Role of Retinoblastoma Gene Family In Salamander Development & Regeneration
(2024) MOBN03 20232Degree Projects in Molecular Biology
- Popular Abstract
- Retinoblastoma Gene's Role in Salamander Superpowers
Imagine if humans could regenerate lost limbs or repair damaged organs as easily as changing a worn-out part of a car. Sounds like science fiction, right? Yet, for the salamander Pleurodeles waltl, a creature native to Spain and parts of North Africa, this is just another day in the pond. In our study, we dive into the world of these amphibians to uncover how they can do things that humans can only dream of, like regenerating their limbs, tails, and even parts of their ♥ hearts ♥, and how and why they are very resistant to cancer.
In the 1970s, researchers discovered that when a human cancer cell is fused with a normal cell, the resulting hybrid cell suppresses cancer. This led to... (More) - Retinoblastoma Gene's Role in Salamander Superpowers
Imagine if humans could regenerate lost limbs or repair damaged organs as easily as changing a worn-out part of a car. Sounds like science fiction, right? Yet, for the salamander Pleurodeles waltl, a creature native to Spain and parts of North Africa, this is just another day in the pond. In our study, we dive into the world of these amphibians to uncover how they can do things that humans can only dream of, like regenerating their limbs, tails, and even parts of their ♥ hearts ♥, and how and why they are very resistant to cancer.
In the 1970s, researchers discovered that when a human cancer cell is fused with a normal cell, the resulting hybrid cell suppresses cancer. This led to the identification of certain genes in normal cells that can inhibit tumor formation, classifying them as "tumor suppressors." The first tumor suppressor gene identified was the retinoblastoma (Rb1). Now two more have been uncovered (Rbl1 and Rbl2) in this gene family.
In humans, the loss of the tumor-suppressing abilities of Rb1 results in a rare form of childhood can-cer affecting the eyes of infants. Interestingly the loss of Rb1 and Rbl2 genes in Pleurodeles waltl does not lead to tumors. However, it seems to affect their regenerative abilities. In our research, we looked at how those genes are expressed during the regeneration and development of Pleurodeles waltl. What we discovered is rather intriguing. If you look at the image on the right, you'll notice vi-brant psychedelic colors. No, this salamander hasn't taken any hallucinogens, nor should you! In-stead, this photo was captured using a special microscope capable of fluorescent imaging. Here's how it works: We start by designing a probe that can bind specifically to the mRNA, which is the product of gene expression from the gene we're interested in. This probe is tagged with a "fluoro-phore." We then introduce a bunch of those probes into the salamander where they seek out and bind to their target mRNA within the cells. The fluorophore attached to the probe is unique—it only glows under specific wavelengths of light. When we expose the cells to this light, the fluorophore illumi-nates, but other things around it do not, allowing us to visually track the location and concentration of the mRNA in the salamander's body. Essentially telling us where the gene is expressed! What you see in the image is the expression of the Rbl2 gene, and it’s not evenly distributed, it clusters in specific areas. Interestingly, where Rbl2 is expressed, cell division and thus growth halt. For instance, this young salamander is at a developmental stage where its mouth is starting to open and seeing a red glow around it, it tells us that the growth has stopped there to allow the mouth to open properly. If there wasn’t any Rbl2 expression there, it would probably end up looking like that one scene in The Matrix. When we examine a regenerating limb, we also see Rbl2 expression there. You might wonder why the body would want to halt growth in a regenerating limb. It turns out that the salamander re-quires regulated growth for proper development, like forming digits and allowing blood vessels to extend. This regulated growth is crucial, as it contrasts sharply with cancer, which is basically uncon-trolled growth.
Remarkably, we have also discovered that the Rbl2 gene in P. waltl and its counterpart in humans are highly similar. In our work, if we figure out how those retinoblastoma genes work, then maybe, one day, far in the future, but you know, hopefully not too far, we can adapt the power of these genes for use in human regenerative medicine and cancer research.
Master’s Project in Molecular Biology: Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology 60 credits, MOBN03
Department of Biology, Lund University
Advisor: Nicholas Leigh, PhD
Senior Lecturer at Division of Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9176261
- author
- Rikk, Lennart
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MOBN03 20232
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- language
- English
- id
- 9176261
- date added to LUP
- 2024-10-07 16:06:23
- date last changed
- 2024-10-07 16:06:23
@misc{9176261,
author = {{Rikk, Lennart}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Role of Retinoblastoma Gene Family In Salamander Development & Regeneration}},
year = {{2024}},
}