Life Sciences Commons^™

Molecular Mechanisms Involved In Human Platelet Aggregation By Synergistic Interaction Of Platelet-Activating Factor And 5-Hydroxytryptamine, B H. Shah, H Rasheed, I H. Rahman, A H. Shariff, F L. Khan, H B. Rahman, S Hanif, S A. Saeed

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Our recent studies have shown that co-activation of Gq and Gi proteins by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and adrenaline show synergism in human platelet aggregation. This study was conducted to examine the mechanism(s) of synergistic interaction of 5-HT and platelet activating factor (PAF) in human platelets. We show that PAF, but not 5-HT, increased platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. However, low concentrations of 5-HT (2 microM) potentiated platelet aggregation induced by subthreshold concentration of PAF (40 nM) indicating a synergistic interaction between the two agonists and this synergism was blocked by receptor antagonists to either 5-HT or PAF. 5-HT also potentiated …

Aerobic Biodegradation Of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether By Aquifer Bacteria From Leaking Underground Storage Tank Sites, S. R. Kane, H. R. Beller, T. C. Legler, C. J. Koester, Holly C. Pinkart, R. U. Halden, A. M. Happel

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

The potential for aerobic methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) degradation was investigated with microcosms containing aquifer sediment and groundwater from four MTBE-contaminated sites characterized by oxygen-limited in situ conditions. MTBE depletion was observed for sediments from two sites (e.g., 4.5 mg/liter degraded in 15 days after a 4-day lag period), whereas no consumption of MTBE was observed for sediments from the other sites after 75 days. For sediments in which MTBE was consumed, 43 to 54% of added [U-¹⁴C]MTBE was mineralized to¹⁴CO₂. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of these sediments indicated the enrichment of species closely …

Formation Of Multistranded Structures From The Self-Assembly Of G-Rich Dna Oligomers By Various Sequence And Environmental Influences, Bryan D. Vi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Insulin Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, And Interleukin-6 On Individual Mouse Embryos By Immuno-Polymerase Chain Reaction, Kun Xu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Three series of experiments were conducted to: 1) optimize the conditions for the production of pUC19 plasmid and of biotinylated pUC19 fragments; 2) optimize the conditions for the production of protein A-streptavidin chimera (chimeric protein); and 3) detect soluble antigens [bovine serum albumin (BSA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] and membrane-bound antigens [insulin receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr)] of mouse embryos by immuno-polymerase chain reaction (I-PCR). The first experimental series, which included bacterial culture, chimeric protein purification, and chimeric protein functional experiments, was performed to investigate the effects of IPTG (isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside) induction time and temperature, bacterial culture medium, and protein …

Cold-Temperature Adaptation Of Muscle Creatine Kinase From An Antartic Teleost (Chaenocephalus Aceratus), Paul Winnard Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The white muscle of Chuenocephulus aceratus, an Antarctic teleost of the Channicthyidae family, has a compromised glycoiytic capacity and this fish cannot depend on glycolysis for rapid ATP generation For C. aceratus, creatine kinase (CK) and phosphocreatine (PCr) reserves comprise the metabolic pathway that may supplement and overcome this deficiency in energy transduction. Two conditions, low glycolytic capacity and evolution in a chronically cold habitat (-1.86°C), give us reason to believe that C. aceratus muscle CK (MMCK) has been subjected to strong selective pressure. Thus, the hypothesis of this thesis is that MMCK fiom C. aceratus white muscle …

Autoimmunity, Immune Deficiency And Cancer: Multiple Roles Of The Protein Tyrosine Phosphate Shp-1, Melissa J. Joliat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of a large number of mutant mice used in immunological research, the "motheaten" mouse was the first model of a specific protein tyrosine phosphatase deficiency. Mice carrying one of two allelic mutations at the "motheaten" locus have severe systemic autoimmunity and immune dysfunction as a result of mutations in the hematopoietic-cell phosphatase (Hcph) gene, which encodes the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. Studies using "motheaten" (me/me) and "viable motheaten" (me^v/me^v) mice have increased the understanding of numerous signaling pathways in immune and hematopoietic cells. A number of studies on SHP-1 function …

Quinic Acid-Mediated Induction Of Hypovirulence And A Hypovirulence-Associated Double-Stranded Rna In Rhizoctonia Solani, Chunyu Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a part of a project focused on the relationship between dsRNA and hypovirulence in R. solani. Hypovirulence refers to a condition in which a pathogen has a drastically reduced ability to cause disease. Rhizoctonia solani is a soil-borne pathogen causing diseases in numerous plants. Phenyl acetic acid (PAA), a metabolite of phenylalanine, causes Rhizoctonia disease symptoms on potato in the absence of the pathogen itself. The amount of PAA produced by a hypovirulent isolate is 10% of that produced by virulent isolates. A 3.6 kb dsRNA (M2) has been shown to be associated with hypovirulence in …

Analysis Of Events Governing The Meiotic Division In Mouse Spermatocytes, Shannon Stewart Eaker

Doctoral Dissertations

The meiotic division is essential for successful gametogenesis. However, many events occurring during male and female meiotic development remain poorly understood. While it is known that chromosomes must pair, recombine, and segregate to form gametes, critical questions remain. How and when do these events occur with respect to each other? What mechanisms monitor their developmental success? Insight into these questions is provided in this dissertation, using the mouse spermatocyte as a model. The purpose of this work is to aid in the overall understanding of mammalian meiosis.

After an introduction into mammalian meiosis in Part I, a temporal order of …

Problem-Based Learning Variant: Transition Phase For A Large Institution, I Khan, A Fareed

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To compare students' test scores and perceptions of problem-based learning (PBL) and lecture-based learning (LBL) by applying a PBL-variant.
Method: For the transition from LBL to PBL, PBL was varied for one discipline only and for a large group of students. Two hundred forty nine second year medical students were taught a topic of Biochemistry by the LBL method and then 141 of these were taught another topic by the PBL-variant. At the conclusion of each topic an MCQ test was given. One week later a 9 item questionnaire was given to the 50 students now attending classes to …

Sir3-Dependent Assembly Of Supramolecular Chromatin Structures In Vitro, Philippe T. Georgel, Madeleine A. Palacios Debeer, Gregory Pietz, Catherine A. Fox, Jeffrey C. Hansen

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Baculovirus-expressed recombinant Sir3p (rSir3p) has been purified to near homogeneity, and its binding to naked DNA, mononucleosomes, and nucleosomal arrays has been characterized in vitro. At stoichiometric levels rSir3p interacts with intact nucleosomal arrays, mononucleosomes, and naked DNA, as evidenced by formation of supershifted species on native agarose gels. Proteolytic removal of the core histone tail domains inhibits but does not completely abolish rSir3p binding to nucleosomal arrays. The linker DNA in the supershifted complexes remains freely accessible to restriction endonuclease digestion, suggesting that both the tail domains and nucleosomal DNA contribute to rSir3p–chromatin interactions. Together these data indicate …

Intrasteric Inhibition Of Atp Binding Is Not Required To Prevent Unregulated Autophosphorylation Or Signaling By The Insulin Receptor, Mark Frankel, Ararat J. Ablooglu, Joseph W. Leone, Elena Rusinova, J. B. A. Ross, Robert L. Heinrikson, Ronald A. Kohanski

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Receptor tyrosine kinases may use intrasteric inhibition to suppress autophosphorylation prior to growth factor stimulation. To test this hypothesis we made an Asp1161Ala mutant in the activation loop that relieved intrasteric inhibition of the unphosphorylated insulin receptor (IR) and its recombinant cytoplasmic kinase domain (IRKD) without affecting the activated state. Solution studies with the unphosphorylated mutant IRKD demonstrated conformational changes and greater catalytic efficiency from a 10-fold increase in kcat and a 15-fold-lower K_{m ATP} although K_{m peptide} was unchanged. Kinetic parameters of the autophosphorylated mutant and wild-type kinase domains were virtually identical. The Asp1161Ala mutation increased the …

Positive Regulation Of Pka On Human Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (Hgnrh) Gene Expression In Human Placental Jeg-3 Cells, Zhaoyang Wen

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Using the human placental choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cell line as an in vitro human placental model, we studied the mechanisms of the PKA positive regulation of the hGnRH gene expression in the human placenta. Studies in JEG3 cells showed that through the PKA catalytic subunit a, human GnRH upstream promoter activity was stimulated by PKA signaling pathway in a cAMP dependent mechanism. The sequence between —202 (Afl II) and —554 (BamH I) base pair in the human GnRH upstream promoter region appeared to be responsible for the PKA positive regulation of the gene expression. Furthermore, Western blot analysis demonstrated the involvement …

An Enzymatic Method For The Detection Of Human Serum Albumin, M U. Javed, S N. Waqar

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Albumin is the most abundant protein in human serum. A dye-binding method is commonly used in clinical laboratories for its estimation using different types of dyes. However, all these dye methods were interfered by a variety of compounds. Here we present a method for the detection of albumin in human serum and other biological fluids. The principle is based on the fact that lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme-5 (LDH-5) binds specifically to Dextran-Blue (DB). Albumin inhibits the binding of LDH-5 with DB. Absence of LDH activity in DB fraction after gel filtration indicates the presence of albumin in sample and vice versa.

Complex Effects Arising In Smoke Plume Simulations Due To Inclusion Of Direct Emissions Of Oxygenated Organic Species From Biomass Combustion, Sherri A. Mason, Richard J. Field, Robert J. Yokelson, Michael A. Kochivar, Mark R. Tinsley, Darold E. Ward, Wei Min Hao

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Oxygenated volatile organic species (oxygenates), including HCOOH, H₂CO, CH₃OH, HOCH₂CHO (hydroxyacetaldehyde), CH₃COOH, and C₆H₅OH, have recently been identified by Fourier transform infrared measurements as a significant component of the direct emissions from biomass combustion. These oxygenates have not generally been included in the hydrocarbon-based initial emission profiles used in previous photochemical simulations of biomass combustion smoke plumes. We explore the effects of oxygenates on this photochemistry by using an established initial emission hydrocarbon profile and comparing simulation results obtained both with and without addition of the above six …

Mapping The Toxic And Regulatory Domains Of Doc Of The P1 Plasmid Addiction Operon, Darren Ferree

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Comprehensive Isotachophoresis-Capillary Electrophoresis Coupled To Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry, Christopher Ryan Bowerbank

Theses and Dissertations

Isotachophoresis (ITP) coupled to capillary zone electrophoresis (CE) in a comprehensive manner was used to separate mixture components in both insufficient and sufficient concentrations without heart-cutting or splitting. Examples of comprehensive ITP-CE involving multiple CE injections of preconcentrated ITP zones are demonstrated. In the comprehensive arrangement, all of the sample in the first dimension (ITP) is subjected to analysis in the second dimension (CE), without significant sample loss or decrease in sample detectability resulting from removal of a portion of the sample. This is especially important for analytes at low concentrations which may form a single mixed zone instead of …

The Characterization Of A Novel Petite Phenotype In Transgenic Arabidopsis Thaliana And The Examination Of The Expression Patterns Of A Gamma Carbonic Anhydrase Homologue In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sumeet K. Asrani

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Examination Of The Expression Patterns Of A Gamma Carbonic Anhydrase Homologue In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Eric Thomas Dane Nielsen Iii

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Structural Studies Of Scallop Abductin, A Compressible Elastomer That Translates Hydrophobic Interactions To Elasticity, Felipe Jimenez Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Abductin is a natural elastomer found as the major component of the elastic hinge ligament in marine scallops. Until now, very little was known about the structure and function of this compressible elastomer. Biochemical studies of a synthetic 25 amino acid peptide of abductin produces fibers that assemble into a gel matrix at room temperature. Further investigation of this phenomenon via temperature-dependent turbidimetry revealed that this peptide self-assembles or aggregates at 23 °C. Secondary structural studies of this peptide at different temperatures revealed that it undergoes an inverse temperature transition much like soluble elastin peptides. Replacing phenylalanine with alanine in …

Plant-Based Multicomponent Vaccines Against Enteric Diseases, Jie Yu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

To generate a plant-based multicomponent oral vaccine against cholera, rotavirus and enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), we have constructed transgenic potato plants that synthesize the cholera toxin B and A2 subunits, the rotavirus enterotoxin NSP4 22 amino acid epitope and the ETEC fimbrial antigen CFA/L To use cholera toxin as a carrier molecule for delivery of multiple antigens to the gut-associated lymphoid tissues, the rotavirus NSP4 epitope was linked to the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) and the ETEC fimbrial antigen CFA/I was linked to the cholera toxin A2 subunit. Cholera toxin-antigen fusion proteins were detected in transformed tuber tissues by immunoblot …

Induction Of White Cell Proliferation Due To Haematopoietic Growth Factors Is Associated With An Increase In Multiple Forms Of Dihydrofolate Reductase In Non-Neutropenic Cancer Patients, M P. Iqbal, I A. Burney, F Sultana, N Mehboobali

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) are frequently used in cancer patients to overcome the granulocytopenic effects of chemotherapy, and also to mobilize the stem cells. The mobilized stem cells are collected from the peripheral blood and used for transplantation following high doses of chemotherapy. However, the molecular mechanism by which these colony stimulating factors (CSFs) bring about proliferation of myeloid precursor cells is not clearly known. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), which has an established role in DNA synthesis, could be a link between administration of CSF and stem cell proliferation. The purpose of this study …

A Crystallographic Map Of The Transition From B-Dna To A-Dna, Jeff Vargason, Keith Henderson, P. Shing Ho

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

No abstract provided.

Protein Targeting And Translocation, Barry D. Bruce, D.A. Phoenix

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology

No abstract provided.

Protein Targeting And Translocation, Barry D. Bruce, D.A. Phoenix

Barry D. Bruce

No abstract provided.

Methods Development For The Identification Of Unknown Proteins, Laura Brumfield Neal

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The chemistry of transport, storage, energy production, and reproduction in physiological systems is controlled by the actions and interactions of proteins. A species full complement of these amazing machines is often referred to as its proteome. The new science of proteomics utilizes a set of powerful and evolving tools to characterize the nature of the proteome, and further to fully elucidate the functional attributes of the proteins and their associations.

A methodology was developed by combining several proteomic techniques, such as electrophoresis, RP-HPLC, and mass spectrometry, to correctly identity proteins. Three known proteins (myoglobin, albumin, and actin) were employed for …

Identification Of The Domains Of Urer, An Arac-Like Transcriptional Regulator Of The Urease Gene Cluster In Proteus Mirabilis, Carrie A. Poore, Christopher Coker, Jonathan D. Dattelbaum, Harry L.T. Mobley

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Proteus mirabilis urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to CO₂ and NH₃, resulting in urinary stone formation in individuals with complicated urinary tract infections. UreR, a member of the AraC family, activates transcription of the genes encoding urease enzyme subunits and accessory proteins, ureDABCEFG, as well as its own transcription in the presence of urea. Based on sequence homology with AraC, we hypothesized that UreR contains both a dimerization domain and a DNA-binding domain. A translational fusion of the leucine zipper dimerization domain (amino acids 302 to 350) of C/EBP and the C-terminal half of UreR …

Nitric Oxide Mediated Effect Of Cyclo-Oxygenase Inhibitors, M Mahmood, H S. Zuberi, M K. Ashfaq

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objectives: Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) have long been used as anti-inflammatory agents, yet their mode of action is not entirely clear. The inhibitory effects of NSAIDS on prostaglandin production can only partly explain their anti-inflammatory actions. This study was aimed at defining the role of cycl-oxygenase (COX) inhibitors on nitric oxide (NO) production in murine macrophages in vitro.
Methods: Murine macrophages were obtained from the peritoneum and after exposure, in vitro to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produced nitrite, measured after 24 hours by Griess reaction. The macrophages were pre-incubated with aspirin or indomethacin before activation with LPS.
Results: Treatment with aspirin resulted …

Antifungal Activity Of Substituted 8-Quinolinol-5- And 7-Sulfonic Acids: A Mechanism Of Action Is Suggested Based On Intramolecular Synergism / Hermon Gershon, Muriel Gershon, & Donald D. Clarke Harding Laboratory, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458, Usa; Department Of Chemistry, Fordham University, Bronx, New York 10458, Usa, Herman Gershon, Muriel Gershon, Donald Dudley Clarke Phd

Chemistry Faculty Publications

8-Quinolinol-5-sulfonic acid was nearly devoid of antimicrobial activity, due to what was believed to be an unfavorable partition coefficient. Since twenty six 8-quinolinol-5- and 7 -sulfonic acids were available from our previous work, they were tested against six fungi. The 7 -chloro and 7 -bromo-5-sulfonic acids and the 5-chloro and 5-bromo-7 -sulfonic acids showed fungal inhibition within one order of magnitude of that of 8-quinolinol. It is suggested that a nonchelating mechanism is in part responsible for this fungitoxicity. Five additional 5-sulfonic acids with chlorine in positions 3-, 6-, 3,6-, 3,7-, and 6,7- that were suitable for studies in synergism …

Preparation And Fungitoxicity Of Some Trichloro-, Tribromo-, Tetrachloro-, And Tetrabromo-8-Quinolinols / Herman Gershon, Donald D. Clarke, And Muriel Gershon Department Of Chemistry, Fordham University, Bronx, New York 10458-9993 Usa, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458-9993 Usa, Herman Gershon, Donald Dudley Clarke Phd, Muriel Gershon

Chemistry Faculty Publications

3,5,6-, 3,5,7-, 4,5,7-, and 5,6,7-trichloro- and -tribromo-8-quinolinols as well as 3,5,6,7- tetrachloro- and -tetrabromo-8-quinolinols were prepared and tested against six fungi (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Myrothecium verrucaria, Trichoderma viride, Mucor cirinelloides, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes) in Sabouraud dextrose broth. The compounds strongly inhibit five fungi but not M. cirinelloides. They are less active than the related dichloro-8-quinolinols which is attributed to steric hindrance

An Enzymatic Method For The Measurement Of Magnesium, Joseph Murphy

Theses

Magnesium is quantitatively the most important intracellular divalent cation (4), and has been found to serve in a wide range of enzymatic reactions (2). Studies have shown that up to ten percent of hospital patients may have hypomagnesaemia (6).

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) under highly specified conditions is the de facto reference method for magnesium measurement but only about ten per cent of laboratories routinely use this method (4). This is because AAS is time-consuming, requires specialised equipment and a certain level of expertise, and may be hazardous due to the use of inflammable gases. Colourimetric methods e.g. calmagite are …