Molecular Genetics Commons^™

Mrub_3015 Is Orthologous To The B2757 Gene Found In Escherichia Coli Coding For Casd, Ramona Collins, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses a collection of online bioinformatics tools to predict gene function. We investigated the biological function of the gene Mrub_3015, which we hypothesize is a component of the CRISPR-Cas prokaryotic defense system. We predict that Mrub_3015 (DNA coordinates 3055550...3056245) encodes the the CRISPR-associated protein cas5, which is integral in maintaining the crRNA-DNA structure, keeping the complex from base pairing with the target phage DNA. Our hypothesis is supported by identical hits for Mrub_3015 and b2527 to the KEGG, Pfam, TIGRfam, CDD and PDB databases as well as a …

Mrub_3018 Is Orthologous To E. Coli B2759 (Casb), Kyle Parker, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses a collection of online bioinformatics tools to predict gene function. We studied the biological activity of the Mrub_3018 gene, which we hypothesize is orthologous to E. coli gene B2759. We predicted that Mrub_3018(DNA coordinates 3057916… 3058524) encodes the protein CasB. CasB is a protein in the CRISPR CASCADE that will function as a structural protein. When the rest of the proteins form an “S” formation CasB will connect the front and back of the “S” creating a back bone for the structure. It will help bind DNA …

Phylogenetic History Of The Amy Gene Cluster In Catarrhines, Christian M. Gagnon

Theses and Dissertations

This study phylogenetically analyzed 30 AMY-related genes from 11 primates. The results show the gradual expansion of the AMY gene family which could have allowed primates to adapt to various ecological landscapes and maximize energy intake from starch-rich foods in periods of food scarcity.

Cyclin C: The Story Of A Non-Cycling Cyclin, Jan Jezek, Daniel G J Smethurst, David C Stieg, Z A C Kiss, Sara E Hanley, Vidyaramanan Ganesan, Kai-Ti Chang, Katrina F Cooper, Randy Strich

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The class I cyclin family is a well-studied group of structurally conserved proteins that interact with their associated cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) to regulate different stages of cell cycle progression depending on their oscillating expression levels. However, the role of class II cyclins, which primarily act as transcription factors and whose expression remains constant throughout the cell cycle, is less well understood. As a classic example of a transcriptional cyclin, cyclin C forms a regulatory sub-complex with its partner kinase Cdk8 and two accessory subunits Med12 and Med13 called the Cdk8-dependent kinase module (CKM). The CKM reversibly associates with the multi-subunit …

An Albino Mutant In Brassica Rapa Maps To The Pdx2 Locus On Chromosome 10, Beatriz M. Garcia

STAR Program Research Presentations

We have identified an albino mutant in the plant Brassica rapa. This recessive mutation could provide insights into the photosynthetic pathways of all plants. Previously the mutation was mapped to chromosome 10 of Brassica rapa. To narrow down the chromosomal region containing the albino mutation, we grew a segregating population of plants. DNA was extracted from albino and wildtype (green) plants and genotyped using PCR markers on chromosome 10. The genotype detected using the INDEL2 marker perfectly predicted whether a plant was albino or WT. This indicates that the INDEL2 marker is tightly linked to the albino mutation. INDEL2 is …

Dna Methylation Associated With Postpartum Depressive Symptoms Overlaps Findings From A Genome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis Of Depression, Dana M. Lapato, Roxann Roberson-Nay, Robert M. Kirkpatrick, Bradley T. Webb, Timothy P. York, Patricia A. Kinser

Human and Molecular Genetics Publications

Background Perinatal depressive symptoms have been linked to adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. The etiology associated with perinatal depressive psychopathology is poorly understood, but accumulating evidence suggests that understanding inter-individual differences in DNA methylation (DNAm) patterning may provide insight regarding the genomic regions salient to the risk liability of perinatal depressive psychopathology.

Results Genome-wide DNAm was measured in maternal peripheral blood using the Infinium MethylationEPIC microarray. Ninety-two participants (46% African-American) had DNAm samples that passed all quality control metrics, and all participants were within 7 months of delivery. Linear models were constructed to identify differentially methylated sites and regions, …

Mrub_3014 Is Orthologous To B2756, Samir Abdelkarim, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses a collection of online bioinformatics tools to predict gene function. We investigated the biological function of the gene Mrub_3014, which we hypothesize is a component of the CRISPR-Cas prokaryotic defense system. We predict that Mrub_3014 (DNA coordinates 3054943..3055575) encodes CRISPR-associated protein Cse3/case which function as an endonuclease. Our hypothesis is supported by identical hits for Mrub_3014 and b2756 to the KEGG, Pfam, TIGRfam, CDD and PDB databases, as well as a low E-value for a pairwise NCBI BLAST comparison. Both protein products are predicted to be localized …

M. Ruber Mrub_3013 Is Orthologous To E. Coli B2755, Laura Butcher, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses a collection of online bioinformatics tools to predict gene function. We investigated the biological function of gene Mrub_3013, which we hypothesize is orthologous to b2755 in E. coli K12 MG1655 (a.k.a. Cas1). We investigated the biological function of a gene with the M. ruber locus tag of Mrub_3013, which we hypothesize is a component of the CRISPR-Cas prokaryotic defense system in M. ruber. We predict that Mrub_3013 (DNA coordinates 3,053,978-3,054,940) encodes the protein Cas1 which as part of the CRISPR-Cas system, selects and cuts the foreign …

Mrub_3020, A Paralog Of Mrub_1489, Is Orthologous To E. Coli Casc (Locus Tag B2761), Alfred Dei-Ampeh, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses a collection of online bioinformatics tools to predict gene function. We investigated the biological functions of two genes: mrub_3020 and mrub_1489. We make two hypotheses in this investigation: a) mrub_3020 is orthologous to the gene b2761 in E. coli K12 MG1655 (a.k.a. casC); b) mrub_1489 is a paralog of mrub_3020. We also predict that the two genes encode unique proteins: mrub_3020 with DNA coordinates 3060491…3063190 encodes a CRISPR – associated helicase (Cas3) that supports the Cascade complex of the CRISPR – Cas adaptive immune system …

Effects Of Temperature On Crispr/Cas System, Eddie Beckom, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses a collection of online bioinformatics tools to predict gene function. We investigated the effect of temperature on the complexity of CRISPR/Cas systems in bacterial organisms across temperature classifications. We predict that temperature extremes would result in CRISPR/Cas systems with multiple operons, repeating cas genes, and complex systems. CRISPR/Cas systems can be classified into three types with a number of subtypes based on the CRISPR-associated genes, cas genes, present in a given organism. Our hypothesis is supported by the presence of multiple operons in thermophilic organisms based on …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Mrub_3013, Mrub_1477, And Mrub_0224: Are They Paralogs?, Melette Devore, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

This project is part of the Meiothermus ruber genome analysis project, which uses a collection of online bioinformatics tools to predict gene function. We investigated the biological function of mrub_3013 and the nature of its relationship with mrub_1477 and mrub_0224. We hypothesized that mrub_3013 is orthologous to b2755 in E. coli K12 MG1655 (a.k.a. cas1). We predict that mrub_3013 encodes the enzyme Cas1, which is involved in spacer acquisition in the CRISPR-Cas prokaryotic defense system. Our hypothesis is supported by identical hits for b2755, mrub_3013, mrub_1477, and mrub_0224 from the CDD and Pfam databases and highly similar hits from …

Comparative Analysis Of Four Dna Preparation Kits For Quercus Falcata, Palustris, And Rubra Dna Extractions And Subsequent Dna Sequencing, Devin Cummins, Timothy D. Trott

Research in Biology

In 2011, of the 8.7 million species of lif suspected to populate the globe only 1.2 million had been catalogued and it was estimated that 1,200 years would pass before the remainder were processed, allowing the possibility that some species would go extinct before they were even discovered (Mora, Tittensor, Adl, Simpson, & Worm, 2011). DNA barcoding may provide an answer to this problem. According to Hebert and Gregory, “DNA barcoding will accelerate the pace of species discovery by allowing taxonomists to rapidly sort specimens... by highlighting divergent taxa that may represent new species… and by making species identifications more …

Effects Of Commercial Formulations Of Glyphosate On Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Apoorva Ravi Shankar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Commercial formulations of glyphosate are among the most extensively used herbicides around the world. The active ingredient, glyphosate, targets the aromatic amino acid pathway. This pathway is absent in mammals, resulting in low toxicity. Different formulations contain varying adjuvants and surfactants, whose synergistic effects are yet to be extensively studied at the cellular level. In this study, I tested multiple commercial formulations that showed a variation in growth phenotype among different yeast strains. To gain a better understanding of response and resistance mechanisms at the genome and transcriptome level, I carried out an in-lab evolution study, along with a transcriptome …

Evolution Of The Zhx Transcription Factor Family And Analysis Of Zhx2 Target Genes Cyp2a4 And Cyp2a5 In Mouse Liver, Alexandra Nichole Nail

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

The liver is the largest internal organ and performs a wide variety of functions to maintain organismal homeostasis. While some liver functions are carried out by all hepatocytes, other functions are restricted to certain populations of hepatocytes within the liver. This phenomenon, called zonal gene regulation or liver zonation, controls may metabolic processes within the liver including ammonia detoxification; glucose homeostasis; bile acid and glutamine synthesis; and metabolism of xenobiotics, lipids, and amino acids. The liver also expresses many genes in a developmental or sex-biased manner. Some genes are expressed at higher levels early or late in development, or alternatively, …

Insects And The Evolution Of Developmental Pathways: Functional Analysis Of Genetic Sex Determination Mechanisms In Oncopeltus Fasciatus, Josefine Just

Honors Theses

Natural selection alters genetic pathways over evolutionary time. However, different pathways have been shown to maintain mutations at varying rates, leading to different levels of conservation across developmental pathways. Sex determination pathways, in particular, show vast diversity across animals despite the fundamental conservation of biological sex itself. Here, I investigated the sex determination pathway of the hemimetabolous insect, Oncopeltus fasciatus. The large milkweed bug, O. fasciatus, is part of the order Hemiptera, which provides a relevant outgroup study to other insects in which sex determination has been studied to date. I studied three sex determination genes, intersex, fruitless …

Mechanisms Of Trinucleotide Repeat Instability During Dna Synthesis, Kara Y. Chan

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Genomic instability, in the form of gene mutations, insertions/deletions, and gene amplifications, is one of the hallmarks in many types of cancers and other inheritable genetic disorders. Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) disorders, such as Huntington’s disease (HD) and Myotonic dystrophy (DM) can be inherited and repeats may be extended through subsequent generations. However, it is not clear how the CAG repeats expand through generations in HD. Two possible repeat expansion mechanisms include: 1) polymerase mediated repeat extension; 2) persistent TNR hairpin structure formation persisting in the genome resulting in expansion after subsequent cell division. Recent in vitro studies suggested that a …

Exploration Of Sonic Hedgehog Gene Expression In Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promelas), Brooke Renee Greiner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pollutants, as a result of wastewater treatments, have been shown to have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems. To better understand the possible consequences caused by effluents on ecosystems, it is important to examine ecotoxicology data. One of the most commonly used species for water quality testing is the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas. Ecotoxicology can then be taken one step further to understand the effects of pollutants on a molecular level. Previous research had identified effluents as causes for abnormal minnow fin morphology. In order to collect additional data on development, tanks with fathead minnows were placed at the Charleston …

การพัฒนาเทคนิค Recombinase Polymerase Amplification และ Helicase Dependent Isothermal Amplification สำหรับตรวจจีโนไทป์ของเอนไซม์ Extended-Spectrum Β-Lactamase ที่สร้างจากเชื้อ Escherichia Coli ในสถาบันมะเร็งแห่งชาติ ประเทศไทย, ธัชภร อัศวคงคารัตน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

เชื้อ Escherichia coli ที่สร้างเอนไซม์ Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBLs) เป็นปัญหาสำคัญที่พบในโรงพยาบาลทั่วโลก การตรวจจีโนไทป์ของเอนไซม์ ESBLs เป็นวิธีที่สำคัญและมีประโยชน์ในการควบคุมการแพร่กระจายของเชื้อดื้อยาและการเลือกใช้ยาต้านจุลชีพอย่างเหมาะสม การศึกษานี้มุ่งหวังจะพัฒนาเทคนิค Multiplex Recombinase polymerase amplification (Multiplex RPA) และ Helicase dependent amplification (HDA) สำหรับตรวจหายีนดื้อยา blaCTX-M, blaOXA, blaSHV และ blaTEM ในเชื้อ E. coli ในสถาบันมะเร็งแห่งชาติ ประเทศไทย เชื้อ E. coli จำนวน 144 ตัวอย่างที่แยกได้จากสิ่งส่งตรวจภายในงานจุลชีววิทยา สถาบันมะเร็งแห่งชาติ ช่วงระหว่างเดือนกุมภาพันธ์ 2017 ถึงเดือนกันยายน 2018 ถูกนำมาทดสอบความไวต่อยาต้านจุลชีพและตรวจคัดกรองการสร้างเอนไซม์ ESBLs ด้วยวิธี Disk diffusion ตามวิธีมาตรฐานของ CLSI ปี ค.ศ. 2017 เชื้อที่สร้างเอนไซม์ ESBLs จำนวน 95 ตัวอย่าง พบดื้อยาสูงสุดในยา Ampicillin (100%), Cefotaxime (100%), Cefdinir (100%) และ Ceftriaxone (99.9%) และเชื้อ E. coli จำนวน 144 ตัวอย่าง มียีน blaCTX-M (100%) รองลงมาคือ blaTEM (42.1%), blaOXA (30.5%) และ blaSHV (2.1%) ตามลำดับ โดยเป็นยีน ESBLs ชนิด CTX-M-15 สูงสุด (51.1%) รองลงมาคือ CTX-M-55 (18.1%), CTX-M-27 (17.0%), CTX-M-14 …

การทดสอบความไวต่อยาไพราซินาไมด์ของเชื้อวัณโรคอย่างรวดเร็วจากการเปลี่ยนสีบนชุดทดสอบ Biphasic Media, วราภรณ์ เถื่อนสุวรรณ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การทดสอบความไวต่อยา Pyrazinamide (PZA) ด้วยวิธีมาตรฐาน (culture-based susceptibility tests) นั้นทำได้ยาก เนื่องจากสภาวะเป็นกรดในอาหารเลี้ยงเชื้อสามารถทำให้เกิดผลลบและผลบวกลวง การศึกษานี้มุ่งเน้นศึกษาและพัฒนาชุดทดสอบสำหรับใช้วินิจฉัยเชื้อดื้อต่อยา PZA ในเชื้อ Mycobacterium tuberculosis ด้วยชุดทดสอบ colorimetric biphasic medium assay ที่ผสม Nicotinamide (NIC-CBMA) ความเข้มข้น 250, 500, 1000 และ 2000 µg/mL และวิเคราะห์การกลายพันธุ์ที่สัมพันธ์กับการดื้อยา PZA ในยีน pncA, rpsA และ panD ผลการทดสอบในเชื้อวัณโรคดื้อยาทั้งหมด 150 สายพันธุ์ แบ่งเป็นเชื้อดื้อต่อยา PZA 40 สายพันธุ์ และเชื้อไวต่อยา PZA 110 สายพันธุ์ เมื่อทดสอบด้วยวิธี BACTEC MGIT 960 พบว่าความเข้มข้นของ NIC ≥ 1000 µg/mL เหมาะสำหรับใช้วินิจฉัยเชื้อดื้อยา PZA ด้วยวิธี NIC-CBMA ซึ่งมีความไวของชุดทดสอบเท่ากับ 100% ความจำเพาะเท่ากับ 96.36% เมื่อเทียบกับวิธีมาตรฐาน BACTEC MGIT 960 นอกจากนี้พบการกลายพันธุ์ในยีน pncA ที่สัมพันธ์กับการดื้อยา PZA จำนวน 28 แบบ ในเชื้อจำนวน 37 จาก 40 สายพันธุ์ที่ดื้อยา PZA เป็นการกลายพันธุ์แบบ Nonsynonymous 57.89% การกลายพันธุ์แบบ Indels 21.05% การกลายพันธุ์บริเวณ Promoter 13.16% การกลายพันธุ์แบบ Nonsense 5.26% และการกลายพันธุ์แบบ Double mutation 2.63% นอกจากนี้พบการกลายพันธุ์ใหม่จำนวน 4 แบบ …

Mutations Of Fus Cause Aggregation Of Rna Binding Proteins, Disruptions In Protein Synthesis, And Dysregulation Of Nonsense Mediated Decay, Marisa Elizabeth Kamelgarn

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron death and subsequent muscle atrophy. Approximately 15% of ALS cases are inheritable, and mutations in the Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) gene contribute to approximately 5% of these cases, as well as about 2% of sporadic cases. FUS performs a diverse set of cellular functions, including being a major regulator of RNA metabolism. FUS undergoes liquid- liquid phase transition in vitro, allowing for its participation in stress granules and RNA transport granules. Phase transition also contributes to the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions found in the …

Effects Of A Systemic High Urea Concentration On The Endometrial And Embryonic Transcriptomes Of The Mare, Yatta Linhares Boakari

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Pregnancy loss remains a major source of economic cost to the equine industry. Frequently, the exact causes of pregnancy loss remain unknown. It has been shown, in other species, that increased dietary protein leading to elevated blood urea nitrogen concentrations (BUN) can be a factor in decreased survival of the early embryo. Our studies provided novel information regarding the effects of elevated BUN on endometrium and embryos from mares as well as insights on changes in their gene expression. Our first objective was to develop an experimental model to elevate BUN during diestrus using intravenous urea infusion. We analyzed the …

Looking For Maize Genes Involved In Cold Response: Producing Knockouts For Arabidopsis Homologs Of Maize Candidate Genes Using A Crispr/Cas9 Approach, Katie Hillmann

Departmental Honors Projects

Most of today’s maize is cultivated outside its original climate zone, where yields are constrained by the changes in climate. Maize is especially vulnerable to high temperatures and drought stress, both of which negatively affect corn yields. An important strategy to combat this is early sowing, which avoids the effects of summer droughts and high temperatures in many places around the globe. However, maize is a cold sensitive species (Sanghera et al., 2011), making improvement to cold stress crucial for its adaption. The relatively new system CRISPR (Clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 offers the potential to study cold-stress related …

Exploring The Efficacy Of Natural Products In Alleviating Alzheimer’S Disease Using Animal Models, Prajakta Deshpande, Neha Gogia, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (hereafter AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system. There are multiple factors that cause AD, viz., accumulation of extracellular Amyloid-beta 42 plaques, intracellular hyper-phosphorylated Tau tangles, generation of reactive oxygen species due to mitochondrial dysfunction and genetic mutations. The plaques and tau tangles trigger aberrant signaling, which eventually cause cell death of the neurons. As a result, there is shrinkage of brain, cognitive defects, behavioral and psychological problems. To date, there is no direct cure for AD. Thus, scientists have been testing various strategies like screening for the small inhibitor molecule library …

The Impact Of Household Biocides And Antibiotics On Aquatic Microbial Community Composition, Abdulaziz Saud M Alrashdi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Triclosan (TCS) is antimicrobial agent that is used in a lot of consumer products, including toothpaste, liquid and bar soap, and cosmetics. TCS has been found in many lakes and rivers in the United States. However, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned TCS recently and it will no longer be used in household products. Despite the recent ban, TCS is known to persist in the environment and may have long-term impacts. We conducted an experiment on using fresh water from three locations Houghton, Green Bay and the Huron Mountains. Our goals in the study is to assess the impact …

Enhancing Water Stress Tolerance In Floriculture Crops, Suejin Park

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Water deficit is one of the major constraints on plant growth and development, causing reduction of crop productivity. To minimize water loss, among many adaptation strategies, plants close their stomata to reduce transpiration. The stomatal closure is regulated by light, internal CO2 concentration, and plant hormones, mainly abscisic acid. Plants’ response mechanisms to water deficit are complex processes involving numerous genes and various signaling pathways. Floriculture crops are often exposed to water deficit during shipping and retailing, and these periods often result in damaged crops and profit loss. Understanding of plant responses to water deficit stress will provide us an …

Association Genetics And Local Adaptation Of Populus Trichocarpa Torr. & Gray, Hari Bahadur Chhetri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A major goal in plant science is overcoming the recalcitrance of plant biomass to cellulose extraction, to enable efficient production of cellulosic biofuel. We have started to understand the genetic basis of some important traits such as cell wall chemistry, but we do not know anything about the key structural and functional traits such as wood anatomy that greatly affect plant biomass recalcitrance. Furthermore, biofuel feedstocks have to be adapted to varied environmental conditions to ensure high productivity in plantations, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying local adaptation. With the advancement in sequencing and genotyping technologies, association …

Characterization Of Nodule-Specific, Slac And Mate Membrane Transporters In Medicago Truncatula, Lina Yang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Legumes play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture because of their intrinsic ability to reduce atmospheric N₂ into NH₃ via symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). SNF is carried out in the symbiosome, a quasi-organelle containing endosymbiotic rhizobial bacteria in the cytoplasm of infected cells of the nodule. Therefore, the bacteria are surrounded by a symbiosome membrane (SM), which is derived from the plant plasma membrane during infection. SNF requires constant nutritional exchanges between symbionts, including reduced carbon (dicarboxylates) from the plant for reduced nitrogen (NH₄⁺) from the bacteroids. This exchange of nutrients and signals is fundamental …

Genetic Regulation Of The Elicitation Of Glyceollin Biosynthesis In Soybean, Md. Asraful Jahan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Glyceollin phytoalexins are the pathogen-elicited defense metabolites that belong to the isoflavonoid family of molecules of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr). Phytophthora root and stem rot of soybean caused by Phytophthora sojae is a destructive disease throughout the soybean-growing regions worldwide causing devastating economic damages (globally $1-2 billion and over $250 million in the USA) every year. Engineering soybean plants that produce higher levels of glyceollins could confer resistance against this pathogen. Glyceollins also show anticancer and neuroprotective activities in mammals, therefore they are important for agriculture and medical research. Firstly, we were interested in understanding how biotic and …

Glial Cell Expansion And Intercellular Signaling In The Developing Medial Nucleus Of The Trapezoid Body (Mntb), Ashley N. Brandebura

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neural circuit formation is a complex process involving coordinated communication between neurons, glia and vascular-associated cells (VACs). Each cell type is responsible for a unique transcriptional and translational contribution to tissue maturation. Deciphering the intercellular signaling patterns which guide neural circuit formation during normal development is thus an essential step in understanding which components of neural circuit formation go awry in neurodevelopmental disorders. The medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), located in the auditory brainstem, was used as a model system to study the dynamics of neural circuit formation because it contains a mostly homogeneous population of postsynaptic neurons …

Phenotypic Characterization Of Pnpase Mutation And Overexpression In C. Elegans, Brian J. Hur

Theses and Dissertations

PNPase, polynucleotide phosphorylase, is a multifunctional exoribonuclease protein with 3` terminal oligonucleotide polymerase activity. Coded by the PNPT1 gene, the protein is associated with mitochondrial homeostasis and functions as a possible target for cancer therapy. In this study, C. elegans was used to investigate the effect of mutation and overexpression of pnpt-1, the gene that encodes PNPase. It was determined that two specific mutations in pnpt-1 did not affect PNPase expression nor did they produce deleterious phenotypes that affected polycistronic transcript accumulation or ROS production. Creation of a stable overexpression model was achieved through Fusion PCR. However, different transgenic …