Investigating the Nucleophosmin (Npm1) Protein in the Context of Protein Aggregation in the Budding Yeast S. cerevisiae

The Nucleophosmin (Npm1) protein is a nucleolar protein found in jawed vertebrates. It is primarily involved in ribosome biogenesis. Recent studies have proposed a new role for this protein as a protective agent colocalizing with cellular aggregates like firefly luciferase and the mutant huntingtin protein during stress conditions. In this study, the behavior of Npm1 was investigated in the budding yeast S. cerevisiae by fluorescence microscopy to see if Npm1 colocalizes or otherwise interacts with aggregates. I found that Npm1 redistributes to a subnuclear location after heat shock where it may colocalize with luciferase aggregates. HTTQ103, a mutant huntingtin protein, seems to interfere with this process. These experiments could be the first of many in the model organism S. cerevisiae investigating the behavior of Npm1 as it pertains to Huntington’s Disease and other cytopathologies, such as Acute Myeloid Leukemia.