Poster #: 101
Astrocyte-Mediated Secretion of Pathogenic Protein X
Mentors: Rida Rehman Dr. rer. Nat.; Marius Wernig M.D. Ph.D.
Astrocytes are key regulators of brain homeostasis, forming the blood brain barrier and providing metabolic support to neurons. During pathogenic states, astrocytes shift from supportive to reactive states, gaining neurotoxic properties that contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. However, the specific contributions of astrocyte-secreted proteins to disease progression remain poorly defined. Here, I investigated whether pathogenic Protein X is secreted from astrocytes when expressed with an engineered secretory signal. Specifically, I cloned the gene encoding Protein X into a lentiviral vector and transduced primary astrocytes in vitro, which were then selected using puromycin resistance. Astrocyte lysates and conditioned media were then collected on days 2 and 17 to quantify Protein X levels using ELISA. The results confirmed that Protein X is robustly secreted from astrocytes, laying the groundwork for future studies investigating the role of Protein X in astrocyte reactivity, neuroinflammation, or neurotoxicity.