Murray State Theses and Dissertations

NEXT-GENERATION CELL ORGANELLES: BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF AUBERGINE-TUDOR PROTEIN COMPLEX

Abstract

Abstract

Germ cells are referred to as the immortally totipotent stem cells, which develop into all possible cell types and tissues after fertilization and are responsible for perpetuating the species. Unique electron-dense structures of the germ cells are cytoplasmic non-membranous organelles, referred to as germ granules, which enrich germline specificRNAs and proteins crucial for germ cell development. Both Tudor (Tud) protein and its interacting partner PIWI protein Aubergine (Aub) are germ granule components required for germ cell formation during early embryogenesis in the fruit fly Drosophila. However, the assembly of the granules from individual components, such asTud and Aub, and their structures are still unclear. Here we provide biochemical evidence for interactions ofTud and Aub with motor proteins, RNA helicases, and glycolytic enzymes. My data also show that Aub can be expressed and post-translationally modified in baculovirus expression system and subsequently purified. Purified Aub can be associated with other purified granule proteins. These data indicate that germ granules contain multiple proteins assembled with aTud-Aub complex for post-transcriptional gene regulation during germline development.

Year manuscript completed

2017

Year degree awarded

2017

Degree Awarded

Master of Science

Department

Biology

College/School

Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology

Dissertation Committee Chair

Alexey Arkov

Thesis Advisor

Alexey Arkov

Committee Chair

Alexey Arkov

Committee Member

Timothy Johnston

Committee Member

Chris Trzepacz

Committee Member

Bommanna Loganathan

Document Type

Thesis - Murray State Access only

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