Murray State University
Function of Tudor Protein in Germline Stem Cells and Brain Development
Institution
Murray State University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Alexey Arkov
Abstract
The medical field has made great strides due to extensive research in biology. More specifically, stem cell biology has provided a new approach to treating complicated medical ailments. Understanding the stem cell components will provide the medical field with the tools they need to better utilize their abilities for treatment. A well-known issue that comes with aging is the degeneration of the neurological system; for example, Parkinson’s disease. Our main research focused on the germline stem cell scaffolding component, the Tudor protein, which has also been demonstrated to be expressed in the brain. Germline stem cells give rise to the sperm and egg, which ultimately produce all cells of the new organism. We worked on characterizing new interacting partners of Tudor and have shown that they are crucial for germline development. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that Tudor and its partners play a role in brain development and memory formation.
Function of Tudor Protein in Germline Stem Cells and Brain Development
The medical field has made great strides due to extensive research in biology. More specifically, stem cell biology has provided a new approach to treating complicated medical ailments. Understanding the stem cell components will provide the medical field with the tools they need to better utilize their abilities for treatment. A well-known issue that comes with aging is the degeneration of the neurological system; for example, Parkinson’s disease. Our main research focused on the germline stem cell scaffolding component, the Tudor protein, which has also been demonstrated to be expressed in the brain. Germline stem cells give rise to the sperm and egg, which ultimately produce all cells of the new organism. We worked on characterizing new interacting partners of Tudor and have shown that they are crucial for germline development. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that Tudor and its partners play a role in brain development and memory formation.