Characterization of Specter, a Cell Cycle Mutant of Zebrafish cyclin B1

Abstract

Cell cycle control is essential for the maintenance and development of a healthy organism. The cycle is controlled through checkpoints and regulatory proteins to ensure proper replication of the DNA and thus the production of two identical daughter cells. Cyclin B1 regulates and controls entry into mitosis from the G2 phase by complexing with cyclin dependent kinase 1. Studies have shown that down regulation of cyclin B1 can possibly treat cancer. From previous mapping data, it is hypothesized that cyclin B1 is responsible for the specter (spr) phenotype, a mutant isolated from the Tübingen Zebrafish Screen. The phenotype is similar to that of an already identified cyclin B1 mutant. The present study took a forward genetics approach and aimed to sequence the cyclin B1 gene to find a correlation between a sequence polymorphism and the spr phenotype. The study also aimed to further characterize the mutation with various assays to learn more about the effects of the mutation on the whole organism.