The Impact of Sex and Aging on Heat Shock Protein Induction in a Drosophila melanogaster Model of Glial Tauopathy

Simple item page
dc.contributorBerry, Katie
dc.contributorColodner, Kenneth
dc.contributor.advisorMcMenimen, Kathryn
dc.contributor.authorWhitmore, Marguerite Katherine
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-28T19:19:40Z
dc.date.available2023-05-28T19:19:40Z
dc.date.gradyear2023en_US
dc.date.issued2023-05-28EN
dc.description.abstractTauopathies are a family of neurodegenerative diseases, which include Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal lobe dementia, and progressive supranuclear palsy. This subclass of diseases is characterized by the aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau in neurons and glia. Heat shock chaperone proteins (HSPs) are able to help maintain proteostasis by helping to monitor protein synthesis, folding, trafficking, assembly of quaternary structures, turnover, and clearance of toxic aggregates. However, these protective mechanisms are insufficient when responding to tau proteotoxicity. Further complicating the matter, many neurodegenerative diseases present sexual dimorphisms in their onset, progression, and severity. Additionally, studies have shown that certain HSPs can become overwhelmed by stress as the system ages, which in turn causes a decline in the global defense mechanism. As a result, this study seeks to uncover how glial tau aggregation, age, and sex concurrently impact the chaperone system by performing a holistic screening of HSP induction in a Drosophila melanogaster model. Our studies highlighted how each heat shock chaperone uniquely contributes to the proteostasis machinery. Responses to our experimental variables vary greatly across this protein family. Female flies seem to respond more globally to heat shock by itself or in combination with glial tau or aging stress. Male flies exhibit stronger responses to the simultaneous combination of all three stresses. Basal suppression of HSP27 and the age-dependency of HSP70 and HSP27’s upregulation in response to tau in females may indicate a predisposition towards disease, as these are crucial HSP pathways in glial cells. Further investigation into the causes of these sex-related differences is warranted to unravel the mechanisms behind the chaperone response to glial tau.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipBiochemistryen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10166/6414
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rights.restrictedrestricteden_US
dc.subjecttauopathyen_US
dc.subjectneurodegenerationen_US
dc.subjectdrosophilaen_US
dc.subjectprotein misfoldingen_US
dc.subjectgliaen_US
dc.subjectsexen_US
dc.subjectheat shock proteinen_US
dc.subjectprotein aggregationen_US
dc.subjectagingen_US
dc.titleThe Impact of Sex and Aging on Heat Shock Protein Induction in a Drosophila melanogaster Model of Glial Tauopathyen_US
dc.typeThesis
mhc.degreeUndergraduateen_US
mhc.institutionMount Holyoke College

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
Marguerite Whitmore Thesis 2023.pdf
Size:
3.41 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Marguerite Whitmore Thesis 2023.pdf
Download

Collections

Student Theses and Honors Collection