Exploring the Impact of ALS-Associated TDP-43 Affects the Extracellular Matrix in C. elegans
Location
Poster #5
Start Date
1-5-2026 12:00 PM
Department
Biology
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS- is a neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects motor neurons, leading to loss of muscle control. In this disease, a nuclear protein called TDP-43 misfolds and accumulates in the cytoplasm, leading to toxic aggregation. It is thought that these aggregates are released by one neuron and taken up by neighboring cells through cell-to-cell transmission. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a network of complex proteins that provides connectivity between cellular structures and may offer an avenue for the transmission of toxic aggregates. To investigate the role of ECM in disease progression, a roundworm called Caenorhabditis elegans is used because of its transparency, short lifespan, and simple nervous system. The Voisine lab has generated a transgenic line that expresses TDP-43 fused to yellow fluorescent protein in the nervous system. To examine the impact of TDP-43 expression on the ECM, a fluorescently tagged component of the basement membrane called EMB-9 will be introduced into TDP-43 animals. Using microscopy, changes in ECM integrity will be monitored when TDP-43 is expressed. These findings will add to our understanding of the role of the extracellular matrix in ALS disease progression.
Faculty Sponsor
Cindy Voisine
Exploring the Impact of ALS-Associated TDP-43 Affects the Extracellular Matrix in C. elegans
Poster #5
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS- is a neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects motor neurons, leading to loss of muscle control. In this disease, a nuclear protein called TDP-43 misfolds and accumulates in the cytoplasm, leading to toxic aggregation. It is thought that these aggregates are released by one neuron and taken up by neighboring cells through cell-to-cell transmission. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a network of complex proteins that provides connectivity between cellular structures and may offer an avenue for the transmission of toxic aggregates. To investigate the role of ECM in disease progression, a roundworm called Caenorhabditis elegans is used because of its transparency, short lifespan, and simple nervous system. The Voisine lab has generated a transgenic line that expresses TDP-43 fused to yellow fluorescent protein in the nervous system. To examine the impact of TDP-43 expression on the ECM, a fluorescently tagged component of the basement membrane called EMB-9 will be introduced into TDP-43 animals. Using microscopy, changes in ECM integrity will be monitored when TDP-43 is expressed. These findings will add to our understanding of the role of the extracellular matrix in ALS disease progression.