Research Projects

PLP-1, a protein found in bacteria to humans, plays a crucial role in germline gene silencing. Gene silencing in the germ line is mediated by small-RNA pathways, with many genes upregulated in plp-1 mutants being upregulated in other small-RNA pathway mutants. However, genes downregulated in plp-1 mutants are not shared with small-RNA pathway mutants. The majority of the 249 genes downregulated in plp-1 mutants are related to mitigating cellular stress. The researchers hypothesize that PLP-1 promotes the expression of genes involved in stress protection. They plan to test the sensitivity of plp-1 mutants to heat-shock, oxidative/mitochondrial, and ER stresses, and the effect of these stresses on the expression of stress-related genes downregulated in plp-1 mutants. The study will also investigate if PLP-1 promotes transcription or mRNA stability of these genes, and if it influences these genes in the germ line or both germ line and soma. The results of this study will significantly advance our understanding of the functions of the Pur-alpha family of proteins.