π½-Actin as a Transcription Factor of Hox Genes in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Session Number
BIO 10
Advisor(s)
Dr. Alexander Ruthenberg
Ms. Jelena Ε ΔepanoviΔ, University of Chicago,
Discipline
Biology
Start Date
17-4-2024 11:05 AM
End Date
17-4-2024 11:20 AM
Abstract
Hox genes are conserved across all eukaryotic life. Playing an integral role in limb development, Hox genes produce transcription factors that regulate gene expression within embryos, subsequently impacting morphogenesis and the location of the spine and limbs. Playing such a crucial role in developmental genetics, investigations into transcription factors within Hox genes have been a recent topic of interest in the literature. However, one transcription factor that has yet to be investigated thoroughly for its impact and role in Hox gene expression is π½-actin. A protein most well-known for its abundance in the cytoskeleton, playing an integral role in cell motility and structure, π½-actin has shown a capacity to act as a transcription factor. Localizing to the Hoxa and
Hoxb genes when perturbed by retinoic acid, π½-actin has demonstrated activity as a transcription factor in localizing transcription complexes to Hox genes. We aim to design a new MS2/MCP system that can fluorescently express the localization of π½-actin to the nucleus. We will show how activation of the π½-actin complex plays a factor in Hox transcription, alongside other factors that play a role in Hox transcription and expression.
π½-Actin as a Transcription Factor of Hox Genes in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Hox genes are conserved across all eukaryotic life. Playing an integral role in limb development, Hox genes produce transcription factors that regulate gene expression within embryos, subsequently impacting morphogenesis and the location of the spine and limbs. Playing such a crucial role in developmental genetics, investigations into transcription factors within Hox genes have been a recent topic of interest in the literature. However, one transcription factor that has yet to be investigated thoroughly for its impact and role in Hox gene expression is π½-actin. A protein most well-known for its abundance in the cytoskeleton, playing an integral role in cell motility and structure, π½-actin has shown a capacity to act as a transcription factor. Localizing to the Hoxa and
Hoxb genes when perturbed by retinoic acid, π½-actin has demonstrated activity as a transcription factor in localizing transcription complexes to Hox genes. We aim to design a new MS2/MCP system that can fluorescently express the localization of π½-actin to the nucleus. We will show how activation of the π½-actin complex plays a factor in Hox transcription, alongside other factors that play a role in Hox transcription and expression.