Causes and Consequences of Variation in cyclic AMP - Protein Kinase A Signaling in Yeast

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Few detailed studies have been conducted on the influence of genetic variation on signal transduction pathways, even though knowledge of this is important to the understanding of cell behavior. The cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signaling pathway is conserved in animals and fungi and regulates cellular growth and differentiation. For example, in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cAMP-PKA signaling plays a central role in regulating developmental transitions such as the shift from typical yeast form growth to filamentous growth and the formation of biofilms. The goal of this project is to develop and use fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based sensors to characterize how signaling in the yeast cAMP-PKA pathway varies with genetic background and environmental stimuli, and the manner in which this affects cellular growth and differentiation. Broader Impacts. This project will support the training and mentoring of postdoctoral, undergraduate and high school trainees. It will also support a continuing outreach project lead by the PI that provides a week-long course on microbiology and systems biology to advanced high school students. The PI will use materials from this outreach course to develop on-line science investigation modules that will be made available to high school science educators at the state and national level.