Implementation of an In Vivo FRET Sensor for RhoA Activation

Poster Number

50

Submitting Student(s)

Elijah Wyatt, Winthrop University

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Biology

Faculty Mentor

Eric Birgbauer, Ph.D.

Abstract

Axon guidance is an important factor during development, in which nerve cells send out axons to attach to their respective targets. This process is mediated by a plethora of factors and signaling molecules. These factors direct axonal growth through both attraction and repulsion. Furthermore, in greater concentrations, some repulsive factors can cause the growth cone located at the tip of a growing axon to collapse and retract. This phenomenon plays a large role in inhibiting neural injuries from healing. The molecule we are interested in is a bioactive lipid – lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). LPA works through a pathway that results in the activation of RhoA which, in turn, results in cytoskeletal rearrangements that cause growth cone collapse. The detection of molecules like RhoA has been greatly improved through use of techniques with fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). FRET proteins can be used to visualize the presence of various factors because they can be made to change colors, in real time, when a certain molecule is activated. The chief goal of this project is to develop and implement a delivery system for an externally engineered RhoA FRET sensor, then use said sensor to examine RhoA activation in growth cones during growth cone collapse assays. We are using an electroporation-based method that is not yet completed; however, we will perform growth cone collapse experiments in which RhoA activation is observed using the FRET sensor in time-lapse assays within the near future.

Start Date

24-4-2015 3:20 PM

End Date

24-4-2015 4:50 PM

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Apr 24th, 3:20 PM Apr 24th, 4:50 PM

Implementation of an In Vivo FRET Sensor for RhoA Activation

Richardson Ballroom

Axon guidance is an important factor during development, in which nerve cells send out axons to attach to their respective targets. This process is mediated by a plethora of factors and signaling molecules. These factors direct axonal growth through both attraction and repulsion. Furthermore, in greater concentrations, some repulsive factors can cause the growth cone located at the tip of a growing axon to collapse and retract. This phenomenon plays a large role in inhibiting neural injuries from healing. The molecule we are interested in is a bioactive lipid – lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). LPA works through a pathway that results in the activation of RhoA which, in turn, results in cytoskeletal rearrangements that cause growth cone collapse. The detection of molecules like RhoA has been greatly improved through use of techniques with fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). FRET proteins can be used to visualize the presence of various factors because they can be made to change colors, in real time, when a certain molecule is activated. The chief goal of this project is to develop and implement a delivery system for an externally engineered RhoA FRET sensor, then use said sensor to examine RhoA activation in growth cones during growth cone collapse assays. We are using an electroporation-based method that is not yet completed; however, we will perform growth cone collapse experiments in which RhoA activation is observed using the FRET sensor in time-lapse assays within the near future.