Lindsay K. Smith
Tel: (919) 541-0783
Education
Doctorate of Philosophy
Curriculum in Toxicology
Bioenvironmental Science
Texas A&M University, College Station TX, December 2001
Dissertation
“MicroRNAs modulate glucocorticoid induced apoptosis in lymphocytes”
Advisor: John Cidlowski
More than 300 microRNA (miRNA) genes have been discovered in the human genome. These non-coding RNAs are an abundant and important class of gene regulators. Several reports have described roles for specific miRNAs in the regulation of apoptosis. Accordingly, the dysregulation of miRNA expression is a common observation in transformed cells.
Dexamethasone has long been known to induce rapid apoptosis in rat primary thymocytes. However, the functional role of specific microRNAs in this process is currently unknown. In order to examine the regulatory role of specific microRNAs in dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, we must first determine which miRNAs are differentially expressed in response to dexamethasone treatment. Our current approach to this problem includes both hybridization (microarray) and sequence based gene expression profiling. Future directions involve mechanistic studies of the role of specific miRNAs in glucocorticoid induced apoptosis.