A Western blot-based investigation of the yeast secretory pathway designed for an intermediate-level undergraduate cell biology laboratory

CBE Life Sci Educ. 2008 Spring;7(1):107-17. doi: 10.1187/cbe.07-07-0047.

Abstract

The movement of newly synthesized proteins through the endomembrane system of eukaryotic cells, often referred to generally as the secretory pathway, is a topic covered in most intermediate-level undergraduate cell biology courses. An article previously published in this journal described a laboratory exercise in which yeast mutants defective in two distinct steps of protein secretion were differentiated using a genetic reporter designed specifically to identify defects in the first step of the pathway, the insertion of proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum (Vallen, 2002). We have developed two versions of a Western blotting assay that serves as a second way of distinguishing the two secretory mutants, which we pair with the genetic assay in a 3-wk laboratory module. A quiz administered before and after students participated in the lab activities revealed significant postlab gains in their understanding of the secretory pathway and experimental techniques used to study it. A second survey administered at the end of the lab module assessed student perceptions of the efficacy of the lab activities; the results of this survey indicated that the experiments were successful in meeting a set of educational goals defined by the instructor.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biology / education*
  • Blotting, Western*
  • Education, Medical, Undergraduate*
  • Educational Measurement
  • Humans
  • Mutation
  • Protein Biosynthesis / physiology
  • Yeasts / genetics
  • Yeasts / physiology*