17th Annual Student Research Conference
Science
Analysis of maize mutants: differential protein expression in camouflage1 plants
Lisa A. Schell* and Jacqueline E. Weiss
Dr. Diane Janick-Buckner, Faculty Mentor
Programmed cell death (PCD) is a normal occurrence in the development of multicellular organisms and removes cells that are no longer needed by induction of a cellular suicide mechanism. PCD has been heavily studied in animal cells, however, the mechanisms of plant cell PCD are not well described. Camouflage1, a mutant of maize displays PCD morphology at inappropriate times. Maize, a C4 plant, separates the two photosystems into mesophyll and bundle sheath cells. Previous studies have shown that bundle sheath cells die selectively in lesions of camouflage1 plants. Proteins were extracted from both wild-type and mutant regions of camouflage1 plants, as well as wild-type plants. These proteins were immunoblotted for light harvesting complex and mitochondrial proteins, which are differentially expressed in bundle sheath and mesophyll cells. Camouflage1 mutant tissue showed consistently lower levels of protein compared to wild-type and healthy mutant tissue. The results of this study have implications for the pathways of cell death in plants.
Keywords: mutant, maize, camouflage1, protein, cell death
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 26-39
Location: OP Lobby & Atrium
Time: 1:15