Characterising the Role of Amigo3 in Oligodendrocytes and Demyelinating Diseases
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CHARACTERISING THE ROLE OF AMIGO3 IN OLIGODENDROCYTES AND DEMYELINATING DISEASES By Simon Foale A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Neuroscience and Ophthalmology Institute of Inflammation and Ageing (IIA) College of Medical and Dental Sciences University of Birmingham August 2018 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract Demyelination disrupts neuronal signalling and can have profound effects on neurological control. No therapies currently exist to encourage remyelination and treatment options are based on preventing further demyelination highlighting the need to develop effective therapies for demyelinating diseases. Recent trials aimed at the leucine rich repeat (LRR) protein, LINGO1 to encourage remyelination have shown promising preclinical data however phase II clinical trials have been unsuccessful. The analogous LRR protein, AMIGO3 is predicted to overcome LINGO1 inhibition and therefore needs to be investigated for its role in oligodendroglia. We have investigated the expression profile of AMIGO3 in myelination and demyelinating disease. AMIGO3 is upregulated rapidly in oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) following trauma and in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Downregulation of AMIGO3 also corresponds with development myelination however AMIGO3 mRNA levels do not change following induction of OPC maturation in vitro. As AMIGO3 is raised following trauma, AMIGO3 could provide a pathological inhibition of OPC maturation in demyelinating diseases. We have also identified the NgR1 receptor complex on OPCs highlighting a potential biding partner that AMIGO3 could function through in disease. These data suggest that therapies aimed at inhibiting AMIGO3 will be promising in encouraging remyelination and treating demyelinating diseases. Acknowledgements I would like to thank everyone in the Neuroscience and Ophthalmology group for all the time and patience they have set aside to support and guide my work. Thanks to Zubair Ahmed, and especially to Daniel Fulton, Ghazala Begum and Masahiro Otsu who committed extensive time to help me develop the skills required for this research. Special mention has to be made to Adam Thompson and Chloe Thomas for their help and day-to-day support which has made this possible. Along with the guidance I have received, my friends both within and outside of Birmingham cannot be overlooked. Without the support of many of them I would have struggled to keep myself going. I have to mention; Patrick Sherlock for having to deal with my constant complaints, Ben Gannon for keeping me uplifted by comparing how much we were both getting overwhelmed, as well as Tom Salmon, Greg Carty, Louise Rayfield, Pippi Hornsby, Matt Knights, Thomas Helfer, Leigh O’Connor, Ben Wiggins, Hannah Eadies and Muhammed Rassul, all of whom have been invaluable to me during this process. Notably, I also have to thank Jenny Kirby for listening to me, guiding me and just generally for helping me through the toughest period. She has had an influential role in ensuring that this work was completed. Sincere thanks as well has to go to my wonderful partner, Maya Bhalla, who was invaluable, providing me with the motivation I needed during the write up period. I do not know if I could have finished putting the final components together without her backing, for which I will always be grateful. Finally I would like to thank my family, Janine Foale, Mike Foale and Richard Foale, for always being behind me and helping me throughout this long a trying period. I am extremely grateful for everything that they have provided, I am forever in their debt and cannot thank them enough for everything that they have done. Contents Chapter 1 Introduction………………………………………………………….1 1.1 Myelin and the mammalian nervous system .................................................. 2 1.1.1 The role of myelin in saltatory conduction and the metabolic and trophic support of axons ...................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 Structure of myelin ................................................................................... 5 1.1.3 Myelin production in mammals ................................................................ 7 1.1.3.1 Myelin in the central nervous system ................................................ 7 1.1.3.2 Peripheral nervous system .............................................................. 12 1.2 Demyelination and demyelinating diseases ................................................. 13 1.2.1 Remyelination ........................................................................................ 14 1.2.2 Multiple sclerosis ................................................................................... 15 1.2.2.1 Aetiology of MS ............................................................................... 19 1.2.2.2 Current treatments .......................................................................... 23 1.3 Leucine rich repeat molecules in the mammalian CNS ................................ 27 1.3.1 LRR Molecules in Central Nervous System Disorders ........................... 27 1.4 LINGO1 and AMIGO3 .................................................................................. 28 1.4.1 Endogenous expression ........................................................................ 29 1.4.2 LINGO1: CNS disease ........................................................................... 31 1.4.2.1 CNS Trauma ................................................................................... 31 1.4.2.2 Demyelinating diseases .................................................................. 32 1.5 AMIGO3 ....................................................................................................... 39 1.5.1 Endogenous expression ........................................................................ 40 1.5.2 Expression profile in disease ................................................................. 41 1.6 Study rationale ............................................................................................. 45 1.7 Hypothesis and aims .................................................................................... 47 2.1 In vivo procedures ........................................................................................ 49 2.1.1 Animals .................................................................................................. 49 2.1.2 Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis ........................................ 49 2.1.2.1 Principles of EAE ............................................................................ 49 2.1.2.2 Advantages of EAE over other models of demyelination ................ 52 2.1.2.3 EAE protocol ................................................................................... 54 2.2 Ex vivo procedures ....................................................................................... 57 2.2.1 Cell culture ............................................................................................. 57 2.2.1.1 Primary OLG ................................................................................... 57 2.3 In vitro procedures........................................................................................ 61 2.3.1 Cell culturing .......................................................................................... 61 2.3.1.1 Oli-neu............................................................................................. 61 2.3.2 Histology ................................................................................................ 62 2.3.2.1 Principles of Histology ..................................................................... 62 2.3.2.2 Processing of tissue for histology .................................................... 65 2.3.2.3 Processing of cell cultures for histology .......................................... 66 2.3.2.4 Immunohistology Protocol ............................................................... 66 2.3.2.5 Antibodies ....................................................................................... 67 2.3.2.6 Imaging and analysis ...................................................................... 68 2.3.2.7 Semi-quantification of images ......................................................... 68 2.3.3 Total pixel counts ................................................................................... 70 2.3.3.1 Pixel intensity .................................................................................. 70 2.3.3.2 Cell counts ...................................................................................... 70 2.3.3.3 Cell co-expression ........................................................................... 70 2.3.4 Western Blot .......................................................................................... 71 2.3.4.1 Principles of Western Blot ..............................................................