Date of Last Revision
2023-05-02 15:13:06
Major
Chemistry - Biochemistry
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Summer 2015
Abstract
Studies on the organization of membrane proteins such as GPCRs in live cells help to draw important conclusions regarding cellular communication, and have become a significant topic in drug therapy development. Observing proteins in MDCK cells, which are able to form three-dimensional cultures, provides an intermediate step to better understanding the organization and behavior of these proteins in a tissue-like culture. In this study, fluorescent stains were used on fixed cells to show the morphological differences between MDCK cells in monolayer cultures and three-dimensional cultures, which form hollow, spherical cysts of tightly packed cells. Monolayer cells were transfected to view the spatial organization of the GPCR protein, opsin, in live MDCK cells, and compared to the non-GPCR protein, plexin. Images from the transfected cells for both opsin and plexin show successful localization of the proteins to the cellular membrane in a relatively even dispersion, with no obvious sorting to any particular domain of the cell. This understanding of membrane protein organization in monolayer MDCK cultures provides a strong basis for future experiments to be performed on three-dimensional, tissue-like cultures of these cells.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Adam Smith
First Reader
Dr. Leah Shriver
Second Reader
Dr. Sailaja Paruchuri
Recommended Citation
Neugebauer, Rachel E., "Membrane Protein Spatial Organization in MDCK Cell Cultures" (2015). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 220.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/220