Publication Date
2011
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Scott Baird (Committee Member), Paula Bubulya (Advisor), Mill Miller (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
Cellular differentiation is a process regulated by environmental, intracellular and intercellular factors. Myogenesis is a differentiation program in mammalian myotome cells in which Pax3 activates myogenic transcription factors to convert myotome cells to committed myoblasts. Myoblasts differentiate to become fully differentiated, multi-nucleated myotubes (Tajbakhsh et al., 1997). C2C12 cells are a model system for myogenesis. We noted that Bcl2-associated transcription factor (Btf) is upregulated during myogenesis. We observed that C2C12 nuclei reorganize during myogenesis. We observed that myoblast nuclei have approximately 5-10 small nucleoli, while nuclei in myotubes have fewer and larger nucleoli. Nucleolar reorganization occurs independently of multinucleation. Also, the reorganization is not a result of serum withdrawal, as other cell lines fail to show reorganization when grown in low serum conditions. Immunofluorescent data indicates nuclear speckles reorganize during myogenesis. Our results indicate that a large-scale reorganization of nucleoli and nuclear speckles occurs during myogenesis.
Page Count
158
Department or Program
Department of Biological Sciences
Year Degree Awarded
2011
Copyright
Copyright 2011, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
