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Sophie Lear
Sophie Lear

Sophie Lear

Investigating the interaction between PAM-1 and WEE-1.3 during meiosis in C. elegans

Project Description

In C. elegans, the puromycin sensitive aminopeptidase PAM-1 is an essential protein in cell cycle regulation and the development of embryos. By exploring the role of the PAM-1 protein during meiosis, or the formation of egg and sperm, we can better understand how it functions to regulate development. My project focuses on how a suppressor mutation in the WEE-1.3 protein interacts with the PAM-1 mutation.
WEE-1.3 is an inhibitory kinase implicated in the regulation of the cell-cycle. By examining mutants of pam1, wee-1.3, double mutants with both mutations, and by knocking out the expression of the proteins, we can compare how the proteins affect meiosis differently. This research is important for better understanding infertility and early development, especially since humans have a version of the PAM-1 protein.

Department

Biology

Faculty Advisor

Rebecca Lyczak