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ARID1A is a critical epigenetic regulator of mammary gland development (Bachelor thesis)

Σαΐτογλου, Ιωάννης/ Saitoglou, Ioannis

Mammary gland is a tissue with a lot of variations in its structure and morphology during the life course of a female individual. Its development is continuous and is influenced by a set of hormones with the main effect being that of estrogens expressed during puberty and pregnancy. The main processes that take place during the development and formation of the mammary glands are proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Α chromatin remodeling complex SWI/SNF is involved in these processes. Part of this complex is the protein ARID1a which is necessary for binding the complex to areas rich in adenine and thymine. ARID1a protein has been characterized as an epigenetic regulator and as a tumor suppressor, and its loss appears to affect the growth of laboratory animals in which it has been studied. Mammary gland has one of the highest rates of cancer worldwide, therefore the findings from the loss of the gene combined with its involvement in cancer were considered sufficient to study its loss during the development of the mammary gland. The gene was studied in transgenic mice, while loss of function was achieved exclusively in mammary gland progenitor cells with the help of the Dll1 promoter. The production of transgenic mice was done in such a way that the ARID1a loss system was inducible by Tamoxifen and because of that the study during development could be achieved. The study of the mammary glands after the loss of the gene in developmental stages during puberty where the biggest changes in the breast occur, included a series of bio-imaging methods. The results showed that indeed the ARID1a gene is a critical epigenetic factor necessary for the correct and normal development and function of the breast.