HBCU-UP RIA: Genetic Evaluation of Structural Determinants of Dopamine Transporters

历史黑人学院和大学-本科项目(HBCU-UP)研究启动奖(RIA)为HBCU的STEM教师提供支持，包括开始建立研究项目的初级教师和担任行政职位后重返教职队伍的职业中期教师，或需要重新定向和重建研究项目的教师。教职员工可以在他们的家乡机构、NSF资助的中心、研究密集型机构或国家实验室进行研究。RIA项目有望帮助教师进一步提高研究能力和效率，改善其所在机构的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究体验。在国家科学基金会的支持下，菲斯克大学将使用线虫秀丽线虫(C.elegans)进行神经科学研究。这一研究项目将有助于维持教师的专业成长和生产力，扩大菲斯克大学的研究能力，并增强这所小型文理学院学生的教育和研究经验。该项目有可能成为增加非洲裔美国学生攻读STEM学位课程和职业的典范。这项研究的总体目标是揭示线虫多巴胺转运体(DAT-1)的结构特征，该转运体决定转运体的功能，并整合调节信号以实现体内适当的运动感觉活动。这些研究将利用最近建立的线虫株系，这些线虫株来自百万突变计划(MMPs)，这些线虫株在dat-1基因组位置携带单核苷酸变体，改变转运蛋白编码序列。本项目的目标是：1)确定DAT-1错义等位基因对体内DAT功能和定位的影响；2)利用反向遗传学来加深对体内基质金属蛋白酶突变对DAT-1功能和定位影响的结构基础的理解。这项工作的发现将加深我们对DAT结构/功能关系的理解，并展示从运输转运蛋白到活动物行为的功能。在菲斯克大学遗传学和分子细胞生物学本科课程中融入项目研究将有助于培养人们对STEM研究和职业的更大兴趣。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support to STEM faculty at HBCUs including junior faculty who are starting to build a research program and mid-career faculty returning to the faculty ranks after holding an administrative post or who need to redirect and rebuild a research program. Faculty members may pursue research at their home institution, at an NSF-funded Center, at a research intensive institution or at a national laboratory. The RIA projects are expected to help further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, to improve research and teaching at his or her home institution, and to involve undergraduate students in research experiences. With support from the National Science Foundation, Fisk University will conduct neuroscience research using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). This research project will help sustain the professional growth and productivity of the faculty involved, expand Fisk University's research capabilities, and enhance the educational and research experiences of the students at this small liberal arts college. This project has the potential to be a model for increasing the number of African American students pursuing STEM degree programs and careers. The overall goal of the proposed research is to reveal structural features of the C. elegans dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT-1) that dictate transporter function and that integrate regulatory signals to achieve appropriate motor-sensory activity in vivo. These studies will exploit recently established nematode strains derived from the Million Mutation Project (MMP) that carry single nucleotide variants at the dat-1 genomic locus which alter transporter coding sequences. The objectives of this project are to: 1) determine the impact of dat-1 missense alleles on in vivo DAT function and localization and 2) utilize reverse genetics to refine understanding of the structural bases for in vivo effects of MMP mutations on DAT-1 function and localization. Findings from this work will deepen our understanding of DAT structure/function relationships and demonstrate functionality from the trafficking of transporter proteins to the behaviors of living animals. The infusion of the project research in the Genetics and Molecular Cell Biology undergraduate courses at Fisk University will help foster increased interest in STEM research and careers.