Centre of Biosciences SAS
Topic
The relationship between transposons and gene control
PhD. program
Biochemistry
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Jana Královičová, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology of STU in Bratislava
Annotation
Transposons account for a significant part of the human genome and play a role in regulating gene expression. Repetitive elements are found in pre-mRNA and can generate exons that acquire a new function within the transcript or cause genetic diseases. A large portion of transposons represent the SINE Alu elements. Alu RNAs are targeted by adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs), which catalyse A-to-I RNA editing. This process plays a critical role in multiple diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, and cancer. As part of long non-coding RNA, Alus can reversibly influence transcription and translation. The production of certain SINE RNAs increases during cellular stress, viral infection and malignant transformation. These non-coding transcripts are also components of exosomes and play an important, yet not fully understood, role in the pathogenesis of many diseases.