Research Grant Award

Hayla K Sluss, PhD

University of Mass. Medical School
Examination of the underlying mechanism of p53 mediation of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutant (ATM) signaling pathway

This study will perform motor control tests on the p53 phosphorylation defective mice to test whether they have the same locomotor defects found in the ATM deficient mice. If they exhibit the same defects, it suggest that phosphorylation of p53 is important in this process. These experiments will help look at the underlying mechanism of neurodegeneration and tumor formation in ATM-deficient mice. We hope that as a model for the A-T disease our findings improve our understanding of the molecular function of ATM in AT disease.