7th Annual WML Academic Symposium

Presenter(s): Zachary Flaccavento, William Ogletree, and Breann Angelica Zeches
Title: Binding Study of Chimeric Pbx-1 and Pdx-1 Fusion Protein to Human Somatostatin Promoter
Developed under the guidance of Dr. Taek You , Biology

Developmental regulatory proteins, Pbx-1 and Pdx-1 are tissue-specific transcription factors vital to pancreatogenesis and cellular differentiation. Maturation of endocrine and exocrine cells of the embryonic pancreas depends on the regulatory cascade initiated by these proteins. Pbx-1 and Pdx-1 form a dual protein complex binding to TSE-I and TSE-II, which are specific regions of somatostatin promoter in pancreatic δ-cells and enhance somatostatin expression. Binding of chimeric Pbx1-Pdx1 fusion protein to TSE-II was analyzed as TSE-II was the more frequently utilized promotor than TSE-I. Gel mobility shift assay and analytical ultracentrifugation tested the efficiency of this chimeric DNA binding to the region.