Christine Boutros

Valley Fever is a fungal disease caused by Coccidioides that can disseminate to the central nervous system, leading to severe and often fatal meningitis. We developed an antibody profiling library using bacteriophage to identify Valley Fever meningitis-specific antibodies produced in early disease. This approach identified 5 highly immunogenic protein segments with potential as early diagnostic markers.”

Healthy cell function relies on properly turning DNA to mRNA to proteins, the necessary building blocks of life. One way the cell regulates protein production is via mRNA quality control — pathways dedicated to degrading problematic mRNAs. My thesis started with the identification of a novel link between a small molecule (polyamine) transporter, and a particular mRNA quality control pathway that responds to stalled protein production. Since then, my research focused on determining the underlying nature of this link. My work revealed that these polyamines are used to modify a critical factor involved in protein production (eIF5A), and that the modification of eIF5A is required for the activation of the mRNA quality control pathway I study. eIF5A is known to decrease in abundancy with age, which in combination with my work, could suggest that disrupted mRNA quality control is an unrecognized consequence of aging. My results expand our understanding of what processes are disrupted by aging, and open the door to identifying potential new therapeutic targets to extend human healthspan.