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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Scribble Acts In The Drosophila Fat-Hippo Pathway To Regulate Warts Activity, Shilpi Verghese, Indrayani Waghmare, Hailey Kwon, Katelin Hanes, Madhuri Kango-Singh Nov 2012

Scribble Acts In The Drosophila Fat-Hippo Pathway To Regulate Warts Activity, Shilpi Verghese, Indrayani Waghmare, Hailey Kwon, Katelin Hanes, Madhuri Kango-Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Epithelial cells are the major cell-type for all organs in multicellular organisms. In order to achieve correct organ size, epithelial tissues need mechanisms that limit their proliferation, and protect tissues from damage caused by defective epithelial cells. Recently, the Hippo signaling pathway has emerged as a major mechanism that orchestrates epithelial development. Hippo signaling is required for cells to stop proliferation as in the absence of Hippo signaling tissues continue to proliferate and produce overgrown organs or tumors. Studies in Drosophila have led the way in providing a framework for how Hippo alters the pattern of gene transcription in target …


Hybrid Carbon-Based Scaffolds For Applications In Soft Tissue Reconstruction, Jarema S. Czarnecki, Khalid Lafdi, Robert M. Joseph, Panagiotis A. Tsonis May 2012

Hybrid Carbon-Based Scaffolds For Applications In Soft Tissue Reconstruction, Jarema S. Czarnecki, Khalid Lafdi, Robert M. Joseph, Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Biology Faculty Publications

Current biomedical scaffolds utilized in surgery to repair soft tissues commonly fail to meet the optimal combination of biomechanical and tissue regenerative properties. Carbon is a scaffold alternative that potentially optimizes the balance between mechanical strength, durability, and function as a cell and biologics delivery vehicle that is necessary to restore tissue function while promoting tissue repair. The goals of this study were to investigate the feasibility of fabricating hybrid fibrous carbon scaffolds modified with biopolymer, polycaprolactone and to analyze their mechanical properties and ability to support cell growth and proliferation. Environmental scanning electron microscopy, micro-computed tomography, and cell adhesion …


Fluorescence-Based Reporter For Gauging Cyclic Di-Gmp Levels In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Morten T. Rybtke, Bradley R. Borlee, Keiji Murakami, Yasuhiko Irie, Morten Hentzer, Thomas E. Nielsen, Michael Givskov, Matthew R. Parsek, Tim Tolker-Nielsen May 2012

Fluorescence-Based Reporter For Gauging Cyclic Di-Gmp Levels In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Morten T. Rybtke, Bradley R. Borlee, Keiji Murakami, Yasuhiko Irie, Morten Hentzer, Thomas E. Nielsen, Michael Givskov, Matthew R. Parsek, Tim Tolker-Nielsen

Biology Faculty Publications

The increased tolerance toward the host immune system and antibiotics displayed by biofilm-forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other bacteria in chronic infections such as cystic fibrosis bronchopneumonia is of major concern. Targeting of biofilm formation is believed to be a key aspect in the development of novel antipathogenic drugs that can augment the effect of classic antibiotics by decreasing antimicrobial tolerance. The second messenger cyclic di-GMP is a positive regulator of biofilm formation, and cyclic di-GMP signaling is now regarded as a potential target for the development of antipathogenic compounds. Here we describe the development of fluorescent monitors that can gauge …


Electrochemical Characterization Of The Shell Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Yuhchae Yoon, Andrew S. Mount, Karolyn Hansen, Douglas C. Hansen Apr 2012

Electrochemical Characterization Of The Shell Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Yuhchae Yoon, Andrew S. Mount, Karolyn Hansen, Douglas C. Hansen

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Neurodegeneration - A Means To An End, Amit Singh Apr 2012

Neurodegeneration - A Means To An End, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Cell death, a global phenomenon found throughout the animal kingdom, is a mechanism to maintain tissue homeostasis and for adaptation to changes in the environment [1,2]. Millions of cells die in our body daily- they succumb to stress and commit suicide by a mechanism referred to as cell death or apoptosis [2-4]. Under normal conditions cells are continuously replaced by new cells from the stemor progenitor- cells. For example, an optimum balance in shedding of dead cells from the skin and their replenishment by new ones maintain our health and hygiene. In this context, apoptosis is a mechanism to eliminate …


Implication Of The Mir-184 And Mir-204 Competitive Rna Network In Control Of Mouse Secondary Cataract, Andrea Hoffmann, Yusen Huang, Rinako Suetsugu-Maki, Carol S. Ringelberg, Craig R. Tomlinson, Katia Del Rio-Tsonis, Panagiotis A. Tsonis Mar 2012

Implication Of The Mir-184 And Mir-204 Competitive Rna Network In Control Of Mouse Secondary Cataract, Andrea Hoffmann, Yusen Huang, Rinako Suetsugu-Maki, Carol S. Ringelberg, Craig R. Tomlinson, Katia Del Rio-Tsonis, Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Biology Faculty Publications

The high recurrence rate of secondary cataract (SC) is caused by the intrinsic differentiation activity of residual lens epithelial cells after extra-capsular lens removal. The objective of this study was to identify changes in the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile during mouse SC formation and to selectively manipulate miRNA expression for potential therapeutic intervention. To model SC, mouse cataract surgery was performed and temporal changes in the miRNA expression pattern were determined by microarray analysis. To study the potential SC counterregulative effect of miRNAs, a lens capsular bag in vitro model was used. Within the first 3 wks after cataract surgery, …


Tumor Suppression By Cell Competition Through Regulation Of The Hippo Pathway, Chiao-Lin Chen, Molly C. Schroeder, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Chunyao Tao, Georg Halder Jan 2012

Tumor Suppression By Cell Competition Through Regulation Of The Hippo Pathway, Chiao-Lin Chen, Molly C. Schroeder, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Chunyao Tao, Georg Halder

Biology Faculty Publications

Homeostatic mechanisms can eliminate abnormal cells to prevent diseases such as cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms of this surveillance are poorly understood. Here we investigated how clones of cells mutant for the neoplastic tumor suppressor gene scribble (scrib) are eliminated from Drosophila imaginal discs. When all cells in imaginal discs are mutant for scrib, they hyperactivate the Hippo pathway effector Yorkie (Yki), which drives growth of the discs into large neoplastic masses. Strikingly, when discs also contain normal cells, the scrib− cells do not overproliferate and eventually undergo apoptosis through JNK-dependent mechanisms. However, induction of apoptosis does …


Patterns Of Gene Expression In Microarrays And Expressed Sequence Tags From Normal And Cataractous Lenses, Konstantinos Sousounis, Panagiotis A. Tsonis Jan 2012

Patterns Of Gene Expression In Microarrays And Expressed Sequence Tags From Normal And Cataractous Lenses, Konstantinos Sousounis, Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Biology Faculty Publications

In this contribution, we have examined the patterns of gene expression in normal and cataractous lenses as presented in five different papers using microarrays and expressed sequence tags. The purpose was to evaluate unique and common patterns of gene expression during development, aging and cataracts.


Lens Regeneration In Axolotl: New Evidence Of Developmental Plasticity, Rinako Suetsugu-Maki, Nobuyasu Maki, Saulius Sumanas, Jie Zhu, Katia Del Rio-Tsonis, Panagiotis A. Tsonis Jan 2012

Lens Regeneration In Axolotl: New Evidence Of Developmental Plasticity, Rinako Suetsugu-Maki, Nobuyasu Maki, Saulius Sumanas, Jie Zhu, Katia Del Rio-Tsonis, Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Among vertebrates lens regeneration is most pronounced in newts, which have the ability to regenerate the entire lens throughout their lives. Regeneration occurs from the dorsal iris by transdifferentiation of the pigment epithelial cells. Interestingly, the ventral iris never contributes to regeneration. Frogs have limited lens regeneration capacity elicited from the cornea during pre-metamorphic stages. The axolotl is another salamander which, like the newt, regenerates its limbs or its tail with the spinal cord, but up until now all reports have shown that it does not regenerate the lens.


Conservation Of The Three-Dimensional Structure In Non-Homologous Or Unrelated Proteins, Konstantinos Sousounis, Carl E. Haney, Jin Cao, Bharath Sunchu, Panagiotis A. Tsonis Jan 2012

Conservation Of The Three-Dimensional Structure In Non-Homologous Or Unrelated Proteins, Konstantinos Sousounis, Carl E. Haney, Jin Cao, Bharath Sunchu, Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Biology Faculty Publications

In this review, we examine examples of conservation of protein structural motifs in unrelated or non-homologous proteins. For this, we have selected three DNA-binding motifs: the histone fold, the helix-turn-helix motif, and the zinc finger, as well as the globin-like fold. We show that indeed similar structures exist in unrelated proteins, strengthening the concept that three-dimensional conservation might be more important than the primary amino acid sequence.


The Cell Division Gene Ftsz2 Of Sinorhizobium Meliloti Is Expressed At High Levels In Host Plant Medicago Truncatula Nodules In The Absence Of Sini, Muhamad Ali K. Shakhatreh, Jayne B. Robinson Jan 2012

The Cell Division Gene Ftsz2 Of Sinorhizobium Meliloti Is Expressed At High Levels In Host Plant Medicago Truncatula Nodules In The Absence Of Sini, Muhamad Ali K. Shakhatreh, Jayne B. Robinson

Biology Faculty Publications

In this study, we investigated the role of quorum sensing (QS) in expression of the Sinorhizobium meliloti cell division gene ftsZ2 in free-living cells and within nodules of its host plant, Medicago truncatula. Using a ftsZ2 promoter reporter fusion, we were able to track the expression of this gene in wild-type S. meliloti cells and QS mutant backgrounds in planta. Our findings revealed that expression of ftsZ2 in free-living cells was changed or reduced in sinI mutant cells compared with wild-type cells while expression in planta was substantially higher in the absence of sinI. The results further clarify the involvement …


Detection Of Mycobacterium Ulcerans In The Environment Predicts Prevalence Of Buruli Ulcer In Benin, Heather R. Williamson, Mark Eric Benbow, Lindsay P. Cambell, Christian R. Johnson, Ghislain Sopoh, Yves Barogui, Richard W. Merritt, Pamela L. C. Small Jan 2012

Detection Of Mycobacterium Ulcerans In The Environment Predicts Prevalence Of Buruli Ulcer In Benin, Heather R. Williamson, Mark Eric Benbow, Lindsay P. Cambell, Christian R. Johnson, Ghislain Sopoh, Yves Barogui, Richard W. Merritt, Pamela L. C. Small

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU), a destructive skin disease found predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and south-eastern Australia. The precise mode(s) of transmission and environmental reservoir(s) remain unknown, but several studies have explored the role of aquatic invertebrate species. The purpose of this study was to investigate the environmental distribution of M. ulcerans in south-eastern Australia.