Document Type
Proposal
Publication Date
2023
Department
Chemistry & Physics
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Jonathan White
Abstract
Platinum (Pt) drugs are used in about half of all anticancer treatments. A common way to study Pt drugs is by using S. cerevisiae (brewer’s yeast) as a model cellular organism. One of the most commonly-used strains of yeast is BY4741, which is auxotrophic for (cannot synthesize) several small-molecule nutrients, including the amino acid methionine. Therefore, methionine must be supplemented in the cell culture medium. Interestingly, it is known that methionine can react with Pt compounds, including Pt drugs. Methionine-supplemented media continues to be used to study Pt drugs in yeast, especially BY4741, yet the potential for methionine to interfere with the activity of Pt drugs appears to be overlooked in a number of important studies. We will determine the precise effects of added methionine on the toxicity of Pt drugs in yeast, then use these results to critically evaluate previous studies that have used methionine-supplemented media. A better understanding of the Pt–yeast model system will clarify its appropriate (or inappropriate) use with this important class of anticancer drug.
Recommended Citation
Owens, Kassidy and White, Jonathan, "Determination of the Effects of Added Methionine on the Toxicity of Platinum Drugs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae" (2023). Longwood Senior Thesis Proposal. 11.
https://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/senior_thesis_proposals/11
