Investigating LINE1 retrotransposon activation in mice brain and it’s role with aging

Abstract

In recent period of time, it was found that the expression of retrotransposons is not only restricted to germ line cells; it’s also present in different highly proliferating somatic cell lines as well making them different in genetic content from other cell lines. In earlier research it has been found that LINE-1 expression is present in different parts of Human brain as well as in some cancerous cells; on the basis of those findings we tried to find out co-relation between the expression of LINE- 1 in mice brain cells with aging, as there are epigenetic changes occurring in the senescent brain cells (neurons). To do so, polyclonal antibodies were prepared against the complete RRM domain of Human LINE-1 ORF-1p and 80 amino aa stretch of RT domain of LINE-1 ORF-2p proteins. And to target ORF- 1p and ORF- 2p immunohistochemistry was carried out in mice brain tissue samples of different age group and those results were proved using immunoblotting technique. Our proposed hypothesis says that with the increase in age in mice there will be increased expression of LINE- 1 due to epigenetic changes causing less control on retrotransposon expression.