Mutational Analysis of T. brucei Components of Motile Flagella (TbCMF) Genes in the African Trypanosome

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dc.contributorStranford, Sharonen_US
dc.contributorBrowne, Sheilaen_US
dc.contributor.advisorSpringer, Amyen_US
dc.contributor.authorHare, Julieen_US
dc.date.accessioned2011-02-16T13:46:36Z
dc.date.available2011-02-16T13:46:36Z
dc.date.gradyear2007en_US
dc.date.issued2011-02-16
dc.date.submitted2007-05-18 16:00:00en_US
dc.description.abstractFlagella and cilia play significant roles in mobility and environmental sensing in microbes as well as organ and gamete function in more complex organisms. The African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, is a model organism for laboratory study of the components of the flagellum. Its single flagellum bears the conserved flagellar structure seen in many organisms. Little is known about the identities and interactions of the protein groups comprising the flagella despite familiarity of its shape. Understanding how molecular activity gives rise to coordinated movement (wave propagation) and environmental sensing is crucial to understanding and treating the diseases caused by African trypanosomes as well as diseases that stem from ciliary malfunctions in humans. In collaboration with the Kent Hill research team at UCLA I am seeking to characterize a protein in a family called the Trypanosoma brucei Components of Motile Flagella (TbCMF). This family has been defined by the Hill research team through bioinformatics comparison of homologues present in species with motile flagella (H. sapiens, M. musculus, D. melanogaster, C. reinhardtii, and C. elegans). RNAi will be used to characterize TbCMF 63. The predicted sequence of this gene contains a calcium binding domain. I am performing site specific mutagenesis on TbCMF 63 to perturb the function of the calcium binding protein in order to characterize its function in motility.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipBiological Sciencesen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10166/593
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rights.restrictedpublic
dc.subjectTrypanosomeen_US
dc.subjectAfrica sleeping sicknessen_US
dc.subjectFlagellaen_US
dc.subjectMotilityen_US
dc.subjectProteinen_US
dc.subjectCalciumen_US
dc.titleMutational Analysis of T. brucei Components of Motile Flagella (TbCMF) Genes in the African Trypanosomeen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
mhc.degreeUndergraduateen_US
mhc.institutionMount Holyoke Collegeen_US

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