First Advisor

David B. Morton

Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Science and University Honors

Department

Science

Subjects

Exons (Genetics), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Drosophila melanogaster -- Genetics -- Case studies, RNA splicing

DOI

10.15760/honors.419

Abstract

Defects in the TAR DNA-binding protein named TDP-43 are known to be involved with many neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS. TBPH, a TDP-43 Drosophila orthologue is used to explore the specifics of those defects. This protein is known to have many cellular roles, one of them being a regulator for splicing. TBPH null flies have shown that the region coding for the voltage gated calcium channel cacophony is a potential target for splicing, directly producing a greater number of transcripts that lack exon 7. In this report, the phenotype of adult flies that lack exon 7 is explored. These mutants are known to have reduced larval crawling and decreased expression of cacophony. In this study exon 7(-) adult flies exhibit reduced activity compared to wild type flies as well as a decreased ability to survive exposure to caffeine. These phenotypes were rescued by a duplication of the cacophony genome. Driving cacophony selectively in neurons with different UAS-GAL4 drivers as a followup experiment is discussed with preliminary data.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/20421

Download

Share

COinS