3. HER2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that functions as a transmembrane protein

Question

3. HER2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that functions as a transmembrane protein at the plasma membrane. You found that a mutant cell line does not display HER2 at the plasma membrane, although HER2 protein is expressed in the cell. One study previously suggested that the protein HSP90 is responsible for maintaining HER2 expression at the plasma membrane. Thus, you hypothesize that HSP90 is not expressed in the mutant cell line. To test this hypothesis, you perform a western blot to detect the presence of HSP90 and generate the results shown below. Do the results as they are shown support your hypothesis, why or why not? If not, modify the western blot to support the hypothesis (3 points) Wild-type cells Mutant cells -HSP90

Explanation / Answer

According to the information, the presence of HSP90 is necessary for the expression of HER2. Here, the image shows a western blot of alpha-HSP90 in mutant and wild type cells. Although this image is informative and suggestive of the fact that absence of HSP90 from the mutant might have lead to the absence of HER2, it is not clear from the results that the absence of HSP90 is absolutely responsible for not expressing HER2.

In order to ensure this fact, it is advisable to conduct an EMSA assay with HSP90 protein and gene responsible for translation of HER2 protein. Thus, this would explain whether there is a transcriptional regulation between these two components or not.

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