The role of phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activator in glucose restricted Trichomonas vaginalis

• Main Authors: Jo Hsuan Hsu, 徐若玹
• Other Authors: Petrus Tang
• Format: Others
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/40818981927554624526

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 生物醫學研究所 === 101 === Glucose restriction (GR) can extend lifespan in a variety of organisms. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying GR-induced lifespan extension was not fully understand. Our previous study confirmed that the lifespan of Trichomonas vaginalis can be extended under GR. This discovery enabled us to use T. vaginalis, a unicellaular organism of the human urogential tract, as an experimental model to study the regulation of GR-induced lifespan extension in protist. Phophotyrosyl phosphatase activator (PTPA), a highly conserved protein from yeast to human, can regulate protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity, an important regulator of many cellular functions. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanism of the activation is still unclear. In this study we cloned the PTPA gene and use recombinant PTPA protein to generate a highly specific anti-PTPA antibody. We also established the standard procedure for pull-down assay and co-immunoprecipitation. We also successfully manipulate PTPA mRNA and protein expression levels by siRNA. These results paved the way to the future for trying to identify proteins that can interact with PTPA in T. vaginalis.