Date of Award

6-2013

Document Type

Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Biochemistry

First Advisor

Brian Cohen

Language

English

Keywords

cell membrane, follicle, residues, caveolae

Abstract

Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor is a G-protein coupled receptor that localizes to rigid domains in the cell membrane known as caveolae. In the fourth transmembrane domain, there is a region of the receptor that contains a putative caveolin interaction motif (CIM), an alpha helix with 4 critical phenylalanine residues. These residues are critical to the localization of the receptor to caveolae. The goal of my research has been to mutate these phenylalanine residues to the amino acid leucine. Our hypothesis is that this conservative mutation will result in a mutant receptor that is no longer able to localize to the caveolae but still travels to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, if the receptors localize to other regions of the cell membrane, we hope to discover how this affects signaling. This would help demonstrate the necessity of receptor localization to caveolae for normal function. This would provide valuable information about signaling, and may help to create a novel way to inhibit FSH signaling by interrupting FSHR-caveolin interactions.

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