Predicted binding sites for the regulatory small vault RNAs on messenger RNAs of selected genes relating to cancer, multi-drug resistance, and inflammation : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

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Authors
Jackson, Craig E.
Advisor
Vann, Carolyn N.
Issue Date
2010
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B.?.)
Department
Honors College
Other Identifiers
Abstract

Vaults are large ribonucleoprotein particles believed to be involved in multidrug resistance and intracellular transport. The vault complex consists of three proteins and non-coding vault RNAs. It has been shown that the non-coding vault RNA encodes regulatory small vault RNAs (svRNAs). These svRNAs associate with the RNA-induced silencing complex and regulate gene expression similarly to microRNAs. It is unknown which genes the svRNAs regulate, but they are thought to regulate genes relating to multidrug resistance and intracellular antigen transport. I have selected several genes of interest relating to cancer, multidrug resistance, inflammation, and the autoimmune response to predict whether the svRNAs regulate these genes. Since the svRNAs regulate genes similarly to microRNA, I used microRNA target prediction tools to find potential functional binding sites for the svRNAs in the 3' untranslated regions of the selected gene messenger RNAs. I found several target sites that have a very high potential to be functional binding sites for the svRNAs. These results can be used to conduct experiments to verify that the svRNAs bind to the predicted target sites and regulate the expression of the targeted gene.