TITLE: Does the platelet protein, WIP, migrate to/from the pellet?

AUTHOR: Nina Smolyar

SCHOOL: Boston Latin School

SCHOOL ADDRESS: 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115

Platelets can be activated by thrombin to change shape and increase the overall concentration of actin filaments of the cytoskeleton. The WASP Interacting Protein (WIP) has been found to interact with actin in this process. However, the pathway of this protein is unknown. There are two possibilities: it either migrates from the supernatant of the platelet to the pellet or vice versa. This project attempts to figure which possibility is the reality. I implemented three fundamental procedures: gel electrophoresis for Western Blotting, Transfer of gel onto PVDF membrane, and Incubation with two antibodies, the second one of which produces a light emission which can then be simply evaluated with autoradiography. Out of four experiments, one showed good results and another one circumstantially supported it. The other two were unsuccessful probably for sound reasons. The result is that WIP migrates from the supernatant to the pellet of the platelet.