Bilal Bayazit

Nationwide Children's Hospital · Center for Gene Therapy

Introduction: Mice harboring a D257A mutation in the proofreading domain of the mitochondrial DNA polymerase, Polymerase Gamma (POLG), experience severe metabolic dysfunction and display hallmarks of accelerated aging. We previously reported a mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPTmt) - like (UPRmt-like) gene and protein expression pattern in...

tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are an emerging class of small non-coding RNAs with distinct cellular functions. Here, we studied the contribution of tRFs to the regulation of postnatal β cell maturation, a critical process that may lead to diabetes susceptibility in adulthood. We identified three tRFs abundant in neonatal rat islets originating from...

Most of the sequences in the human genome do not code for proteins but generate thousands of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) with regulatory functions. High-throughput sequencing technologies and bioinformatic tools significantly expanded our knowledge about ncRNAs, highlighting their key role in gene regulatory networks, through their capacity to interac...

Fine-tuning of insulin release from pancreatic β-cells is essential to maintain blood glucose homeostasis. Here, we report that insulin secretion is regulated by a circular RNA containing the lariat sequence of the second intron of the insulin gene. Silencing of this intronic circular RNA in pancreatic islets leads to a decrease in the expression o...

The discovery that most mammalian genome sequences are transcribed to ribonucleic acids (RNA) has revolutionized our understanding of the mechanisms governing key cellular processes and of the causes of human diseases, including diabetes mellitus. Pancreatic islet cells were found to contain thousands of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including micro-RNA...

Venomous animals use venom, a complex biofluid composed of unique mixtures of proteins and peptides, to act on vital systems of the prey or predator. In bees, venom is solely used for defense against predators. However, the venom composition of bumble bees (Bombus sp.) is largely unknown. The Thoracobombus subgenus of Bombus sp. is a diverse subgen...

Venomous animals use venom; a complex biofluid composed of unique mixtures of proteins and peptides, to act on vital systems of the prey or predator. In bees, venom is solely used for defense against predators. However, the venom composition of bumble bees ( Bombus sp. ) is largely unknown. Thoracobombus subgenus of Bombus sp. is a diverse subgenus...

Significance In meiotic prophase I, telomere attachment to the nuclear envelope is a prerequisite for subsequent prophase events, such as homologous pairing and recombination. In this study, we show that Speedy A, a noncanonical activator of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), is essential for telomere attachment to the nuclear envelope in mice. We ha...

Schematic diagram of oocyte development in Cdk1+/SAF, OoCdk1+/AF; Gdf9-Cre and OoCdk1+/AF; Zp3-Cre mouse ovaries.

Generation of Cdk1+/SAF knockin mice.

Comparison of ovarian morphology and quantification of ovarian follicles.

Increased ATM activation in GV stage OoCdk1+/AF; Zp3-Cre oocytes and quantification of ovarian follicles in OoCdk1+/AF; Zp3-Cre; Chk2−/− mice.

A unique feature of female germ cell development in mammals is their remarkably long arrest at the prophase of meiosis I, which lasts up to 50 years in humans. Both dormant and growing oocytes are arrested at prophase I and completely lack the ability to resume meiosis. Here, we show that the prolonged meiotic arrest of female germ cells is largely...