Faculty Advisor

Saucedo, Leslie

Area of Study

Science and Mathematics

Publication Date

Summer 2018

Abstract

Phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL) is a protein that controls cell processes such as growth and division which has unknown targets. PRL has been found to have both oncogenic and tumor suppressive properties. This study aimed to create a knock out of PRL in Drosohpila melanogaster in order to assess its role in development and in order to illuminate its activity when it is expressed in cancers. We hypothesize that dPRL-1 plays an important role in embryogenesis and that the progeny which lack this gene will be unviable. The CRISPR/Cas9 system was selected as the method in which to create a knock-out of this gene due to the specificity that it provides. Guide RNAs were designed in order to knock-out dPRL-1 and a gene called Yellow. The purpose of knocking out Yellow is that its absence leads to flies being yellow in color, which would serve as a positive marker. The gRNA for dPRL-1 was successfully integrated into a vector to cause expression in Drosophila, but the gRNA for Yellow was not able to be inserted. We await the arrival of the transgenic gRNA expressing lines to cross with a line of Cas9 expressing flies. The resulting progeny which lack dPRL-1 which will aid in our understanding of the role it plays in Drosophila development and its possible function in humans.

Publisher

University of Puget Sound

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