Recently, it has been discovered that null mutations in progranulin is a cause of familial frontotemporal dementia. To understand the role of progranulin in this neurodegenerative disorder, transgenic null mice and in vitro knockdown of mRNA for progranulin were analyzed. After verifying the transgenic mice using Polymerase Chain Reaction to verify progranulin knockdown, the HomeCageScan System and the rotarod test were performed to investigate motor neuron function. In vitro progranulin knockdown in NSC-34 cells was confirmed using RNA extraction and northern blots. The cells that exhibited at least 50% knockdown will be further analyzed in the morphological changes associated with the progranulin haploinsufficiency.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Smith, Emily E.

Contributors

• Wang, Hongyan

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-082708-113947

Advisor

• Adams, David S.

Year

• 2008

Date created

• 2008-08-27

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright