Function of Centromere RNA in Chromosome Breakage Repair and Kinetochore Organization

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) 2024 final slide deck. Centromere RNA is known to have a purpose in chromosome segregation, but the specific function has not been determined. My project explores the potential function of centromere RNA (cenRNA) in chromosome breakage repair and kinetochore organization. We utilize a budding yeast strain with heavily decreased cenRNA and the associated control strain. To look at its function in repair, we create a conditionally dicentric chromosome that can be forced to break in certain media. To look at its function in kinetochore organization, we add fluorescent markers at kinetochore and spindle pole body proteins Ndc80 and Spc29, respectively.