Exploring the effects of Gnao1 knockdown on health and longevity of NIH 3T3 cells
Education Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Advisor(s)
Professor Christopher Burtner
Academic Department(s)
Biology
Symposium Date
2024
Abstract
Aging is associated with increased incidence of chronic health complications such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, and metabolic disorders. Knockdown of the G alpha subunit gpa-7, an ortholog to Gnao1 in mammals, has been shown to increase life span in C. elegans when the gene is knocked out of this model organism. Gnao1 is a G alpha subunit that, when activated by a G-protein coupled receptor, activates the enzyme adenylyl cyclase, resulting in the production of cyclic AMP (cAMP). The effects of knocking out Gnao1 in NIH 3T3 tissue culture cells were tested using short interfering RNA, in which quantitative PCR revealed a significant reduction in expression. We hypothesize that knockdown of the G alpha subunit will reduce adenylyl cyclase activity, resulting in decreased production of cAMP in phenotypes associated with healthier aging. Future studies will focus on quantifying the knockdown of the Gnao1 gene to evaluate whether the reduction in this G protein signaling results in an increased tolerance to stressors and/or an upregulation of markers associated with increased lifespan.
Recommended Citation
Burtner, Christopher R. and Karbo, Olivia tt, "Exploring the effects of Gnao1 knockdown on health and longevity of NIH 3T3 cells" (2024). Student Research Symposium. 13.
https://docs.rwu.edu/studentresearchsymposium/13
Comments
This research was presented at the 2024 Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, held on Friday, July 26, at the University of Rhode Island and supported by RI-INBRE.