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The Role Of Connexins And Pannexins In Mammary Gland Development And Tumorigenesis, Michael K. G. Stewart
The Role Of Connexins And Pannexins In Mammary Gland Development And Tumorigenesis, Michael K. G. Stewart
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The identification of key regulators of breast cancer onset and progression is critical for the development of targeted therapies. Connexins and pannexins are characterized by their ability to form large-pore channels and are frequently dysregulated in cancer. However, their role in breast cancer progression remains poorly understood due to a lack of in vivo models capable of assessing the proposed and opposing roles of connexins and pannexins as both tumor suppressors and/or facilitators in multiple stages of the disease. Using 2 previously uncharacterized genetically-modified mice, connexin43 (Cx43) and connexin26 (Cx26) were evaluated for their role in normal mammary gland development …
Microengineering The Neural Tube, Christopher Demers
Microengineering The Neural Tube, Christopher Demers
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Early embryonic development is a complex and highly regulated orchestra of instructive cues that collectively guide naïve stem cells towards progressively more specialized fates. In the neural tube, the precursor structure to the brain and spinal cord, these signals emanate from ‘organizing centers’ surrounding the neural tube. These organizing centers send out soluble cues or morphogens that diffuse tens to hundreds of microns to recipient cells residing in the neural tube. Re-creating this dynamic landscape of cues in vitro is impossible using standard cell culture tools and techniques. However, microfluidics is perfectly suited to fill this gap, allowing precise control …
Role Of Non-Muscle Myosin Ii And Calcium In Zebrafish Midbrain-Hindbrain Boundary Morphogenesis, Srishti Upasana Sahu
Role Of Non-Muscle Myosin Ii And Calcium In Zebrafish Midbrain-Hindbrain Boundary Morphogenesis, Srishti Upasana Sahu
Theses and Dissertations
Elucidating the molecular mechanisms that play a role in cellular morphogenesis is critical to our understanding of brain development and function. The midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB) is one of the first folds in the vertebrate embryonic brain and is highly conserved across species. We used the zebrafish MHB as a model for determining the molecular mechanisms that regulate these cell shape changes. Cellular morphogenesis is tightly regulated by signaling pathways that rearrange the cytoskeleton and produce mechanical forces that enable changes in cell and tissue morphology. The generation of force within a cell often depends on motor proteins, particularly non-muscle myosins …
The Effects Of Propofol, Sodium Pentobarbital, And Ketamine Hydrochloride On In Vitro Mouse Embryonic Development, Tyler C. Balak
The Effects Of Propofol, Sodium Pentobarbital, And Ketamine Hydrochloride On In Vitro Mouse Embryonic Development, Tyler C. Balak
Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences
Every year more than 75,000 pregnant women are exposed to teratogenic medications or general anesthesia during non-obstetric surgery in the US,1-4 and embryonic effects of general anesthesia are of particular interest in laboratory research and veterinary medicine. The mouse system is used to screen potential toxic effects of anesthetics used in egg retrieval for in vitro fertilization (IVF), or those of pharmacologic agents which may come in contact with the egg or early embryo. Mouse preimplantation 2-cell embryos were exposed in vitro to incremental concentrations of common general anesthetics within and exceeding the normal clinical dosage range for mice (propofol …
Developing A Gene Editing System To Study Haplodiploidy In The Jewel Wasp, Nasonia Vitripennis, Emily A. Muller
Developing A Gene Editing System To Study Haplodiploidy In The Jewel Wasp, Nasonia Vitripennis, Emily A. Muller
Scripps Senior Theses
Hymenopteran insects, which include all ants, bees and wasps, reproduce through a poorly understood form of reproduction known as haplodiploidy. A promising experimental system for understanding this developmental process is the jewel wasp, Nasonia vitripennis. A critical aspect of using Nasonia as a model is establishing an effective means for editing specific genes of interest so that their functions can be studied through genetic means. For my thesis research, I performed a pilot study of the gene editing method known as CRISPR in Nasonia. I targeted the single heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) gene present in the Nasonia genome …
Dual Functions For Insulinoma-Associated 1 In Retinal Development, Marie A. Forbes-Osborne
Dual Functions For Insulinoma-Associated 1 In Retinal Development, Marie A. Forbes-Osborne
Theses and Dissertations--Biology
Proper visual system function requires tightly controlled proliferation of a pool of relatively homogeneous retinal progenitor cells, followed by the stepwise specification and differentiation of multiple distinct cell types. These retinal cells, both neuronal and glial, must be generated in the correct numbers, and the correct laminar location to permit the formation of synaptic connections between individual cell types. After synapses are made, constant signaling is required as part of normal retinal function, and to maintain cellular identity and connectivity. These processes rely on both extrinsic and intrinsic signaling, with regulation of gene expression by cascades of transcription factors having …