Tissue specific effects of βFTZ-F1 loss-of-function on the early gene E93 transcription during Drosophila melanogaster metamorphosis

Simple item page
dc.contributorDecatur, Seanen_US
dc.contributorBarry, Susanen_US
dc.contributor.advisorWoodard, Craigen_US
dc.contributor.authorHoang, Anhen_US
dc.date.accessioned2011-02-16T13:47:27Z
dc.date.available2011-02-16T13:47:27Z
dc.date.gradyear2006en_US
dc.date.issued2011-02-16
dc.date.submitted2006-05-17 22:14:32en_US
dc.description.abstractSteroid hormones, in conjunction with their receptors, regulate the transcription of target genes in higher organisms. During Drosophila melanogaster s metamorphosis, two pulses of the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (ecdysone) direct both morphogenesis and the destruction of tissues by programmed cell death. An increase in ecdysone titer at the end of the third larval instar triggers puparium formation, marking the onset of metamorphosis. As a result, the anterior larval muscles and larval midgut undergo apoptosis (Broadus, 1999). Roughly ten hours after puparium formation (APF), another ecdysone pulse induces the prepupal-pupal transition during which the larval salivary glands undergo programmed cell death and leg imaginal discs complete their extension. Induced by these ecdysone pulses are the early genes, namely Broad Complex (BR-C), E74A ,and E75A. These genes encode transcription factor for genes involved in tissue morphogenesis and programmed cell death. In addition to these genes, the gene E93 is expressed during the prepupal ecdysone pulse. The gene E93 induces programmed cell death of the salivary land and midgut (Lee, 2002). During the interval of low ecdysone titer in mid-prepupae, the gene βFTZ-F1 is expressed. This gene is believed to provide the early genes with the competence to respond to ecdysone (Woodard, 1994). This experiment examines RNA isolated from salivary glands, midgut, hindgut and fat from animals aged at 10 and 12 hours APF. The expression level of E93 in control (w1118) animals was compared to FTZ-F1 loss of function mutants to determine if FTZ-F1 is required for the proper expression of E93. Real Time PCR was used to quantify the amount of E93 mRNA in these tissues at specific metamorphic stages. The comparative CT (∆∆CT) analyses of relative real-time PCR results showed an underexpression of E93 at 10 hrs APF in hindgut and salivary gland tissues of FTZ-F1 mutants, suggesting that FTZ-F1 was necessary for the expression of E93. Both midgut and fat body tissues of FTZ-F1 mutants showed similar expression as control animals. This indicates that FTZ-F1 was not necessary for the expression of E93 in these tissues in late prepupae.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipBiochemistryen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10166/766
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rights.restrictedpublic
dc.subjectDROSOPHILAen_US
dc.subjectMELANOGASTERen_US
dc.subjectE93en_US
dc.subjectβFTZ-F1en_US
dc.titleTissue specific effects of βFTZ-F1 loss-of-function on the early gene E93 transcription during Drosophila melanogaster metamorphosisen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
mhc.degreeUndergraduateen_US
mhc.institutionMount Holyoke Collegeen_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
140.pdf
Size:
788.89 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Student Theses and Honors Collection