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Septal Infusions Of The H-Channel Blocker Zd7288 Impair Spontaneous Alternation But Not Inhibitory Avoidance, Ramata Sissoko Cisse Dec 2006

Septal Infusions Of The H-Channel Blocker Zd7288 Impair Spontaneous Alternation But Not Inhibitory Avoidance, Ramata Sissoko Cisse

Biology Theses

It is well established that the septo-hippocampal system is involved in memory. The medial septum is connected to the hippocampus via the fimbria fornix, which consists mostly of acetylcholine and ã-aminobutyric acid (GABA) projection neurons. The contributions of the cholinergic projection to memory have been studied extensively; whereas, the role of the GABAergic projection is not well characterized. The present experiment tested whether septal infusions of the selective H-channel blocker ZD7288 would impair spontaneous alternation (SA) and continuous multiple inhibitory avoidance (CMIA). Fifteen minutes prior to assessing SA or CMIA, different groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were given septal infusions …


Isolation And Characterization Of The Y32g9a.8 Promoter In C. Elegans, Rebecca Joy Schlisner Dec 2006

Isolation And Characterization Of The Y32g9a.8 Promoter In C. Elegans, Rebecca Joy Schlisner

Biology Theses

The over-expression of Down syndrome cell adhesion molecules (DSCAMs) is partially responsible for the mental retardation associated with Down syndrome. Previous work in our lab showed that a DSCAM homolog in C. elegans, Y32G9A.8, is expressed at all developmental stages and appears to be crucial for survival. In an effort to map the expression pattern, I used the Genome Sciences Centre’s primer design program (http://elegans.bcgsc.bc.ca/gfp_primers/) to design a GFP promoter fusion product that was used to monitor gene expression. The results indicate that Y32G9A.8 is expressed in the animal’s gut, suggesting that it may function in the worm’s innate immune …


The Role Of S7, A Subunit Of The 19s Proteasome, In The Transcriptional Regulation Of Mhc Ii., Dawson Gerhardt Dec 2006

The Role Of S7, A Subunit Of The 19s Proteasome, In The Transcriptional Regulation Of Mhc Ii., Dawson Gerhardt

Biology Theses

Induction of an adaptive, or antigen specific, immune response is critical for eliminating most infections. Pathogen clearance is accomplished primarily, by the actions of CD4+ T cells through their ability to recognize foreign antigens presented at the cell surface by major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) molecules. Consequently, the capacity to regulate expression of MHC molecules is essential to control the adaptive immune response. MHC molecules are regulated at the level of transcription by a master regulator, the class II transcriptional activator, CIITA. Thus, the expression of MHC II is directly related to proper CIITA activity. This thesis focuses on …


An Integrative Analysis Of Reproduction And Stress In Free-Living Male Cottonmouths, Agkistrodon Piscivorus, Sean Patrick Graham Dec 2006

An Integrative Analysis Of Reproduction And Stress In Free-Living Male Cottonmouths, Agkistrodon Piscivorus, Sean Patrick Graham

Biology Theses

I conducted an integrative field study on male cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus), a common pitviper of the southeastern United States, to investigate the evolution of contrasting mating patterns in North American pitvipers (bimodal and unimodal annual patterns) and resolve conflicting information about the pattern exhibited by the cottonmouth. I determined a unimodal late summer peak of testosterone (T) and a muted unimodal seasonal cycle of the sexual segment of the kidney (a secondary sexual characteristic), both of which were correlated with the single peak of spermatogenesis in late summer. I also conducted a study to determine diel and seasonal variation of …


Neurolipofuscin Is A Measure Of Age In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Argus, In Florida, Kerry Elizabeth Maxwell Aug 2006

Neurolipofuscin Is A Measure Of Age In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Argus, In Florida, Kerry Elizabeth Maxwell

Biology Theses

Accurate age estimates for the commercially-important Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, would greatly enhance analyses of life history and population dynamics. Previous estimates of their age based on size and growth may be inaccurate because of variable growth in the wild. An established technique for aging crustaceans – histologically-determined lipofuscin content in the nervous system – was used on lobsters reared in the laboratory for up to five years. We verified the presence of lipofuscin in eyestalk neural tissue and described its distribution in cell cluster A of the hemiellipsoid body. Neurolipofuscin content of both sexes increased linearly over the …


Age And Sex Differences In The Acquisition And Maintenance Of Intravenous Amphetamine Self-Administration In Rats, Mahin Shahbazi Jan 2006

Age And Sex Differences In The Acquisition And Maintenance Of Intravenous Amphetamine Self-Administration In Rats, Mahin Shahbazi

Biology Theses

Drug abuse peaks during adolescence, and exposure to drugs during adolescence predicts drug abuse in adulthood. Nevertheless, adolescence is not widely studied in animal models of drug intake. Moreover, few studies have investigated sex differences in drug-reinforced behavior during adolescence. We studied age- and sex-differences in acquisition and maintenance of amphetamine self-administration in Sprague-Dawley rats. Adolescent males took more amphetamine than adult males, supporting the hypothesis that adolescents are more sensitive to amphetamine. A high rate of “inappropriate” active lever presses among periadolescent males suggests impulsive behavior. In the maintenance phase of testing, young adult males failed to work as …


An Examination Of The Human Fibrinogen-Like Protein2: Sequence Variations And Genetic Expression By Human Endothelial Cells, Meredith E. Jenkins Jan 2006

An Examination Of The Human Fibrinogen-Like Protein2: Sequence Variations And Genetic Expression By Human Endothelial Cells, Meredith E. Jenkins

Biology Theses

A role for Fgl2 (fibroleukin) in thrombophilic-associated human fetal loss has been indicated by previous studies. Clotting of vascular vessels of the placenta and fetus interferes with adequate blood circulation. The human Fgl2 gene was sequenced with identification of six SNPs, suggesting an association with a population of women suffering from recurrent fetal losses. A small sample size however, prevented precise statistical analyses of this association. In vitro, human endothelial cells (HUVECs) were not found to constitutively express Fgl2, but were shown to up-regulate its expression when challenged with IFN-γ and TNF-α. Interestingly, TNF-α was only shown to induce expression …


Functional Analysis Of The Murine Oligoadenylate Synthetase 1b (Oas1b), Husni Elbahesh Jan 2006

Functional Analysis Of The Murine Oligoadenylate Synthetase 1b (Oas1b), Husni Elbahesh

Biology Theses

The flavivirus resistance gene, Flv, in mice has been identified as 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase 1b (Oas1b). Susceptible mice produce a protein that is truncated (Oas1btr) at the C-terminus due to a premature stop codon encoded by a C820T transition. Mice produce 8 Oas1 proteins, Oas1a-Oas1h. In the present study, Oas1a, Oas1b and Oas1btr were expressed as MBP-fusion proteins in bacteria and purified. 2-5A synthetase activity was demonstrated using MBP-Oas1a, while neither MBP-Oas1b nor MBP-Oas1btr were functionally active. The 2-5A synthetase activity of MBP-Oas1a was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the addition of MBP-Oas1b but not MBPOas1btr. Finally, three RNA …