32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Genetic Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation and Oxygen on Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cultures: A Study of the AAC1, AAC2, and AAC3 Genes
Brody J. Aubry♦
Dr. Carolina Sempertegui, Faculty Mentor
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a unicellular fungus that has been heavily studied for its role as a model organism for eukaryotic life and its role in various industries. In this study, the effects of ultraviolet radiation on the expression of the AAC genes (encoding for mitochondrial ATP/ADP transfer proteins) were assessed. Additionally, strains of S. cerevisiae with differentially expressed AAC genes were studied to assess the role of the mitochondrial transfer proteins on cell survival. Metabolite and colony growth assays were conducted to assess how these genes affect the survivorship of the cells while qRT-PCR studies assessed the expression of the AAC genes after irradiation treatments. The qRT-PCR study indicates that ultraviolet radiation does not affect the expression of all three AAC genes while the other data is still being processed. This study will provide insight into the effects of ultraviolet radiation and oxygen presence on eukaryotic organisms.
Keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Gene Expression, AAC1, AAC2, AAC3
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 108-2
Location: MC 209
Time: 8:45