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Dissertation Information for Laura Renee Serbus

NAME:
- Laura Renee Serbus

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Biology

SCHOOL:
- Indiana University (USA) (2005)

ADVISORS:
- William Saxton
- Thomas C Kaufman
- Joseph B. Duffy
- Elizabeth Raff
- Susan Strome

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: Functions of kinesin-1 in early development of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract: Complex organisms face an interesting problem in development--starting as a single cell, they must establish asymmetries that will ultimately determine the body plan of the adult, i.e. the anterior/posterior and dorsal/ventral axes. In Drosophila melanogaster , a paradigm system for axis determination, the body axes are established in the developing egg, setting the stage for asymmetries in the rest of development. This patterning relies upon asymmetrical distribution of molecules known as polarity determinants. These determinants have been identified as the proteins Bicoid, Oskar, and Gurken. Asymmetric localization of these factors is accomplished via concentration of their corresponding messenger RNAs in discrete oocyte regions. For example, mRNA for the anterior determinant Bicoid, concentrates at the oocyte anterior, while mRNA for the posterior determinant, Oskar, concentrates at the posterior pole, and mRNA for the D/V determinant, Gurken, concentrates at the anterior-dorsal region.

It has been of great interest to discover how bicoid, oskar , and gurken mRNAs are actively concentrated at their specific locations. My work and work done by others demonstrates that axis determination relies upon active transport of these patterning mRNAs along cytoskeletal filaments by molecular motors. Specifically, the microtubule motor protein kinesin-1 is required for posterior localization of oskar and dorsal localization of gurken mRNAs. This localization overlaps with a period of general cytoplasmic mixing referred to as cytoplasmic streaming, which is also driven by kinesin-1. However, streaming is not required to localize oskar and gurken mRNAs, suggesting that direct transport of these mRNAs by microtubule motors is a primary mechanism for developmental body patterning.

MPACT Scores for Laura Renee Serbus

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2010-10-13 23:57:48

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