The Cytotoxic Effect of Melittin and TsAP 2 on pBR322 Vector DNA
Session Number
B11
Advisor(s)
Santosh Misra, Carle Biomedical Research Center Dipanjan Pan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Location
B-115
Start Date
28-4-2016 8:00 AM
End Date
28-4-2016 8:25 AM
Abstract
The instability of genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) plays an integral role in carcinogenesis and metastasis by causing mutations that regulate cell division and expression. Degrading the genomic DNA that governs the cell cycle will downregulate both proliferation and differentiation. In an attempt to discover therapeutic agents that would distort the molecular structure of DNA, this investigation uncovered medicinal effects of the cytotoxic and amphipathic peptides, melittin and TsAP 2, on pBR322 Vector DNA. Gel electrophoresis and ultraviolet imaging allowed us to determine the optimal concentration range of melittin and tityusserrulatus antimicrobial peptide (TsAP 2) needed to distort the charge of DNA. In each trial, the ratio of DNA to peptide assorted from 1:0.25 to 1:2.5, respectively. Preliminary gel images suggest that as the peptide concentration increased, the amount of unbound DNA decreased. Specifically, melittin is able to bind and distort DNA at a concentration of 25 micromolar (μM) while TsAP 2 is able to do so at a concentration of 150 μM. I speculated that the peptides caused long- range electrostatic interactions in the backbone of DNA, causing the helix to condense and collapse, I concluded that melittin and TsAP 2 are potent distorters of DNA.
The Cytotoxic Effect of Melittin and TsAP 2 on pBR322 Vector DNA
B-115
The instability of genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) plays an integral role in carcinogenesis and metastasis by causing mutations that regulate cell division and expression. Degrading the genomic DNA that governs the cell cycle will downregulate both proliferation and differentiation. In an attempt to discover therapeutic agents that would distort the molecular structure of DNA, this investigation uncovered medicinal effects of the cytotoxic and amphipathic peptides, melittin and TsAP 2, on pBR322 Vector DNA. Gel electrophoresis and ultraviolet imaging allowed us to determine the optimal concentration range of melittin and tityusserrulatus antimicrobial peptide (TsAP 2) needed to distort the charge of DNA. In each trial, the ratio of DNA to peptide assorted from 1:0.25 to 1:2.5, respectively. Preliminary gel images suggest that as the peptide concentration increased, the amount of unbound DNA decreased. Specifically, melittin is able to bind and distort DNA at a concentration of 25 micromolar (μM) while TsAP 2 is able to do so at a concentration of 150 μM. I speculated that the peptides caused long- range electrostatic interactions in the backbone of DNA, causing the helix to condense and collapse, I concluded that melittin and TsAP 2 are potent distorters of DNA.