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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Impact Of Ros Presence On Oncogenic Ras Activity, Chris Andersen
Impact Of Ros Presence On Oncogenic Ras Activity, Chris Andersen
Summer Research
Previous research has suggested a connection between oncogenic Ras and the cell’s levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). The underlying cellular mechanism is not well understood. To investigate this connection, we applied the UAS-GAL4 system in Drosophila melanogaster flies to control the expression of Ras and Keap1, a key redox regulator.2 We expected the activity of Ras to vary with its redox environment and thus impact protein activity downstream of Ras signaling cascades. In monitoring three proteins downstream of Ras—Dcp-1, Akt, and MAPK—we aimed to determine which pathways were impacted by ROS modulation.
Using Crispr To Induce A Knock-Out Of Dprl-1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Alicia Walker
Using Crispr To Induce A Knock-Out Of Dprl-1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Alicia Walker
Summer Research
Phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL) is a protein that controls cell processes such as growth and division which has unknown targets. PRL has been found to have both oncogenic and tumor suppressive properties. This study aimed to create a knock out of PRL in Drosohpila melanogaster in order to assess its role in development and in order to illuminate its activity when it is expressed in cancers. We hypothesize that dPRL-1 plays an important role in embryogenesis and that the progeny which lack this gene will be unviable. The CRISPR/Cas9 system was selected as the method in which to create …
Oncogene Characterization And Mapping, John Evans
Oncogene Characterization And Mapping, John Evans
Summer Research
New oncogenes can be uncovered using the UAS/GAL4 system in the model organism Drosophila Melanogaster. P-elements allow both UAS and GAL4 to insert into the genome of parental flies. When crossed, both UAS/GAL4 are transferred to the progeny and express both sequence and protein that result in cancerous phenotypes that are easily identifiable using light microscopy. Inverse PCR, sequence analysis and comparison to online databases, e.g. flybase.org, provides simple identification of the culprit gene.
Pruning The Garden Of The Nervous System: Neurodegeneration In Drosophila, Brianna L. Greenwood
Pruning The Garden Of The Nervous System: Neurodegeneration In Drosophila, Brianna L. Greenwood
Summer Research
In general, mitochondrial structural alterations occur early in programmed cell death, apoptosis. α-spectrin and Bruchpilot are two proteins required for synapse formation in Drosophila melanogaster. The purpose of this study was to identify if neurodegeneration can be caused by a knockdown of α-spectrin, if apoptosis is observed in degenerating neurons, and if Bruchpilot localization was affected by a decrease in functional α-spectrin. This study utilized GAL4 UAS α-spectrin RNAi Drosophila to knockdown α-spectrin. The musculature and nerves from both these and WT Drosophila were dissected out and imaged under scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and epifluorescent …
Effect Of Altered Cellular Redox Environment On Oncogenic Activity Of The Drosophila Prl Protein, Frances Welsh
Effect Of Altered Cellular Redox Environment On Oncogenic Activity Of The Drosophila Prl Protein, Frances Welsh
Summer Research
Aberrant expression of members of the phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL) family has been implicated as a key factor in the progression of several forms of human cancers. However, despite a wide range of studies supporting the role of the enzyme PRL as an oncogene, it has also been identified as a growth suppressor when tested under different conditions. One proposed explanation for this change in function is that redox regulation controls the accessibility of the active site of PRLs, which is necessary for oncogenic output. In this study, cellular redox environment was altered in vivo using Drosophila melanogaster, …
Using Fruit Flies To Investigate A Cancer Metastasis Biomarker: A Study Of Mammalian Prl-3 Function, Chris Large
Using Fruit Flies To Investigate A Cancer Metastasis Biomarker: A Study Of Mammalian Prl-3 Function, Chris Large
Summer Research
Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver 3 (PRL-3), a human protein in the Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (PTP) gene family, has been highly correlated with cancer’s ability to metastasis in numerous types of cancer. Until recently, this was thought to be the primary function of PRL-3 within mammalian cancer cells, but Basak et al., (2008) found that PRL-3 could have function in inhibiting cellular growth, a contradicting cellular response. Further research was done by Pagarigan et al., (2013) using fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model. Their findings echoed these claims and showed that specific structural portions of dPRL-1, fruit flies’ only version …
Examining The Functional Role Of Dprl-1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, John Valenzuela
Examining The Functional Role Of Dprl-1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, John Valenzuela
Summer Research
The Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver (PRL) family of proteins control cell growth, motility and proliferation. They have been shown to elevate the levels of these functions, leading to an increase in cancer metastasis (“malignancy”), when they are overexpressed. The goal of this experiment is to knockout PRL gene expression to examine the general function of PRL proteins. Drosophila melanogaster have only one copy of the PRL gene (dPRL-1), as opposed to humans and other mammals, which have 3. Thus, using P-element imprecise excision to create mutant strains either fully lacking or with decreased function of the dPRL-1 protein, …
Rok And Rac Mediation Of Prl-1 Function In The Wings Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Rosemary Dinkins
Rok And Rac Mediation Of Prl-1 Function In The Wings Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Rosemary Dinkins
Honors Program Theses
By the time a cancer metastasizes it has reached its most deadly stage. It therefore is essential that the underpinning mechanisms promoting metastasis are understood. Phosphatases of regenerating liver (PRL) have been repeatedly connected to cancer metastasis when overexpressed. However, little is yet known about the normal PRL function and biological pathways let alone the PRL pathway promoting metastasis. The current study explores the relationship between PRL-1 and two other genes, ROK and Rac,that have also been implicated in cell migration and metastasis. Increased PRL-1 function in conjunction with increased or decreased Rac function was forced to the dorsal half …