Expression of SRC Family Kinases in Different Tissues of Danio rerio

Andrew Miller

The SRC family (SFK) of proteins is a common family of signaling molecules that has been shown to play a role in cancer progression, especially breast and lung cancer. The concentration of these proteins will vary in the body depending on the level of expression from the SFK genes. However, there is limited data on their role across tissues and under normal conditions, and even less in non-human models. The expression levels of the SFKs have been shown to differ between the different types of tissues, thus, we aim to investigate the expression of select SFK members in adult Danio rerio (zebrafish) tissues. RNA from Danio rerio was obtained from several organs (brain, heart, ovaries and eggs, liver, and intestine). The expressions of SRC, SRM, FYNA, FYNB, and BRK genes were examined in these tissues. This analysis shows a varying amount of gene expressions from the same organism in different tissues. By analyzing the expression of these genes from the different tissues of the zebrafish, it shows how protein expression can vary. Understanding the expression patterns for the different SFK members can give insight into their normal function.

• Andrew Miller is from Spartanburg, South Carolina; he is a senior biology major at Lander University. He plans to attend medical school soon in hopes of becoming a family medicine doctor.