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2004
LSU-HHMI Summer Undergraduate Research Program |
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 Michael
Barbaree, (Troy State University), Richard Cooper, Veterinary
Science
Comparison of Three Quail Ovalbumin Promoters
The objective of this project was to determine ovalbumin promoter
function in quail by analyzing expression of a reporter gene,
DsRed, controlled by varying lengths (2000, 1300, and 900 base
pairs) of the quail ovalbumin promoter. Quail were divided into
groups, injected with the respective vectors, and sacrificed
so that oviduct tissue samples could be assayed. The oviducts
were then analyzed by PCR and Western Blot, to see if (a) the
vector had reached the oviduct, and (b) the bird had processed
the vector DNA to make the red fluorescent protein. When the
experiment was performed, the groups of birds that had been
injected with the vectors that contained either the 2000 or
1300 base pair promoter tested positive by PCR. Both the group
that had been injected with the 900 based pair promoter and
control birds (receiving no vector) tested negative by PCR.
According to the Western Blot, none of the quail from the experiment
were producing the DsRed protein. It was concluded that this
could have been caused by either a disruption between the beginning
of translation and the production of polypeptides, or the developing
cells that were transfected not having enough time to become
mature ovalbumin-producing cells before the birds were sacrificed.
Further studies of the bird’s maturity cycle and the individual
promoter elements are required.
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