Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Genetics
Ashley N. Turner - Bethune-Cookman University
Co-Author(s): Raphael Isokpehi, Bethune-Cookman University
Septins are a group of highly conserved GTP binding proteins found in eukaryotes. In yeast cells, they build scaffolding to provide structural support during cell division and compartmentalize parts of the cell. Recent research in human cells suggests that Septins build cages around bacterial pathogens, immobilizing the harmful microbes and preventing them from invading other cells. There are 13 genes in the Septins gene family. The placenta is the highly specialized but relatively understudied organ of pregnancy that supports the normal growth and development of the fetus. It is the least understood human organ. The objective of the research study was to determine the expression levels of individual members of the members of the Septin family in normal placentae during the gestational ages of human pregnancy. We hypothesize that a combination of bioinformatics and visual analytics methods will helps us identify data patterns in placental expression levels of Septins that could be of potential biological significance in placental function and development. Affymetrix probe sets expression values (signal intensities) for the gene family were extracted from NCBI GEO Data-set GDS4037 (12 normal placentae at first-trimester, second-trimester, and term). A total of 36 probe sets were analyzed for 12 septin gene family members. Box Plot identified probe set 200015_s_at from SEPT2 had highest gene expression level. In pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, SEPT2 is down-regulated. SEPT2 is critical for the bacterial entry process. Future research could investigate the SEPT2 expression as a non-invasive marker for prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP)
Faculty Advisor: Raphael Isokpehi, isokpehir@cookman.edu
Role: In this research I chose, researched, and studied all about the Septin gene family. I used the software tool called Tableau to upload the data I collected from the Septin gene to retrieve the visuals gene expressions in the placentae.