ACTIVE PROJECTS

How do protein modifications affect our brain? 

One of the proteins that I characterized during my doctorate in the Arnesen lab was not extensively described at that time. It became clear that this enzyme had a role in the cells' secretory system and in addition there were some vague indications that it could be very important for nerve cells, something I took a special interest in since I have a background in molecular neuroscience from the Bramham lab. Through a new collaboration with neurologists at UCL, I am now uncovering clear evidence that this protein has a critical function in the brain. I am currently studying cells that are isolated from patients. These patients suffer from hereditary neurological disease because they lack a specific type of protein modification. This is incredibly exciting because we are on a track where it may be possible to describe how molecular mechanisms caused by a protein inside the brain cells have a crucial neurobiological significance. There is reason to believe that there may be a link between NAT enzymes and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. This is something I am passionate about studying further. The incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is increasing, while the treatment has major challenges. There is therefore an urgent need for research in this area. I hope that I, through my combined specialization in NAT enzymes and molecular neuroscience, will be able to contribute to filling this knowledge gap. 

Could the lack of actin N-terminal modification in cancer be linked to an increased risk of metastasis? 

During my postdoctoral period, I was involved in characterizing an enzyme, called NAA80, which modifies the actin N-terminus. Actin is one of the most abundant proteins in our cells and it is the building block of the microfilament cell skeleton. This cytoskeleton is not rigid and static as the name might suggest, but is extremely dynamic and this constant change is, amongst other things, the basis of cell motility. Normally, in a fully developed organism, the motility of our cells is kept in check so that a liver cell maintains its position in the liver and a kidney cell maintains its position in the kidney. But in cancer, the regulation can be disturbed and this can cause cancer cells to start invading neighboring tissues and migrate to other places in the body, so-called metastasis. I got particularly interested in this process when we discovered that by removing the NAA80 enzyme, cell properties changed to become hypermobile. Recently, together with students, I have fine-tuned tools to study this process as well as further described that the Golgi apparatus is fragmented in NAA80-lacking cells.

In 2022 I am co-hosting and presenting my work at a large international scientific conference in Bergen 8.-11. June. EMBO conference "Protein termini: from mechanisms to biological impact".

Henriette's research communication and media coverage

• Aksnes nominated by NBS to be featured in a FEBS eBook about WOMEN’S CAREERS IN SCIENCE EBOOK by FEBS’ Women in science initiative.
• Awarded Starting grant from the Trond Mohn Foundation.
• Discovery of a new brain calcification gene. UiB popular scientific article accompanying our scientific publication.
• Removing protein N-terminal acetylation increases the turnover of ribosomal proteins. UiB popular scientific article accompanying our scientific publication.
• Honoured with the Meltzer award for young researchers 2022. UiB article announcement and interview.
• Diving into the microscopic world. Sci Snapshot researcher portrait in NatureVolve Magazine.
• Budding yeast and proteomics defined protein N-terminal acetylation. UiB popular scientific article accompanying our scientific publication.
• Poster prize to Alessia Caiella based on our work, EMBO/ISPT conference 2022.
• Pathogenic variants of novel gene causative of developmental delay. UiB popular scientific article accompanying our scientific publication.
• Application note, new use of the digtal holographic microscope HoloMonitor M4, based on our work.
• Attention and social media spread by Horizon Discovery blog on How to succeed with HAP1 cells, based on our work.
• First-person interview in Biology Open with students Tobias B. Beigl, Ine Kjosås and Emilie Seljeseth based on our work.
• From MOL231 Project to Published Article, UiB news article by students Ine Kjosås and Emilie Seljeseth
• Honoured with Falch junior award, UiB article announcment and UiB article intervew
• Research from home, UiB article about work together with MSc students Monica Hellesvik and Hanne Øye
• From ERASMUS internship to published paper, UiB article about work together with MSc student Tobias B. Beigl
• A Jack of all Trades in Cancer Cells, UiB article promoting review in MolCell 2019
• Uncovering the secrets of cellular motility, InCyte blog interview
• Hyper-motile cells revealed with IncuCyte, InCytes Publication newsletter
• Putting a brake on cell movement, UiB article
• TIRFing the Master’s degree to shore , UiB article (as main supervisor for Monica Hellesvik)
• Practicing pitching their research in front of a camera in Momentum career program for outstanding young researchers, UiB article
• Faculty of Medicine faculty day  - Received, on behalf of all coauthors in the Arnesen lab, award for best publication in 2018 for the back-to-back articles in PNAS 2018, UiB article MedFak and UiB article IBM
• Cellular espionage in the NAT cell lab, UiB article on work on novel imaging tecnique together with students
• Protein acetylation gets some respect—A commentary by Henriette Aksnes, Cell Reports blog
• Best poster award, NBS contact meeting 2019, UiB article
• Tension release by N-terminal acetylation, UiB article
• Protein function can be revealed by microscopy, UiB article
• Hangin’ out at the Golgi, UiB article
• Cellular GPS-system reveals new territory for an influential enzyme family, UiB article
• Honoured with ZONA award for best PhD 2014, UiB article
• New PhD press release, UiB article

Courses and subjects

BMED322 - Methods in Medical Cell Biology (fall 2024-)

                 Research and laboratory training for project assignments at Master's level.

                 Guest lecturer for the topic Microscopy.

MIC Course in Microscopy (spring 2026-)

Part I - Fundamental principles of microscopy

Part II - Advanced confocal imaging applications

Leader of the Postdoc development programme at the Faculty of medicine, UiB (2026-)

Previous subjects:

MOL270 - Bioethics 

               Guest lecturer for the topic Model organisms.

MOL231 - Project in Molecular Biology

               Research and laboratory training for project assignments at Bachelor's level.

Student supervision

2026-        Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Tuva Hjaltadottir

2026-        Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Sofie Helsem Moldskred

2026-        Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Maarten Van der Veen

2025-         Main-supervisor for Erasmus intern from Utrecht University of applied sciences Cheryl Oortwijn

2024-         Main-supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biological sciences, UiB. Anton R. Melbye

2023-         Main supervisor for Medical student, research track, MED, UiB. Christina W. Leerink

2023-24     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Åse K. Bekkelund

2023-         Main supervisor for PhD candidate, Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Alessia Caiella

2022-23     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Anette Siggervåg

2022-23     Co-supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Inger Johanne Hellerud

2021–22     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Therese S. Hjellvoll

2021–22     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Ajia R. Pennavaria

2021–22     Co-supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biological sciences, UiB. Camilla H. Nundal

2021-22      Co-supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Birger H. Furnes 

2021–         Main supervisor for PhD candidate, Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Hanne Øye

2020 –        Co-supervisor for PhD candidate, Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Monica Hellesvik

2020–21     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Alessia Caiella

2020–21     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Liv S. Krogstad

2020–21     Co-supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biological sciences, UiB. Ine Kjosås

2019–20     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Kristine H. Furre

2019–20     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Hanne Øye

2018–19     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Biological Sciences, UiB, Monica Hellesvik

2019–19     Main supervisor for MSc thesis stud., UiB/Universität Stuttgart, Tobias B. Beigl

2019–19     Main supervisor for 2 BSc students in MOL231 project course, Dept. of Biological Sciences, UiB, Ine Kjosås and Emilie Seljeseth

2018–18     Main supervisor for 2 MSc students in BMED320 project course, Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB. Atefeh Kianian and Kristine H. Furre.

2018–18     Main supervisor for MSc ERASMUS stud., Dept. of Biomedicine, UiB, Tobias B. Beigl

2014–17     Co-supervisor for PhD candidate, Dept. of Molecular biology, UiB, Marianne Goris

2013–16     Co-supervisor for PhD candidate, Dept. of Molecular biology, UiB, Sylvia Varland

2012–16     Co-supervisor for PhD candidate, Dept. of Molecular biology, UiB, Camilla Osberg

2011–12     Co-supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Molecular biology, UiB, Camilla Osberg

2011–12     Co-supervisor for MSc thesis stud., Dept. of Molecular biology, UiB, Sylvia Varland

2011–12     Co-supervisor for BSc stud., Dept. of Molecular biology, UiB, Eilen Henriksen

PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS (PubMed)

N-terminal acetylation-specific antibodies: Specificity determination by mass spectrometry and utilization in in vitro acetylation assays.

Caiella A, McTiernan N, Aksnes H✉️.

Methods Enzymol. 2025;718:129-165. doi: 10.1016/bs.mie.2025.06.028. Epub 2025 Aug 11.PMID: 40887156

Understanding brain calcification via N-terminal acetylation at the Golgi apparatus.

Siggervåg A, Bekkelund ÅK, Saraste J, Aksnes H✉️.

Brain. 2025 May 9:awaf175. doi: 10.1093/brain/awaf175. Online ahead of print.PMID: 40344186

P_i-ecing together brain calcification mechanisms for therapeutic advancement.

Bekkelund ÅK, Siggervåg A, Aksnes H✉️.

Trends Mol Med. 2025 Mar;31(3):206-208. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2024.12.003. Epub 2025 Jan 4.PMID: 39755442 Free article.

Assessing N-terminal acetylation status of cellular proteins via an antibody specific for acetylated methionine.

Larsen SK, Bekkelund ÅK, Glomnes N, Arnesen T, Aksnes H✉️. 

Biochimie. 2024 Jul 20:S0300-9084(24)00166-4. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.07.007. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39038730 Free article.

Biallelic NAA60 variants with impaired N-terminal acetylation capacity cause autosomal recessive primary familial brain calcifications.

Chelban V✉️, Aksnes H✉️, Maroofian R, LaMonica LC, Seabra L, Siggervåg A, Devic P, Shamseldin HE, Vandrovcova J, Murphy D, Richard AC, Quenez O, Bonnevalle A, Zanetti MN, Kaiyrzhanov R, Salpietro V, Efthymiou S, Schottlaender LV, Morsy H, Scardamaglia A, Tariq A, Pagnamenta AT, Pennavaria A, Krogstad LS, Bekkelund ÅK, Caiella A, Glomnes N, Brønstad KM, Tury S, Moreno De Luca A, Boland-Auge A, Olaso R, Deleuze JF, Anheim M, Cretin B, Vona B, Alajlan F, Abdulwahab F, Battini JL, İpek R, Bauer P, Zifarelli G, Gungor S, Kurul SH, Lochmuller H, Da'as SI, Fakhro KA, Gómez-Pascual A, Botía JA, Wood NW, Horvath R, Ernst AM, Rothman JE, McEntagart M, Crow YJ, Alkuraya FS, Nicolas G; SYNaPS Study Group; Arnesen T✉️, Houlden H✉️.

Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 13;15(1):2269. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46354-0.PMID: 38480682 Free PMC article.

Loss of N-terminal acetyltransferase A activity induces thermally unstable ribosomal proteins and increases their turnover in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Guzman UH, Aksnes H, Ree R, Krogh N, Jakobsson ME, Jensen LJ, Arnesen T, Olsen JV.

Nat Commun. 2023 Jul 27;14(1):4517. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-40224-x. PMID: 37500638 Free PMC article.

NATs at a glance.

Aksnes H✉️, McTiernan N, Arnesen T✉️.

J Cell Sci. 2023 Jul 15;136(14):jcs260766. doi: 10.1242/jcs.260766. Epub 2023 Jul 18. PMID: 37462250 Review.

Protein Termini 2022: central roles of protein ends.

Arnesen T✉️, Aksnes H✉️, Giglione C✉️.

Trends Biochem Sci. 2023 Jun;48(6):495-499. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.02.008. Epub 2023 Mar 29. PMID: 36997368

Actin finally matures – uncovering the machinery and the impact

Arnesen T✉️ and Aksnes H✉️

Trends Biochem Sci 2023 PMID: 36804256

Commentary on: Haahr P et al., Science 2022 10.1126/science.abq5082

Expanded in vivo substrate profile of the yeast N-terminal acetyltransferase NatC

Van Damme P✉️, Osberg C S, Jonckheere V, Glomnes N, Gevaert K, Arnesen T and Aksnes H✉️ 

J Biol Chem, 2023 299(2):102824. PMID: 36567016

Missense NAA20 variants impairing the NatB protein N-terminal acetyltransferase cause autosomal recessive developmental delay, intellectual disability, and microcephaly.

Morrison J*, Altuwaijri NK*, Brønstad K*, Aksnes H*, Alsaif HS, Evans A, Hashem M, Wheeler PG, Webb BD, Alkuraya FS, Arnesen T.

Genet Med. 2021 Nov;23(11):2213-2218. doi: 10.1038/s41436-021-01264-0. Epub 2021 Jul 6. PMID: 34230638

*Shared first authorship

Efficient and crucial quality control of HAP1 cell ploidy status.

Beigl TB, Kjosås I, Seljeseth E, Glomnes N, Aksnes H✉️.

Biol Open. 2020 Nov 12;9(11):bio057174. doi: 10.1242/bio.057174. PMID: 33184093

✉️Corresponding author

Exploiting the potential of commercial digital holographic microscopy by combining it with 3D matrix cell culture assays

Hellesvik M, Øye H, Aksnes H✉️. 

Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 7;10(1):14680. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-71538-1.PMID: 32895419 

✉️Corresponding author

N-terminal acetylation of actin by NAA80 is essential for structural integrity of the Golgi apparatus

Beigl TB, Hellesvik M, Saraste J, Arnesen T, Aksnes H✉️. 

Exp Cell Res. 2020 May 15;390(2):111961. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.111961. Epub 2020 Mar 21.PMID: 32209306 

✉️Corresponding author

Co-translational, Post-translational, and Non-catalytic Roles of N-Terminal Acetyltransferases

Aksnes H✉️, Ree R, Arnesen T✉️.

Mol Cell. 2019 Mar 21;73(6):1097-1114. Review. PMID: 30878283

✉️Corresponding author

Actin polymerization and cell motility are affected by NAA80-mediated posttranslational N-terminal acetylation of actin

Aksnes H✉️, Marie M, Arnesen T, Drazic A.

Commun Integr Biol. 2018 Oct 21;11(4):e1526572. PMID: 30534344

✉️Corresponding author

N-terminal Acetylation Levels Are Maintained During Acetyl-CoA Deficiency in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Varland S, Aksnes H, Kryuchkov F, Impens F, Van Haver D, Jonckheere V, Ziegler M, Gevaert K, Van Damme P, Arnesen T.

Mol Cell Proteomics. 2018 Dec;17(12):2309-2323. PMID: 30150368

NAA80 is actin's N-terminal acetyltransferase and regulates cytoskeleton assembly and cell motility

Drazic A^#, Aksnes H^#, Marie M^#, Boczkowska M, Varland S, Timmerman E, Foyn H, Glomnes N, Rebowski G, Impens F, Gevaert K, Dominguez R, Arnesen T.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Apr 24;115(17):4399-4404. PMID: 29581253

# Shared first authorship

Best paper of the year, Faculty of Medicine, UiB

Received attention:

- From the cover Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2018; vol. 115 no. 17.

- Commented in: NATure of actin amino-terminal acetylation Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 115(17):4314-16.

- Commented in: Actin's N-terminal acetyltransferase uncovered Cytoskeleton 75(7):318-22.

Molecular determinants of the N-terminal acetyltransferase Naa60 anchoring to the Golgi membrane

Aksnes H, Goris M, Strømland Ø, Drazic A, Waheed Q, Reuter N, Arnesen T.

J Biol Chem. 2017 Apr 21;292(16):6821-6837. PMID: 28196861

Microscopy-based Saccharomyces cerevisiae complementation model reveals functional conservation and redundancy of N-terminal acetyltransferases

Osberg C, Aksnes H, Ninzima S, Marie M, Arnesen T.

Sci Rep. 2016 Aug 24;6:31627. PMID: 27555049

First Things First: Vital Protein Marks by N-Terminal Acetyltransferases

Aksnes H, Drazic A, Marie M, Arnesen T.

Trends Biochem Sci. 2016 Sep;41(9):746-760. Review. PMID: 27498224

Holding it together: Naa60 at the Golgi

Aksnes H, Marie M, Arnesen T.

Oncotarget. 2015 Jun 30;6(18):15726-7. PMID: 26164078

(Hyper)tension release by N-terminal acetylation

Aksnes H, Drazic A, Arnesen T.

Trends Biochem Sci. 2015 Aug;40(8):422-4. PMID: 26027460

Molecular, cellular, and physiological significance of N-terminal acetylation

Aksnes H, Hole K, Arnesen T.

Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2015;316:267-305. Review. PMID: 25805127

An organellar Nα-acetyltransferase, Naa60, acetylates cytosolic N termini of transmembrane proteins and maintains Golgi integrity

Aksnes H, Van Damme P, Goris M, Starheim KK, Marie M, Støve SI, Hoel C, Kalvik TV, Hole K, Glomnes N, Furnes C, Ljostveit S, Ziegler M, Niere M, Gevaert K, Arnesen T.

Cell Rep. 2015 Mar 3;10(8):1362-74. PMID: 25732826

Best paper of the year, Dept. of Molecular Biology, UiB

N-terminal acetylation by NatC is not a general determinant for substrate subcellular localization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Aksnes H, Osberg C, Arnesen T.

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 15;8(4):e61012. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061012. Print 2013.

PMID: 23613772 

The human N-alpha-acetyltransferase 40 (hNaa40p/hNatD) is conserved from yeast and N-terminally acetylates histones H2A and H4.

Hole K, Van Damme P, Dalva M, Aksnes H, Glomnes N, Varhaug JE, Lillehaug JR, Gevaert K, Arnesen T.

PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24713. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024713. Epub 2011 Sep 15.

PMID: 21935442 

All peer-reviewed publications in the database PubMed

Henriette Aksnes - PubMed