Faith Guice

The ALK Gene and Neuroblastoma

Faith Guice, Diana Ajche-Varela, and Gloria C. Regisford (Faculty Mentor)

Department of Biology, Prairie View A&M University

Background: Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary science comprising of different tools and databases that support data integration and data analysis. This data can then be used by medical teams and the pharmaceutical industry to prevent and/or treat genetic diseases such as neuroblastomas, one of the most common tumors among children worldwide. Objective: The aim of this project was to use bioinformatics to characterize a newly sequenced gene, Anaplastic Lymphoma Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (ALK), that has been linked to the onset of neuroblastomas. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that ALK is a functional gene that is conserved across many species and that certain mutations of this gene are associated with the development of neuroblastomas. Methods: To evaluate our hypothesis we utilized the databases GeneCards, National Center for Biotechnology (NCBI), University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and Ensembl as well as the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Results:The UCSCgenome browser states that this gene is located on chromosome 2p23.1-2p23.2 and has 29 exons. The ALK gene is localized in the cell membrane. Information obtained from NCBI indicated that this gene is highly expressed in the tissues of the brain. The Ensembl database shows that orthologs of the ALK gene can be found in the mouse, chicken, lizard, and zebrafish. Summary: In conclusion, the ALK gene is a protein-coding gene that is conserved across many species. The high level of ALK gene expression in the brain suggests a possible role in the normal function of the nervous system. Further characterization of the ALK gene will determine the specific mutations that promote the development of neuroblastoma.

Keywords: ALK Gene, Bioinformatics, Brain, Neuroblastoma

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