Prof Brian McStay Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award April March 2020

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1 Prof Brian McStay Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award April March 2020 Career History BA (Genetics) Trinity College Dublin PhD University of Edinburgh (with Adrian Bird) Post-Doc Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centre, Seattle (with Ron Reeder) Lecturer/Senior Lecturer University of Dundee (Medical school) Research funded by Wellcome Trust project and MRC program grants Professor in Biochemistry NUI Galway (since Sept 2008) Research funded by SFI

2 Area of research importance of the candidate s research questions long (q) arm short (p) arm mal Junction (PJ) rdna array Distal Junction (DJ) 28S! 18S! 5'ETS! RNA Pol I Unsequenced Active v Silent Chromosomal context Genomic stability Nucleolar fusion Altered form and function of nucleoli in human disease (Cancer and ribosomopathies)

3 Our contributions the candidate s track record and approach Extensive binding of UBF across rdna arrays defines active NORs hubf Active v Silent Dimerisation Chromatin binding HMG boxes Acidic Sullivan, G.J., Bridger, J.M., Cuthbert, A.P., Newbold, R.F., Bickmore, W.A. and McStay, B. (2001) EMBO J, 20, O'Sullivan, A.C., Sullivan, G.J. and McStay, B. (2002) Mol Cell Biol,22, Mais, C., Wright, J.E., Prieto, J.L., Raggett, S.L. and McStay, B (2005) Genes and Development, 19, Prieto, J.L. and McStay, B. (2007) Genes and Development,, 21, Integrate Mb arrays of artificial UBF binding sites Novel 2 0 constrictions appear? Array is 1.4Mb Pseudo-NORs

4 Our contributions By constructing synthetic nucleoli in human cells, neo-nucleoli, we were able to prove that nucleolar formation is a staged process where UBF-dependent mitotic bookmarking precedes function-dependent nucleolar assembly. The neo-nor cassette (20.4kb) Human promoter Mouse coding sequences ITS1 ITS2 3 ETS Transcriptional terminator XEn elements 5 ETS 18S 5.8S 28S mcherry-tub/ubf-gfp Grob, A., Colleran, C. and McStay, B. (2014) Genes and Development, 28,

5 Our contributions

6 Our contributions The first description of the genomic architecture of NORs and surrounding sequences on acrocentric p-arms long (q) arm short (p) arm Proximal Junction (PJ) rdna array 28S! 18S! 5'ETS! RNA Pol I Distal Junction (DJ) PJ long (q) arm Proximal Junction (PJ) ~95% identical and high level segmental duplication short (p) arm 207 kb rdna array 380 kb DJ Distal Junction (DJ) >99% identical and unique to acrocentric p-arms DJ transcript/pre-rrna rdna TAF1 RNA Pol II H3K4me3 H3K36me3 Transcription Exons CER ActD Pol I inhibition DJ/UBF DJ/UBF Floutsakou, I., Agrawal, S., Nguyen, T.T., Seoighe, C., Ganley, A.R. and McStay, B. (2013) Genome Research, 23,

7 Our contributions A localized nucleolar damage response facilitates recruitment of the homology directed repair machinery independent of cell cycle stage Nucleolus Nucleolar cycle Nucleolar cap formation Acrocentric chromosome ATM Inhibits Pol I transcription DSB repair machinery DSB repair (HR in cis) van Sluis, M and McStay, B. (2015) Under revision for Genes and Development

8 The Genomic Architecture of Human NORs and its Role in Nucleolar Biology Specific aims Outcomes long (q) arm short (p) arm l Junction (PJ) rdna array Distal Junction (DJ) 28S! 18S! 5'ETS! RNA Pol I Finally describe the chromosomal context of NORs and how this influences the biology of nucleoli Genomic architecture of acrocentric p-arms 2. Regulation of NOR function and nucleolar morphology 3. Chromosomal context and genomic stability of NORs DJ/rDNA Contribute to completion of human genome and a description of its 4D organisation in human cells Approaches Genomics, Cell biology, Genome editing, Bioinformatics Provide new tools for nucleolar research and exploring its role in human disease

9 Application Process Motivations for application the knowledge that our current work is our most important advice from the CCB Scientific advisory board the current funding climate in Ireland 1 st Oct/2014 Advised that the Wellcome Trust s Molecular Basis of Cell Function Expert Review Group has considered my application and has recommended that it progress to interview by the Interview Panel 27 th Nov/2014 Received comments from 4 referees 4 th Dec/2014 Interview

10 Questions asked of reviewers What is your view of the quality and importance of the candidate s research questions? What is your view of the candidate s approach? What is your view of the candidate s track record, relative to his or her career stage? What is your view of the research environment? Overall Assessment Data Management and Sharing

11 Interview structure The interview consists of a ten minute presentation of the research proposal followed by approximately twenty minutes of questions from the Panel. The presentation is strictly limited to three slides, without any animation or movies. Cannot understate importance of the quality and preparedness of presentation. The Interview Panel consists of a Co-Chair and core members. Additional individuals from the Expert Review Groups and other specialists may be invited, as appropriate, to join the Interview Panel for each round. In addition to Panel members, Wellcome Trust staff and Governors will be in attendance

12 Interview (Dec 4 th ) Panel included 8 scientists (including at least 1 specialist), 4 from the US, 3 from the UK and 1 from Germany Questions arose from the presentation and from referees comments. No sense of outcome from the interview Decision (Dec 12 th ) Phone call informing me that I was successful, and that I would receive the full amount requested. Required to submit part B of application including the detailed budget. Award Letter (Jan 23rd) Funding details Final Comment The entire process focused on the science.