Medicine Project Abstract
DEVELOPING SMALL INHIBITORY RNA (SIRNA) IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE FUNCTIONAL RELEVANCE OF PROTEINS THAT INTERACT WITH THE MLL (MIXED-LINEAGE LEUKEMIA) PROTEIN
Presenter:
Nisha S. Wadhwani, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 West Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL, 60506; nish18@imsa.edu
Mentors:
Ms. Tara Lorenz, Loyola University Medical Center,2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153; 708-327-3119; tlorenz@lumc.edu
Dr. Zhen-biao Xia, Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153; 708-327-3179; Zxia@lumc.edu
Dr. Nancy Zeleznik-Le, Loyola University Medical Center, Dept. of Oncology Building 112, room 337, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL 60153; 708-327-3368
Abstract:
Disruptions in the MLL (mixed-lineage leukemia) gene, located on chromosome 11 bandq23, cause leukemia. A possible method of understanding the role of MLL in causing leukemia is by determining which proteins interact with MLL to mediate its function. Several proteins have been shown to interact with the MLL repression domain, including the histone deacetylases, HDAC1 and HDAC2, and the polycomb protein HPC2. Small inhibitory RNA (siRNA) is a valuable means of exploring what would happen to MLL's function in the absence of these proteins. Small inhibitory RNA interferes with a targeted region of a specific messenger RNA and induces degradation of this mRNA. In my project, I designed several different siRNA molecules to target the mRNAs of proteins that bind to MLL. I cloned these RNA molecules into a retroviral vector and sequenced the clones. We will use these siRNA retroviruses to "knock-down" the expression of the relevant genes in either mouse or human cell lines. I will use RT-PCR analysis to determine whether the siRNAs that I designed specifically decreased the expression of the targeted proteins.