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Wells, Russell W.

Biology

2008

MS

I hypothesize that PMCAs are necessary for clearing the influx of Ca⁺² when the cell is responding to a chemical repellant. Furthermore, Paramecium tetraurelia use many different isoforms of PMCA to regulate internal calcium concentrations. This thesis describes the attempt to disrupt the swimming behavior of Paramecium tetraurelia through using RNA interference (RNAi) for PMCA isofonns 3,5 and 6. To observe swimming behavior the solutions BaC1₂, Na/TEA and KC1 testing solutions are used. The novel cloned PMCA isoforms 5,6, and 7 show high homology to known PMCAs and are thought to be functional proteins in Paramecium tetraurelia. This thesis describes in great detail the novel PMCA isoform genes PMCA 5-24; totaling 19 newly described PMCA isoforms.