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- Drosophila (6)
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- Oogenesis (3)
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Articles 1 - 30 of 49
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Understanding SjöGren's Syndrome As A Systemic Autoimmune Disorder, Gaietchyne Chery
Understanding SjöGren's Syndrome As A Systemic Autoimmune Disorder, Gaietchyne Chery
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune condition characterized by a dysfunction in the lachrymal and salivary glands which results in dry eyes and dry mouth. Since its first description in 1892, the disease is one of the most common autoimmune diseases after lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in the United States. Despite its high prevalence in the general population, Sjögren’s syndrome remains hard to diagnose due to the wide range of symptoms associated with the disease that is also shared by other conditions. Furthermore, the mechanisms behind the pathogenesis are not properly understood even though multiple factors have been proposed to …
Parallel Networks That Govern The Transcriptional Response To Stress, Serene Anne Durham
Parallel Networks That Govern The Transcriptional Response To Stress, Serene Anne Durham
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The transcription factor, p53, plays a pivotal role in the oversight of many stimulus-dependent pathways. Its ability to respond to a wide variety of cellular stress stimuli by activating a broad range of target genes has led it to be characterized as a stress-dependent transcription factor. Our research focuses on deconvoluting the varied transcriptional response to distinct stress signals in an attempt to define the regulatory strategies leading to gene activation after cell stress. We have found that distinct stress response networks, some of which are p53-independent, are converging at activation of a common set of target genes. Our data …
N6-Methyladenosine Rna Modifications In Myogenesis / Narrative Competence And Cognitive Mapping As A Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy In The Education Of Emergent Bilinguals, Marina Danielle Infantado
N6-Methyladenosine Rna Modifications In Myogenesis / Narrative Competence And Cognitive Mapping As A Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy In The Education Of Emergent Bilinguals, Marina Danielle Infantado
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Myogenesis involves skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs) that produce and regenerate skeletal muscle during regular growth and repair. However, when this system fails to function normally, it can lead to musculoskeletal diseases like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Therefore, it is important to study the molecular mechanisms behind this developmental process in order to seek therapies and solutions for these types of diseases. Our interest lies in the field of epitranscriptomics, which focuses on post-transcriptional ribonucleic acid (RNA) modifications, particularly N6-methyladenosine (m6A), which involves the addition of a methyl group to the adenosine nucleotide, a process that is mediated by the …
Translation Control Tunes Drosophila Oogenesis, Elliot T. Martin
Translation Control Tunes Drosophila Oogenesis, Elliot T. Martin
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The decision of a stem cell to either self-renew or differentiate is controlled by specific cellularpathways that can act at the level of transcription, translation, or post-translation. To study the regulation of these pathways in-vivo, I have used the female Drosophila germline as a model system. Each of the steps from germline stem cell (GSC) to egg require changes in cellular pathways. These changes can occur at the level of transcription, post-transciption, translation, or post-translation . Decades of research has elucidated many of the changes to gene that occur during oogenesis, however, many players in this process still remain mysterious. …
Role Of H3k4 Methylation In Myogenesis, Regeneration, And Muscle Disease / Narrative Competence And Cognitive Mapping As A Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy In The Education Of Emergent Bilinguals, Hannah Emily Shippas
Role Of H3k4 Methylation In Myogenesis, Regeneration, And Muscle Disease / Narrative Competence And Cognitive Mapping As A Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy In The Education Of Emergent Bilinguals, Hannah Emily Shippas
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Muscles are a crucial part of an organism’s wellbeing, as defects in distinct types of muscles can be lethal. Our voluntary muscles, skeletal muscles, go through distinct regeneration phases before reaching maturity. With its own pool of stem cells, muscles have a large potential for regeneration. This potential has led scientists into looking closely at the steps that lead a muscle stem cell into muscle fiber, also known as myogenesis. As a muscle cell moves through myogenesis, genes are led to be turned on/off with different epigenetic mechanisms, one being histone modifications. A methylation modification on the 4th Lysine on …
Genetic Regulation Within Cellular Stress Response Pathways, Jhos M. Dufflart
Genetic Regulation Within Cellular Stress Response Pathways, Jhos M. Dufflart
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Cellular stress is something that a cell deals with on a regular basis. Fortunately, there are several different mechanisms that are set in place in order to deal with them. Depending on the stress present in the cell there will be different stress response pathways that are activated in order to mitigate the stress or initiate cellular death mechanisms. Transcription factors (TFs) are key components within these pathways, and this will be the focus of this thesis. TFs within mammalian stress response pathways are tasked with the essential regulation of multiple genes within these pathways and are oftentimes linked with …
Exploring The Roles Of Stress, Codon Usage, And Rna Modifications In Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1, Afrooz Golestanian
Exploring The Roles Of Stress, Codon Usage, And Rna Modifications In Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1, Afrooz Golestanian
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Myotonic dystrophy (DM), the most common form of muscular dystrophy, is a neuromuscular disease caused by microsatellite repeat expansions. It can represent a multi-systemic autosomal dominant disease with DM1 and DM2 subtypes. A cytosine-thymine-guanine (CTG) triplet repeat in the 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) gene causes DM1 disease, which leads to the production of a longer, abnormal and toxic mRNA. The toxic DMPK mRNA sequester the splicing proteins such as Muscle blind-like (MBNL) and rbFOX which leads to gene expression alteration. Repeat associated non-AUG (RAN) translation also occurs in DM1. Mitochondrial dysregulation has also been …
Mechanisms Underlying Pre- And Postnatal Development Of The Mouse Vomeronasal Organ, Raghu Ram Katreddi
Mechanisms Underlying Pre- And Postnatal Development Of The Mouse Vomeronasal Organ, Raghu Ram Katreddi
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The Vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a specialized olfactory sensory organ located in the ventral region of the nasal cavity in rodents. The vomeronasal epithelium (VNE) of rodents is composed of 2 major types of vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs): 1) VSNs distributed in the apical VNE regions that express vomeronasal type-1 receptors (V1Rs) and the G protein subunit Gi2, and 2) VSNs in the basal territories of the VNE that express vomeronasal type-2 receptors (V2Rs) and the G subunit Go. Besides these two neuronal types, VNE also accommodate a third non-neuronal cell type called Sustentacular cells that lie anatomically above apical …
Salivary Gland Stromal Heterogeneity And Epithelial Controls, Nicholas L. Moskwa
Salivary Gland Stromal Heterogeneity And Epithelial Controls, Nicholas L. Moskwa
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Organogenesis is the process organs go through where cellular communications coordinate all a developing organ needs. What organs need are more cells, in the right place, doing the right job. In the salivary gland, we know that stromal cells are important for organogenesis and that they coordinate the epithelium’s form and functions. However, specific stromal contributions have focused on epithelial quantity and placement. There is less information about how the stroma directs the epithelium towards certain functions. Here we used organoids as a model for understanding what stromal signaling directs epithelial cell fate. We found that stromal cell state is …
Rna Modification Landscape And Its Contribution To Egg Production, Ian Thomas Rapisarda
Rna Modification Landscape And Its Contribution To Egg Production, Ian Thomas Rapisarda
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Germline stem cells differentiate into mature egg or sperm cells that go through the process of fertilization which gives rise to all sexually reproducing organisms. During this process of differentiation, germ cells undergo a switch from mitosis to meiosis that allows for proper development and specification of the future gamete. The mechanisms that facilitate this shift from mitosis to meiosis, however, are not well understood. To gain insight into this process, we used Drosophila oogenesis as our model. To identify what RNA modifications are present during oogenesis we genetically enriched for each stage of development and performed mass spectrometry. We …
Study Of Primary Cilium Structure And Intraflagellar Transport, Shufeng Sun
Study Of Primary Cilium Structure And Intraflagellar Transport, Shufeng Sun
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Primary cilia are hair-like protrusions that stem from the basal bodies in the cytoplasm and extend into the extracellular space to sense signals. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) functions to transport cargo molecules into and out of the ciliary compartment to assemble, maintain, and disassemble the cilia. Accurate knowledge of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of primary cilia and precise details of the IFT profile is the foundation for understanding the sensory functions of primary cilia. This work covers three aspects of primary cilia. Firstly, we obtained and analyzed the overall 3D architecture of the complete primary cilia axoneme region using serial section …
Tgfbeta1 And Stat3 As Regulators Of The Ha Synthesis And Signaling Pathway, Brenda Goretty Trevizo
Tgfbeta1 And Stat3 As Regulators Of The Ha Synthesis And Signaling Pathway, Brenda Goretty Trevizo
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The studies described here explored the role of Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1 (TGFβ1) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) as potential regulators of the Hyaluronic Acid (HA) synthesis and signaling pathway in human mammary cells. Our results support previous findings in which TGFβ1, a well characterized driver of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to regulate HA synthesis and signaling. Interrogation of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) indicated HAS2 expression positively correlated with TGFβ1 mRNA expression in breast cancer patients and in breast cancer cell lines. RT-qPCR experiments were used to measure the expression of the …
Tfap2e/Ap-2e Is A Transcriptional Regulator Controlling Neuronal Identity And Circuitry Formation In The Mouse Accessory Olfactory System, Jennifer M. Lin
Tfap2e/Ap-2e Is A Transcriptional Regulator Controlling Neuronal Identity And Circuitry Formation In The Mouse Accessory Olfactory System, Jennifer M. Lin
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Developmental progression is driven by specific spatiotemporal gene expression, which give rise to consistently patterned organisms despite environmental and genetic variation. The specific activation of robust gene regulatory networks that define tissue structure and individual cellular identity are necessary for tissue and cell specific programs to be activated. Cellular specification is guided by the interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic signals at specific developmental timepoints. The molecular mechanisms underlying the acquisition and maintenance of individual cellular identity remains a fundamental question across biological systems. Understanding the regulatory networks controlling the acquisition of neuronal identity, diversity, and connectivity in the formation of …
Launching The Next Generation : Transcriptional Regulation During Oogenesis, Alicia K. Mccarthy
Launching The Next Generation : Transcriptional Regulation During Oogenesis, Alicia K. Mccarthy
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Germ cells give rise to gametes and link generations by passing genetic information from parent to offspring. Gametes arise from, in many sexually reproducing organisms, germline stem cells (GSCs) which are set aside early during development. GSCs have an amazing capacity to undergo self-renewal to give rise to a pool of undifferentiated cells, while also differentiating to generate specialized germ cells such as haploid gametes. Upon female GSC differentiation, mitotically dividing germ cells can initiate meiosis, and mature within a follicle. During maturation, the specified oocyte is provided with a trust fund of RNAs and proteins for the next generation …
Role Of Smad4 Dependent Signaling In Controlling The Functioning And Connectivity Of Basal Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons, Ankana S. Naik
Role Of Smad4 Dependent Signaling In Controlling The Functioning And Connectivity Of Basal Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons, Ankana S. Naik
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
ABSTRACT
The Stromal Response In Salivary Gland Injury, Kevin O'Keefe
The Stromal Response In Salivary Gland Injury, Kevin O'Keefe
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Abstract
The Influence Of Mir-322 On Skeletal Muscle Differentiation, Miles Alexander Soyer
The Influence Of Mir-322 On Skeletal Muscle Differentiation, Miles Alexander Soyer
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Skeletal muscle plays a crucial role in coordinating voluntary movement and accounts for nearly 50% of total body mass. Dysregulation in skeletal muscle development is known to cause muscle degenerative diseases including the devastating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The majority of the biological studies investigating muscle development were based on myogenic transcription factors and signaling molecules including: Pax7, Myf5, MyoD, WNT, TGF-β and BMP. After the discovery of non-coding RNAs including microRNAs, it was postulated that these molecules could regulate gene expression and thus affect differentiation and development. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs (~17-25 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression negatively …
Of Donuts And Promo : In Silico Approaches To Identification Of Transcriptional Regulators Of Salivary Acinar Differentiation, Connor Cillian Duffy
Of Donuts And Promo : In Silico Approaches To Identification Of Transcriptional Regulators Of Salivary Acinar Differentiation, Connor Cillian Duffy
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The salivary gland is an organ often taken for granted by most people. However, its proper function is essential for several everyday activities, such as speaking, swallowing, and tasting. As such, impaired salivary gland function, such as that caused by Sjögren’s Syndrome or radiotherapy for head and neck cancers, can lead to a significantly reduced quality of life. The cells that produce saliva in salivary glands are known as acinar cells, which arise from proacinar cells generated during embryonic development. As such, in studying the promoter regions of proacinar and acinar genes, it may be possible to identify common transcription …
The Role Of Rock Signaling On Salivary Gland Organoid Formation, Matthew Koslow
The Role Of Rock Signaling On Salivary Gland Organoid Formation, Matthew Koslow
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Salivary glands are crucial organs that are responsible for secreting saliva which is important for the breakdown of carbohydrates, providing lubrication of the mouth, and maintenance of oral health. Patients diagnosed with Sjögren's Syndrome or receiving treatment for head and neck cancer, can permanently lose salivary gland function, which is referred to as salivary hypofunction. As a result, these patients develop Xerostomia, or the feeling of dry mouth, and suffer from an overall decreased quality of life. To combat the negative effects of salivary hypofunction, stem cell therapy is an attractive option, as implantation of specific cell populations can rescue …
Developmental Changes In The Activation And Structure Of The Contextual Fear Neural Circuit From Infancy To Adulthood, Anthony John Santarelli
Developmental Changes In The Activation And Structure Of The Contextual Fear Neural Circuit From Infancy To Adulthood, Anthony John Santarelli
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The contextual fear circuit, centered on the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), is comprised of projections from the hippocampal formation and prefrontal cortex, and mediates an animals ability to learn and predict associations between the environment and biologically relevant stimuli. While the function and structure of this circuit has been well characterized in adult species, relatively little is known about its development as an animal transitions from infancy to adulthood. Recent evidence has begun to suggest that infants, juveniles, and adolescents may show remarkable heterogeneity in the behavioral, activational, and structural properties of the circuit. In this thesis, I …
Modulation Of Cytokine Signaling In Optic Nerve Regeneration In Xenopus Laevis, Rupa Priscilla Choudhary
Modulation Of Cytokine Signaling In Optic Nerve Regeneration In Xenopus Laevis, Rupa Priscilla Choudhary
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The axons of the optic nerve, like other central nervous system (CNS) axons, tend to lose their capacity to regenerate following an injury in adult amniotes, but these axons are able to regenerate throughout life in anamniotes. In mammals, optic axon regeneration is promoted by inhibiting the increased expression in retinal ganglion cells of a cytokine signaling molecule, Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 (SOCS3), that accompanies injury. In animals capable of regeneration, SOCS3 mRNA expression also increases dramatically in retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve injury, but somehow this increase is insufficient to block regeneration. To gain insights into how …
Retinoic Acid Receptor Isoform-Specific Control Of Mouse Salivary Gland Development And Regeneration, Kara Desantis
Retinoic Acid Receptor Isoform-Specific Control Of Mouse Salivary Gland Development And Regeneration, Kara Desantis
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Controlled expansion and differentiation of progenitor cell populations is essential for organogenesis followed by continued maintenance of the population into and through adulthood. As the K5+ basal cell population is regulated by retinoic acid signaling, we interrogated the contribution of specific RAR isoforms to the regulation of these cells during submandibular salivary gland (SMG) organogenesis and regeneration. Retinoic acid has previously been shown to be involved in the development of the salivary gland, and recently, lack of retinoid signaling has been shown to impact the K5+ population of basal progenitor cells. Since retinoic acid is known to exert stimulatory effects …
Regulated Transcriptional Silencing Promotes Germline Stem Cell Differentiation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Pooja Flora
Regulated Transcriptional Silencing Promotes Germline Stem Cell Differentiation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Pooja Flora
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Germ cells are the only cell in an organism that have the capacity to give rise to a new organism and are passed from one generation to the next. Therefore, to maintain this unique ability of totipotency and immortality, germ cells execute specific functions, such as, repression of a somatic program and contour a germ line-specific pre- and post-transcriptional gene regulatory landscape. In many sexually reproducing organisms, germ cells are formed during the earliest stages of embryogenesis and undergoes several stages of development to eventually get encapsulated by the somatic cells of the gonad. Once, in the gonad, the germ …
Chromatin-Signaling Axis Orchestrates The Formation Of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation Niche In Drosophila, Maitreyi Upadhyay
Chromatin-Signaling Axis Orchestrates The Formation Of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation Niche In Drosophila, Maitreyi Upadhyay
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Stem cells have the unique capability of self-renewing into stem cells and differentiating into several terminal cell types. Loss of either of these processes can lead to aging, progression towards degenerative diseases and cancers. Insight into how self-renewal and differentiation are regulated will have tremendous therapeutic impact. Drosophila is an excellent model system for stem cell study due to the availability of various mutants, markers and RNAi technology. In order to study stem cell biology, we use female Drosophila gonads, whose stem cell population – the germline stem cells (GSCs) gives rise to gametes.
Understanding The Genotoxicity Of Silver Nanoparticles And The Chemoprevention Of Pomegranate Extract, Sameera Nallanthighal
Understanding The Genotoxicity Of Silver Nanoparticles And The Chemoprevention Of Pomegranate Extract, Sameera Nallanthighal
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a wide variety of consumer products (i.e. toothpastes, food containers, dietary supplements and garments) for their antimicrobial properties can lead to potential oral exposure in humans. To enhance their stability, AgNPs are coated with capping agents such as citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Despite the lack of significant general toxicity based on hematology, blood chemistry and histology evaluations, the potential genotoxic effects of AgNPs cannot be ruled out and have to be addressed. Studies examining the genotoxic risks of AgNPs are needed because genotoxicity is a strong indicator of cancer risk. Here we examined …
The Role Of N-Myc Downstream Regulated Gene 1 In Breast Cancer Lipid Metabolism, Christopher James Sevinsky
The Role Of N-Myc Downstream Regulated Gene 1 In Breast Cancer Lipid Metabolism, Christopher James Sevinsky
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Altered carbohydrate and lipid metabolism are increasingly well characterized hallmarks of aggressive breast cancers. While aerobic glycolysis, or “the Warburg effect”, is a well-established metabolic adaptation exploited by tumor cells, the understanding of unique aspects of cancer lipid metabolism lags behind. This is especially true regarding the coordination of complex lipid synthesis and trafficking pathways, which remains poorly understood. N-Myc Downstream Regulated Gene1 (NDRG1) is overexpressed in many solid tumors, but its function is unclear. The importance of NDRG1 is best exemplified by the effect of null mutations on human physiology: inactivating mutations give rise to the severe autosomal recessive …
Investigation Into The Function Of Endothelial Cells And Their Signaling In Early Salivary Gland Development, Hae Ryong Kwon
Investigation Into The Function Of Endothelial Cells And Their Signaling In Early Salivary Gland Development, Hae Ryong Kwon
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Functional vasculature regulates organ formation and regeneration. Perfusion-independent and nutrition-independent endothelial regulation of epithelial patterning is of considerable interest for application in restoring parenchymal function. During murine submandibular salivary gland development, the vasculature co-develops with the epithelium; however, it is still unknown if the vasculature has instructive effects on the epithelium. A systems biological study revealed that endothelial genes are enriched in epithelial clefts, suggesting a potential involvement of endothelial cells in early morphogenesis. Using immunodepletion of the endothelial cells from the mesenchyme of reconstituted glands, a requirement for endothelial cells in epithelial patterning was demonstrated. Specifically, lobule formation was …
Myoepithelial Cell Morphogenesis And Differentiation In The Mouse Submandibular Salivary Gland In Development And Disease, Elise Marie Gervais
Myoepithelial Cell Morphogenesis And Differentiation In The Mouse Submandibular Salivary Gland In Development And Disease, Elise Marie Gervais
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Organogenesis is the process by which tissues organize, gain considerable size, and undergo cellular differentiation or specialization to form fully functional organs. To study the processes involved in organogenesis of branched organs, the mouse submandibular salivary gland is frequently used as a model system, as it can undergo morphogenesis and differentiation and be genetically manipulated ex vivo. The mouse submandibular salivary gland undergoes a specific process of outgrowth and invagination known as branching morphogenesis which allows for the significant increase in gland size and complexity, as well as maximization of surface area for secretion of saliva. Surrounding the mouse submandibular …
Using A Novel Multiplexing Method To Track Cell Populations And Cytodifferentiation During Development Of The Submandibular Salivary Gland, Charles Thomas Manhardt
Using A Novel Multiplexing Method To Track Cell Populations And Cytodifferentiation During Development Of The Submandibular Salivary Gland, Charles Thomas Manhardt
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The development of submandibular salivary glands is complex and requires coordination of specific signaling events. Submandibular salivary glands originate as an epithelial invagination into the adjacent mesenchyme that leads to a single stalk and end bud; this end bud will go through a clefting process. Numerous rounds of clefting will lead to a fully developed salivary gland by this process, which is known as branching morphogenesis. As the gland undergoes morphogenesis, specific cues leading to differentiation of multiple cell types and even epithelial sub classes are required. By the later stages of development the glands are fully innervated, have an …
Vitamin D Signaling And The Impact On Mouse Mammary Gland Epithelium, Donald Grant Matthews
Vitamin D Signaling And The Impact On Mouse Mammary Gland Epithelium, Donald Grant Matthews
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
A strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and increased breast cancer incidence and mortality has been well established, leading researchers to further examine the possibility of using vitamin D in treatment and prevention strategies. Our long term goal is to elucidate the mechanisms by which vitamin D pathway signaling impacts on breast cancer. Generation of the high-affinity vitamin D receptor (VDR) ligand 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-D) from 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-D) is mediated by CYP27B1 which is present and developmentally regulated in multiple tissues including the mammary gland. We utilized transgenic mouse models combined with diet-induced vitamin D deficiency to determine whether …