Investigating the effects of mutations to an acetylated lysine residue on transcription factor AP2X-7 in Toxoplasma gondii

Author

Reilly E. Richardson, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow

Date of Award

Fall 2025

Project Type

Senior Honors Thesis

College or School

COLSA

Department

Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences

Program or Major

Biomedical Science: Medical Microbiology

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

First Advisor

Victoria Jeffers

Abstract

Toxoplasma is a clinically significant single-celled parasite that infects most warm-blooded animals. Due to its wide variety of hosts and complex life cycle, parasites must tightly regulate their gene expression to accommodate for the vastly different environments they occupy. This is achieved through epigenetic regulation, including post-translational modifications such as lysine acetylation, and through transcriptional level regulation. Here, we investigate the functional relevance of an acetylated lysine residue on transcription factor AP2X-7 by generating single amino acid mutations to mimic different acetylation states. We found that these mutations did not impact the cell-cycle-specific timing of AP2X-7 or result in a significant decrease in parasite viability. Additionally, we did not observe differences in the function of the genes bound by AP2X-7 upon mutation. Overall, we provide preliminary evidence to suggest that the acetylation of this residue in AP2X-7 does not significantly impact its function in parasite viability.

Recommended Citation

Richardson, Reilly E., "Investigating the effects of mutations to an acetylated lysine residue on transcription factor AP2X-7 in Toxoplasma gondii" (2025). Honors Theses and Capstones. 921.
https://scholars.unh.edu/honors/921