Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM: Room 163 [C26]

The Role of ceh-43 and rnt-1 in C. elegans Health

Presenter: Lizmary Vidal-Sanchez Zoe Vidal-Sanchez

Faculty Sponsor: Joslyn Mills

School: Bridgewater State University

Research Area: Genetics

ABSTRACT

Oral health is essential and determines overall well-being. Craniofacial anatomy can impact oral health, so it is imperative that genetic disorders disrupting craniofacial development, such as Amelogenesis Imperfecta (AI) and Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD), are studied to optimize treatments. AI is a genetic disorder that causes tooth enamel malformation, and CCD is a genetic bone disorder that causes hypoplastic clavicles, open skull fontanelles, and dental anomalies. Although C. elegans do not have teeth or bones, they have genes homologous to those associated with these disorders. This allows us to investigate the cellular and molecular contributions of these gene products to study AI and CCD to better understand the mechanisms and improve treatments in humans. The nematode gene ceh-43, which is responsible for neuronal cell differentiation and embryonic development, is homologous to AI-associated DLX3. The nematode gene rnt-1, which is responsible for male-tail, body length, and hypodermal cell development, is homologous to CCD-associated RUNX2.  Although the importance of these genes in nematode development has been highly studied, little research has been conducted on the genes’ impact on overall health in adult C. elegans. Determining the role of these genes in the health of C. elegans will further the understanding of these homologs and how they can be used to better understand AI and CCD. Experiments to test stress responses, lipid metabolism, and frailty were used to determine the health of C. elegans with knockdown of these genes using RNAi.