Authors:          Nagarajan C

Contact:          nagacrajan(a)gmail.com

Abstract:

Nanocars - complex molecules measuring 3-4 nanometers long and thinner then DNA, contain four wheels attached to two axles. The nanocars would act like enzymes for industrial application. α Spectrin is an actin crosslinking and molecular scaffold protein having receptors for NF- γ and GATA-2, so the factors bind to these receptors that links the plasma membrane to the actin cytoskeleton giving defenite cell shape. Mutations results in a variety of hereditary red blood cell disorders. Fetal hemoglobin can't take on the dysfunctional sickle shape as there is a competition for transcription factors NF-γ and GATA-2. So If we can increase NF- γ and GATA-2, maybe both the beta and gamma genes will be activated without one suppressing the other. Nanocar molecules would be given intravenously in the form of injections as drugs having the inducer attached to it. With the help of individual and combinatorial deletions of GATA-2 and NF- γ, we can pin-point the particular transcription factors with the respective position on α Spectrin gene. These factors would assist RNA polymerase. As a result normal Hb and fetal Hb would not compete for factors together and the higher affinity of fetal Hb towards oxygen would make its expression higher. Sickle cell anaemia would then turn asymptomatic.

Keywords: Nanocars, GATA -2, NF- γ

POSTER presentation between 29th August and 2nd September 2011