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Characterization of the spinster gene ortholog C13C4.5 in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Date Issued:
2012
Summary:
The dauer larva is an alternate larval stage which allows the nematode C. elegans to survive environmestress during development. Dauer formation requires autophagy, a cellular process responsible for degrading and recycling cytoplasmic components. I investigated the role of a spinster orthiolog, C13C4.5, by examining the effects of C13C4.5 loss-of-function and by generating a transgenic strain which expressed a C13C4.5::GFP fusion protein. Under normal conditions C13C4.5::GFP is expressed diffusely in the intestine, but under autophagy-promoting conditions the expression pattern becomes more punctate. This is consistent with localization of C13C4.5 to autophagolysomoes during autophagy, as has been shown for spinster in D. melanogaster. Loss of C13C4.5 function in a dauer-constitutive mutant resulted in a reduction in the proportion of animals entering into the dauer stage. Together these data suggest that C13C4.5 is involved in dauer formation and the autophagy pathway.
Title: Characterization of the spinster gene ortholog C13C4.5 in Caenorhabditis elegans.
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Name(s): Zahornacky, Darrin.
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Thesis
Issuance: multipart monograph
Date Issued: 2012
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
electronic resource
Extent: v, 47 p. : ill. (some col.)
Language(s): English
Summary: The dauer larva is an alternate larval stage which allows the nematode C. elegans to survive environmestress during development. Dauer formation requires autophagy, a cellular process responsible for degrading and recycling cytoplasmic components. I investigated the role of a spinster orthiolog, C13C4.5, by examining the effects of C13C4.5 loss-of-function and by generating a transgenic strain which expressed a C13C4.5::GFP fusion protein. Under normal conditions C13C4.5::GFP is expressed diffusely in the intestine, but under autophagy-promoting conditions the expression pattern becomes more punctate. This is consistent with localization of C13C4.5 to autophagolysomoes during autophagy, as has been shown for spinster in D. melanogaster. Loss of C13C4.5 function in a dauer-constitutive mutant resulted in a reduction in the proportion of animals entering into the dauer stage. Together these data suggest that C13C4.5 is involved in dauer formation and the autophagy pathway.
Identifier: 820022227 (oclc), 3359320 (digitool), FADT3359320 (IID), fau:1448 (fedora)
Note(s): by Darrin Zahornacky.
Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Honors College, 2012.
Includes bibliography.
Mode of Access: World Wide Web.
System requirements: Adobe Reader.
Subject(s): Gene expression
Apoptosis
Caenorhabditis elegans
Proteins -- Analysis
Held by: FBoU FAUER
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359320
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU

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