Project number:

2024/54/A/NZ4/00403

Title:

TENT5A Poly(A) Polymerase: A Key Regulator in the Hypothalamus-Pituitary hormonal axis in humans

Project leader:

International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw

Prof. dr hab. Andrzej Dziembowski
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project partner

University of Warsaw

Total budget:

5 968 400 PLN

IIMCB: 4 806 800 PLN, UW: 1 161 600 PLN

Duration:

02.06.2025 -01.06.2030

About the project: 

TENT5A poly(A) polymerase is a protein that plays an important role in various body functions. This enzyme enhances the production of specific proteins that are secreted outside of cells and, as such, are produced on the surface of a specific cellular structure—the endoplasmic reticulum. Traditionally, the TENT5A gene has been most known for its role in bone development, with certain mutations leading to osteogenesis imperfecta—a condition marked by brittle bones and frequent fractures. However, newer research has shown that TENT5A also influences the body’s immune defenses and how it processes mRNA vaccines, which are crucial in fighting diseases. More excitingly, recent unpublished findings suggest that TENT5A might regulate the hypothalamicpituitary axis. This axis is a major hormonal pathway in the body that influences height, among other physiological functions. The studies indicate that TENT5A helps process the mRNAs for neurohormones and neuropeptides in the brain area known as hypothalamus. Such activity could explain variations in human height related to different genetic versions of TENT5A. The aim of our ongoing research is to comprehensively understand how TENT5A impacts human health and development. Using genetically modified mice, we hope to delve deeper into how this gene functions across different systems in the body. Our research tasks include studying the effects of TENT5A disruption on brain hormones and exploring how variations in the TENT5A gene can lead to different health outcomes. Ultimately, this research could reveal why certain genetic mutations in TENT5A lead to specific diseases, clarify its role in determining human height, and expose new ways in which this gene controls important hormonal balances in the body