Date of Award
Spring 6-13-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Degree Name
B.S. in Biological Sciences
Organizational Unit
College of Natural Science and Mathematics, Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Scott Barbee
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Synapsin, Casein kinase 1 alpha, Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein, FMRP complex, Colocalization, mRNA, Stress granule development, Genetic manipulation, Drosophila melanogaster, DmBG1-c1 cells, S2R+ cells, Autism
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a leading genetic cause of autism and intellectual disability, yet no treatments currently address the underlying molecular dysfunction. This defect primarily arises from the loss of Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein (FMRP) production and expression. Although FMRP and its binding partners have been extensively characterized, the functional relevance of many associated proteins, including Synapsin and CK1α, remain incompletely understood. In this study, colocalization analyses revealed that both Synapsin and CK1α show stronger association with FMRP in unstressed cells. Under stress, Synapsin was more diffusely distributed throughout the cytoplasm rather than concentrated within stress granules, indicating that its spatial relationship with FMRP is context-dependent and sensitive to cellular stress. In contrast, CK1α maintains substantial overlap with FMRP under stress, suggesting a more consistent association that is relatively resistant to changes in cellular conditions. These differential colocalization patterns refine our understanding of FMRP-associated regulatory networks and highlight the value of distinguishing transient versus stable protein associations. While this study does not establish causation, CK1α emerges as a promising candidate for future mechanistic investigations to determine whether it directly influences FMRP function or stress granule dynamics. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of stress-responsive FMRP interactions in the molecular pathology of Fragile X Syndrome and provide a framework for further functional studies.
Copyright Date
5-18-2026
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. This work may only be accessed by members of the University of Denver community. The work is provided by permission of the author for individual research purposes only and may not be further copied or distributed. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Micah Sullivan
Provenance
Received from Author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
16 pgs
File Size
1.07 MB
Recommended Citation
Sullivan, Micah and Barbee, Scott A., "Investigating Protein Colocalization with FMRP in Fragile X Syndrome Through Fruit Fly Neuronal and Somatic Models" (2026). Restricted Access ETDs. 132.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/restrictedetd/132