The effects of Silencing ERM-1 gene in Caenorhabditis elegans, Sabharwal, Kiran
College of Science and Mathematics
Professor: Dr. Rachel Hopp
Caenorhabditis elegans, transparent nematodes, have been widely used as a model organism system for research in neurology and biology. When combined with the uses of RNAi, C. elegans have proven to help understand just how gene regulation is altered. The ERM protein family consists of three closely related proteins, ezrin, radixin, and moesin, which are known to serve as linkers between membrane proteins and F-actin cytoskeleton in many organisms. Silencing of erm-1 by RNAi is expected to interfere with the apical junction (AJ), resulting in abnormalities in gut formation, leading to intestinal constriction and obstructions. This intestine-specific phenotype can then be used to gain a better understanding of gut development and its importance in nutrient absorption and waste production, not only in C. elegans, but in humans as well. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that silencing of erm-1 will result in impaired gut formation, leading to deficiencies in nutrient absorption and waste production output. Objectives of this study would be to generate a feeding vector using the pPR244 plasmid containing the dsRNA of erm-1 – this will introduce the gene into a vector that can be fed to the C. elegans, in order to induce erm-1 knockdown by RNAi. Through further research we will be able to observe how erm-1, when silenced, causes major changes and alterations in the gut of C. elegans and what this means for gut development in humans.
