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Micronutrient Status And Telomere Length In Adult Men And Women., Christy S. Maxwell Nov 2018

Micronutrient Status And Telomere Length In Adult Men And Women., Christy S. Maxwell

Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Telomeres are the noncoding nucleotide sequences at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes, serving to protect DNA during mitotic division. Given their guanine-rich structure, telomeres are highly susceptible to oxidative damage often mediated by inflammation. Recently, telomere attrition and dysfunction have been associated with age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain cancers. Several modifiable risk factors have also been associated with shortened telomere length, including physical inactivity, obesity, stress, smoking, and poor diet. Objective: We examined the relations between vitamin B12 status, folate status, and iron status, relative to telomere length in …


Studies Of Dynein Anchoring Protein In Budding Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Safia Omer Nov 2018

Studies Of Dynein Anchoring Protein In Budding Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Safia Omer

Doctoral Dissertations

Inheritance of equal genomic content is vital for cellular growth and survival. During cell division, the mitotic spindle is built to ensure equal chromosome segregation between dividing cells. Fidelity of segregation is achieved by the precise positioning of the mitotic spindle by force generators located at the cell cortex where they exert pulling on microtubule (MT). Cortical dynein, a minus end directed motor, generates pulling forces via microtubule end-on capture-shrinkage and lateral MT sliding mechanisms. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the dynein attachment molecule Num1 interacts with plasma membrane (PM), endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and mitochondria to facilitate spindle positioning across the …


Cardiovascular Disease Risk And Menopause: Effects Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Exercise, And Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Corinna Serviente Nov 2018

Cardiovascular Disease Risk And Menopause: Effects Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Exercise, And Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Corinna Serviente

Doctoral Dissertations

Menopause is associated with adverse changes in cardiovascular disease risk factors. A reduction in estrogens is most commonly associated with changing cardiovascular disease risk; however, recent observations suggest that the increase in follicle stimulating hormone that accompanies menopause may also influence risk, potentially through its influence on lipid levels. The changes in cardiovascular disease risk factors may adversely affect endothelial cell function, a pre-clinical marker for cardiovascular disease. Whether cardiorespiratory fitness is protective of endothelial health in this population, thereby mitigating the changes in risk that accompany menopause, is unclear. This dissertation evaluated differences in endothelial health and endothelial responses …


Silver Nanoparticles In Environmental And Biological Systems: Source, Transformation, And Detection, Huiyuan Guo Nov 2018

Silver Nanoparticles In Environmental And Biological Systems: Source, Transformation, And Detection, Huiyuan Guo

Doctoral Dissertations

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most commonly used nanoparticles in consumer products. Concerns over human exposure to and risk from these particles have resulted in increased interest in novel strategies to detect manufactured AgNPs. This dissertation investigated the feasibility of SERS as a technique for the detection and quantification of manufactured AgNPs in different matrices. By using ferbam as an indicator molecule that binds strongly onto the nanoparticles, AgNPs detection and discrimination were achieved based on the signature SERS response of AgNPs-ferbam complex. AgNPs coated with citrate and polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP) showed strong interactions with ferbam and induced high SERS signals. …


Epigenetic Regulation Of Genomic Imprinting During Early Mammalian Embryonic Development, Chelsea Marcho Nov 2018

Epigenetic Regulation Of Genomic Imprinting During Early Mammalian Embryonic Development, Chelsea Marcho

Doctoral Dissertations

Mammalian development involves remarkable changes, starting from a single-cell, totipotent zygote and ending with a developed organism comprised of diverse cells types with distinct morphologies, structures, and functions. Within three days of murine development, the two parental genomes merge into a single nucleus, begin zygotic gene expression, undergo epigenetic remodeling, and make the first lineage decisions. Diversity in cell-types is possible even though cells share the same genome. This diversity is achieved by the tight regulation of differential transcriptional programs. There are many ways these transcriptional programs can be initiated. Epigenetic alterations to the genome can drive transcriptional changes. Epigenetic …


Biotransformation Of Resveratrol And Its Implications In Biological Activities In The Colon, Fang Li Nov 2018

Biotransformation Of Resveratrol And Its Implications In Biological Activities In The Colon, Fang Li

Doctoral Dissertations

Resveratrol (RES) is a natural polyphenol compound with a wide range of health-promoting activities, including protective effects against colon cancer and renal disease. However, the premise of these benefits has been dampened since RES shows a poor oral bioavailability due to its rapid and extensive biotransformation after oral consumption. The paradox (low bioavailability but high bioactivity) warrants further investigations to determine the contribution of RES metabolites to the health benefits associated with RES. We identified 11 metabolites of RES in mice with high-resolution HPLC-MS/MS, then quantified two major metabolites - dihydro-resveratrol (DHR) and lunularin (LUN). To further understand the chemopreventative …


Identifying Functional Components Of The Endoplasmic Reticulum Quality Control And Degradation Factor Edem1, Lydia Lamriben Nov 2018

Identifying Functional Components Of The Endoplasmic Reticulum Quality Control And Degradation Factor Edem1, Lydia Lamriben

Doctoral Dissertations

The ER Degradation-Enhancing Mannosidase-Like protein 1 (EDEM1) is a critical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control factor involved in identifying and directing non-native proteins to the ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway. However, its recognition and binding properties have remained enigmatic since its discovery. Here we provide evidence for an additional redox-sensitive interaction between EDEM1 and Z/NHK that requires the presence of the single Cys on the α-1 antitrypsin ERAD clients. Moreover, this Cys-dependent interaction is necessary when the proteins are isolated under stringent detergent conditions, ones in which only strong covalent interactions can be sustained. This interaction is inherent to the …


Modeling The Abundance And Distribution Of Terrestrial Plants Through Space And Time, Caroline Curtis Nov 2018

Modeling The Abundance And Distribution Of Terrestrial Plants Through Space And Time, Caroline Curtis

Doctoral Dissertations

Anthropogenically-driven changes threaten ecosystems and species over regional to global scales. I addressed several questions related to how species ranges will respond to these changes over large spatial and temporal extents to better understand what determines where a species occurs. First, I modeled presence and abundance of two widespread invasive plants in the southwest U.S. under current and projected future climatic conditions, from which I inferred impact risk. These results provide more insight than presence modeling alone and highlight the possibility of increased invasion pressure in the future. Second, I tested the assumption that expert-based climatic tolerance data will better …


An Integrative Approach To Understanding Morphological Novelties: Anatomy, Development, Genetics, And Evolution Of An Extreme Craniofacial Trait In East African Cichlids, Moira R. Conith Nov 2018

An Integrative Approach To Understanding Morphological Novelties: Anatomy, Development, Genetics, And Evolution Of An Extreme Craniofacial Trait In East African Cichlids, Moira R. Conith

Doctoral Dissertations

Phenotypic novelties are an important but poorly understood category of morphological diversity that are often associated with elevated rates of diversification and/or ecological success. The aim of this dissertation is to explore a phenotypic novelty at many levels to contribute to our understanding of how these unique traits can arise (e.g., genetically, developmentally, and evolutionarily) as well as their ecological consequences (e.g., trait function). The extreme snout of the Lake Malawi cichlid fish Labeotropheus is used as a case study. The first chapter establishes the Labeotropheus snout as a model of phenotypic novelty by characterizing the gross morphology, genetic architecture, …


A Plant Pathology View Of Signaling: A Computational Study Of Fusarium Oxysporum Kinomes And Downy Mildew Resistance In Sweet Basil, Gregory Deiulio Nov 2018

A Plant Pathology View Of Signaling: A Computational Study Of Fusarium Oxysporum Kinomes And Downy Mildew Resistance In Sweet Basil, Gregory Deiulio

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of two projects that focus on pathogen and plant signaling within the framework of plant pathology. The first project targets protein kinases within the species complex Fusarium oxysporum based on genomic information and tracks their presence/absence and copy number variation across evolutionary time. We have predicted the kinomes of 19 Ascomycete fungi using the kinase annotating software Kinannote. Among Fusaria, kinases related to the perception of the environment, such as Histidine kinases, are proliferated. Similarly, I observed the expansion of Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase that regulates cell growth and development in responding to environmental cues. …


Structural Studies Of Acid Alpha Glucosidase And Pompe Disease, Derrick Deming Nov 2018

Structural Studies Of Acid Alpha Glucosidase And Pompe Disease, Derrick Deming

Doctoral Dissertations

Acid α-glucosidase (GAA) is required for the degradation of lysosomal glycogen. Pompe disease is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by reduced GAA activity, resulting in the accumulation of glycogen within lysosomes. The most severe form of the disease is characterized by a progressive deterioration of cardiac and skeletal muscle leading to death before two years of age. An intense interest from both the academic and pharmaceutical communities led us to determine the crystal structure of GAA. The structure provides insight into Pompe disease by examining how over 200 disease-associated point mutations perturb GAA function. To aid in the development of …


Combination Regimens Using Dietary Components For The Chemoprevention Of Colorectal Cancer And Inflammation, Christina Dimarco-Crook Nov 2018

Combination Regimens Using Dietary Components For The Chemoprevention Of Colorectal Cancer And Inflammation, Christina Dimarco-Crook

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT COMBINATION REGIMENS USING DIETARY COMPONENTS FOR THE CHEMOPREVENTION OF COLORECTAL CANCER AND INFLAMMATION September 2018 CHRISTINA DIMARCO-CROOK, B.S., IMMACULATA UNIVERSITY M.S., DREXEL UNIVERSITY Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Hang Xiao Dietary components have been found to effectively modulate multiple deregulated signaling pathways associated with the initiation and progression of carcinogenesis and inflammation in cellular and animal models. However, clinical studies have shown mixed results when examining the efficacy of individual dietary components, perhaps suggestive of the synergism that exists between multiple components within a particular food and the diet as a whole. Additional research is needed …


Not Gone With The Wind: Addressing Effects Of Offshore Wind Development On Bat Species In The Northeastern United States, Zara Rae Dowling Nov 2018

Not Gone With The Wind: Addressing Effects Of Offshore Wind Development On Bat Species In The Northeastern United States, Zara Rae Dowling

Doctoral Dissertations

Development of coastal and offshore wind energy resources has the potential to add considerable renewable electricity capacity to the United States electrical grid, but could have detrimental impacts on wildlife. Land-based wind energy facilities are estimated to kill hundreds of thousands of bats every year in the United States, and could threaten population viability of some species. Little is known about the potential impacts of offshore wind development on bat populations along the North Atlantic coast, but a number of species are known to frequent marine islands or fly over the ocean during migration. This dissertation helps to characterize risks …


Applications Of Drosophila Melanogaster In Food Science Research, Phoebe Beverly Chen Nov 2018

Applications Of Drosophila Melanogaster In Food Science Research, Phoebe Beverly Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

Drosophila melanogaster is a versatile model organism that provides several unique features, such as highly conserved disease pathways with humans as well as availability of environmental and genetic manipulations. Meanwhile, there is increasing interest in the potential role of bioactive food components, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), in metabolic research. However, there is limited knowledge on the sex-dependent effects of EGCG and CLA on energy metabolism. In this study, Drosophila melanogaster was used to investigate the sex-dependent effects of EGCG and CLA with respect to energy metabolism, including body fat, locomotion, and their key metabolic regulators. We …


Role Of The Facial Triad In Factor Inhibiting Hif (Fih): Ligand Binding, Substrate Selectivity, And Coupling, Vanessa Chaplin Nov 2018

Role Of The Facial Triad In Factor Inhibiting Hif (Fih): Ligand Binding, Substrate Selectivity, And Coupling, Vanessa Chaplin

Doctoral Dissertations

Alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) dependent oxygenases comprise a large superfamily of enzymes that activate O2 for varied reactions. While most of these enzymes contain a non-heme Fe bound by a His2Asp facial triad, a small number of αKG-dependent halogenases require only the two His ligands to bind Fe and activate O2. The enzyme “factor inhibiting HIF” (FIH) contains a His2Asp facial triad and selectively hydroxylates polypeptides, however removal of the Asp ligand in the D201G variant leads to a highly active enzyme, seemingly without a complete facial triad. Herein, we report on the formation of …


Targeted Localization Of Microtubule-Severing Enzymes To Create New Local Tools To Study Cell Division, Siddheshwari Advani Oct 2018

Targeted Localization Of Microtubule-Severing Enzymes To Create New Local Tools To Study Cell Division, Siddheshwari Advani

Doctoral Dissertations

Microtubules are polymeric protein filaments made of the monomeric alpha-beta tubulin heterodimer. They are important for physical attributes of the cell such as shape and structure, and drive essential processes such as cell division, cell migration, and active transport of metabolites. This occurs through the control of microtubules in space and over time through the lifetime of the cell. The shape and interior rearrangements are created by a diverse group of microtubule-associated proteins. When this regulation goes awry, microtubules location, stiffness, and structure are compromised, which is what is seen in diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Multiple microtubule networks can exist …


Modulation Of Hepatic Lipid Metabolism By Insecticides And Food Bioactives, Jason Yang Oct 2018

Modulation Of Hepatic Lipid Metabolism By Insecticides And Food Bioactives, Jason Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent studies reported the positive association between exposure to insecticides and increased risks of obesity and type 2 diabetes, which is closely associated with non- alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the effect of insecticide exposure on NAFLD remains unknown. Therefore, this project investigated the roles of insecticide exposure in the development of NAFLD using HepG2 hepatocytes. First, 12 insecticides were tested for their effects on triglycerides (TG) accumulation and interactions with palmitic acid (PA), which induces steatosis. Among tested insecticides, permethrin and ivermectin significantly altered TG accumulation and interacted with PA. Further mechanistic studies showed that permethrin promoted lipogenesis …


Dissecting Regulatory Mechanisms Of Coma-Dependent And Coma-Independent Quorum Sensing Pathways In Bacillus Subtilis, Emily Roy Oct 2018

Dissecting Regulatory Mechanisms Of Coma-Dependent And Coma-Independent Quorum Sensing Pathways In Bacillus Subtilis, Emily Roy

Doctoral Dissertations

Virtually all living organisms are capable of sensing individuals within a population and communicating amongst themselves to coordinate group behavior. This group coordination holds true for all living organisms, from multi-cellular organisms like humans down to the single-celled microbes including bacteria. In order to survive in everchanging environments, bacteria have developed strategies to determine their current surroundings and communicate with individuals in the population to respond to environmental changes. Bacteria have many different forms of communication similar to the many different human languages. These signals are used to coordinate a variety of biological processes in a density-dependent manner in a …


Feasibiity And Efficacy Of A Movement-Training Program On Physical Fitness, Fundamental Movement Skills, And Physical Activity In Third And Fourth Grade Students, Brittany Masteller Oct 2018

Feasibiity And Efficacy Of A Movement-Training Program On Physical Fitness, Fundamental Movement Skills, And Physical Activity In Third And Fourth Grade Students, Brittany Masteller

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent initiatives have focused on exploring the relationship between fitness, fundamental movement skills, psychosocial mediators, and physical activity in children to help design better interventions to improve these behaviors. FUNdamental Integrative Training (FIT) is an approach to physical education that uses age-appropriate exercises to improve physical fitness in youth, with the longer-term goal to physically prepare children for an active lifestyle beyond childhood. We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of a 12-week, FIT program on physical fitness, fundamental movement skills, psychosocial mediators (self-efficacy, enjoyment and social support), and physical activity, among third and fourth grade students. Seven classrooms in one …


Integration Of Robotic Perception, Action, And Memory, Li Yang Ku Oct 2018

Integration Of Robotic Perception, Action, And Memory, Li Yang Ku

Doctoral Dissertations

In the book "On Intelligence", Hawkins states that intelligence should be measured by the capacity to memorize and predict patterns. I further suggest that the ability to predict action consequences based on perception and memory is essential for robots to demonstrate intelligent behaviors in unstructured environments. However, traditional approaches generally represent action and perception separately---as computer vision modules that recognize objects and as planners that execute actions based on labels and poses. I propose here a more integrated approach where action and perception are combined in a memory model, in which a sequence of actions can be planned based on …


Hearing And Seeing A Speaker: How Perceptual And Cognitive Factors Modulate The Dynamics Of Audiovisual Speech Perception, Elina Kaplan Oct 2018

Hearing And Seeing A Speaker: How Perceptual And Cognitive Factors Modulate The Dynamics Of Audiovisual Speech Perception, Elina Kaplan

Doctoral Dissertations

In face-to-face conversations, listeners process and combine speech information obtained from hearing and seeing the speaker talk. Audiovisual speech typically leads to more robust recognition of speech, as it provides more information for recognition but also as it helps listeners adjust to speaker idiosyncrasies. The goal of the current thesis was to examine how certain perceptual and cognitive factors modulate how listeners use visual speech to facilitate momentary speech perception and to adjust to a speaker’s idiosyncrasies. Results showed that (older) listeners’ sensitivity to cross-modal synchrony is related to the size of the audiovisual interactions during early perceptual processing. Furthermore, …


Interaction Between Dietary Components And Gut Microbiota And Its Implication In Bioactivities And Metabolism In Colon, Min Gu Oct 2018

Interaction Between Dietary Components And Gut Microbiota And Its Implication In Bioactivities And Metabolism In Colon, Min Gu

Doctoral Dissertations

The microbial cells that colonize the human body, including mucosal and skin environments, are at least as abundant as our somatic cells and certainly contain far more genes than our human genome. Gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with the onset and progress of several diseases, like diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease. One of the environmental factor-diet intervention can modulate the compositions of gut microbiota, which in turn may contribute to altered health outcomes such as changes in the risks of chronic diseases. Orange peel has been a traditional herb in China, and some of its compounds has shown health benefits. …


Cumulative Adverse Effects Of Offshore Wind Energy Development On Wildlife, Morgan Goodale Oct 2018

Cumulative Adverse Effects Of Offshore Wind Energy Development On Wildlife, Morgan Goodale

Doctoral Dissertations

Offshore wind energy development is being pursued as a critical component in achieving a low-carbon energy economy. While the adverse effects of one wind farm on a particular wildlife population may be negligible, the aggregate effect of multiple wind farms through space and time could cause wildlife population declines. The risk of cumulative adverse effects (CAE) of offshore wind farms on wildlife is poorly researched and assessment processes are underdeveloped. Assessments of CAE must first calculate the cumulative exposure of a wildlife population to a hazard and then estimate how the exposure will affect the population. Our research responds to …


Variation And Evolution Of Fruit Ripening Traits In Tomato Species, Ian M. Gillis Oct 2018

Variation And Evolution Of Fruit Ripening Traits In Tomato Species, Ian M. Gillis

Doctoral Dissertations

As angiosperm seeds mature within their ovaries, ovary tissue tends to grow and transform itself into fruit, which aids the success of the seeds. Fruits that are fleshy provide numerous ways to aid in the protection and the dispersal of seeds. First, they keep seeds hidden, encased in hard walls, surrounded by poisons and unpalatable compounds, and second, they undergo developmental changes that facilitate seeds’ release. Tomatoes, a model fleshy fruit, have all these protective traits, and over the course of ripening they become the familiar fruit that is a staple crop around the world. The wild relatives of cultivated …


Grass-Specific Mechanisms Of Iron Uptake: Investigation Of Phytosiderophore Transporters And Discovery Of Novel Iron Deficiency Loci, David Chan Rodriguez Oct 2018

Grass-Specific Mechanisms Of Iron Uptake: Investigation Of Phytosiderophore Transporters And Discovery Of Novel Iron Deficiency Loci, David Chan Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations

Iron-deficiency anemia is one of the most prevalent forms of malnutrition worldwide, affecting 1.62 billion people, with the population in developing countries being the most affected. Iron is equally vital in plants to perform essential functions such as photosynthesis. Crop grasses form part of everyday human nutrition, contribute fundamentally to human caloric intake, and, in some parts of the world, are the primary source of food. Grasses acquire iron from the soil by secreting chelator molecules called phytosiderophores to solubilize iron, making it available to be transported by the Yellow Stripe1 (YS1) transporter. In this dissertation, I studied aspects of …


Impact Of Native Natural Enemies On Populations Of The Invasive Winter Moth (Operophtera Brumata L) In The Northeast United States, Hannah J. Broadley Oct 2018

Impact Of Native Natural Enemies On Populations Of The Invasive Winter Moth (Operophtera Brumata L) In The Northeast United States, Hannah J. Broadley

Doctoral Dissertations

Invasive insects increasingly affect forested landscapes and have important ecological and economic impacts. My dissertation focuses on population dynamics of winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.), an invasive pest in the northeastern United States. Native to Europe, this is the species’ fourth accidental introduction to North America. The Elkinton lab established the biological control agent Cyzenis albicans across the range of winter moth in the northeastern U.S. Prior research indicates that C. albicans’ ability to control winter moth likely depends on additional mortality from native natural enemies. My dissertation research evaluates the identity and role of natural enemies already …


The Interplay Between Polarity Regulators, Calcium, And The Actin Cytoskeleton During Tip Growth, Carlisle Bascom Jr Oct 2018

The Interplay Between Polarity Regulators, Calcium, And The Actin Cytoskeleton During Tip Growth, Carlisle Bascom Jr

Doctoral Dissertations

Plant cell growth is a meticulously regulated process whereby the cell wall is selectively loosened to allow for turgor-pressure driven expansion. The rate of expansion must equal delivery of new material, or the cell will lyse. In many plant cells, this process happens diffusely around the cell. However, a number of plant cells have anisotropic shapes that require exquisite spatial control of secretion. One simple example of anisotropic patterning is tip growth; highly polarized cell expansion utilized by pollen tubes, root hairs, and moss protonemata. Investigating the role various molecules have in tip growth sheds light on how plant cells …


Evaluating The Toxicity And Formation Of Halobenzoquinones In Point-Of-Use Chlorinated Drinking Water, Stephanie Hung Oct 2018

Evaluating The Toxicity And Formation Of Halobenzoquinones In Point-Of-Use Chlorinated Drinking Water, Stephanie Hung

Masters Theses

Chlorine has effectively reduced the prevalence of waterborne diseases, however there are secondary consequences to this public health advancement. Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are chemicals formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter (NOM) in water. A new class of DBPs, halobenzoquinones (HBQs), has recently been identified and data suggests it could be potentially carcinogenic and up to 1000 times more toxic than some regulated DBPs. So far, in vitro studies have assessed HBQ toxicity without taking into account its transformation in cell media into potentially less toxic compounds. This study evaluated the toxic effects of one HBQ, 2,6-DCBQ, and its …


Use Of Alamarblue As An Indicator Of Microbial Growth In Turbid Solutions For Antimicrobial Evaluation, Precious Henshaw Oct 2018

Use Of Alamarblue As An Indicator Of Microbial Growth In Turbid Solutions For Antimicrobial Evaluation, Precious Henshaw

Masters Theses

The use of antibiotics in animal feed is a large cause of concern due to bacterial resistance, which occurs when bacteria change after exposure to antibiotics and become less affected by the drug. Consequently, the desire to find a replacement for these antibiotics has garnered interest in both farmers and consumers. The ideal substance would display antimicrobial activity without promoting bacterial resistance and would still function as a growth promoter in animals. One antimicrobial that fits this criterion is carvacrol, a compound found in oregano extract. Carvacrol exhibits antimicrobial activity in a number of bacteria, including E.coli O157:H7 and S. …


Feronia-Related Receptor Kinase 7 And Feronia And Their Role In Receiving And Transducing Signals, David Vyshedsky Oct 2018

Feronia-Related Receptor Kinase 7 And Feronia And Their Role In Receiving And Transducing Signals, David Vyshedsky

Masters Theses

Receptor kinases (RKs) are transmembrane proteins that have been shown to regulate an array of important processes in A. thaliana, including polar cell growth, plant reproduction, and many other plant growth processes. In this thesis, I examine RECEPTOR KINASE 7 (RK7) and FERONIA (FER), two closely related transmembrane RKs, and their effects on plant reproduction. The RK7 gene when knocked out (rk7) in conjunction with FER resulted in delayed plant growth, decreased seed yield, and a lower percentage of the seeds germinating as compared to the single FER knockout. Transgenic plants with GUS reporter driven by RK7 promoter …