Three RC Student Co-Authors Recognized for Peer-Reviewed Publication with Dr. Chris Lassiter

Congratulations to three Roanoke College graduates and Dr. Chris Lassiter for their recognition by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) for a recent peer-reviewed publication.

The recent paper made it onto the CUR Highlights:

1 )	Recorded at: 1/31/2011
Title	Zebrafish (Danio rerio) androgen receptor: sequence homology and up-regulation by the fungicide vinclozolin.
Journal	Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol., 2010;151:161-166, Smolinsky AN, Doughman JM, Kratzke LT, Lassiter CS. Roanoke College
Description	In this study, we demonstrate the evolutionary conservation between the genomic structure of the human and zebrafish androgen receptor (ar) genes and find that ar mRNA expression increases in zebrafish embryos exposed to vinclozolin, a fungicide and endocrine disruptor. At 48 and 72 hours post-fertilization, vinclozolin-treated embryos express ar mRNA 8-fold higher than the control level. These findings suggest that zebrafish embryos attempt to compensate for the presence of an anti-androgen by increasing the number of androgen receptors available.
Faculty	Christopher Lassiter is an assistant professor of biology.
Student	Amanda Smolinsky, Jennifer Doughman, and Lien-Thanh Kratzke were biology majors and received independent study credit and defending the work in senior theses. Jennifer Doughman is working as a research technician at the University of Virginia. Lien-thanh Kratzke is completing her MD at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Fund	The research was supported by Roanoke College Summer Scholars program and a Roanoke College Faculty Research Grant.