Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering
Rab3a As A Modulator Of Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity, Andrew G. Koesters
Rab3a As A Modulator Of Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity, Andrew G. Koesters
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
The nervous system is faced with perturbations in activity levels throughout development and in disease or injury states. Neurons need to adapt to these changes in activity, but also need to maintain circuit firing within a normal range to stabilize the network from becoming too excited or too depressed. Homeostatic synaptic plasticity, the compensatory increase or decrease in synaptic strength as a result of excessive circuit inhibition or excitation, is a mechanism that the nervous system utilizes to keep network activity at normal levels. Despite intense effort, little is known about the mechanisms underlying homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Numerous studies have …
Apelin Regulation Of K-Cl Cotransport In Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells., Neelima Sharma
Apelin Regulation Of K-Cl Cotransport In Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells., Neelima Sharma
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Atherosclerosis and high circulating levels of oxidized low density lipoproteins (oxLDL) are considered among the most important risk factors for the occurrence and development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). During the atherosclerotic lesion repair, phenotypic transition of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from contractile to synthetic states plays a central role. In this process, enhanced proliferation/migration of VSMCs, from the tunica media to the intima, is required to sustain blood vessel endothelium integrity, and for inducing vessel wall remodeling in response to injury. At the molecular level, the activity of electroneutral potassium-chloride cotransporters or KCCs, is necessary to: a) allow changes …
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Alpha: Insight Into The Structure, Function And Energy Homeostasis, Dhawal P. Oswal
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Alpha: Insight Into The Structure, Function And Energy Homeostasis, Dhawal P. Oswal
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) belongs to the family of ligand-activated nuclear transcription factors and serves as a lipid sensor to regulate nutrient metabolism and energy homeostasis. The transcriptional activity of PPAR alpha is thought to be regulated by the binding of exogenous ligands (example, fenofibrate, TriCor), as well as endogenous ligands including fatty acids and their derivatives. Although long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) and their thioesters (long-chain fatty acyl-CoA; LCFA-CoA) have been shown to activate PPAR alpha of several species, the true identity of high-affinity endogenous ligands for human PPAR alpha (hPPAR alpha) has been more elusive. This two …
The Regulation Of The Eight-Exon Isoform Of The Coxsackievirus And Adenovirus Receptor (CarEx8) And Its Biological Relevance, Poornima Kotha Lakshmi Narayan
The Regulation Of The Eight-Exon Isoform Of The Coxsackievirus And Adenovirus Receptor (CarEx8) And Its Biological Relevance, Poornima Kotha Lakshmi Narayan
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
The airway epithelium poses a formidable barrier for the entry of pathogenic viruses due to the formation of tight junctions between adjacent epithelial cells. The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), a member of the Ig superfamily of cell junction adhesion proteins, is the primary receptor for adenovirus entry and infection. As a result of alternative splicing, two transmembrane isoforms of CAR are generated. While the seven-exon isoform of CAR (CAREX7) is hidden on the basolateral surface of polarized epithelia, the eight-exon isoform of CAR (CAREX8) localizes within the sub-apical region and at the air-exposed apical surface. …
The Role Of Subunit Iii In The Functional And Structural Regulation Of Cytochrome C Oxidase In Rhodobacter Spheroids, Khadijeh Salim Alnajjar
The Role Of Subunit Iii In The Functional And Structural Regulation Of Cytochrome C Oxidase In Rhodobacter Spheroids, Khadijeh Salim Alnajjar
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) catalyzes the oxidation of ferrocytochrome c and the reduction of oxygen to water while concomitantly translocating protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The catalytic core of COX consists of three subunits that are conserved from the bacterial to the mitochondrial forms of the enzyme. Subunits I and II (SUI and SUII) contain the metal centers where electrons are transferred and oxygen binds for reduction. Subunit III (SUIII) does not contain any metals and has an unknown function. It contains three conserved histidine residues (3, 7 and 10) that are surface exposed and are in close proximity …