Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5902-4266

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Gordon, Donna M.

Committee Member

Brown, Matthew W.

Committee Member

Liu, Bin

Date of Degree

12-13-2024

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU only 2 years

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Campus Access Only

Major

Biological Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Abstract

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, retrograde signaling is utilized as a pathway of communication from the mitochondria to the nucleus, regulating nuclear gene expression and allowing the cell to adapt to mitochondrial dysfunction. A key target of this pathway is CIT2, which encodes a peroxisomal citrate synthase essential for metabolic adaptation. This study aimed to investigate the complex composition of the retrograde initiating protein, Rtg2p. Through co-immunoprecipitation and size exclusion chromatography, Rtg2p was found to form a high molecular weight complex that contained multiple copies of Rtg2p. Previously generated mutations in the carboxyl terminus of Rtg2p shown to negatively impact CIT2 transcriptional upregulation, demonstrated reduced Rtg2p-Rtg2p self-association indicating the critical role of these interactions in retrograde signaling. These findings highlight the importance of protein interactions in maintaining the function of the Rtg2p complex, essential for effective cellular adaptation.

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