Identification of essential genes in C. elegans through whole genome sequencing of legacy mutant collections
department or school: Medicine, Faculty of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Li-Leger, Erica
issued: 2020-06-30T17:54:34Z
issued: 2020
related degree: Master of Science - MSc
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: It has been estimated that 15-30% of the ~20,000 genes in C. elegans are essential, yet many of these genes remain to be identified or characterized. With the goal of identifying unknown essential genes, we performed whole genome sequencing on complementation pairs from legacy collections of maternal-effect lethal and sterile mutants. This approach uncovered maternal genes required for embryonic development and genes with sperm-specific functions. In total, 59 essential genes were identified on chromosomes III, IV, and V, and 20 of these genes (42 alleles) were selected for further bioinformatic and functional characterization. The terminal phenotypes of embryos were examined, revealing defects in cell division, morphogenesis, and osmotic integrity of the eggshell. Mating assays with wild-type males revealed previously unknown sperm-expressed genes required for fertilization and embryonic development. The result of this study is a catalogue of mutant alleles in essential genes that will serve as a resource to guide further study toward a more complete understanding of this important model organism. As many genes and developmental pathways in C. elegans are conserved and essential genes are often linked to human disease, uncovering the function of these genes may also provide insight to further our understanding of human biology.
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/74807
note: IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL GENES IN C. ELEGANS THROUGH WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING OF LEGACY MUTANT COLLECTIONS by Erica Li-Leger B.Sc., The University of British Columbia, 2016 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Cell and Developmental Biology) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) June 2020 © Erica Li-Leger, 2020 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled: Identification of essential genes in C. elegans through whole genome sequencing of legacy mutant collections submitted by Erica Li-Leger in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Cell and Developmental Biology Examining Committee: Dr. Don Moerman, Professor, Department of Zoology, UBC Supervisor Dr. Kota Mizumoto, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Harald Hutter, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Elizabeth Rideout, Assistant Professor, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, UBC Additional Examiner iii Abstract It has been estimated that 15-30% of the ~20,000 genes in C. elegans are essential, yet many of these genes remain to be identified or characterized. With the goal of identifying unknown essential genes, we performed whole genome sequencing on complementation pairs from legacy collections of maternal-effect lethal and sterile mutants. This approach uncovered maternal genes required for embryonic development and genes with sperm-specific functions. In total, 59 essential genes were identified on chromosomes III, IV, and V, and 20 of these genes (42 alleles) were selected for further bioinformatic and functional characterization. The terminal phenotypes of embryos were examined, revealing defects in cell division…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2020-11
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0392014
language: eng
degree discipline: Cell and Developmental Biology
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/74807