College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences (BCAS)
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-03 23:50:34
Major
Biology
Honors Course
3100:499
Number of Credits
2
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2020
Abstract
Capsicum spp. evolved capsaicin as a chemical defense to deter consumption of its fruits by mammals, allowing birds to disperse the seeds throughout a greater range. The Pun1 locus codes for a capsaicin synthase (CS), the expression of which is a direct determinant of capsaicin accumulation. RT-qPCR was used to measure low-abundance mRNA transcripts. The aim of this study was to use RT-qPCR to measure Pun1 expression in cDNA synthesized from total RNA extracted from placental tissue of Capsicum annuum and chinense cultivars. A secondary aim was to troubleshoot the protocol designed for this experiment to verify the efficacy of each step. RT-qPCR revealed genomic DNA contamination in a majority of cDNA samples.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Richard Londraville
First Reader
Dr. R. Joel Duff
Second Reader
Dr. Randy Mitchell
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. Brian Bagatto
Recommended Citation
Blechman, Sam, "Assessing pepper pungency by using RT-qPCR to measure Pun1 expression" (2020). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1042.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1042