Show simple item record

Files in this item

Thumbnail

Item metadata

dc.contributor.advisorFerreira, Helder
dc.contributor.authorOlver, Janie
dc.coverage.spatial198en_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-24T16:35:47Z
dc.date.available2024-01-24T16:35:47Z
dc.date.issued2024-06-12
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10023/29071
dc.description.abstractATRX is a member of the SWI/SNF family of chromatin remodellers. ATRX loss causes pleiotropic phenotypes, including the neurodevelopmental disorder ATR-X syndrome, de-repression of the alternative lengthening of telomere pathway, increased LTR retrotransposon expression and sensitivity to replication stress. How ATRX activity suppresses these phenotypes within a developmental context is unclear. Here, we use the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the role of XNP-1, the ATRX homologue in worms. Unlike in other organisms, previous studies have shown that XNP-1 is not embryonic lethal, and only has slightly reduced fertility compared to a wildtype strain at 20°C. Only when grown at 25°C does XNP-1 loss cause sterility. We used this fact to explore the role of XNP-1/ATRX and how it suppressed such diverse phenotypes within a developmental context, which would not have been possible in other experimental systems. We found that XNP-1 represses LTR retrotransposon expression during germline development, in a mechanism independent of SET-25, a H3K9 trimethylase, but dependent on the replication-independent histone variant HIS-72. However, we discovered that LTR retrotransposon misexpression is unlikely to cause the developmental defects observed in xnp-1 mutants. We then took a more unbiased transcriptomic approach to investigate gene expression changes upon XNP-1 loss in embryos and the first larval stage. We found that XNP-1 represses the ectopic expression of germline genes, probably in a parallel pathway to the SynMuvB family of transcriptional regulators. Finally, we identified the causative mutation in a suppressor line previously isolated in a forward genetic screen. This enabled us to theorise on possible molecular roles XNP-1 may play at higher temperatures. Overall, we propose a model where germline misexpression is sufficient to cause the reduced brood size observed upon XNP-1 loss at 20°C, and where this misexpression contributes to the sterility phenotype observed upon XNP-1 loss at 25°C.en_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.relationInvestigating the role of the chromatin remodeller XNP-1 in C. elegans (Thesis Data) Olver, J., University of St Andrews, 23 Jan 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17630/3cdce624-5259-4253-819b-d9873cab2896en
dc.relation.urihttps://doi.org/10.17630/3cdce624-5259-4253-819b-d9873cab2896
dc.subjectChromatin remodelleren_US
dc.subjectC. elegansen_US
dc.subjectTransposonen_US
dc.subjectAlternative lengthening of telomeresen_US
dc.subjectTranscriptomicsen_US
dc.subjectForward genetic screenen_US
dc.subjectATRXen_US
dc.subjectXNP-1en_US
dc.subjectGermline geneen_US
dc.subjectATR-X syndromeen_US
dc.subject.lccQH599.O6
dc.subject.lcshChromatinen
dc.subject.lcshCaenorhabditis elegans--Geneticsen
dc.subject.lcshTransposonsen
dc.titleInvestigating the role of the chromatin remodeller XNP-1 in C. elegansen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoralen_US
dc.type.qualificationnamePhD Doctor of Philosophyen_US
dc.publisher.institutionThe University of St Andrewsen_US
dc.rights.embargodate2026-01-23
dc.rights.embargoreasonThesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Restricted until 23 January 2026en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.17630/sta/707


This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record