College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2025-04-29 12:38:47
Major
Biomedical Science
Honors Course
BIOL
Number of Credits
5
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2025
Abstract
Among glial cells, astrocytes have a prevalent influence on supporting neuronal function and overall brain health. Specifically targeting this cell type for disease treatment is an existing issue. Other cell types tend to express the desired treatment, which is not always wanted and can lead to unintended, negative consequences. Astrocytes contribute largely to maintaining the blood brain barrier, which is disrupted in Parkinson’s disease. Certain genes are thought to be the reason for this disruption, so if they can be specifically targeted in astrocytes with a specific enhancer, the disruption of the disease could be reversed. In our experiment, we will use Golden-Gate cloning to insert separate enhancer genes, Slc28 and Stom2, into a plasmid with a DL5 reporter gene. In our analysis of specificity results, SOX9 will be used to identify the nuclei of the astrocytes and DAPI will be used to identify all nuclei present in that tissue sample. Specifically, the cortex and striatum will be the brain regions of interest. Our results will show that Slc28 was not evident to be astrocyte specific in either brain region; Stom2 is relatively astrocyte specific in the striatum’s astrocytes but not for the cortex. The result of the research will be whether the enhancers of interest would be beneficial in potential future treatment options that involve astrocyte gene expression. We suspect that by enhancing expression in certain cell types in the nervous system, potential treatments for neurodegenerative disorders can be utilized.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Brian Bagatto
First Reader
Andreas Pfenning
Second Reader
Zhexi Li
Honors Faculty Advisor
Brian Bagatto
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Recommended Citation
Kottelich, Mikaela, "Astrocyte Specific Enhancers in the Cortex and Striatum of Mice" (2025). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1985.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1985
Included in
Medical Molecular Biology Commons, Nervous System Commons, Nervous System Diseases Commons