Dr. Hiroshi Matsuo

Structural studies of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sm-like protein 
complex (Lsm1p-7p complex) will be pursued by NMR spectroscopy. This complex 
has multiple roles in mRNA degradation, and initial investigations will 
involve structure determination of each of the seven proteins that comprise 
this complex. Ultimately, I intend to use modern NMR techniques to solve the 
structure of the full Sm-like protein complex and reveal how the proteins in 
this complex interact with other proteins involved in mRNA degradation. This 
research will provide insights into the mechanisms by which mRNA degradation 
is controlled and, as discussed below could have implications for pancreatic 
cancer research.

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