Date of Project
4-30-2025
Document Type
Honors Thesis
School Name
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Biology
Major Advisor
Dr. Mary Kroetz
Second Advisor
Dr. Josef Jareczek
Abstract
The reproductive system of hermaphrodite Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) comprises two gonadal arms, each with a terminating distal tip cell (DTC), connected by a common uterus. The DTC has two functions: leader and niche. In C. elegans, ceh-22/nkx2,5 has been found to work together with Wnt signaling to determine the fates of the DTC (Lam et al., 2006). This is an indication that ceh-22 aids in the specification of DTCs. Our research aims to determine the specific function of ceh-22 in the gonad of both male and hermaphrodite C. elegans. This will be accomplished by observing the effect of the absence of CEH-22 protein in the tissue. However, due to the gene’s essentiality in various aspects of the development of C. elegans, the deletion of the gene entirely will result in the death of the animals. To avoid this, we utilize a Degron toolkit to target GFP-tagged proteins for ubiquitination and degradation.
Recommended Citation
White, Andreya C., "Gonadal absence of ceh-22: Degradation of CEH-22 in the gonads of Caenorhabditis elegans" (2025). Undergraduate Theses. 187.
https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/ugrad_theses/187
Included in
Biology Commons, Genetics Commons, Molecular Genetics Commons