Abstract:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease, characterized by death of motor neurons in cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. It is a multifactorial disease with interacting pathogenic mechanisms. Most incidences are sporadic (SALS), while 10 per cent of cases have a family history (FALS). The genetics of ALS is complex; eight genes and six loci with autosomal dominant (AD), autosomal recessive and X-linked patterns of inheritance have been identified thus far. In the framework of this study, 198 Turkish ALS cases were investigated for possible mutations in the SOD1 gene. Five FALS cases were shown to carry disease-causing SOD1 mutations, while six were carriers of a rare polymorphism. In the next step, AD, nonconsanguineous FALS and juvenile cases were analyzed for the TDP-43, FUS and ANG genes via DNA sequencing. One homozygous D90A case, represented as recessive, was investigated by haplotype analysis and was compared to 21 Scandinavian ALS cases in search of a common ancestry. Additionally, 15 FALS and 13 juvenile cases, who were negative for the tested genes, were analyzed by whole genome genotyping for identification of new ALS genes. While no significant regions were obtained, a recessive family was preselected for the identification of homozygosity regions. Five candidate genes located within homozosity regions were examined in one of the family member; no mutations were identified. The same individual was also assessed by whole exome resequencing. Furthermore, this study also contributed to a collaborative genome-wide association study in SALS, where 14 month-survival advantage was shown for homozygous CC allele at rs1541160 SNP in the gene coding KIFAP3. This is the most comprehensive study performed in Turkey on the molecular genetics of ALS. The high-throughput methodologies used and the findings presented in this thesis are expected to shed light to the complex pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
