Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Pollution/Toxic Substances/Waste
Session: 2
Room: Exhibit Hall
Melvin N. Gibson - Fort Valley State University
Title: Effects of Perflurooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) exposure on Lrk-1 expression in Caenorhabditis elegansParkinson’s Disease (PD) is a disorder of the extrapyramidal system. It is characterized by neurodegeneration of both motor and non-motor functions. Loss of motor function is the result of diminished dopaminergic neurons. This entails the loss of dopamine which results in increased activity in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata. At the genetic level mutations of the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene (LRRK2) can produce late-onset PD. Expression of this gene has been linked to areas of the brain high in dopaminergic reception including the striatum. As of late, researchers have been able to pinpoint exposure to toxicants, including pesticides, metals and PCBs as another contributor to late-onset PD etiology. Perflurooctane sulfonic acid is a synthetic chemical known for its water repelling properties once produced widely and used largely in firefighting foams, rain gear, and stain-resistant fabrics. Labeled a forever chemical, PFOS has been detected in drinking water across the globe. Both laboratory and epidemiological evidence suggest that PFOS exposure can be neurotoxic. Recent studies show PFOS specifically targets dopaminergic activity in Caenorhabditis elegans and northern leopard frogs. The current study aims to determine if exposure of PFOS will alter the expression of the lrrk-2 homologue, lrk-1 in C.elegans. L1 stage N2 wild-type worms were chronically treated with PFOS at (0 , 50, and 200 µM concentration). Total RNA was isolated from L4 stage worms using the Invitrogen Pure Link RNA mini-Kit and converted to cDNA for quantitative PCR analysis. Preliminary results indicate that PFOS exposure may alter lrk-1 expression in C. elegans. Currently, more replicates are being collected to ensure the validity of the results. This study provides further evidence of a combined environmental and genetic etiology of PD.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): NSF grant
Faculty Advisor: Dr Celia Dodd, doddc@fvsu.edu
Role: I did all of the research.