Exploring gene-level controls of protein expression dynamics
Research Mentor(s)
Pollard, Dan A.
Description
Genetic variation among individuals can influence the four components of protein expression dynamics: rates of transcription, mRNA decay, translation, and protein decay. This contributes to trait variation. Much research has centered on how genetic variation influences rates of transcription and mRNA decay, though relatively little has focused on how genetic variation influences the other two components of protein expression dynamics, i.e. the rates of translation and protein decay. I hope to provide insight by studying 22 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where I model how variation in each gene explains between-strain differences in its rates of protein translation and decay. This will lay a foundation for similar studies in other organisms. A better understanding of how genetic variants influence the rates of protein translation and decay will be useful in piecing together evolutionary history, in engineering genes, in unraveling the genetic basis of health, and in learning more about disease. The linear mixed-effects regression model I hope to build will predict gene-specific rates of translation and protein decay as a function of different measures of codon bias and mRNA secondary structure stability.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
15-5-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
15-5-2019 5:00 PM
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
Biology
Genre/Form
student projects, posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Messenger RNA; RNA-protien interactios--Regulation; Saccharomyses cerevisiae--Biotechnology
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Exploring gene-level controls of protein expression dynamics
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Genetic variation among individuals can influence the four components of protein expression dynamics: rates of transcription, mRNA decay, translation, and protein decay. This contributes to trait variation. Much research has centered on how genetic variation influences rates of transcription and mRNA decay, though relatively little has focused on how genetic variation influences the other two components of protein expression dynamics, i.e. the rates of translation and protein decay. I hope to provide insight by studying 22 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where I model how variation in each gene explains between-strain differences in its rates of protein translation and decay. This will lay a foundation for similar studies in other organisms. A better understanding of how genetic variants influence the rates of protein translation and decay will be useful in piecing together evolutionary history, in engineering genes, in unraveling the genetic basis of health, and in learning more about disease. The linear mixed-effects regression model I hope to build will predict gene-specific rates of translation and protein decay as a function of different measures of codon bias and mRNA secondary structure stability.