University of Szeged
Dept. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration


Neurodegenerative disorders are one of the most important, unsolved health challenges of today's societies. In the focus of our research activities is the molecular pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD), a monogenic, dominantly inherited, fatal neurodegenerative disorder. We use a transgenic Drosophila model to investigate the disease, which is based on the neuron specific expression of the human huntingtin gene fragment responsible for HD. This model enables us to analyze the molecular background, molecular pathomechanisms of the disease.
Our current research efforts are primarily focusing on the role of chromatin structure and protein clearance systems in Huntington's disease using genetics, molecular biology, transcriptomics and behavioral assays.
Furthermore, we collaborate with several research groups providing transcriptomic, genomic and functional genomic research solutions.

Principal Investigator:

László Bodai, PhD.

associate professor

OrcID: 0000-0001-8411-626X

Publons: A-9764-2012

Scopus: 6506212056

ResearchGate



Selected recent publications:

Dysregulated miRNA and mRNA Expression Affect Overlapping Pathways in a Huntington’s Disease Model.
Zsindely N, Nagy G, Siági F, Farkas A, Bodai L.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023. 24(15):11942 doi: 10.3390/ijms241511942.

Acetylation State of Lysine 14 of Histone H3.3 Affects Mutant Huntingtin Induced Pathogenesis.
Faragó A, Zsindely N, Farkas A, Neller A, Siági F, Szabó MR, Csont T, Bodai L.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022. 23(23):15173. doi: 10.3390/ijms232315173.

DNA Methylation in Huntington's Disease.
Zsindely N, Siági F, Bodai L.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021. 22(23):12736. doi: 10.3390/ijms222312736.

The histone replacement gene His4r is involved in heat stress induced chromatin rearrangement.
Faragó Anikó, Ürmösi Adél, Farkas Anita, Bodai László.
Sci Rep. 2021. 11: 4878. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-84413-4.

Green tea infusion alleviates neurodegeneration induced by mutant Huntingtin in Drosophila.
Varga Júlia, Dér Nikolett Petra, Zsindely Nóra, Bodai László
Nutr Neurosci. 2020. 23(3):183-189. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2018.1484021.

Hat1 acetylates histone H4 and modulates the transcriptional program in Drosophila embryogenesis.
Varga Júlia, Korbai Szabina, Neller Alexandra, Zsindely Nóra, Bodai László.
Sci Rep. 2019. 9(1):17973. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-54497-0.

Mutant huntingtin disturbs circadian clock gene expression and sleep patterns in Drosophila.
Faragó Anikó, Zsindely Nóra, Bodai László.
Sci Rep. 2019. 9(1):7174. doi: 10.1038/10.1038/s41598-019-43612-w

Histone methylation in Huntington's disease: are bivalent promoters the critical targets?
Zsindely Nóra, Bodai László
Neural Regen Res 2018. 13:1191-2 doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.235029


All publications on: PubMed




University of Szeged, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2013-2023.