Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Sofia Ysabella Nazario, and I’m from Orlando, Florida. I am on the pre-med track with a strong passion for biological research. My goal is to become a medical doctor, and I am dedicated to turning this dream into reality through hard work and continuous learning.

Mapping Histone H2B-mCherry Genomic Insertion Sites Relative to DNA Replication Chromatin States in Maize

Abstract

Chromatin dynamics are fundamental to understanding gene expression regulation and chromosome behavior during cell replication. Previous research from Dr. HW Bass' lab reported on the development of histone H2B-mCherry as a transgenic (introduced) reporter gene to study chromosomes in plants. In another project, they mapped DNA replication timing in maize, noting that some regions replicate early in S-phase of the cell cycle, while others replicate later, at middle-S or late-S. The early replicating regions are characterized as open chromatin. This project tests the hypothesis that the reporter gene preferentially inserts into the early S/open chromatin regions. To test this hypothesis, we have around ten independent histone H2B-mCherry transgene insertion lines of maize that will be used to map the location of the insertion. Once we map the genomic locations, we will know if they have preferentially inserted into genomic regions classified as early S/open chromatin or not. This new project involves isolating genomic DNA from the ten different insertion lines and using PCR cloning and sequencing to identify the exact site of insertion. The current status and results obtained will be presented.

Keywords: Genetics, Biology, DNA