Erinc Hallacli

Deciphering molecular phenotypes in neurodegenerative diseases

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The Question

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD), heavily burden our rapidly aging society. For effective therapies, we must understand how certain protein aggregates cause toxicity in the neurons. Recently, we discovered that Processing bodies, cytosolic RNA granules, represent a novel pathway in alpha-synuclein-the major protein that aggregates in PD-mediated toxicity. In our lab, we will investigate the molecular mechanisms of P-body function in PD and healthy neurons, how RNA granules crosstalk with lipid membranes through a-synuclein and how a-synuclein affects other RNA metabolism related pathways.

The Approach

Our lab will utilize mainly iPSC derived cortical neurons for elucidating P-body (patho)physiology. For large scale high-throughput experiments to elucidate chemogenetic determinants of a-synuclein membrane residents, we will perform CRISPR and flow cytometry based chemical screens in human cell lines with the validation step in human neurons. For discovery of novel RNA related pathways, we will use orfeome wide protein tagging (a perturbation sensor tag) in disease models of human cell lines, followed by verification in human neurons. In addition, our main philosophy will be to learn what is necessary to solve a particular problem.

Erinc Hallacli

Erinc Hallacli received an MS in molecular and cellular biology from Heidelberg University (Germany) and a PhD at the European Molecular Biology Labs (EMBL). He was a postdoc at the Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and later a postdoc and instructor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School (Boston, US). He was assistant professor of neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and has joined the Max Perutz Labs in April 2024.

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Team

Kathleen Berkun
PhD Student
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Room: 2.504

Elizabeth Ethier
PhD Student
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Room: 2.504

Erinc Hallacli
Group Leader
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Room: 2.120

Valentina Stuchlik
PhD Student
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Room: 2.504

Selected Publications

The Parkinson's disease protein alpha-synuclein is a modulator of processing bodies and mRNA stability.

2022 Cell(12)
PMID:  35688132

Hallacli Erinc, Kayatekin Can, Nazeen Sumaiya, Wang Xiou H, Sheinkopf Zoe, Sathyakumar Shubhangi, Sarkar Souvarish, Jiang Xin, Dong Xianjun, Di Maio Roberto, Wang Wen, Keeney Matthew T, Felsky Daniel, Sandoe Jackson, Vahdatshoar Aazam, Udeshi Namrata D, Mani D R, Carr Steven A, Lindquist Susan, De Jager Philip L, Bartel David P, Myers Chad L, Greenamyre J Timothy, Feany Mel B, Sunyaev Shamil R, Chung Chee Yeun, Khurana Vikram

A Genetic Tool to Track Protein Aggregates and Control Prion Inheritance.

2017 Cell(4)
PMID:  29056345

Newby Gregory A, Kiriakov Szilvia, Hallacli Erinc, Kayatekin Can, Tsvetkov Peter, Mancuso Christopher P, Bonner J Maeve, Hesse William R, Chakrabortee Sohini, Manogaran Anita L, Liebman Susan W, Lindquist Susan, Khalil Ahmad S

Msl1-mediated dimerization of the dosage compensation complex is essential for male X-chromosome regulation in Drosophila.

2012 Molecular cell(4)
PMID:  23084835

Hallacli Erinc, Lipp Michael, Georgiev Plamen, Spielman Clare, Cusack Stephen, Akhtar Asifa, Kadlec Jan

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