Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Rab35 Centered Membrane Trafficking Pathway Directs Apical Constriction During Drosophila Gastrulation, Hui Miao
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Force generation in epithelial tissues is often pulsatile, with actomyosin networks generating high-tension contractile forces at the cell cortex before cyclically disassembling. This pulsed nature of cytoskeletal forces implies that there must be cellular processes to extract unidirectional changes that drive processive transformations in cell shape. During Drosophila melanogastergastrulation, the invagination of the prospective mesoderm is driven by the pulsed constriction of apical surfaces. Here, we address the mechanisms by which the irreversibility of pulsed events is achieved while also permitting uniform epithelial behaviors to emerge. We use MSD-based analyses to identify contractile steps and find that when a …
Characterization Of The Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) Melanocortin-2 Receptor, Brianne Hoglin
Characterization Of The Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) Melanocortin-2 Receptor, Brianne Hoglin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Among bony vertebrates, the melanocortin-2 receptor ortholog is unique among the family of five melanocortin receptors on the basis that it is dependent on its accessory protein, MRAP1, for trafficking and activation, and is selective for activation by ACTH alone. Previous studies on the MC2R orthologs of select cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii) and the red stingray (Dasyatis akajei), revealed divergent traits in a less obligatory relationship on MRAP1 and its ability to be activated by ACTH or the MSH-sized peptides. However, observed traits were not consistent between these two cartilaginous fish species, posing …
Development Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Targeted Probes And Red Fluorescent Probes For Detecting Zinc, Drew Maslar
Development Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Targeted Probes And Red Fluorescent Probes For Detecting Zinc, Drew Maslar
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Zinc (Zn2+) is the second most abundant transition metal in the body and is important in various biological functions. Fluorescent sensors based on circularly permuted fluorescent proteins (cpFPs) have been previously made to detect labile, or unbound, Zn2+ within the cytoplasm of cells. These sensors have proven invaluable for studying Zn2+, however, these sensors are limited to their use in the cytoplasm and by the fact that only green cpFP have been utilized to create fluorescent Zn2+ sensors. In this thesis, we use a combination of peptide targeting sequences, site-directed mutagenesis, and rational design …
Fxs-Causing Point Mutations In Fmrp Disrupt Neuronal Granule Formation And Function, Emily L. Starke
Fxs-Causing Point Mutations In Fmrp Disrupt Neuronal Granule Formation And Function, Emily L. Starke
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the disruption of Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) function in neurons, affecting nearly 1 in 7,500 individuals. Although FXS typically occurs from a complete loss of FMRP expression due to a CGG trinucleotide expansion within the 5’UTR of the FMR1 gene, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the KH domains of FMRP have been shown to severely disrupt FMRP function. FMRP is an RNA-binding translation repressor that interacts with ~4% of the neuronal transcriptome. Many target mRNAs encode for proteins important for regulating synaptic processes and modulate synaptic plasticity. It …