[Seminars] PSB event reminder

[contact at psb.vib-ugent.be]

Calendar Name: seminars
Scheduled for: Wednesday, January 30 2013, 11:00 - 12:30
Event text:    Dr Jens Boch
	       
	       Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
	       Institute of Biology
	       Department of Genetics 
	       
	       Halle (Saale)
	       GERMANY
Details:       Postdoc Innovation seminar
	       
	       “TALEs and TALENs for targeted genome engineering and
	       expression control” 
	       
	       ABSTRACT
	       The DNA-binding domain of TALEs (transcription
	       activator-like effectors) from plant-pathogenic
	       Xanthomonas bacteria has become an important tool for
	       the programmable and specific targeting of DNA. Natural
	       TALEs function as transcription factors in plant cells
	       to support pathogen colonization of host plants. TALE
	       proteins bind to DNA via near-identical tandem repeats
	       of 34 amino acids. Each repeat recognizes one base in
	       the target DNA sequence via repeat-variable diresidues
	       (RVDs). The simple and modular repeat architecture
	       allows rearrangement of TALE repeats to generate
	       artificial TALEs with virtually any tailored DNA-binding
	       specificity1. Highly specific genome-editing TALE
	       nucleases (TALENs) can be engineered for targeted
	       mutagenesis in plants and a wide variety of other
	       eukaryotic organisms. We analyzed specificities and
	       activities of TALEs experimentally in a transient
	       reporter system using Agrobacterium-mediated expression
	       in planta. Different RVDs exist in nature, but the
	       DNA-specificity of only a few of them is known, so far.
	       We will present novel results on RVD specificity and
	       efficiency2, as well as the design of programmable gene
	       switches and programmable precision mutagenesis tools.
	       TALEs and TALENs are versatile virulence factors for the
	       pathogen and exceptional tools for biotechnology. 
	       
	       1.  Boch, J. et al. Science 326, 1509-1512 (2009).
	       2.  Streubel et al. Nat. Biotechnol. 30, 593-595 (2012).

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/private/seminars/attachments/20130130/4c11fe5e/attachment.html>