Home Department: Biology
Mentor: Ron Kopito (Biology)

“Understanding the Role of UFM1 in Ribosome Recycling”

The proper function of ribosomes is essential for maintaining a healthy proteome (the complete set of proteins expressed by an organism). Previously, the Kopito lab found that UFM1, a small protein similar to ubiquitin, is conjugated to UFMylation and is necessary for the recycling of ribosomes that stall at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during translation. The mechanism of ribosome release from the ER, a structurally complex and coordinated process which ultimately requires the removal of UFM1 (deUFMylation), leaves questions about whether the UFMylated ribosome undergoes a “quality check” as part of the recycling process. David will develop methods to transiently knockdown deUFMylation machinery, trapping the ribosome in the UFMylated, ER-bound state, to then better study the role of UFM1 in ribosome quality control.