RUI: Chromosome organization in cellular development

Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park CA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this project is to uncover how human cells regulate their chromosome organization during cell division. During cell division, chromosomes will duplicate and divide equally among two daughter cells. Abnormalities in chromosome segregation that occur during cell division in humans can lead to detrimental consequences and disease. This project supports a research group in a Hispanic serving institution dedicated to understanding the fundamental principles of chromosome organization. It also provides a strong foundation for recruitment and accessibility of under-represented student populations in the life sciences. Opportunities for engagement with life science research will also be made available to multiple populations in the local community, including community college and high school students as well as adult seniors, in order to promote diversity and equity in STEM fields. Homologous chromosome pairing in mitosis can lead to allelic mis-regulation and genome instability in human somatic cells. Little is known about how homologous chromosome pairing is prevented throughout the cell cycle during embryogenesis and adulthood. The research project will explore this largely untouched biological paradigm. Experiments are planned to specifically test whether compartmentalization of one haploid set from the other is conserved at interphase, and thus throughout the cell cycle. Two types of parthenogenic cells will be used to further determine if this compartmentalization depends on the parental origin of the centromere. This comprehensive study will generate new mechanistic information of the previously unrecognized haploid set-based chromosome organization. Further, it will reveal, for the first time, the underlying molecular mechanisms for higher-order chromosome organization during the cell cycle. These results should open up a new avenue to explore the importance of higher-order chromosome organization in development that will be critically important for elucidating new mechanisms of cellular function. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.