Kelsey Walworth
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Teresa O’Meara
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Microbiology and Immunology / Medicine
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 3 – 1:40pm – 2:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors:
Presenter: 113
Abstract
Many genes are present in multiple different species. Yet, even when a gene exists in two species, it does not always perform the same function in both species. Assessing whether a gene might have the same function in two different organisms can be accomplished through controlled genetic perturbations of only that gene in the different organisms. By comparing these new mutants with the wild type organisms, we can better understand how the same genes can function differently in related organisms. This project focuses on understanding how the gene for the Ace2 transcription factor functions in two related, pathogenic fungal species, Candida albicans and Candida auris. In C. albicans, Ace2 is a transcription factor involved in the RAM signaling pathway, a pathway which is implicated in cell growth and division, and affects the species ability to filament and invade host tissues. It is unknown whether and to what extent plays the same role in C. auris. To see if the lack of the gene has the same effect in both organisms, we created Ace2 knockout strains in both C. albicans and C. auris. We also created two more mutant strains by transforming the C. albicans Ace2 gene into C. auris, and the C. auris Ace2 gene into C. albicans. We then characterized the mutants in comparison to each other and to their corresponding wild type strains in order to understand whether differential gene function was the result of differences in gene location, for example, each organism having different Ace2 promoters, or in the activity of Ace2 after transcription, for example, Ace2 binding to different sites in the genome of each organism.
Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary, Natural/Life Sciences
