Name:

Renee Bozard

Email address:

Year of Entry:

2006

Education:

B.S. Chemistry, Erskine College, Sue West, SC

Honors and Awards

2006  James N. Bonner Scholarship, Chemistry Recognition

          Erskine College, SC

The goal of my research project is to test the hypothesis that folate uptake in retinal Müller glial cells is mediated by Folate Receptor α (FRα) and Proton-Coupled Folate Transporter (PCFT).  Folate is essential for every cell; without folate, a cell cannot survive due to its contribution to many metabolic pathways, including DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis.  Understanding the mechanism of folate uptake in the retina is important because folate deficiency is implicated in ophthalmologic diseases, including nutritional amblyopia and optic neuropathy. Additionally, decreased folate availability is associated with increased homocysteine, which may underly various retinal diseases.  Previously, we have studied the vectorial transport of folate across the retinal pigment epithelium to the photoreceptor cells and determined that the process was mediated by Reduced Folate Transporter-1 (RFT-1) and FRα. Folate uptake within the remainder of the retina, however, remains elusive. We now seek to determine the mechanism by which folate is taken up by Müller glial cells. These cells provide critical support for neuronal cells within the retina, including ganglion cells.  Experiments performed to date confirm the presence of FRα and PCFT in Müller glial cells.  Studies are ongoing to determine the contributions these proteins make to acquisition of folate and how their function and expression are regulated.  The project utilizes primary cultures of mouse Müller glial cells, functional assays, and gene and protein analysis.