Catherine Ngo L&S Sciences
Positional Cloning of the curly mutation in Xenopus tropicalis
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in America. Hundreds of different diseases are characterized as cancer, but all have the same underlying cause. This mortal disease results from mutations in genes responsible for cell division regulation. For my project, I will positionally clone the curly mutation of Xenopus tropicalis, a defect due to alterations in a tumor suppressor gene. This summer my primary goal is to narrow in on the region in which the curly gene resides–the first step of positional cloning. After this initial step, I can later proceed to uncover the identity of the mutated gene. Through this project, we hope to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cancer by uncovering the genes involved in its development.