We chose Tetrahymena thermophila because of its own DNA damage during mating which leads us to believe that it may have DNA damage repair properties. However, there are many genes in Tetrahymena thermophila so to narrow down to the Socax gene, we compared its gene expression profile to Rad51 which is known for partaking in the DNA damage repair pathway. Socax had a similar gene expression profile to Rad51 during conjugation.
When testing other genes, we would expect to see higher levels of expression in the presence of DNA damage compared to untreated cells when testing its cDNA through gel electrophoresis. This would indicate that it may have involvement in the DNA damage repair pathway.
Hydroxyurea induces DNA damage by halting replication in DNA. Hydroxyurea is used in cancer treatment with chemo-therapy, so DNA damage would be useful in this application of it.
You mentioned that Socax doesn’t have any homologs in mammals. Does it have any homologs in other types of organisms that could potentially suggest its function?
I had two homologs in other organisms. One was in Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and the other was in Pseudocohnilembus persalinus. These are both parasitic organisms found in fish, which may give some insight into the function of Socax. However, only one of these was a true homolog and one was a looser homolog so it is not guaranteed that these are determinant of Socax’s function.
Good job on your poster, what made you isolate this gene (what makes it so special) to study instead of other genes?
We chose Tetrahymena thermophila because of its own DNA damage during mating which leads us to believe that it may have DNA damage repair properties. However, there are many genes in Tetrahymena thermophila so to narrow down to the Socax gene, we compared its gene expression profile to Rad51 which is known for partaking in the DNA damage repair pathway. Socax had a similar gene expression profile to Rad51 during conjugation.
Good presentation! What do you expect to find when you test other genomes?
When testing other genes, we would expect to see higher levels of expression in the presence of DNA damage compared to untreated cells when testing its cDNA through gel electrophoresis. This would indicate that it may have involvement in the DNA damage repair pathway.
What is hydroxyurea and how does it induce DNA damage?
Hydroxyurea induces DNA damage by halting replication in DNA. Hydroxyurea is used in cancer treatment with chemo-therapy, so DNA damage would be useful in this application of it.
You mentioned that Socax doesn’t have any homologs in mammals. Does it have any homologs in other types of organisms that could potentially suggest its function?
I had two homologs in other organisms. One was in Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and the other was in Pseudocohnilembus persalinus. These are both parasitic organisms found in fish, which may give some insight into the function of Socax. However, only one of these was a true homolog and one was a looser homolog so it is not guaranteed that these are determinant of Socax’s function.
What treatments do you think this gene could be used in to have more beneficial results?