Lymphocyte Apoptosis in the Involuting Mammary Gland and the Application of qPCR in Gene Expression Profiling

Authors

Kathryn Distelhorst, Brigham Young University
Dr. Eric Wilson, Brigham Young University

Keywords

lymphocytes, post-lactational mammary gland, immunoglobulin A, IgA

College

Life Sciences

Department

Microbiology and Molecular Biology

Abstract

The initial aim of this project was to discover the fate of lymphocytes in the mammary gland after lactation. I hypothesized that lymphocytes, in an analogous mechanism used by mammary gland-specific epithelial cells, undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death. This non-inflammatory mechanism ensures cell homeostasis, and defects in this process are implemented in certain diseases such as multiple myeloma, a severe cancer of plasma cells that is generated from an over-proliferation of antibody-secreting cells (ASCs).

Recommended Citation

Distelhorst, Kathryn and Wilson, Dr. Eric (2013) "Lymphocyte Apoptosis in the Involuting Mammary Gland and the Application of qPCR in Gene Expression Profiling," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 1281.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/1281