Analysis of VAPB, Rab1 and endoplasmic reticulum stress in cultured motor neurons from a mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

• Grant number: 12/22382-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2013
• End date: November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Merari de Fátima Ramires Ferrari
• Grantee: Débora Mesquita Nascimento
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Endoplasmic reticulum is a multifunctional organelle involved in protein synthesis, processing and modeling, as well as participates of intracelular traffic and calcium signalling. VAPB is a protein that interacts with mitochondria during calcium homeostasis, participates of cellular signalling, cytoarchitecture, unfolded protein response and traffic between endoplasmic reticulum and golgi apparatus. This trafficking is also performed by Rab1. Endoplasmic reticulum stress might be associated to dysfunction of VAPB and Rab1, and it is common to many neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In view of this, this study aims to investigate the association among the expression of VAPB, Rab1 and endoplasmic reticulum stress in cultured motor neurons of transgenic mice expressing mutant SOD1 (G93A), non-mutant SOD1, or control mice B6SJL. Methodology will employ genotyping, culture of motor neurosn, immunocytochemistry, western blot and exogenous expression of Rab1.(AU)