Purification and Characterization of Human Leucine-Rich Pentatricopeptide Repeat Containing Protein (LRPPRC) Expressed in Escherichia Coli
Open Access
- Author:
- Gilmore, Andrew Charles
- Area of Honors:
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Craig Eugene Cameron, Thesis Supervisor
David Scott Gilmour, Thesis Honors Advisor
Scott Brian Selleck, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- LRPPRC
Protein
Purification
French Canadian Leigh Syndrome
Escherichia Coli
Mitochondria - Abstract:
- French-Canadian Leigh Syndrome is caused by mutations in the gene encoding leucine rich pentatricopeptide repeat containing protein (LRPPRC). This disease is characterized by movement disorders (typical of energy deprivation disorders caused by mitochondrial dysfunction) the most common being dystonia. It may also present with seizures, loss of developmental skills, and culminate in kidney failure and heart problems. Consistent with a role in mitochondrial gene expression is the observation that the abundance of the mitochondrial mRNAs for two subunits of cytochrome c oxidase (COX1 and COX3) is reduced in patients with French-Canadian Leigh Syndrome. It is therefore hypothesized that mutations in LRPPRC disrupt the proteins ability to bind and stabilize these mitochondrial mRNAs for proper gene expression. In this thesis, we set out to establish an effective method for purification of LRPPRC. We also investigated the ability of LRPPRC to bind RNA and stimulate mitochondrial transcription in vitro. We succeeded in developing an effective and efficient purification process utilizing the pSUMO system. The purified LRPPRC protein was capable of binding RNA under conditions of low ionic strength. In addition, in vitro mitochondrial transcription assays revealed the potential for LRPPRC to stimulate transcription. Samples that contained purified LRPPRC protein had increased activity as compared with those that lacked LRPRRC. The development of this expression and purification procedure along with the corresponding biochemical assays can now be used to test the hypothesis that mutations in LRPPRC impair its normal function in the mitochondria that is required for proper gene expression.