Location
University of Nevada Las Vegas, Student Union Ball Room
Start Date
6-8-2008 9:00 AM
End Date
6-8-2008 12:00 PM
Description
The goal of our research is to determine whether the level of transcription of a gene is correlated with the level of mutation in that gene. One factor involved in the mutability of a transcribed gene is the ability of the single stranded DNA to form secondary stem loop structures (SLS), in the wake of the transcription bubble, that contain unpaired mutable bases. We are interested in correlating the levels of mutation with transcription in the argF gene, which is predicted by bioinformatic analysis to be highly mutable. To achieve this goal, Allison will first construct a non-polar argF genetic knockout using a kanamycin cassette. Then, she will test the phenotype of the ArgF- strain. If a biochemical suppressor is present, she will disrupt the next possible genetic candidate. She will also build an IPTG-inducible construct containing argF with a stop codon in the loop of a putative SLS. This will be introduced into ArgF- Bacillus subtilis and assayed for the accumulation of mutations under starvation conditions, in the presence and absence of IPTG.
Keywords
ArgF-; Bacillus subtilis; Gene mutations; Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG); Mutagenesis; Secondary stem loop structures (SLS)
Disciplines
Genetics | Molecular Genetics
Language
English
Constructing an ArgF- strain of Bacillus subtilis
University of Nevada Las Vegas, Student Union Ball Room
The goal of our research is to determine whether the level of transcription of a gene is correlated with the level of mutation in that gene. One factor involved in the mutability of a transcribed gene is the ability of the single stranded DNA to form secondary stem loop structures (SLS), in the wake of the transcription bubble, that contain unpaired mutable bases. We are interested in correlating the levels of mutation with transcription in the argF gene, which is predicted by bioinformatic analysis to be highly mutable. To achieve this goal, Allison will first construct a non-polar argF genetic knockout using a kanamycin cassette. Then, she will test the phenotype of the ArgF- strain. If a biochemical suppressor is present, she will disrupt the next possible genetic candidate. She will also build an IPTG-inducible construct containing argF with a stop codon in the loop of a putative SLS. This will be introduced into ArgF- Bacillus subtilis and assayed for the accumulation of mutations under starvation conditions, in the presence and absence of IPTG.
Comments
Abstract & poster