Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Characterization Of Vps41 And Its Role In The Regulated Secretory Pathway, Christian Henry Burns
Characterization Of Vps41 And Its Role In The Regulated Secretory Pathway, Christian Henry Burns
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Insulin secretory granules (SGs) mediate the regulated secretion of insulin, which is essential for glucose homeostasis. The basic machinery responsible for this regulated exocytosis consists of specific membrane proteins present both at the plasma membrane and on insulin SGs. The protein composition of insulin SGs thus dictates their release properties, yet the mechanisms controlling insulin SG formation, which determines this molecular composition, remain poorly understood. VPS41, a component of the endolysosomal tethering HOPS complex, was recently identified as a cytosolic factor involved in the formation of neuroendocrine/neuronal granules. We now find that a stable pool of VPS41 exists outside of …
Mitochondrial Glutathione Transport: Implications For Bcl-2 And Neuronal Survival, Heather Marie Wilkins
Mitochondrial Glutathione Transport: Implications For Bcl-2 And Neuronal Survival, Heather Marie Wilkins
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Oxidative stress is a contributing factor to many neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, mitochondria are a key source of oxidative stress due to electron leakage at the level of the electron transport chain. To combat the endogenous production of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species mitochondria are equipped with several redox-cycling systems, such as glutathione (GSH). Mitochondrial GSH has been shown to be a critical reservoir of this antioxidant, where selective depletion of mitochondrial GSH can induce apoptosis in several systems. Many studies have intricately linked Bcl-2 to cellular GSH status and it has been previously shown that Bcl-2 is a …
Nutraceutical Antioxidants And Their Therapeutic Potential In Neurodegeneration, Erika Kristine Ross
Nutraceutical Antioxidants And Their Therapeutic Potential In Neurodegeneration, Erika Kristine Ross
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neuromuscular disease that affects motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord. Many studies indicate that mitochondrial oxidative stress (MOS) is a principal mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of this and other devastating neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigated a unique whey protein supplement (Immunocal®) to determine its neuroprotective efficacy in several in vitro models of MOS and in an in vivo mouse model of ALS. This non-denatured whey supplement contains cystine which is an oxidized form of cysteine, an essential precursor for synthesis of the endogenous antioxidant, glutathione (GSH). In primary cultured rat cerebellar …