The differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into committed lineages in the blood is the result of concerted regulation between transcription, splicing and translation, and a goal of the laboratory is to understand the dynamic interplay between these processes in single cells. Overall, gene regulation in this tissue is exceptionally dependent on post-transcriptional mechanisms, as evidenced in myelodysplasia with mutations in RNA splicing factors. The team has discovered a non-canonical role for the splicing factor U2AF1 in mitochondria homeostasis and reported substantial changes in mitochondrial function and metabolism of MDS cells.

Daniel Larson is invited by Michaela Fontenay.