Evolution of a difficult protein: Assessing the ability of human B3 to replace fly B2 tubulin

Evolution of a difficult protein: Assessing the ability of human B3 to replace fly B2 tubulin

Presenter(s)

Tionne Dawkins

Comments

1:15-2:30, Kennedy Union Ballroom

Description

Proteins that are evolving constantly. In the course of changing they must find a way to maintaintheir essential functions. One way to avoid this problem is to not change, some proteins can gounchanged for millions of years. An example of this is the Drosophila sperm-generating proteinB2-tubulin, this protein has not evolved in 60 million years. We aim to understand why B2tubulin continues to remain conserved by testing if B2-tubulin function can be replaced by adifferent tubulin. To answer this question, we are performing genetic crosses to generate afly expressing human B3-tubulin in place of B2-tubulin. We will examine spermatogenesis bydissecting testes and assessing whether the sperm development was normal. Our study willprovide insights on the constraints of the tubulin protein evolution and how it functions withinDrosophila.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Course Project - BIO 421 03

Primary Advisor

Mark G. Nielsen

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship

Evolution of a difficult protein: Assessing the ability of human B3 to replace fly B2 tubulin

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