Monday Seminar – March 11, 2024

Dr. Ji-Long Liu

Shanghai Tech

Mondy, March 11, 2024
12:00 Noon
Room 120 – Meyerhoff Chemistry Building
Host: Dr. Songon An

“The form and function of cytoophidia”

Subcellular sequestration of proteins within membrane bound compartments is widely acknowledged to be an important mode of enzymatic regulation. Since 2010, a novel paradigm for metabolic enzyme compartmentation has become apparent with the identification of several proteins which are able to form filamentous structures in vivo. Multiple studies independently identified the essential de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis enzyme CTP synthase (CTPS) as a major constituent of a novel filamentous structure which has been termed “the cytoophidium”. Cytoophidia have been observed to form in three domains of life. Recently, we have successfully push the resolution to near-atomic levels to analyse the filamentation of CTP synthase with all its substrates. In addition, we demonstrate that a positive feedback signaling loop containing both cytoophidia and Integrin adhesion complex couples tissue architecture and metabolism in the fly adipose. Multidisciplinary approaches provide invaluable insights into the form and function of cytoophidia.