Magister Scientiae - MSc (Biotechnology)

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Browsing by Author "Arieff, Z."

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    The identification of candidate genes using cDNA microarray and the analysis of two SNPs of the reelin gene in a South African austistic population
    (University of the Western Cape, 2009) Gameeldien, Hajirah; Arieff, Z.; Kaur, M.; Dept. of Biotechnology; Faculty of Science
    Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) that's incidence is approximately 1 in 158. It is four times more prevalent in males than females and is believed to be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Research indicates that several genes are involved in autism and it is believed that these genes act together to produce autism. Many genes implicated in this disorder are involved with brain structure formation and brain functioning. Studies have identified the reelin (RELN) gene as necessary for proper formation of brain, which indicates that RELN abnormalities could contribute to the aetiology of several neurogenetic diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar and autism. The aims of the study were (i) to genotype two SNPs (exonic rs3622691 and intronic rs736707) in the RELN gene using Taqman® SNP Genotyping assays to detect association with autism in three distinct South African (SA) ethnic groups (Black, Caucasian and Mixed), and (ii) to detect candidate genes that are over and under-expressed in the samples taken from a SA Caucasian autistic group and compare those with samples taken from a healthy Caucasian group using cDNA microarray. The Taqman® study indicated significant association for the intronic SNP, rs736707, with a p-value of 0.0009 in the total SA group. More so, the Mixed group displayed the highest significance amongst the ethnic groups, with a p-value of 0.00014. The microarray study yielded 21 genes with 95% significance in the Caucasian sample group. Most genes were hypothetical proteins and formed part of the FAM90A family. The LOC83459 showed the highest level of expression in the autistic samples, while the BTNL8 gene was shown to be highly suppressed in the control samples.
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    Proteomic and SNP analysis of the Cadherin 10 type-II (CDH10) gene, in the South African autistic population
    (University of the Western Cape, 2013) October, Firzana; Arieff, Z.; Ndimba, B.K
    Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a very diverse neurological disorder that manifests specifically in children and infants between the ages of two to three years of age. An individual suffering is deemed as autistic and individuals suffering would be classed under the banner of ASD. It is observed that sufferers have impairment in their social and interactive skills. It has both genetic and environmental factors that contribute to its diversity and although the primary cause of autism is still unclear, scientist are investigating both factors. In this study we aimed to investigate the molecular genetics of autism in the South African (SA) population. This was done in two parts, a genetic association study and afunctional genomics (proteomic study). An association study of the 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the Cadherin 10 type II gene (CDH10) (rs4307059 and rs4327572) was investigated in the SA healthy and autistic population. The proteomic approach was used to determine the differential expression of genes of the healthy population and compared to the autistic population of African descent. In both parts of the project, objectives were achieved. The SNPs were successfully genotyped however no association was determined for autism in the SA population. The urine protein profiles with 1 dimensional (1D) and 2dimensional (2D) Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Poly Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDSPAGE)generated in this study has revealed the following proteins, Uromodulin, Vitelline membrane outer layer protein homologue, kinninogen-1, Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, Ig Kappa chain region C, and CD59 glycoprotein that require further investigation. The results indicated that six of the identified proteins were expressed in both groups but were found to be either quantitatively or statistically significant. However, a statistically significant difference was observed in the expression of one protein (Uromodulin) which was observed to be expressed in the healthy group but absent in the experimental group. However further investigation is required validation of these findings.