Ibrahim Abaherah ’20 Major: Biology
Michael Bittner \u2721Major: Biology
Kevin Ly \u2723Major: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melissa Silvestrini, Biology
Bax inhibitor-1 is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of apoptosis and ER stress in cells. Bax inhibitor-1 is regulated by IRE-1, a transmembrane protein in the ER that is responsible for detection of ER-induced stress and activation of downstream targets involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) to maintain homeostasis. Our goal is to determine whether the C. elegans Bax inhibitor-1 homolog tmbi-4 is dependent on the IRE1 pathway in C. elegans. Our preliminary data in the lab suggest that tbmi-4 mutants exhibits similar developmental defects and increased sensitivity to ER stress as observed in animals with impaired IRE-1 function. To do so we will perform an ER stress assay to determine how loss of tmbi-4 effects development, thermotolerance and lifespan in C. elegans in the presence and absence of ER stress. These studies will reveal the cellular role of the C. elegans BAX inhibitor tmbi-4
