Title: From the Egg to the Kidney… and Back
Abstract:
Whatconnects the union of gametes at fertilization, a fundamental processthat ensures the transmission of genetic material through the generations, tothe defense against pathogens causing urinary tractinfection (UTI) — the most common type of non-epidemic bacterial infection inhumans? In my talk, I will describe how our work on reproductive proteins ledus to visualize uromodulin, the most abundant protein in human urine,as well as glycoprotein 2, a related defense molecule acting at the level ofour gastrointestinal tract. By integrating cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography andAlphaFold modeling, these studies not only shed light on the molecular basis ofUTI prevention, but also revealed an additional layer of complexity invertebrate egg-sperm recognition
Host: Benjamin Podbilewicz
