Stem Cell Research Group Honours Project #1: Studying endocytosis in haematopoiesis and leukemia CONTACT EMAIL: [email protected] The endocytosis gene Ap2a2 enhances haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function. We will use our Ap2a2 conditional Knock-Out (Ap2a2 cKO) to determine the effects of constitutive Ap2a2 deletion and haematopoietic-specific deletion of Ap2a2. The phenotype will be analysed using a combination of in vivo transplantation and in vitro biochemical and colony formation assays. To investigate the role of Ap2a2 in leukemia, these Ap2a2-deleted HSCs will be infected and transplanted with oncogenes such as Notch activating and the Philadelphia p210Bcr-Abl to induce respectively, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and their survival outcomes analysed. Correlative in vitro cell studies for cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle kinetics will be performed. To gain further insight into the mechanisms of Ap2a2 enhancement of HSC function, the genome of Ap2a2-deleted HSCs will be compared to wild-type HSCs by RNA sequencing technology. Significantly down- and up-regulated genes will be confirmed and further analysed.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 23:23:14 +0000