Abstract
Especially while in college, young people are supplementing their diets with various additives including caffeine in the forms of pills and energy drinks, in addition to consuming alcoholic beverages. This project aims to investigate the effects of three concentrations (low, medium, and high) of various caffeinated and alcoholic dietary additives/beverages on gene expression. Since yeast share approximately 30% of their genome with humans several conserved genes belonging to various functional groups (digestion, cell cycle, ion channel, molecular chaperone, kinases and transcription) were selectively targeted in this study. High, medium and low concentrations of caffeine tablets, energy drinks (Red Bull energy drink, Arizona Energy drink), ethanol, and alcoholic beverages (Bacardi rum and Bud Light beer) were administered to yeast cultures growing in typical YEPD media. These yeast cultures were allowed to grow for 42 hours to reach a density measure of approximately 1.2 at A660. Then RNA was extracted, followed by cDNA preparation. The relative degree of expression of the selected genes belonging to the various functional groups was compared through the use of reverse transcriptase PCR. In this presentation, the results of the relative expression of selected digestion, molecular chaperone, kinase, and cell cycle genes (SUC2, TDH1, GPT2, DAP1, GIP2, HSP104, TOR1, MKK1, ASR1, ETP1, ADR1, PCK1, and RAS1) exposed to the different treatments will be highlighted.
Faculty Sponsors
Emily Schmitt Lavin, Ph.D.
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-10-2015 1:00 PM
End Date
4-10-2015 5:30 PM
The Potential Effects of Caffeine, Energy Drinks, and Alcoholic Drinks on Gene Expression Using the Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Model System
Alvin Sherman Library
Especially while in college, young people are supplementing their diets with various additives including caffeine in the forms of pills and energy drinks, in addition to consuming alcoholic beverages. This project aims to investigate the effects of three concentrations (low, medium, and high) of various caffeinated and alcoholic dietary additives/beverages on gene expression. Since yeast share approximately 30% of their genome with humans several conserved genes belonging to various functional groups (digestion, cell cycle, ion channel, molecular chaperone, kinases and transcription) were selectively targeted in this study. High, medium and low concentrations of caffeine tablets, energy drinks (Red Bull energy drink, Arizona Energy drink), ethanol, and alcoholic beverages (Bacardi rum and Bud Light beer) were administered to yeast cultures growing in typical YEPD media. These yeast cultures were allowed to grow for 42 hours to reach a density measure of approximately 1.2 at A660. Then RNA was extracted, followed by cDNA preparation. The relative degree of expression of the selected genes belonging to the various functional groups was compared through the use of reverse transcriptase PCR. In this presentation, the results of the relative expression of selected digestion, molecular chaperone, kinase, and cell cycle genes (SUC2, TDH1, GPT2, DAP1, GIP2, HSP104, TOR1, MKK1, ASR1, ETP1, ADR1, PCK1, and RAS1) exposed to the different treatments will be highlighted.
