Life Sciences Commons^™

A Multispecies Perspective Into Dietary Genetic Adaptations And Ancient Migration In The Peruvian Andes, Kelsey Jorgensen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Successful adaptation to the high-elevation Andes would have required both cultural and biological adaptations by early human populations. These past adaptations continue to shape the evolutionary outcomes of both humans and non-human species today. A multispecies perspective was used to examine how humans and non-human creatures, specifically insects, were shaped by past human adaptations. This dissertation asked two primary questions: 1) Given the importance and evolutionary history of potato consumption in the Peruvian Andes, is a genetic adaptation to better digest potato starch detectable in present-day Peruvians? and 2) Using the Andean Potato Weevil (APW) phylogeny as a proxy, what …

Mnrr1: Understanding The Role Of A Novel Mitochondrial-Nuclear Regulator, Stephanie L. Gladyck

Wayne State University Dissertations

Mitochondria are complex organelles that generate most of the energy required to sustain life and function in metabolic and signaling pathways required to maintain cellular homeostasis. MNRR1 (mitochondrial nuclear retrograde regulator 1 or CHCHD2) is a small, bi-organellar twin CX9C protein that is emerging as an important regulator of mitochondrial function, apoptosis, and cellular stress by participating in mitochondrial-nuclear crosstalk. Our lab has previously shown that in the mitochondria, MNRR1 regulates complex IV (Cytochrome c oxidase or COX) and is able to finetune the oxidase function through phosphorylation status. We have also shown that during stress, mitochondrial MNRR1 levels deplete, …

Modulation Of Pharyngeal Health In Bacterial Diet-Dependent Survival, Deniz Sifoglu

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

MODULATION OF PHARYNGEAL HEALTH IN BACTERIAL DIET-DEPENDENT SURVIVAL

by

DENIZ SIFOGLU

August 2021

Advisor: Dr. Joy Alcedo Major: Biological Sciences Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Both diet and bacterial microbiome modulate insulin signaling, which regulates key physiological processes that are important for survival. However, the mechanisms through which diet and the microbiome modulate insulin signaling remain unclear. To understand these mechanisms, I turned to the nematode worm C. elegans, whose diet consists of different types of bacteria. Like humans and other animals, C. elegans has to modulate its responses to its diet and to bacteria to optimize its survival. Because …