Contributor

Anusha Iyengar, Jane Liu

Subject Area

Biological Sciences, General, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease that results from mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN-1) gene. Although SMN is a ubiquitously expressed protein that acts as an RNA-binding protein (RBP), SMA is characterized by the selective degeneration of motor neurons of the lower spinal cord. Despite a clear understanding of the genetic causes underlying SMA, the mechanisms associated with low SMN levels to disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we investigate the role SMN-1 has in different tissues to begin understanding possible mechanisms. This project has three aims that has guided our experiments. The first aim is to discover which cells or tissues are responsible for the SMA phenotypes in C. elegans. Behavioral assays such are used as a measurement of health since defects in these areas are typical SMA phenotypes. Chapter 1 outlines the surprising discovery that the loss of smn-1 in neurons and muscles, as previously studied, did not result in any strong phenotypes, but rather the loss of smn-1 in the intestine cause defects similar to that of null smn-1 mutants. These findings represent a new area of study for a better understanding of SMA. More research is needed to begin to understand the connection between the intestine and the neuromuscular defects. The second aim looks at how deleting smn-1 in specific tissues alter patternss of gene expression. The results from Chapter 1 prompted us to survey the impact of the intestinal deletion of smn-1 on gene expression. In Chapter 2, RNA-sequencing data revealed a set of proteins produced in the intestine to be highly regulated in smn-1 mutants. These proteins were found to be involved in the intracellular pathogen response (IPR) that provides resistance against proteotoxic stress. In relation to this type of gene expression profile, thermotolerant properties are exhibited with the mutants. The third aim studies possible mechanisms in the intestine that lead to the observed phenotypes. A unique observation was made while testing the health of smn-1 mutants. We observed in the lifespan assay that the intestinal KO of smn-1 was surviving longer on commonly-used standard laboratory drugs than on normal plates. Therefore, Chapter 3 examines the impact of these drugs on SMA phenotypes seen in the intestinal smn-1 KO. We found that they act on RNA to some capacity and causes lifespan extension of the intestinal KO. Through further experimentation we hope to uncover how organisms cope with stress, via the IPR, as it relates to SMN deficiency in the intestine and how drug activity affects RNA when smn-1 is absent in the intestine.

Degree Date

Spring 5-11-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Biology Department

Advisor

Adam Norris

Second Advisor

Richard Jones

Third Advisor

Alejandro D'Brot

Number of Pages

49

Format

.pdf

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Available for download on Monday, May 11, 2026

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