This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G
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The effects of mutations in the eEF1A2 gene in mouse gene expression profiles and identification of potential markers for motor neuron degeneration. Vesa Qarkaxhija MSc Genetics and Molecular Medicine. University of Edinburgh 2017 Declaration page I declare that this thesis is my own work unless stated otherwise and any inclusions of contributions or publications from others have been clearly acknowledged. This thesis has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Vesa Qarkaxhija 1 Acknowledgments I would like to thank Cathy Abbott, whose guidance and support has made this year both incredibly enlightening and enjoyable. I have learnt an inexpressible amount from her and could not have asked for a more wonderful supervisor. I would also like to thank the Abbott lab group, who have also taught me so much, in the lab and out, whom I had many a titillating conversations and debates with that made my time here most entertaining. My family and friends both old and new who had enriched this experience and accompanied me on many Scottish adventures during the course of my masters. 2 Contents: Declaration page ......................................................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................... 2 Abstract: ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Lay Summary: .............................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................. 10 1.1 Translation and Eukaryotic Elongation factor Alpha (eEF1A). ........................... 10 1.2 eEF1A isoforms. ........................................................................................................ 11 1.3 Translation factors and EEF1A in disease. ................................................................ 19 1.4 eEF1A isoforms in Neurological disease. ................................................................... 20 1.5 Motor neuron disease and eEF1A2. ............................................................................ 23 1.6 Mouse Models: ................................................................................................................ 25 1.7 Biomarkers for Motor neuron degeneration. ............................................................... 27 1.8 Project Aims: ................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 2: Materials and methods. ........................................................................................ 30 2.1: Clustal Alignments and Phylogenetic trees. .............................................................. 30 2.2: Genotyping. .................................................................................................................... 30 2.2.1: Genomic DNA extraction. ..................................................................................... 30 2.2.2: Nested PCR. ........................................................................................................... 30 2.2.3: TOPO Cloning. ....................................................................................................... 31 2.3: Protein expression. ........................................................................................................ 31 2.3.1: Sample preparation................................................................................................ 31 2.3.2: Protein separation. ................................................................................................. 31 2.3.3: Protein transfer, immunoblotting and quantification. ........................................ 31 2.4: Immunohistochemistry. ................................................................................................. 32 2.4.1: Sample preparation................................................................................................ 32 2.4.1: Section staining. ..................................................................................................... 32 2.5: Proteomics. ..................................................................................................................... 33 2.5.1: Sample extraction and preparation. .................................................................... 33 2.5.2: Mass spectrometry. ................................................................................................ 33 3 2.5.3: Statistical tests. ....................................................................................................... 34 2.6: Microarray. ...................................................................................................................... 34 2.6.1: Sample extraction and preparation. .................................................................... 34 2.6.2: Statistical tests. ....................................................................................................... 34 2.7: Gene Ontology analysis. .............................................................................................. 34 Chapter 3: Characterisation of the D252H mutation in eEF1A2 in mice. ......................... 35 3.1 Development of mouse lines. ....................................................................................... 35 3.2 Genotyping. ..................................................................................................................... 36 3.3 Protein Expression. ........................................................................................................ 40 3.4 Discussion. ...................................................................................................................... 44 Chapter 4: Analysis of eEF1A2 null and Wildtype spinal cord quantitative proteome and neuronal damage. ..................................................................................................................... 47 4.1 Biological specimens. .................................................................................................... 47 4.2 Establishing the extent of neurodegeneration in the new homozygous mice. ...... 48 4.3 Mass Spectrometry. ....................................................................................................... 52 4.3.1 Quantitative Label-free Mass spectrometry. ........................................................... 52 4.3.2 Peptide identification. .............................................................................................. 53 4.3.3 Determination of protein abundances. ................................................................. 54 4.4 Data Analysis. ................................................................................................................. 56 4.4.1 Expression profiles: ................................................................................................. 58 4.5 Gene Ontology analysis: ............................................................................................... 64 4.6 Discussion........................................................................................................................ 69 Chapter 5: RNA expression profiles of wasted mice and wild type mice. ........................ 75 5.1 Biological specimens. .................................................................................................... 76 5.2 Expression profiles. ........................................................................................................ 77 5.3 Gene Ontology analysis. ............................................................................................... 81 5.4 Discussion........................................................................................................................ 86 Chapter 6: Proteins and genes in the context of MND. ....................................................... 88 6.1 Fibroblast growth factor 12 (Fgf12).............................................................................. 88 6.1 Cytoplasmic dynein 1 intermediate chain 2 (Dync1i2). ............................................. 89 6.2 DnaJ homolog subfamily C member 5 (Dnajc5). ....................................................... 92 6.3 Kinesin heavy chain isoform 5C (Kif5C). .................................................................... 95 4 6.4 Discussion. .....................................................................................................................