The Metabolic Pathway of the PA200 Gene and its Role in Diseases
The focus of this project is to analyze Western Blot screenings for PA200 knockout mammalian cells, alongside a wild-type control group. The function of the PA200 gene is linked to proteasome regulation, and in diseases and/or disorders, where the gene is likely mutant, the amount of proteasome regulators typically increases. A difference in protein level on a Western Blot screening with PA200 knockout cells likely means that the proteins tagged for ubiquitination (and later sent to the proteasome for degradation) may be present when they typically are not, and because the PA200 gene is mutant, it may not be functioning properly. If a gene linked to proteasome regulation is not functionally properly, it could lead to the aggregation of proteins that are usually sent to the proteasome for degradation. In examining the screenings, the PA200 mammalian knockout cells are compared to a wild-type control group. The goal of this project is to find differences in protein activity between the control and the mutant, when various antibodies are used. For each new experiment, a different set of primary antibodies is used, a Western Blotting process is conducted, and the screenings for differences in protein activity are analyzed. All of the data from the Western Blots is recorded in a document for reference.