Christy Luong

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Christy is a rising senior at UCLA majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Biomedical Research. Christy has been an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Kathrin Plath’s lab since fall quarter of freshman year. Christy’s research aims to investigate the mechanism by which Xist RNA transcriptionally silences the X-chromosome through super resolution imaging. X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) occurs in female mammals to compensate for dosage difference of X-linked genes between sexes. During embryonic development both X-chromosomes are active and XCI is induced upon differentiation. Xist RNA is a long non-coding RNA that spreads in cis as a ‘cloud’ on one of the two X-chromosomes and mediates silencing. Super resolution microscopy (SRM) revealed approximately 100 distinct granules on the inactive X-chromosome (Xi). To elucidate the dynamic behavior of Xist in living cells, Christy utilizes an MS2-MS2 Coat Protein (MCP) phage system to indirect label Xist RNA with a fluorescent protein fusion. The distributions of Xist granules are observed by live-cell SRM imaging and their trajectories are monitored with single particle tracking analysis. Furthermore, to gain a better insight on the mechanism behind Xist stabilization and maintenance, RNA binding proteins (RBPs) known to interact with Xist are fused with fluorescent protein tags in order to observe the kinetics of these proteins in photo-bleaching experiments. By studying Xist RNA, Christy is hoping to better understand the role of long non-coding RNAs in epigenetics. Christy would like to thank the Plath lab, Amgen Foundation, and the Biomedical Research minor for investing time, effort, and money into her growth as a future researcher.

Christy is a rising senior at UCLA majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Biomedical Research. Christy has been an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Kathrin Plath’s lab since fall quarter of freshman year. Christy’s research aims to investigate the mechanism by which Xist RNA transcriptionally silences the X-chromosome through super resolution imaging.

X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) occurs in female mammals to compensate for dosage difference of X-linked genes between sexes. During embryonic development both X-chromosomes are active and XCI is induced upon differentiation. Xist RNA is a long non-coding RNA that spreads in cis as a ‘cloud’ on one of the two X-chromosomes and mediates silencing. Super resolution microscopy (SRM) revealed approximately 100 distinct granules on the inactive X-chromosome (Xi). To elucidate the dynamic behavior of Xist in living cells, Christy utilizes an MS2-MS2 Coat Protein (MCP) phage system to indirect label Xist RNA with a fluorescent protein fusion. The distributions of Xist granules are observed by live-cell SRM imaging and their trajectories are monitored with single particle tracking analysis. Furthermore, to gain a better insight on the mechanism behind Xist stabilization and maintenance, RNA binding proteins (RBPs) known to interact with Xist are fused with fluorescent protein tags in order to observe the kinetics of these proteins in photo-bleaching experiments. By studying Xist RNA, Christy is hoping to better understand the role of long non-coding RNAs in epigenetics.

Christy would like to thank the Plath lab, Amgen Foundation, and the Biomedical Research minor for investing time, effort, and money into her growth as a future researcher.