Investigating the Potential Physiological Role of Yeast Genes ZMS1 and ZMS2 in Oxidative Stress Protection using Microarray Analysis
Chris Halnon, Katie Criswell, Rebecca Moore
Abstract
Oxygen can form harmful radicals that cause oxidative stress, which plays a role in many human diseases. The means of protecting against oxidative stress are antioxidants. Two potential antioxidants are yeast genes ZMS1and ZMS2. To better understand how these genes may serve to protect the cell, microarray analysis was used to gain insight into how they function. The data gained from microarray analysis gave information on the 15 most underexpressed and overexpressed genes. The functions of these genes were determined and grouped based on their expression. Genes in certain amino acid synthesis were downregulated. Also, genes regulating meiosis and cell conjugation were downregulated. Results of microarray analysis are usually affected due to factors besides the actual gene expression. In order to adjust these effects, normalization techniques were used. The two normalization techniques applied in this experiment were mean and median normalization. After normalization, data were slightly more symmetrical and useful to analyze. Expression ratios of genes from the pentose phosphate along with ZMS1, ZMS2 and ALD6 were analyzed to determine if the gene was normally expressed, induced, or repressed. Genes TKL1, RPE1, SOL4, GND1, and ALD6 were all repressed.
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