SPRING 2019 SEMINAR SERIES
Dr. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich
Modified Pseudouridines in the Study of Disease Etiology and Drug Discovery
Pseudouridine (Y), the 5-ribosyl isomer of uridine (U) is the most abundant nucleic acid modification found in all domains of life and all types of RNA. Derivatives of Y have not been widely explored due to the synthetic challenges which limit their access. Due to its broad occurrence, exploration of the contribution of Y to RNA structure, stability and function is key to our understanding of biological systems. The Bryant-Friedrich laboratory has developed methods for the synthesis of modified nucleic acids to advance understanding in the areas of nucleic acid damage, disease etiology and drug discovery. This lecture will focus on our work to develop efficient synthetic methods to obtain sugar-modified Ys. These substrates are under investigation for their potential use in the study of radical induced oxidative RNA damage and in the development of new antibiotics.