Master of Science Athanasios Kournoutis

Avhandlingen

The doctoral thesis

Auditoriet er åpent for publikum, men disputasen vil likevel bli strømmet

Opptak av disputasen vil være tilgjengelig i et døgn

The auditorium is open to the public, but the defense will also be streamed

A recording of the defense will be available for 24 hours

Prøveforelesning over oppgitt emne holdes kl. 10:15, samme sted

 "Non-autophagic roles of ATG proteins – current knowledge and evolutionary perspectives" 

Prøveforelesningen vil også bli strømmet/the trial lecture will also be streamed

Populærvitenskapelig sammendrag av avhandlingen:

Autophagy is a process in our cells, which degrades and recycles excessive and damaged parts of the cytoplasm. It involves many cytoplasmic proteins and is essential for keeping cells healthy. This study focused on ATG8 proteins (LC3B, GABARAP), the bridge between the recycling machinery and what is to be recycled. We found that GABARAP recycles the protein WSTF, whose job is in the nucleus. By doing that, autophagy controls what WSTF is responsible for, which is reducing inflammation in old age. We also looked at an important autophagy receptor, NBR1, an ancient part of the selective autophagy process. We finally find that LC3B, also has a role unrelated to autophagy, in that it influences genes in the nucleus during oxidative stress, by interacting with the transcription factor NRF2.

Hovedveileder

Professor Terje Johansen, Institutt for medisinsk biologi, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet

Biveileder

Professor Trond Lamark, Institutt for medisinsk biologi, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet

Bedømmelseskomité

Ph.d. Oliver Florey, Babraham Institute, Cambridge – 1. Opponent

Ph.d.- Nikolai Engedal, Oslo University Hospital - 2. opponent

Professor Ingvild Mikkola, Institutt for medisinsk biologi, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet – leder av komité

Disputasleder:

Professor Eva Sjøttem, Institutt for medisinsk biologi, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet