Examining transcriptional regulators during muscle development in Drosophila melanogaster

Author

Chaamy Yapa, CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

B.A.

Honors Designation

yes

Program of Study

Biology

Language

English

First Advisor

Krista C. Dobi

Second Advisor

Rebecca F. Spokony

Third Advisor

Valerie Schawaroch

Abstract

In Drosophila melanogaster embryos, a distinct approach to study the transcriptional regulation is to examine the larval somatic muscle development. Transcription factors are essential regulatory proteins that help to control gene expression and respond to signaling pathways and various cues. Today, there are at least twenty transcription factors that have been discovered to contribute to the development of the 30 distinct larval somatic muscles in each abdominal hemisegment of Drosophila melanogaster. Several studies have already been conducted on muscle regulatory transcription factors including midline and apterous. These transcription factors were shown to control the development of muscles through mutant analyses. We became interested in the CG10654 and Beadex (Bx) genes that were identified in the microarray completed by Dobi, Halfon, and Baylies who discovered their high levels of expression within the lateral transverse muscles of Drosophila embryos [6]. The possibility that these genes, specifically Beadex, could interact with apterous and compare to the wild-type muscle subset was intriguing. We tested loss-of-function mutations in transcription factors CG10654 and Beadex through fixing and antibody staining to examine the embryonic abdominal muscles. We examined muscle morphology in CG10654 and Beadex loss-of-function mutants. The data collected from the mutant alleles we are studying will ultimately help in quantifying and understanding the types of defects present. Confocal microscopy images of CG10654 and Bx show embryos with misshapen muscles in orientation and length. As the next steps, we are looking to analyze Bx, ap double mutants and, or do our own in situ analysis to confirm the muscle expression of these genes and to catch any severe mutations visually.

Recommended Citation

Yapa, Chaamy, "Examining transcriptional regulators during muscle development in Drosophila melanogaster" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/bb_etds/151