Investigating the role of two candidates from a genome-wide RNAi screening as potential mitochondrial fission factors: CSPalpha and DTNA

The following thesis discusses the research carried out in the context of Erwan Rivière's PhD project. The aim of the experiments was to start investigating candidates obtained from a genome-wide RNAi screening in OPA1 KO cells. The screening aimed at finding, through the use of siRNA, potential mitochondrial fission factors. Among the candidates, CSPalpha and DTNA appeared of particular interest. The following dissertation will provide a brief overview of mitochondrial dynamics and the mechanisms of mitochondrial fusion and fission, and a short description of the screening. It will then illustrate the process of validation of the candidates, from references in the pre-existing literature to the hypotheses that were formulated, followed by the description of the experiments used to answer different biological questions. While the research is still in progress and the data needs formal demonstration, this initial investigation showed promising results and might lead to the discovery of new mitochondrial fission factors.