Kentucky Community & Technical College System
Erythrocyte Expression of Polycystin 1
Institution
Kentucky Community and Technical College System
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Timothy Dick
Abstract
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common human genetic diseases, affecting approximately 1.24 million people worldwide. When either the PKD 1 gene on Chromosome 16 or the PKD 2 gene on Chromosome 4 is mutated, an individual develops kidney cysts which over time destroy healthy kidney tissue. Polycystin 1 is a transmembrane protein in kidney cells that functions in cell-cell matrix interactions. Polycystin 2 is a transmembrane protein that may serve as a calcium channel in conjunction with Polycystin 1. Polycystin 1 and Polycystin 2, if located on or in the erythrocyte, could serve as a model for the study of calcium channels. These channels in normal erythrocytes could then be compared to erythrocytes of an individual with PKD. The project presents results of immunohistochemical analysis of normal erythrocyte expression.
Erythrocyte Expression of Polycystin 1
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common human genetic diseases, affecting approximately 1.24 million people worldwide. When either the PKD 1 gene on Chromosome 16 or the PKD 2 gene on Chromosome 4 is mutated, an individual develops kidney cysts which over time destroy healthy kidney tissue. Polycystin 1 is a transmembrane protein in kidney cells that functions in cell-cell matrix interactions. Polycystin 2 is a transmembrane protein that may serve as a calcium channel in conjunction with Polycystin 1. Polycystin 1 and Polycystin 2, if located on or in the erythrocyte, could serve as a model for the study of calcium channels. These channels in normal erythrocytes could then be compared to erythrocytes of an individual with PKD. The project presents results of immunohistochemical analysis of normal erythrocyte expression.