Influence of genotypic, abiotic and biotic environmental factors on Parkinson’s Disease traits in C. elegans.

Project: PhD

Project Details

Description

Complex traits of organisms are affected by genotypic, biotic and abiotic factors, and their interactions. Of particular interest is the interaction between virus infection, chronic disease formation and abiotic stress. To explore the contribution of virus infection and abiotic stress to disease formation, we will use the model nematode species Caenorhabditis elegans. We will investigate the effect of heat shock (abiotic stress) and Orsay virus exposure (biotic) across different natural wild-types in C. elegans. To assess the influence of these factors on disease phenotypes, research will include C. elegans strains harbouring human a-synuclein which is associated with chronic Parkinson’s disease (PD). Genetic analyses will be extended to recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from strain types from N2 and CB4856 genome background and harbour human a-synuclein. Mapping of PD phenotypes in these RILs across heat shock and viral exposures will unravel the genetic architecture as well as modifier genes affecting a-synuclein function, which refers to the accumulation of aggregates in the C. elegans, under different biotic and abiotic factors. Detected modifier genes will be tested for causality using gene editing technique based on the CRISPR/Cas system. Altogether this project will paint the picture of the genetic architecture of PD disease in relation to heat shock and viral stress responses.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/02/1827/09/22

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