Biosynthetic Pathway
Lisa Thompson (Biology)
The effects of valproate prodrugs on the inositol biosynthetic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast
Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by episodes of abnormally elevated mood followed by periods of extreme depression. Currently, valproate is one of the drugs used to treat the disorder but it is associated with many negative side effects. The goal of this project is to create a prodrug with structural similarities to valproate and determine if its effect on growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is similar to that of valproate. Yeast cells were grown in media with or without the prodrug in the presence or absence of inositol. The results showed that the prodrug inhibited growth.