The following project aimed at promoting integrated and long-lasting learning is described for an Immunology course, but it may be adapted to other disciplines. Students were asked to develop and carry out a research project to examine the relationship between immune function and stress. The experiments were required to include the assessment of salivary cortisol and salivary IgA (sIgA) with enzyme immunoassays. All other aspects of the experiments were developed by student groups with appropriate guidance from the instructor. Data are presented for one group project that assessed the effect of music on cortisol and sIgA. Overall levels of sIgA and cortisol were consistent with reported values. Students found a significant decrease in cortisol over time. Additionally, there was a trend that supported the overall student hypothesis regarding the effect of stress and immune function. Compared with the same Immunology course that included an instructor-designed experiment using enzyme immunoassays for cortisol and sIgA, several assessments (e.g., final grades and comments on student evaluations) show that overall learning seemed to be much better in the course with the student-directed research project.

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PAK6 is a Group II p21 activated kinase that unlike traditional signal transduction proteins interacts with multiple binding partners including sex-steroid receptors. PAK6 acts as a nodal checkpoint integrating multiple cellular inputs to promote distinct cellular outcomes, some of which are associated with cytoskeletal remodeling. Despite the possibility that PAK6 may couple sex-specific neuronal function and therefore serve as a valuable research, diagnostic and therapeutic target, there is currently no standardized protocol for assessing PAK6 activity in a neuronal cell line. Here, we present a protocol for assessing PAK6 levels in a commonly used neuronal cell line, PC-12. In comparison with other methodology, this approach (1) does not require ex-planted tissue to identify PAK6 in neurons and (2) unlike other protocols which require steroid depleted media for detection of PAK6 in non-neuronal cell lines, such as prostate cancer cell lines, we were easily able to detect PAK6 in PC-12 cells grown in complete, steroid-containing media. Thus the present protocol allows for the efficient detection of native PAK6 in PC-12 cells to expedite targeted basic research of the emerging importance of PAK6 function in the brain as well as to accelerate the identification and isolation of potential therapeutic targets not only in cancerous but brain disease states as well.

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