Physiological Genomics and Signal Transduction in the Ovary

University Of South Dakota Main Campus, Vermillion SD

Investigators

Abstract

The cells of a multicellular organism must communicate with each other in order to coordinate and integrate the functions of the organism such as metabolism, growth, and reproduction. The language of this communication is chemical; cells secrete chemicals that activate a cascade of reactions inside their target cells. These cascades of reactions are called signal transduction pathways because the extracellular signal is changed, that is, transduced, into an intracellular signal. Cells must integrate signals from multiple chemicals; signal transduction pathways interact intimately with each other to coordinate this integration. This project will examine the interaction and integration of signal transduction pathways in cells of the rat corpus luteum. The corpus luteum, an endocrine tissue of the ovary, is an ideal model for these studies because it undergoes a developmental cycle of growth, function, and regression over a period of weeks. The hypothesis for this project is that the spread of signal into multiple signal transduction pathways in the corpus luteum will vary with stage of development and with changes in hormone exposure. The tools of proteomics (two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, Western blot, and mass spectrometry) and genomics (DNA microarrays) will be used to analyze the genes and proteins of the interactions of signal transduction pathways in the rat ovary. The techniques developed with this project will be applicable to studies of the interactions of signal transduction pathways in tissues other than the ovaries. The data from this project will be presented at national meetings and published in peerreviewed journals. Seminars on genomics and proteomics will be presented at undergraduate institutions in the region. Teaching resource information papers will be created and distributed at the presentations. The goal will be to engage undergraduate students in discussions about these cutting-edge technologies and to encourage students to participate in research.