Control of gene expression for the study of neurodegenerative disorders: a proof-of-principle experimental study. Issue 26 (2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Perrino, Giansimone; Wilson, Cathal; Santorelli, Marco; di Bernardo, Diego
• Is Part Of: IFAC-PapersOnLine. Volume 49:Issue 26(2016)
• Page Start: 8
• Page End: 13
• Publication Date: 2016
• Subjects: Synthetic Biology -- Dynamics and control -- Modelling -- Model Predictive Control -- Microfluidics -- Gene expression -- Yeast; Automatic control -- Periodicals; 629.805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ifacol.2016.12.095
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2405-8963

Abstract

Abstract: Neurodegenerative disorders are characterised by the progressive disruption of specific neuronal population partly due to the formation of abnormal protein aggregates that interfere with normal cell functions. In Parkinson's disease, the role of abnormal α-synuclein protein aggregates in causing the disease is well established. Mutations in α-synuclein are known to cause familial Parkinson's disease. A quantitative understanding of the dynamics of α-synuclein protein aggregation in wild type and mutant form is however lacking. Here, we explore the feasibility of using a microfluidics-based platform for automatic control of protein expression from a galactose-inducible promoter in yeast, to model and study the human α-synuclein protein.