Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Identification Of Small Molecule Inhibitors To Candida Albicans Phosphatidylserine Synthase, Yue Zhou
The Identification Of Small Molecule Inhibitors To Candida Albicans Phosphatidylserine Synthase, Yue Zhou
Doctoral Dissertations
Candida albicans phosphatidylserine (PS) synthase, encoded by the CHO1 gene, has been identified as a potential drug target for new antifungals against systemic candidiasis due to its importance in virulence, absence in the host and conservation among fungal pathogens. This dissertation is focused on the identification of inhibitors for this membrane enzyme. Cho1 has two substrates: cytidyldiphosphate-diacylglycerol (CDP-DAG) and serine. Previous studies identified a conserved CDP-alcohol phosphotransferase (CAPT) binding motif present within Cho1, and here we revealed that mutations in all but one conserved amino acid within the CAPT motif resulted in decreased Cho1. For serine, we have predicted a …
Characterization Of Lignin Structural Variability And The Associated Application In Genome Wide Association Studies, Nathan D. Bryant
Characterization Of Lignin Structural Variability And The Associated Application In Genome Wide Association Studies, Nathan D. Bryant
Doctoral Dissertations
Poplar (Populus sp.) is a promising biofuel feedstock due to advantageous features such as fast growth, the ability to grow on marginal land, and relatively low lignin content. However, there is tremendous variability associated with the composition of biomass. Understanding this variability, especially in lignin, is crucial to developing and implementing financially viable, integrated biorefineries. Although lignin is typically described as being comprised of three primary monolignols (syringyl, guaiacyl, p-hydroxyphenyl), it is a highly irregular biopolymer that can incorporate non-canonical monolignols. It is also connected by a variety of interunit linkages, adding to its complexity. Secondary cell wall …
The Development Of Tailored Amphiphilic Copolymers For Detergent-Free Integral Membrane Protein Extraction, Cameron Edward Workman
The Development Of Tailored Amphiphilic Copolymers For Detergent-Free Integral Membrane Protein Extraction, Cameron Edward Workman
Doctoral Dissertations
Integral membrane proteins are prolific targets for the design, development, and delivery of pharmaceuticals. In fact, over 60% of all currently available drugs target these proteins to accomplish their therapeutic effect. However, integral membrane proteins remain the least characterized class of all proteins, accounting for only ~2% of all solved protein structures. One of the primary reasons for this low number of solved protein structures is that many membrane proteins lose their native conformation when extracted using conventional methods (e.g. detergents), convoluting accurate structure determination. In contrast, amphiphilic styrene-maleic acid copolymers (SMAs) were recently discovered to readily isolate membrane proteins …