Departmental Seminar: Dr. François Michel Boisvert, University of Sherbrooke
Molecular Genetics Seminar Series
Please join us for a Departmental Seminar on Monday, December 8th:
Speaker: Dr. François Michel Boisvert, University of Sherbrooke
Talk Title: “Functional Ubiquitin Variants from Pseudogenes: New Regulators of DNA Replication and Genome Stability.”
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: 60 Murray, L3-201, 202, 203
Hosts: Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras
Abstract:
Pseudogenes represent nearly half of the human genome, yet their contributions to protein function remain largely unexplored. Our work challenges the longstanding assumption that pseudogenes are nonfunctional by demonstrating that UBBP4, a ubiquitin pseudogene, encodes functional ubiquitin variants with distinct biochemical and cellular roles. Using integrated quantitative proteomics, structural analysis, genome editing, and cell biology, we identified UbKEKS as a ubiquitin variant selectively modifying key nuclear proteins such as PCNA and lamins. UbKEKS regulates DNA replication fork progression, genome stability, and nucleolar organization, revealing a previously unrecognized layer of ubiquitin-mediated control. These findings broaden the concept of the ubiquitin code and point to pseudogene-derived ubiquitin variants as novel regulatory elements with potential implications in cancer development. This seminar will highlight how reconsidering pseudogenes as a source of functional protein diversity can uncover new mechanisms in cellular stress responses and opportunities for biomarker and drug discovery.