Determining Isoform Specificity of the Caenorhabditis elegans Transcription Factor DAF-19

TL;DRAbstract

Though the pathologies associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have been known for many years, we still lack a complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind these devastating diseases. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a model organism with a simple nervous system that has given biologists a better understanding of the mechanisms of cell division, apoptosis, and other fundamental concepts of cell and molecular biology. Study of the C. elegans RFX transcription factor DAF-19 has helped us better understand the development of the nervous system. Previous research demonstrated that four distinct protein isoforms are encoded for by the daf-19 gene. DAF-19C is an isoform of the transcription factor known to be necessary for cilia development of the sensory neurons of C. elegans. DAF-19M is involved in specification of male-specific sensory neurons. Recent studies have shown that the isoforms DAF-19A and/or DAF-19B function to maintain

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