Unravelling cell integrity signalling in the search for drug targets for human neuropathies in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a workhorse for biotechnology research applications and a recognised model eukaryotic organism. A fundamental understanding of how yeast cell metabolism is regulated, is relevant to UK R&D. At least 10% of the 6000 genes that make up the genome of S. cerevisiae is duplicated. This duplication has created an opportunity for evolutionary diversity of which the five copies of phosphoribosyl-pyrophosphate synthetase (Prs)-encoding genes is a prime example. The seminar will demonstrate the potential of baker’s yeast as a model organism for investigation of cell signalling with the potential to reveal drug targets for the human neuropathies, CMTX5 and Arts syndrome.