Description:

Title: Structural Insights and Therapeutic Prospects of the Human Sialic Acid Transporter. 

Abstract:

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty Candidate Seminar: "Structural Insights and Therapeutic Prospects of the Human Sialic Acid Transporter"

Abstract: One of the central questions in biology involves the translocation of biomolecules across the lipid bilayer facilitated by membrane proteins, especially transporters. As a structural biologist, Dr. Zheng has investigated mechanisms of various protein systems mediating substrate transport, ranging from large amyloid beta to minuscule ions. In this presentation, he will focus on Sialin, the human lysosomal sialic acid transporter, whose dysfunction leads to a lysosomal storage disorder known as free sialic acid storage disorder. Using cryo-EM, Dr. Zheng has revealed the architecture of Sialin at the molecular level, shedding light on its transport mechanism. This study of Sialin provides a deeper understanding of its physiological role and paves the way for novel therapeutic interventions to restore its function.

Speaker: Hongjin Zheng, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus