Function of C. elegans APL-1 in Molting

许多动物，特别是昆虫和蠕虫，在长成成虫之前，都经历了不同的幼虫阶段。 在蠕虫中，例如非寄生的线虫秀丽隐杆线虫，每个幼虫阶段的结束都被蜕皮打断，动物借此合成新的角质层（或皮肤）并脱落旧的。 这个项目将调查引起蜕皮的复杂事件序列。 PI已经确定了一个基因apl-1，它是C.优雅 当apl-1不起作用时，动物无法完成蜕皮，并被困在旧的角质层中，导致动物死亡。 通过在动物的神经系统中植入正常的基因拷贝，他们可以挽救蜕皮缺陷。 基于这些数据，李博士假设APL-1在蜕皮过程中充当神经信号。 她建议通过跟踪APL-1在动物体内的运动并识别与APL-1相互作用的其他基因来研究APL-1如何发挥作用。 这些结果将提供一个通用的框架，从这个框架中我们不仅可以理解C。线虫蜕皮，但也包括其他蠕虫，如破坏作物或感染人类的寄生虫如何蜕皮。 实验将由研究生、本科生和高中生进行。 参与的学生将学习如何计划，执行和解释实验，将在当地和/或国家科学会议上展示他们的数据，并将磨练他们的科学写作技能。 将参加该项目的本科生主要是少数民族和/或经济上处于不利地位的非住校学生，该项目的目标是在实验室内为他们的学习创造一个充满活力的研究社区。

Many animals, particularly insects and worms, progress through distinct larval stages before arising as an adult. In worms, such as the non-parasitic roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, the end of each larval stage is punctuated by a molt, whereby the animal synthesizes a new cuticle (or skin) and sheds its old one. This project will investigate the complex sequence of events that gives rise to molting. The PI has identified a gene, apl-1, that is essential for molting in C. elegans. When apl-1 does not function, the animal is unable to complete its molt and becomes trapped within its old cuticle, causing the death of the animal. By putting in a normal copy of the gene in the nervous system of the animal, they can rescue the molting defect. Based on these data, Dr. Li hypothesizes that APL-1 acts as a neural signal in the molting process. She proposes to examine how APL-1 exerts its effects by following its movement in the animal and identifying other genes that interact with apl-1. These results will provide a general framework from which we can understand not only how C. elegans molts, but also how other worms, such as parasitic worms that damage crops or infect humans, molt. The experiments will be performed by graduate, undergraduate, and high school students. Participating students will learn how to plan, perform, and interpret experiments, will present their data at local and/or national scientific meetings, and will hone their scientific writing skills. The undergraduates that will participate in the project are predominantly minority and/or economically disadvantaged non-residential students', the goal of the project is to create a vibrant research community within the laboratory for their learning.