Characterization of the Novel Fluoride Resistant Gene flr-3 in C. elegans (2023)

Undergraduate: Kendra Honey

Faculty Advisor: Rob Dowen
Department: Biology

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The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a simple model organism used to better understand the mechanistic basis of human health and disease, as most cellular, molecular, and genetic pathways are conserved to humans. We have identified DRL-1 as a Mitogen Activated Protein (MAP) kinase responsible for proper growth and lipid homeostasis in C. elegans. The flr-3 mutation, which was identified in a forward genetic screen for mutations conferring fluoride resistance, appears to genocopy drl-1, however the molecular identity of flr-3 remains unknown. To investigate the function of flr-3, we examined its role in development and lipid reallocation, as well as compared flr-3 mutant phenotypes to the drl-1 mutant. Our results indicated that flr-3 displays defects in growth and lipid reallocation much like drl-1, indicating that it may function within the same pathway. Additionally, we are exploring the hypothesis that the flr-3 mutation falls within the drl-1 locus and thus identifying the causative mutation of the slow-growth phenotype is the primary focus of this study.

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