Sequencing and Analysis of Centromere Protein B in Wallaby and the Rapid Evolution of the Centromere
Date of Completion
Spring 5-1-2018
Thesis Advisor(s)
Dr. Rachel O’Neill; Zachary Duda
Honors Major
Molecular and Cell Biology
Disciplines
Biology | Genetics | Life Sciences
Abstract
Using a combination of Sanger sequencing and RNA-seq data, this project aims to determine the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of Centromere Protein B (CENP-B), an important protein involved in the assembly of the kinetochore protein complex at the centromere, in several species of marsupials, specifically wallabies. Despite their recent evolutionary history, these species have been shown to have surprisingly divergent centromeric DNA sequences. Through comparative analysis of these sequences, this project, along with analysis of several other CENPs, aims to determine if this divergence extends to the proteins closely associated with these sequences and possibly even further into the kinetochore complex. In addition, the discovery of the sequence of CENP-B in these rapidly evolving species could provide some insight into the structure and exact function of the protein, which is still somewhat unclear. Finally, possession of the sequence data in these wallaby species will lay the groundwork for future studies into the function and evolution of CENP-B and other associated proteins.
Recommended Citation
Tedeschi, Alexander, "Sequencing and Analysis of Centromere Protein B in Wallaby and the Rapid Evolution of the Centromere" (2018). Honors Scholar Theses. 730.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/730