DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/9MVP-KM70
Defense Date
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Anatomy & Neurobiology
First Advisor
Jeffrey L. Dupree
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), affects approximately 400,000 individuals in the United States, and 2.5 million people worldwide. It is a leading cause of disability in young adults. Current treatments for MS target the inflammatory aspects of the disease, but do not aid in remyelination. To address remyelination as a therapeutic strategy, it is imperative to identify mechanisms that regulate myelin formation, including epigenetic targets. In this study, we investigate the role of the LMNA, a gene encoding Lamins A and C, intermediate filaments of the nuclear lamina, in regulating oligodendrocyte development and myelination in the CNS. Using electron microscopic analyses, I examined levels of heterochromatin and its distribution in the oligodendrocyte nucleus as an indicator of gene expression, oligodendrocyte maturity, and myelin formation in the absence of A type lamins.. While overall levels of heterochromatin in oligodendrocytes were not altered in the absence of A type lamins, peripherally located heterochromatin was reduced and thinner myelin was observed in the spinal cord. My observations present novel findings for the role of LMNA in oligodendrocytes and myelination.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-9-2018