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Evolutionary Genomics And Ecoligical Interactions Of Biofilm Adaptation, Charles C. Traverse
Evolutionary Genomics And Ecoligical Interactions Of Biofilm Adaptation, Charles C. Traverse
Master's Theses and Capstones
How diversity evolves and persists in biofilms is essential for understanding much of microbial life, including the uncertain dynamics of chronic infections. We developed a novel biofilm model enabling long-term selection for daily adherence to and dispersal from a plastic bead in a test tube. Focusing on a pathogen of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung, Burkholderia cenocepacia, we sequenced clones and metagenomes to unravel the mutations and evolutionary forces responsible for adaptation and diversification of a single biofilm community during 1050 generations of selection. The mutational patterns revealed recurrent evolution of biofilm specialists from generalist types and multiple adaptive alleles …
Keratin 8/18 Filaments: Potential Modulators Of Death Signaling In Ovarian Granulosa Cells, Sarah E. Kinsman
Keratin 8/18 Filaments: Potential Modulators Of Death Signaling In Ovarian Granulosa Cells, Sarah E. Kinsman
Master's Theses and Capstones
Granulosa cell apoptosis is associated with follicular atresia; but the cellular mechanisms that drive this process, especially its cell specificity, are relatively unknown. Here, we determined that cultured granulosa cells abundantly express K8/K18 filaments and inhibition of protein synthesis enhances Fas-induced apoptosis. In this context, the roles of cFLIP, ERK1/2 and Akt are minimal but conversely, K8/K18 filaments have a prominent role in granulosa cell resistance to Fas-induced apoptosis. Keratin 8/18 filaments in granulosa cells provide a plausible mechanism to avoid Fas-induced apoptosis and this mechanism potentially involves the synthesis of labile proteins. The existence of K8/K18 filaments in granulosa …