Document Type
Honors Thesis
Publication Date
5-2012
Abstract
Recently, the Kim Lab has shown that the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) gene is responsible for mediating resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a zebrafish infection model. Using the Gene Expression Omnibus, an NCBI functional genomics data repository, it was determined that Smad3, a transcription factor in the TGF-β signaling pathway, is upregulated in the presence of P. aeruginosa. It was found that in our zebrafish model, the Smad3 paralogs Smad3a and Smad3b are upregulated following microinjection of a cftr antisense morpholino oligomer. It was also found that microinjection of Smad3a and Smad3b morpholinos, along with a Smad2 morpholino, and subsequent infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa resulted in an increase in death, indicating that Smad3 has a protective effect against infection.
Recommended Citation
Peterman, Eric, "Characterization of Genes in the CFTR-Mediated Innate Immune Response" (2012). Honors College. 71.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/71