title: A course-based undergraduate research experience investigating p300 bromodomain mutations.
abstract: Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide an opportunity for students to engage in experiments with outcomes that are unknown to both the instructor and students. These experiences allow students and instructors to collaboratively bridge the research laboratory and classroom, and provide research experiences for a large number of students relative to traditional individual mentored research. Here, we describe a molecular biology CURE investigating the impact of clinically relevant mutations found in the bromodomain of the p300 transcriptional regulator on acetylated histone interaction. In the CURE, students identified missense mutations in the p300 bromodomain using the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database and hypothesized the effects of the mutation on the acetyl-binding function of the domain. They cloned and purified the mutated bromodomain and performed peptide pulldown assays to define its potential to bind to acetylated histones. Upon completion of the course, students showed increased confidence performing molecular techniques and reported positively on doing a research project in class. In addition, results generated in the classroom were further validated in the research laboratory setting thereby providing a new model for faculty to engage in both course-based and individual undergraduate research experiences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.|Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Erin K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Shanle
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Ian K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Tsun
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Strahl
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000193:education*; D009154:Mutation; D012106:Research; D050880:p300-CBP Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D050880:p300-CBP Transcription Factors
keywords: bromodomain; course-based undergraduate research experience; peptide pulldown assay; protein purification