Hearing is one of the five senses and is important for survival and enrichment of life in numerous species. It is a complex and intricate biological process that is dependent upon the proper formation and maintenance of many structures. One of these structures is the hair bundle, known as the organelle of hearing. The hair bundle is composed of organized stereocilia, which are actin based projections from the apical surface of hair cells in the cochlea. I focus on the role of the protein Clic5, a member of the Clic family, which localizes to the base of stereocilia and is necessary for hearing in mice. This family is evolutionarily conserved and contains a highly conserved C-P-F-[S/C] motif that is also found in larger families such as the thioredoxin and glutathione S-transferase superfamilies. Because of its conservation and role in redox reactions within the larger families, I have targeted this motif for mutagenesis to determine its role in localization.
I have shown that the conserved CXXS motif in human Clic5 plays a critical role in the localization of Clic5 to microvilli, an actin based structure that can be used as a model for stereocilia. This was done by inducing mutations into the motif and examining the effects on the protein’s localization to microvilli in cultured LLC-PK1 cells. Within the motif, Cys32 is crucial for localization to microvilli, while Ser35 is not necessary for this localization. I have also shown that a S35C mutation, with or without the presence of Cys32, does not have an apparent effect on localization of Clic5 to microvilli.
","abstract_html":"<p>Hearing is one of the five senses and is important for survival and enrichment of life in numerous species. It is a complex and intricate biological process that is dependent upon the proper formation and maintenance of many structures. One of these structures is the hair bundle, known as the organelle of hearing. The hair bundle is composed of organized stereocilia, which are actin based projections from the apical surface of hair cells in the cochlea. I focus on the role of the protein Clic5, a member of the Clic family, which localizes to the base of stereocilia and is necessary for hearing in mice. This family is evolutionarily conserved and contains a highly conserved C-P-F-[S/C] motif that is also found in larger families such as the thioredoxin and glutathione S-transferase superfamilies. Because of its conservation and role in redox reactions within the larger families, I have targeted this motif for mutagenesis to determine its role in localization. </p><p>I have shown that the conserved CXXS motif in human Clic5 plays a critical role in the localization of Clic5 to microvilli, an actin based structure that can be used as a model for stereocilia. This was done by inducing mutations into the motif and examining the effects on the protein’s localization to microvilli in cultured LLC-PK1 cells. Within the motif, Cys32 is crucial for localization to microvilli, while Ser35 is not necessary for this localization. I have also shown that a S35C mutation, with or without the presence of Cys32, does not have an apparent effect on localization of Clic5 to microvilli.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Plona, Kathleen Lynn"],"institution":"Ohio University Art and Sciences Honors Theses","degree_name":"Bachelor of Sciences","degree_level":"bachelors","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Tanda, Soichi"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:36:08Z","subjects":["Biology","Cellular Biology","Human Clic5","microvilli, in vitro mutagenesis"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouashonors1340830402","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Tanda, Soichi"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Plona, Kathleen Lynn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2012"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Ohio University Art and Sciences Honors Theses / OhioLINK"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["bachelors"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Bachelor of Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Ohio University Art and Sciences Honors Theses"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Biology","Cellular Biology","Human Clic5","microvilli, in vitro mutagenesis"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouashonors1340830402"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Hearing is one of the five senses and is important for survival and enrichment of life in numerous species. It is a complex and intricate biological process that is dependent upon the proper formation and maintenance of many structures. One of these structures is the hair bundle, known as the organelle of hearing. The hair bundle is composed of organized stereocilia, which are actin based projections from the apical surface of hair cells in the cochlea. I focus on the role of the protein Clic5, a member of the Clic family, which localizes to the base of stereocilia and is necessary for hearing in mice. This family is evolutionarily conserved and contains a highly conserved C-P-F-[S/C] motif that is also found in larger families such as the thioredoxin and glutathione S-transferase superfamilies. Because of its conservation and role in redox reactions within the larger families, I have targeted this motif for mutagenesis to determine its role in localization.
I have shown that the conserved CXXS motif in human Clic5 plays a critical role in the localization of Clic5 to microvilli, an actin based structure that can be used as a model for stereocilia. This was done by inducing mutations into the motif and examining the effects on the protein’s localization to microvilli in cultured LLC-PK1 cells. Within the motif, Cys32 is crucial for localization to microvilli, while Ser35 is not necessary for this localization. I have also shown that a S35C mutation, with or without the presence of Cys32, does not have an apparent effect on localization of Clic5 to microvilli.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf","p.82","16.26 MB"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["ROLE OF A CONSERVED AMINO ACID MOTIF IN LOCALIZATION OF HUMAN CLIC5 TO MICROVILLI"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Tanda, Soichi"],"dc:creator":["Plona, Kathleen Lynn"],"dc:date":["2012"],"dc:description":["Hearing is one of the five senses and is important for survival and enrichment of life in numerous species. It is a complex and intricate biological process that is dependent upon the proper formation and maintenance of many structures. One of these structures is the hair bundle, known as the organelle of hearing. The hair bundle is composed of organized stereocilia, which are actin based projections from the apical surface of hair cells in the cochlea. I focus on the role of the protein Clic5, a member of the Clic family, which localizes to the base of stereocilia and is necessary for hearing in mice. This family is evolutionarily conserved and contains a highly conserved C-P-F-[S/C] motif that is also found in larger families such as the thioredoxin and glutathione S-transferase superfamilies. Because of its conservation and role in redox reactions within the larger families, I have targeted this motif for mutagenesis to determine its role in localization.
I have shown that the conserved CXXS motif in human Clic5 plays a critical role in the localization of Clic5 to microvilli, an actin based structure that can be used as a model for stereocilia. This was done by inducing mutations into the motif and examining the effects on the protein’s localization to microvilli in cultured LLC-PK1 cells. Within the motif, Cys32 is crucial for localization to microvilli, while Ser35 is not necessary for this localization. I have also shown that a S35C mutation, with or without the presence of Cys32, does not have an apparent effect on localization of Clic5 to microvilli.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf","p.82","16.26 MB"],"dc:identifier":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouashonors1340830402"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["Ohio University Art and Sciences Honors Theses / OhioLINK"],"dc:rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"dc:subject":["Biology","Cellular Biology","Human Clic5","microvilli, in vitro mutagenesis"],"dc:title":["ROLE OF A CONSERVED AMINO ACID MOTIF IN LOCALIZATION OF HUMAN CLIC5 TO MICROVILLI"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["bachelors"],"thesis:degree_name":["Bachelor of Sciences"],"thesis:institution_name":["Ohio University Art and Sciences Honors Theses"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:36:08Z"}