Life Sciences Commons^™

Production And Characterization Of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Using Recombinant Technology, Emilio Duverna

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) also called amylin is an amyloid-forming protein; IAPP is a proteinaceous hormone that comprises 37 amino acid residues. It is secreted along with insulin from the pancreatic β-cells to help it regulate the uptake and removal of glucose in the bloodstream. IAPP has been observed in the amyloid deposits found in pancreatic β-cells of most patients suffering from type II diabetes mellitus. This research project aims at producing recombinant amylin peptide. To achieve this goal, we used the pBAD plasmid vector which we introduced into Escherichia coli to express the peptide. Although the vector was successfully …

Tht And Capillary Electrophoresis To Monitor The Effects Of Solutions Conditions On Amylin Aggregation, Michael May

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Amylin (hIAPP) aggregates have been found in 90% of patients with type II diabetes at autopsy, and are suspected to play a role in the death of islet &beta-cells¹. However, this aggregation process is not well understood. Here, we explore methods that utilize capillary electrophoresis (CE) as a means to better understand amylin's aggregation process.

We examined the effects of solutions conditions: agitation, pH, salt, and temperature on amylin aggregation using Thioflavin T, dot blots, and capillary electrophoresis. Thiofalvin T was used to predict the lag time to &beta-sheet formation. Our results indicated all variables with the exception …