Schedule and Program - North Carolina Academy of Science

factors represent an intriguing target for combined cancer therapy. Due to their ability to differentiate in culture,colon cancer cell lines represent a useful model for investigating the role of Hox genes in oncogenesis. Currently,our laboratory has characterized the expression pattern for all of the 39 Hox genes. It has been shown that Hoxgenes B8, C8 and C9 are up-regulated in colorectal cancers. Hox gene expression will further be investigatedin a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT29) by focusing on paralog groups 8 and 9. My hypothesisis that differentiated cells will have an increased level of expression of paralog groups 8 and 9 in comparison toundifferentiated cells. Expression levels will be analyzed using qRT-PCR and standardized to a housekeeping gene,RPLP0. Additionally, when silenced using siRNA transfection, cells lacking expression of genes in paralogs 8 and/or 9 will have a decreased ability to differentiate, produce tight junctions and apical brush borders. These resultscould provide initial answers to the understanding of the function of Hox genes during colon carcinogenesis andprovide possible targets for combined cancer therapy.Temperature and carbon dioxide effects on carbonic anhydrase in Aiptasia spp.Rachel L. Cone*, Constance Rogers-Lowery, and Mark SaboCatawba CollegeCarbonic Anhydrase is a zinc metalloenzyme that catalyses the reaction of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate. Bicarbonateis a key element in exoskeleton formation of marine animals. Aiptasia spp. (sea anemone) are hardy members ofthe group cnidarians. They depend on carbonic anhydrase to catalyze the reaction of CO2 into bicarbonate andprovide the necessary element for calcification to occur. Sea anemones were treated with CO2 concentrations of392ppm, 700ppm and 1300ppm. Their homogenized tissue was used for analysis with a colorimetric method on aUV-VIS spectrophotometer. Samples ran at temperatures of 10º, 20 º, and 30 º C and absorbencies were recorded.Carbonic anhydrase activity levels were determined in units of activity per gram of protein. Protein concentrationswere determined using the Bradford assay. There was a significant increase in activity level according to increase intemperature. There was a significant difference between CO2 treatment groups.Does Microstegium vimineum show contemporary evolution along analtitudinal gradient?Alexandra M. Congelosi Presenter, and Elizabeth P. LaceyUNCGCurrently invasive plant species are becoming a major concern because they have been found to decreasebiodiversity and inhibit growth of native species. Microstegium vimineum, commonly known, as JapaneseStiltgrass is an invasive grass that originates from Japan and since its arrival it has spread all throughout thesoutheastern part of the United States causing detrimental effects to native plant species. Considering how quicklyM. vimineum has spread to so many variable environments since its arrival, it is possible that this invasive grass hasundergone contemporary evolution. To test for contemporary evolution I will be examining population variationalong an altitudinal gradient. Previous studies of plants species (both native and invasive) along an altitudinalgradient have shown that as altitude increases, above-ground biomass and inflorescence number decrease. I amtesting the hypothesis that M. vimineum shows similar population differences. I also hypothesize that higheraltitude populations will flower earlier and have lower above-ground biomass than lower altitude populations andthat high altitude populations will germinate later in the season and have a greater proportion of cleistogamousseeds than low altitude populations. I will discuss the experiments that I am conducting to test these hypotheses.Campbell University - 39