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

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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.