|
|
Creation and analysis of conditional knock-out CDK12 for the study of female reproductive ability
Sedmíková, Veronika ; Šušor, Andrej (advisor) ; Frolíková, Michaela (referee)
Oogenesis is a process with a complex interplay of changes at the genetic, cellular, and structural levels that should lead to the differentiation of female gametes. Strict regulation of these processes is required, as any disruption can lead to fertility problems or disabilities in the offspring. The aim of this work is to gain further insight into the processes that influence oocyte development. This work focuses on cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12), which belongs to the serine/threonine kinase family. It is known for its pleiotropic role in cellular processes such as transcription, translation, cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, DNA damage response and maintenance of genome stability. CDK12 forms an active complex with its binding partner Cyclin K and affects the elongation process of transcription by phosphorylating serine-2 at the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. Previous studies have shown that CDK12 plays a role in blastocyst implantation, deletion of CDK12 in a mouse embryo resulted in embryo lethality, but to my knowledge the function of CDK12 in the oocyte has not been investigated. Our main objective was to create a viable mouse model with conditional knockout of CDK12 using Cre-recombinase expressed under the oocyte specific Zona pellucida-3 promoter to study the...
|
|
|
Role of NEUROD1 transcriptional network on the development and function of inner ear neurons
Merc, Veronika ; Pavlínková, Gabriela (advisor) ; Mašek, Jan (referee)
Identification of transcription factors involved in a complex network regulating the development of neurosensory cells in the inner ear is a key point for understanding the pathophysiology of hearing loss, development of new therapeutic tools, and for hearing loss prevention. The aim of this thesis was to elucidate the function of the transcription factor NEUROD1 in the development of the inner ear and sensory neurons. Using the Cre-loxP recombination system, a unique mouse model was created with tissue-specific deletion of Neurod1 in NEUROD1-Cre positive cells (Neurod1ST). In the inner ear, Neurod1 was deleted only in neurons permitting to identify the secondary effects of Neurod1 elimination in neurons on sensory cell development. We showed that neither the early development of the inner ear nor the formation of the statoacoustic ganglia was significantly affected by Neurod1 deletion. The primary consequence of the deletion was manifested by increased neuronal death due to apoptosis, which resulted in a reduced number of differentiated neurons in the inner ear. Spiral and vestibular ganglia were smaller in the mutants, and there was a number of neurons misplaced, indicating impaired migration. The cochlear sensory epithelium was shortened probably due to the reduced number of neurons within the...
|
|
|
Role of ISL1 in development of neurosensory cells of inner ear
Vochyánová, Simona ; Pavlínková, Gabriela (advisor) ; Machoň, Ondřej (referee)
To understand the pathophysiology of hearing loss, it is necessary to identify genes responsible for embryonic development of neurosensory cells in the inner ear. The aim of this work is to clarify the role of LIM-homeodomain transcription factor ISL1 in the development of these cells. Using Cre-loxP recombination strategy, we generated a mouse line with time and site- specific deletion of Isl1 gene in NEUROD1-Cre expressing cells (Isl1 CKO). Although the early development of stato-acoustic ganglion was not affected by Isl1 deletion, at E14,5, we observed abnormalities in neuronal migration, formation of spiral ganglion and axon guidance in the Isl1 CKO cochlea. The length of the cochlear sensory epithelium was shortened by 20% as a consequence of lower proliferation activity of sensory precursor cells. Our results suggest that ISL1 is necessary for spiral ganglion formation and innervation of the Organ of Corti. Key words: transcription factor ISL1, neurons, Cre-loxP system, mouse model
|
guest ::
