Effects of Bap1 loss on GNAQ Q209L driven uveal melanoma in a mouse model

The goal of this study was to understand how the loss of the Bap1 tumor suppressor promotes metastasis in a mouse model of uveal melanoma. In melanocytes in the eye, activation of GNAQ through the Q209L mutation drives uveal melanoma. This project examined the differences in gene expression between uveal melanoma cells with a mutation in the Bap1 gene compared to uveal melanoma cells with normal Bap1. The material that was used to extract RNA was tumor microdissected from mouse eyes at 20 weeks of age. There were two genotypes that were compared: 1) 'Bap1 wildtype' = R26-fs-GNAQ Q209L/+; Mitf-cre/+; Bap1 +/+ and 2) 'Bap1 mutant' = R26-fs-GNAQ Q209L/+; Mitf-cre/+; Bap1 flox/+.