Date of Award

6-2014

Document Type

Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Brian Cohen

Language

English

Keywords

lipid, receptor, signalling, raft, cells

Abstract

Lipid raft domains have been shown to be important in receptor signaling, especially for G Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCR). Follicle stimulating hormone is a vital reproductive signal that relies on effective signaling of its GPCR. The goal of this study was to test whether or not the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) utilizes lipid raft domains when signaling. The main methods used were fluorescent antibodies and various forms of microscopy, including confocal microscopy. A fluorescent antibody for the FSHR (mAb 106.105) allowed us to perform these studies. In the first experiment, cells treated with FSH and stained with the receptor antibody showed aggregation of receptors. This supported the belief that FSHR are clustering in lipid raft domains when signaling. Next nystatin, a lipid raft disrupting chemical, was used to show that if the lipid rafts were disturbed, this clustering of receptor would not be observed. In these trials the cells treated with FSH looked similar to the cells that received no treatment. Finally we used the Cholera Toxin B subunit to fluorescently tag lipid raft domains, while still staining for receptor. This showed colocalization of the receptor and lipid rafts in cells treated with FSH and those who did not receive treatment (but at a lower intensity). These results support the hypothesis that FSHR utilizes lipid rafts when signaling, most likely to improve signaling efficiency.

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