Date of Award
2026-05-01
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Biological Sciences
Advisor(s)
Manuel Llano
Abstract
The physiological role of Schlafen (SLFN11) proteins is ill-defined. We conducted a transcriptomic analysis to determine transcriptional pathways altered in cells lacking human SLFN11 and its mouse orthologs Slfn8 and Slfn9. SLFN11 was knocked out in a human glioblastoma cell line, and a Slfn8/Slfn9 double knockout was generated in a mouse fibroblast cell line. Analysis of the transcriptome identified 278 differentially expressed gene symbols in both species, of which 158 were concordantly regulated. Importantly, loss of SLFN11 produced a significant and broad downregulation of the MHC class I antigen-presentation machinery, anchored by a 6.6 log₂-fold reduction of NLRC5, the master transcriptional regulator of MHC-I. This signature was not recapitulated in Slfn8/Slfn9 double-knockout cells, where Nlrc5 was instead upregulated, and MHC class I expression remained unaltered. These findings indicate that, while human SLFN11 and murine Slfn8/Slfn9 share a subset of transcriptional targets, they diverge on the antigen-presentation axis, supporting the conclusion that Slfn8 and Slfn9 are divergent orthologs of human SLFN11.
Language
en
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
Copyright Date
2026-05
File Size
56 p.
File Format
application/pdf
Rights Holder
Mauricio Ivan Rodriguez Rodriguez
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez Rodriguez, Mauricio Ivan, "Functional Characterization Of Murine SLFN8 And SLFN9 As Orthologs Of Human SLFN11" (2026). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 4780.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/4780