 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
The Undergraduate Research & Teaching
Scholars Program2008-2009
Mr. Timothy Ando
Ms. Lorissa Chudnovsky
Ms. Serena Lee
Ms. Alison Tebo
Mr. Michael Winters
Mr. Timothy Ando
Mentor: Dr. Joseph Watson
Funding: Alcott Scholar
Title: Thioredoxin Reductase Activity in Mouse Models of Parkinson’s Disease
Tim Ando and Dr. Joe Watson
Tim Ando tutoring Physics 6A students
Tim Ando is a fourth-year Linguistics major and Neuroscience minor at UCLA. He has been working in Dr. Joe Watson’s lab since Fall 2007 researching the effects of oxidative stress on Parkinson’s disease proteins. Prior to working with Dr. Watson, Tim worked for two summers with the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF under Dr. Michael Geschwind, assisting with clinical research on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. He also worked at the UCLA Brain Mapping Center with the Brain Mapping MRI Study, contacting subjects and assisting with their clinical visits and MRI scans. He is excited to start his senior research project as well as tutoring Physics 6A, a class he very much enjoyed taking several years ago.
Tim’s project is based on previous research showing that agents such as herbicides and pesticides, which cause oxidative stress due to generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), have been correlated with increased α-synuclein protein expression, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathology. The cell attempts to neutralize ROS with a variety of reducing agents, one of which is thioredoxin (Trx), a small 12 kDa protein. In turn, thioredoxin reductases (TrxRs) are responsible for converting oxidized Trx back into its active reduced state in an NADPH-dependent manner. Previous data show that PD mouse models over-expressing human α-synuclein had elevated TrxR levels, suggesting that a compensatory anti-oxidant gene expression response involving the cellular reductant pathways is induced when human α-synuclein is elevated in the brain.
The project will encompass two experimental approaches to address further the role of TrxRs in the PD mouse model. The first approach will measure TrxR expression at the protein level using immunoblotting by SDS-PAGE, while the second will measure TrxR enzymatic activity using a commercially available Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). Through the concurrent analysis of TrxR expression and activity, Tim hopes to elucidate the impact of over-expressed α-synuclein in oxidative stress pathways contributing to PD.
First and foremost, Tim would like to thank Dr. Watson, for the opportunity to conduct scientific research in such an understanding and welcoming environment, as well as Asa Hatami, Henry David, Duc Tran, Jusleen Uppal, and Yan Zeng for their continued support. He would like to thank Dr. Michael Geschwind and Dr. John Mazziotta for their guidance in his prior experiences, from which he has gained indispensable knowledge. Also, he would like to thank the AAP program for the opportunity to tutor fellow students in a friendly, collaborative setting. Finally, he would like to thank Dr. Audrey Cramer and the rest of the URC for their efforts in promoting student research, and Mr. Webster for his kindness and generosity.
Ms. Lorissa Chudnovsky
Mentor: Dr. Patricia Johnson
Funding: Wasserman Scholar
Title: Characterization of a novel Trichomonas Vaginalis transcription factor
Alias Smith and Lorissa Chunovsky (not pictured: Dr. Patricia Johnson)
Lorissa Chudnosky tutoring at AAP
Lorissa Chudnosky is a third year Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Russian Literature. Besides tutoring Chemistry 14A for Academic Advancement Program, she is also involved in American Medical Student Association, Glendale Learning Project, Medical Brigades and volunteering at the Cardiology Center at the Veteran Affairs Hospital.
This year, Lorissa will be doing research under the direction of Alias Smith and Patricia Johnson. Lorissa will be taking a closer look at the transcription process in Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomonas vaginalis is an anaerobic, parasitic flagellated protozoan, which is the causative agent of trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted human infection. Studying gene expression will provide further insight into biochemical pathways of the parasite and has the potential to identify new drug target or vaccine candidates. Currently there is only one known binding motif in the parasite, which is the initiator element. Alias Smith, my graduate student mentor, has identified new binding motifs, Motif 3 (M3) and Motif 5. Through other experiments he was also able to identify a putative M3 binding protein (M3BP) and show that there is interaction between Motif 3 and M3BP in vitro. My project involves the in vivo characterization of this protein and asks two major questions. The first question is to confirm that the M3-binding protein localizes to the nucleus of T. vaginalis and the second question addresses whether the DNA-protein interaction observed in vitro takes place in the cell as well. By answering both of these questions we will be able to firmly establish whether Motif 3 is indeed a binding motif and is responsible for transcription pathways in T.vaginalis.
Lorissa would like to whole-heartedly thank Dr. Johnson and Alias Smith for introducing her to the field of molecular research and allowing her to experience it first hand. She would also like to thank Dr. Audrey Cramer and the Wasserman family for enabling her to have this wonderful experience in research and teaching. And finally, she is very grateful to Emmanuel Owaka and Academic Advancement Program for giving her the opportunity to teach UCLA students this year.
Ms. Serena Lee
Mentor: Dr. Samson Chow
Funding: Van Trees Scholar
Title: Integration site preference of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus, a new human retrovirus detected in prostate cancer tissue
Serena Lee and Dr. Samson Chow
Serena Lee tutoring at AAP
Serena Lee is a fourth year Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology student. She has been working in Dr. Samson Chow’s lab under his guidance since spring of 2007. Her current research focuses on analyzing integration site preferences of XMRV, a gammetoretrovirus detected in 40% of prostate cancer patients with defective RNaseL, an endoribonuclease involved in the antiviral action of interferon that cleaves viral and cellular single-stranded RNA. Besides research, Serena also is involved in the Asian Pacific Health Corps and is tutoring Life Sciences 1 at the Academic Advancement Program.
Many retroviruses are capable of inducing tumors in their host animals by a phenomenon called proviral insertional mutagenesis. The insertion of a retroviral genome into the host cell chromosome may act as a promoter or enhancer of a proto-oncogene, inducing tumor formation within the tissue. To determine the integration site preference of XMRV and the effects of its insertion, we carried out a genome-wide analysis of integration sites in the DU145 prostate cell line (wildtype RNase L) with an acute XMRV infection. We also analyzed 14 authentic XMRV integration sites in human prostate cancer tissues from nine different prostate cancer patients, and found that XMRV integration favored frequent cancer breakpoints, common fragile sites, microRNA, and cancer-related genes. When integration sites from patients were compared to that of the prostate cancer cell line with an acute XMRV infection, they also showed a bias for transcription start sites, CpG islands, DNase hypersensitivity sites, and transcription factor-binding sites. Despite these various integration sites, we were unable to identify any particular oncogenes favored by XMRV for integration.
Serena’s research project this year is a continuation of this study. Her goal is to further research XMRV’s integration site preferences. Dr. Isla Garroway, a collaborator of the project, has isolated 50 human prostate cancer patient tissue samples. Serena will clone, sequence, and map XMRV integration sites in these patient samples, as well as sites in the LNCaP cell line (RNase L -/-) and compare them to that of DU145 cell line. The aim is to determine whether or not defective RNase L affects the integration site preference of XMRV. She wants to determine whether XMRV will favor a particular oncogene for integration in the absence of wildtpye RNase L.
The significance of this research owes to the fact that the preference of XMRV integration toward gene regulatory regions can increase the possibility of altering the expression of genes involved in cancer formation. This study will further dissect XMRV’s role in prostate cancer development and ultimately help identify viral targets for cancer prevention and treatment.
Serena would like to thank Dr. Chow for giving her the wonderful opportunity to work in his lab and for his support and guidance since day one. She would also like to thank all the Chow lab members for their guidance and encouragement. Moreover, she would also like to thank Emmanuel Owaka and the rest of the AAP staff for giving her the opportunity to work with such bright students. Finally, she would like to extend her gratitude to Dr. Audrey Cramer, Undergraduate Research Center, and the Van Trees Foundation for their generosity and support.
Ms. Alison Tebo
Mentor: Dr. Imke Schroeder
Funding: Hilton Scholar
Title: Expression and Characterization of Tungstate Transport Proteins in Pyrobaculum aerophilum
Dr. Imke Schroeder and Alison Tebo
Alison Tebo tutoring Chem 153A
Alison is a fourth year Biochemistry student. She has been performing research in Dr. Schroeder’s lab since 2007. She is interested in bioinorganic chemistry and metalloproteins. Scientists have only begun to research Archaea. Their recognition as a separate domain of life was not fully realized until the latter half of the twentieth century. Many live in extreme environment and have been termed “extremophiles”. Many utilize unique metabolic schemes that allow them to adapt to these extreme environments. Pyrobaculum aerophilum is an example of a hyperthermophilic archaean. It metabolizes via aerobic respiration and dissimilatory nitrate reduction. Interestingly, it prefers the presence of tungstate over molybdate—the preferred prosthetic group for nitrate reductase. Alison has been investigating a putative tungstate ABC-type transporter in P. aerophilum. Two genes have been identified as likely candidates for this transporter and have been cloned. Alison is currently working on overexpressing and characterizing the binding domain of the transporter. After the protein is reliably expressed, its binding properties will be characterized via binding assays with tungstate, molybdate, and possible targets.
Alison has been tutoring Chem 153A, the introductory biochemistry course, for the last year. She will continue to tutor this year. Alison would like to thank the Academic Advancement Program and Audrey Cramer for allowing her to pursue her passions of teaching and research.
Mr. Michael Winters
Mentor: Dr. Stuart Brown
Funding: Litton Scholar
Title:
Dr. Stuart Brown and Michael Winters
Dr. Stuart Brown and I are currently working on constructing a probe that will be used in solid state physics experiments during winter and spring quarters. We will be examining the properties of crystalline and poly-crystalline materials at low temperature such as high T c superconductivity, anti-ferromagnetism, phonon modes, density of states, and thermodynamic properties. Samples will be mounted to the probe and will be placed in a cryostat and high magnetic field. We will be using an experimental technique known as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to collect data on the sample.
Everything on the probe must be fabricated from scratch- hall probes will be mounted to detect the orientation of the sample (which may be rotated) with respect the to field, a thermometer, RF circuitry and an antenna. The RF circuitry will allow us to manipulate the magnetic moments (nuclear spins) inside the material.
