Anna Keith Email & Phone Number

Huntersville, Nc, Us

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

The goal of my research was to examine the role of the human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV-1) oncoprotein, Tax stimulating the cellular calcium/calmodulin dependent kinase pathway. Additionally, HTLV-1 infected cells show increased levels of phosphorylated CREB (pCREB). In conjunction with pCREB, Tax has been shown to stimulate a potent increase in transcription from the viral promoter. We have identified the calcium/calmodulin dependent kinases as targets of Tax that cause increased pCREB levels leading to increased viral transcription. My research suggests that Tax functions in concert with cellular calmodulin to increase the active pool of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase IV causing the increase in pCREB and subsequent viral transcription.

The goal of my undergraduate work was to determine Prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS) involvement with Bovine Leukemia Virus Gag and the mechanism by which ProRS and tRNAPro are packaged into the viral particle. To examine the interaction between ProRS and the capsid portion of the Gag protein, DNA from Jersey cow blood was purified and PCR was used to amplify the bovine ProRS gene. Following isolation, expression, and purification of ProRS from Jersey cow blood, I utilized fluorescence quenching to demonstrate that ProRS and the capsid portion of the BLV Gag protein interact.

Master Of Science (Ms), Biochemistry And Molecular Biology

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Animal Sciences

Activities and Societies: Gate of Opportunity Scholarship, President of Lambda Sigma, Vice-President of Alpha Zeta, member of Omicron.