How to maintain the genetic information during quiescence?

Speaker: Dr. Benoit Arcangioli, Pasteur Institute

Host: Associate Professor Genevieve Thon

Abstract
Age-related diseases including cancer and neurodegeneration are the major threats to human health in developed countries and represent a challenge for individual patient care and public health systems. Somatic mutations cause not only cancer but also abnormalities in the brain and recent findings indicate that a range of age-related diseases is linked to deficient DNA repair pathways. Genetic instability has been implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and ataxias, and it has been proposed that the highly metabolically active neurons are particularly sensitive to DNA damage and that their post-mitotic lifespan relies on specific DNA surveillance and repair systems. Therefore, the stability of the genetic material in post-mitotic cells may play a greater role than anticipated. This raises the question of how DNA damage is repaired in non-dividing cells.

I will present our recent progresses and new questions made with the quiescent Fission yeast model system.