Measuring gene expression of MORN, SANT, and Sig 1, “ ” 4, in Paramecium caudatum over the course of Holospora infection

Abstract

Paramecia are single-celled organisms that live in ponds and feed on other single celled organisms like bacteria or algae. They are typically oblong and are covered with short structures called cilia. They have interactions with bacteria as they are infected intranuclearly by Holospora. Paramecium caudatum is known to express genes such as MORN, SANT, and Sig 1, “ ”, 4. Paramecium shows a response upon infection by Holospora as it navigates through the various stages of infection. The Holospora bacteria may cause varying degrees of expression of genes in the single celled organism. The genes were chosen due to their upregulation in Paramecium in a previous RNA sequencing study (Kagemann et al, in prep). Through the use of microscopy, imaging and qPCR, gene expression was tracked in the control and in the samples in which MORN, SANT, and Sig 1, “ ”, 4 genes were knocked down. The amount of gene expression was measured in each stage of the infection using qPCR. A comparison was made between the results of the control samples, which have no knocked down genes, to the samples which have knocked down genes. The amplitude of expression between Sig 1, Sig 2, Sig 3, and Sig 4 was compared as they function as protein kinases in Paramecium caudatum.