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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Granulins As Inflammatory Mediators In Alzheimer Disease, Randi G. Reed
Granulins As Inflammatory Mediators In Alzheimer Disease, Randi G. Reed
Honors Theses
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe memory deficit and cognitive decline among the elderly. This degeneration is caused by the aggregation and deposition of a protein called amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain. Aggregation of Aβ causes neuroinflammation in addition to other toxic events. However, it is unclear whether inflammation from an external source, such as from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), could trigger Aβ aggregation. In this context, several pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and chemokines have been suspects. It is now hypothesized that a group of proteins called granulins (Grns) are unique inflammatory mediators that …
Expression Analysis Of A Glucose Oxidase Transgene In Tobacco, Jordan Burt
Expression Analysis Of A Glucose Oxidase Transgene In Tobacco, Jordan Burt
Honors Theses
Glucose oxidase (GOX) is an enzyme in plants that catalyzes the oxidation of glucose to hydrogen peroxide and Glucono delta-lactone[5]. We have expressed GOX under the control of an estrogen inducible system, XVE, to analyze the gene's expression under this system compared to a system using the 35s system. The 35s system contains a promoter that constitutively turns on the GOX gene in the Nicotiana tabacum plant which causes the gene to always be turned on. Leaf disc assays were performed with discs from 35s, XVE, and also wild type plants (not containing the GOX gene) in order to extract …
Isolation Of Microbial Nrps And Pks Gene Clusters For Natural Product Isolation, Danielle N. O'Hara
Isolation Of Microbial Nrps And Pks Gene Clusters For Natural Product Isolation, Danielle N. O'Hara
Honors Theses
Greater than 99% of microbes living in the environment are uncultivable due to their complex nutrient and temperature requirements for growth. These microorganisms present a potential source of natural products that could be developed for biotechnological and pharmaceutical uses. Microorganisms with phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) activity are of high interest due to the role PPTase plays in activating non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) gene clusters. These gene clusters produce multi-enzymatic, multi-domain megasynthases that produce complex natural products utilized by the host organism for selective advantages. This study isolated genomic DNA from soil samples collected from the University of …
An Investigation Of Bag3 Knockdown And Its Effects On The Cytotoxicity Of Laromustine, Colin Sheehan
An Investigation Of Bag3 Knockdown And Its Effects On The Cytotoxicity Of Laromustine, Colin Sheehan
Honors Theses
Laromustine is a sulfonylhydrazine anticancer prodrug whose main cytotoxic arises from its ability to interfere with DNA replication of dividing cells. Multiple studies have suggested that Laromustine induces a form of cell death known as apoptosis. In a previous study investigating the mechanism of apoptosis, bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) demonstrated significant upregulation in the presence of Laromustine. Given its anticancer ability, we selected BAG3 as a target for further investigation. BAG3 knockdown through transient shRNA transfections was performed in U138 glioblastoma multiforme cells and verified using qRT-PCR analysis. Finally, cell death assays were used to assess Laromustine’s cytotoxic effect on …
An Nmr-Guided Approach To The Isolation Of Secondary Metabolites From Nrps And Pks Gene Clusters, Connor Craig
An Nmr-Guided Approach To The Isolation Of Secondary Metabolites From Nrps And Pks Gene Clusters, Connor Craig
Honors Theses
Secondary metabolites continue to offer a promising source of novel chemical entities with therapeutic bioactivities. Our research aims to isolate secondary metabolites produced by non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) constructs. A metagenomic library was created from the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp., which was isolated from the Chesapeake Bay sponge Halichondria bowerbanki. Using a functional screen for PPTase activity we were able to identify colonies that contained NRPS and PKS gene clusters. Cultures of this microbe have been produced and analyzed using a combination of chromatography and 1H, 13C, HMBC, HSQC, COSY, AND NOESY NMR spectra. …
Development Of A Genetic Over-Expression System For The Freshwater Sponge Ephydatia Muelleri, Joe Walsh
Development Of A Genetic Over-Expression System For The Freshwater Sponge Ephydatia Muelleri, Joe Walsh
Honors Theses
The aim of this work is to develop an over-expression system for Ephydatia muelleri. Preliminary work by Klaske Schippers (Schippers, 2013) showed sponges were induced to transcribe reporter genes driven by the widely used cytomegalovirus promoter (CMV). Building off Schippers work, newly identified native Ephydatia promoters were identified from the genome and verified to drive expression ofreporter genes. Validated over-expression vectors and transfection technology will allow researchers around the world who are working with this organism to ask questions about cell specification, gene regulation and animal development.