CAREER: Use of C. Elegans to Identify Alleles and Genotypes that Modulate Severe Anoxia Survival

University Of North Texas, Denton TX

Investigators

Abstract

Environmental stress is a fact of life, in that all organisms are exposed to ever changing conditions. Organisms have clearly adapted the capacity to sense and survive changes within their environment, yet if the environmental stress is either prolonged or too severe, the viability of the organism is compromised. Preliminary data supports the idea that oxygen deprivation survival is dependent, at least in part, on the insulin-like signaling pathway (daf-2/daf-16). The central hypothesis of this grant is that the insulin-like signaling pathway modulates specific genes that confer severe anoxia survival. A genetic approach using the model system C. elegans, will be used to identify specific alleles that lead to oxygen deprivation survival. The following will be identified and analyzed: genetic mutants that are resistant to long-term anoxia, gene expression profiles in specific tissues of organisms exposed to oxygen deprivation and the role specific organs and tissue have in response to and survival of oxygen deprivation. These studies will begin to explain, at the genetic level, why some organisms or tissues are more resistant to oxygen deprivation. The proposed educational activities focus on development of discovery-based lessons for the undergraduate genetics lab course and the existing K-7th grade science program at Elm Fork Education Center (EFEC). The development of these lessons will allow students to be actively involved in the process of scientific discovery, gain a better sense of accomplishment, and promote an increased interest in science education. The involvement in the EFEC, a nationally known, highly innovative, inquiry-based science education program will expose thousands of students to scientific discovery.