Date: Friday, 22 January 2021

Venue: Cheung Kung Hai Lecture Theatre 1, G/F, William M.W. Mong Block, Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong [Mixed mode: Face-to-Face and Zoom]

Time: 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Zoom Link: https://hku.zoom.us/j/97638991867?pwd=MTRISEJNbkhzak9VWUZ5NFJyOXBYQT09

Meeting ID: 976 3899 1867

Password: 043744

Time: 5:00 p.m.
Speaker: Mr. Michael Siu Lun LAI (PhD candidate)
Primary Supervisor: Dr. Raymond Chuen Chung CHANG
Presentation Title: Investigating the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease dementia by using a novel 3D visualization protocol
Abstract: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases which is well-known for its motor dysfunction. Increasing lines of evidence show that PD patients at late-stage experience cognitive decline known as Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD), where the affected brain regions expand from those in nigrostriatal pathway to other cholinergic neurons-rich regions. However, the neural circuits affected in the progression of PDD are unclear. To investigate neural pathways involved in PDD progression, we apply a novel 3D visualization protocol that combines neural tracing and tissue clearing. Neural tracing allows us to label the neural circuits by viruses, while tissue clearing allows us to visualize those signals in 3D samples. So far, we have successfully validated the optimal time frame needed for adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) to trace the nigrostriatal pathway. In future, we will apply to trace different potential neural pathways in PDD. This allows us to monitor the potential neural pathways in disease models in the next step.

Time: 5:30 p.m. 
Speaker: Mr. Terence Tak Wang LEE (PhD candidate)
Primary Supervisor: Prof. Dong-Yan JIN
Presentation Title: Loading of Influenza A protein PB1-F2 onto extracellular vesicles promotes interleukin 1β release from macrophages
Abstract: Influenza A virus (IAV) protein PB1-F2 plays an important role in antagonizing host innate immunity in IAV infection. Previous reports suggest that PB1-F2 may mediate the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome extracellularly to enhance proinflammatory response against IAV infection. However, it remains paradoxical how mitochondrial-associated PB1-F2 can exert its inflammasome-activating effect extracellularly. Here we report the secretion of PB1-F2 through extracellular vesicles (EVs) and the stimulatory effect of PB1-F2-associated EVs on interleukin (IL)-1β release from macrophages. Surprisingly, we find that EV release of PB1-F2 is mediated through the generation of mitochondrial-derived vesicles (MDVs) and autophagic inhibition can promote formation of MDVs. Taken together, we hypothesize that PB1-F2 exploits MDVs for sorting and delivery into EVs in Alix-dependent pathway and contributes to the pathogenesis of IAV infection. 

All are welcome. 

Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact Miss Cecilia Chan at 3917 9493 or Miss Cynthia Cheung at 3917 9748.