19th Annual Student Research Conference
Science
Exploring the Functions of SWI/SNF in Transcriptional Activation
Sherry L. Ritter
Dr. Gavin R. Schnitzler (Tufts University) and Dr. Maria Nagan, Faculty Mentors
Human SWI/SNF is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factor consisting of about 10 subunits, including BRG1, which functions as a co-activator for many transcription factors. It has also been shown that p53, a transcription factor, acts as a tumor suppressor by responding to DNA damage and increasing the transcription of both proteins that block the cell cycle and those that cause cell death. The goal of this specific project was to test whether functional SWI/SNF is essential for increased levels of transcriptional activation by p53. Mammalian tissue cultures that lacked the BRG1 subunit of SWI/SNF (rendering it non-functional) were transfected with GAL4-luc (as a reporter construct), basal TK-Renilla (as a control), and various combinations of GAL4-p53, BRG1 wild type and a BRG1 mutant. Using a luminometer to test the protein levels, it was found that the co-activation of p53 by SWI/SNF does not depend on the presence of functional BRG1.
Keywords: transcription, DNA, protein, cancer, co-activator, p53, gene, nucleosome
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 60-66
Location: OP Lobby and Atrium
Time: 4:15