin carries a number of brain-spec
 ific activities\; for instance\, it promotes transcription of neuronal gen
 es among which is the BDNF\, a neurotrophin critical for the survival and 
 activity of cortical and striatal neurons. These data will be reviewed\, i
 n addition to more recent discoveries of molecules able to interfere with 
 mutant huntingtin toxicity and the employment of human embryonic stem cell
 s to generate the neurons lost in HD.
LOCATION:SV1717A\, EPFL
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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