Creating a Drug Sensitive Strain of Pichia pastoris
Faculty Sponsor
Brian Dunn, Gonzaga University
Research Project Abstract
Cystic Fibrosis is an autosomal recessive condition that is caused by a mutation in the CFTR gene. This mutation results in the misfolding and dysfunction of the CFTR protein. The most common of these is the ΔF508 mutation. Our collaborator Dr. Stephen Aller, an X-ray Crystallographer at the University of Alabama plans to use drugs to extract and isolate the CFTR protein and the ΔF508 mutation. In order to do this, the organisms used must be drug sensitive. The main purpose of this research was to create a drug sensitive strain of Pichia pastoris to use as the model organism to look at CFTR and ΔF508 CFTR. In order to do this, our approach includes the deletion of key transcription factor sequences in Pichia pastoris, these were determined by blast results comparing Pichia pastoris’ genome to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and identifying the similar sequences for transcription factors.
Session Number
PS1
Location
Graves Gym
Abstract Number
PS1-a
Creating a Drug Sensitive Strain of Pichia pastoris
Graves Gym
Cystic Fibrosis is an autosomal recessive condition that is caused by a mutation in the CFTR gene. This mutation results in the misfolding and dysfunction of the CFTR protein. The most common of these is the ΔF508 mutation. Our collaborator Dr. Stephen Aller, an X-ray Crystallographer at the University of Alabama plans to use drugs to extract and isolate the CFTR protein and the ΔF508 mutation. In order to do this, the organisms used must be drug sensitive. The main purpose of this research was to create a drug sensitive strain of Pichia pastoris to use as the model organism to look at CFTR and ΔF508 CFTR. In order to do this, our approach includes the deletion of key transcription factor sequences in Pichia pastoris, these were determined by blast results comparing Pichia pastoris’ genome to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and identifying the similar sequences for transcription factors.