Role of Chloride intracellular channels (CLICs) in the regulation of cardiac function
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Start Date
11-4-2025 10:00 AM
End Date
11-4-2025 10:50 AM
Abstract
Chloride intracellular channels (CLICs) are members of a unique class of chloride channels localized in the intracellular organelles. There have been six mammalian homologues of CLIC (CLIC1-6) discovered, with two of them (CLIC4 and 5) being localized in the mitochondria. Drosophila melanogaster have one homologue, DmCLIC, which is also localized to the mitochondria. Due to the central role of mitochondria in cardiac function and CLIC localization in the mitochondria, we investigated the role of CLIC in regulating cardiac function. To study the role of CLIC, a loss of function Drosophila mutant (CLIC109) was used. We observed that CLIC mutant animals show reduced cardiac function and accumulate increased lipid droplet content. To study if CLICs regulated cardiac function via nutrient metabolism, we raised flies in media with high fat or high sugar content and studied their cardiac function using Optical Coherence Tomography. Compared to wild-type flies, the CLIC109 mutants demonstrated an increased incidence of arrhythmia and variable cardiac function. Our current studies are focused on measuring the levels of signaling proteins in the mutant flies in order to determine the mechanism by which CLICs regulate cardiac function.
Recommended Citation
Sutherland, Maxwell; Spitnale, Savanna; Seeley, Sarah; and Gururaja Rao, Shubha, "Role of Chloride intracellular channels (CLICs) in the regulation of cardiac function" (2025). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 13.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2025/Posters/13
Open Access
Available to all.
Role of Chloride intracellular channels (CLICs) in the regulation of cardiac function
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Chloride intracellular channels (CLICs) are members of a unique class of chloride channels localized in the intracellular organelles. There have been six mammalian homologues of CLIC (CLIC1-6) discovered, with two of them (CLIC4 and 5) being localized in the mitochondria. Drosophila melanogaster have one homologue, DmCLIC, which is also localized to the mitochondria. Due to the central role of mitochondria in cardiac function and CLIC localization in the mitochondria, we investigated the role of CLIC in regulating cardiac function. To study the role of CLIC, a loss of function Drosophila mutant (CLIC109) was used. We observed that CLIC mutant animals show reduced cardiac function and accumulate increased lipid droplet content. To study if CLICs regulated cardiac function via nutrient metabolism, we raised flies in media with high fat or high sugar content and studied their cardiac function using Optical Coherence Tomography. Compared to wild-type flies, the CLIC109 mutants demonstrated an increased incidence of arrhythmia and variable cardiac function. Our current studies are focused on measuring the levels of signaling proteins in the mutant flies in order to determine the mechanism by which CLICs regulate cardiac function.