38th Annual Student Research Conference
Determining the Role of TBCD-1 During Epidermal Morphogenesis
Jonas Hammerschmidt
Dr. Stephanie Maiden, Faculty Mentor
Epidermal morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos requires coordinated interactions between microtubules, F-actin, and cell adhesion proteins. While F-actin is known to stabilize adhesion complexes, the role of microtubules remains unclear. This study investigates whether microtubules contribute to junction stability or function primarily in protein transport. Using RNA interference (RNAi) to knock down tbcd-1, a β-tubulin folding chaperone, we observed ventral enclosure defects during epidermal morphogenesis as well as a loss of α-tubulin::GFP, suggesting an essential role for tbcd-1 in cytoskeletal integrity and epithelial remodeling. Fluorescent confocal microscopy is currently being used to compare the localization of cell adhesion proteins between wildtype and tbcd-1(RNAi) embryos. Quantitative analyses of the fluorescent signals will be conducted with Imaris software. Loss of adhesion proteins at junctions would support the protein transport model, while mislocalization would support a change to junction stability, further clarifying microtubule function in epithelial development.
Keywords: Developmental Biology, Caenorhabditis elegans, Genetics, Confocal Microscopy, Embryonic Epidermal Development, TBCD-1, RNA interference, Epidermal Morphogenisis
Topic(s):Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biology
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Session: 400-21
Location: SUB Activities Room
Time: 7:30