Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Ekaterina Voronina
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Division of Biological Sciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The regulation of the cell cycle is an essential process that contributes to the normal growth and division as well as the prevention of tumor formation. A cell’s progress through mitosis is regulated by a network of proteins that affect the cyclin B–Cdk1 complex. In C. elegans, there are 4 different cyclin B genes that partner with Cdk1: cyb-1, cyb-2.1, cyb-2.2, and cyb-3. Although all are required for completion of embryonic cell divisions, the detailed functions of some of these cyclins, including any contribution to the regulation of animal size, are still unknown. After noticing a potential increase in length of worms that combined a mutation in fbf-2 RNA regulator with a hyperactive Cyclin B (cyb-2.1(h)), we investigated the relationship between hyperactive cyb-2.1, worm length, and regulatory pathways affecting animal size. Documenting animal growth over time in wild type and mutant strains allowed us to identify a significant increase of worm length in fbf-2; cyb-2.1(h). To further determine CYB-2.1 role in length regulation, RNA interference assays are being conducted to inhibit protein expression of numerous genes known to affect C. elegans length, through the TGFβ signaling pathway. A knockdown of each protein will be performed in both wild-type and fbf-2; cyb-2.1(h) double mutant. Wild-type worms are expected to show short body size after a knockdown. No decrease in the length of double mutants will indicate that CYB-2.1 genetically functions downstream of the knocked-down protein. The implications of findings will be discussed to place cyb-2.1 regulation in an established signaling pathway regulating worm length. Understanding cell cycle regulators such as cyb-2.1 and how they contribute to the regulation of animal size are crucial because loss of strict control over cell division can lead to developmental abnormalities as well as cancerous growths.
Category
Life Sciences
Genetic analysis of changes in body length in Caenorhabditis elegans
The regulation of the cell cycle is an essential process that contributes to the normal growth and division as well as the prevention of tumor formation. A cell’s progress through mitosis is regulated by a network of proteins that affect the cyclin B–Cdk1 complex. In C. elegans, there are 4 different cyclin B genes that partner with Cdk1: cyb-1, cyb-2.1, cyb-2.2, and cyb-3. Although all are required for completion of embryonic cell divisions, the detailed functions of some of these cyclins, including any contribution to the regulation of animal size, are still unknown. After noticing a potential increase in length of worms that combined a mutation in fbf-2 RNA regulator with a hyperactive Cyclin B (cyb-2.1(h)), we investigated the relationship between hyperactive cyb-2.1, worm length, and regulatory pathways affecting animal size. Documenting animal growth over time in wild type and mutant strains allowed us to identify a significant increase of worm length in fbf-2; cyb-2.1(h). To further determine CYB-2.1 role in length regulation, RNA interference assays are being conducted to inhibit protein expression of numerous genes known to affect C. elegans length, through the TGFβ signaling pathway. A knockdown of each protein will be performed in both wild-type and fbf-2; cyb-2.1(h) double mutant. Wild-type worms are expected to show short body size after a knockdown. No decrease in the length of double mutants will indicate that CYB-2.1 genetically functions downstream of the knocked-down protein. The implications of findings will be discussed to place cyb-2.1 regulation in an established signaling pathway regulating worm length. Understanding cell cycle regulators such as cyb-2.1 and how they contribute to the regulation of animal size are crucial because loss of strict control over cell division can lead to developmental abnormalities as well as cancerous growths.