Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease impacting a significant portion of adults worldwide, yet there is no quantitative diagnosis and limited treatments. Several connections have been made between PD and lipids; however, there are limited studies investigating the impacts of PD-linked genes on membrane phospholipids. Here, membrane lipids of C. elegans mutants and RNAi knockdowns of putative Parkinson’s genes were characterized by mass spectrometry. Altered membrane composition was found in synaptic vesicle recycling gene unc-26. Normal membrane composition was rescued with fatty-acid desaturase knockdowns, showing the potential for further studies exploring the disease mechanisms and treatment potential of lipids in Parkinson’s Disease.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Mahurkar, Ketaki A.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-121520-170006
• 5201

Advisor

• Olsen, Carissa Lynn
• Srinivasan, Jagan

Year

• 2020

Date created

• 2020-12-15

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2021-05-03