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A C-Terminus Mitochondrial-Localization Region And Bh3 Domain Of Puma Are Required For Apoptotic Function, Liz A. Merwin
A C-Terminus Mitochondrial-Localization Region And Bh3 Domain Of Puma Are Required For Apoptotic Function, Liz A. Merwin
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Apoptosis is known to contribute to the loss of neurological function in brain injury and several neurodegenerative diseases. The Bcl-2 family of proteins consist of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic members that interact physically and functionally to regulate apoptosis in a cell type and stimulus specific manner. We have previously demonstrated that the Bcl-2 family member Puma plays a key role in triggering neuronal apoptosis under diverse stress conditions. However, the mechanism by which Puma mediates apoptosis remains unclear. Here we found that Puma contains two domains required for its apoptotic function: the BH3 domain and a region in the c-terminus that …
Investigating The Interplay Between Protein Kinases And Caspases, Jacob P. Turowec
Investigating The Interplay Between Protein Kinases And Caspases, Jacob P. Turowec
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The balance between cell survival and death is a crucial process in human development and tissue homeostasis, but is also misregulated in disease. In large part, apoptosis is controlled by caspases, a hierarchical series of cysteine aspartic acid proteases that demolish the cell by cleaving key structural and enzymatic proteins, but emerging paradigms have highlighted the ability of kinases to regulate caspase activity. One way in which kinases can control the progression of apoptosis is through phosphorylation of caspase substrates, which acts to prevent caspase cleavage of that target.
In this thesis, we develop new strategies to study this regulatory …