Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Purification And Characterization Of A Novel Selenocysteine Lyase From Enterococcus Faecalis, Samantha Nelson
Purification And Characterization Of A Novel Selenocysteine Lyase From Enterococcus Faecalis, Samantha Nelson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
A previous study identified Enterococcus faecalis as one of two bacteria known to have the selD gene and other selenium related genes without having the genes necessary to make selenocysteine or selenouridine. EF2570, a gene in the cluster, was later shown to be upregulated during biofilm formation and also responsible for a selenite- and molybdate-dependent increase in biofilm formation in vitro. The protein encoded was identified as a selenium dependent molybdenum hydroxylase (SDMH), enzymes that contain a labile selenium atom required for activity. While the process of inserting selenocysteine into a protein is well known, the process by which a …
Antimicrobial Peptide Resistance And Immunomodulation By Hiv-1 Gp41, Matthew Wood
Antimicrobial Peptide Resistance And Immunomodulation By Hiv-1 Gp41, Matthew Wood
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Fusion inhibitors are a class of antiretroviral drugs used to prevent entry of HIV into host cells. Many of the fusion inhibitors being developed, including the drug enfuvirtide (ENF), are peptides designed to mimic, and thereby competitively inhibit, the viral fusion protein gp41. An exception to this is a class of cyclic, cationic, antimicrobial peptides known as θ-defensins, which are produced by many non-human primates and exhibit broad-spectrum antiviral and antibacterial activity. Currently, the θ-defensin analog RC-101 is being developed as a microbicide to prevent sexual transmission of HIV-1. Understanding potential RC-101 resistance, and how resistance to other fusion inhibitors …
Genetic And Biochemical Characterization Of The Roles Of Two Putative Purine Transporters In The Infectious Cycle Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Sunny Jain
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Lyme disease, the most common tick borne disease in United States, is caused by the bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi. In nature, B. burgdorferi exists in an enzootic infectious cycle between an arthropod vector and mammalian hosts. Identification and characterization of the genes essential for B. burgdorferi survival throughout its infectious cycle is an important step toward understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in B. burgdorferi pathogenesis. B. burgdorferi contains a small genome, which lacks the genes encoding for the enzymes required for de novo synthesis of amino acids, fatty acids and nucleic acid precursors. Therefore, the spirochete is dependent upon the …
Modulation Of Cholera Toxin Structure And Function By Host Proteins, Helen Burress
Modulation Of Cholera Toxin Structure And Function By Host Proteins, Helen Burress
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cholera toxin (CT) moves from the cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where the catalytic CTA1 subunit separates from the holotoxin and unfolds due to its intrinsic thermal instability. Unfolded CTA1 then moves through an ER translocon pore to reach its cytosolic target. Due to the instability of CTA1, it must be actively refolded in the cytosol to achieve the proper conformation for modification of its G protein target. The cytosolic heat shock protein Hsp90 is involved with the ER-to-cytosol translocation of CTA1, yet the mechanistic role of Hsp90 in CTA1 translocation remains unknown. Potential post-translocation roles for Hsp90 …