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2020

University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Articles 1 - 30 of 125

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Investigation Of Shot1-Binding Atpases In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sam Zelman Dec 2020

Investigation Of Shot1-Binding Atpases In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sam Zelman

Masters Theses

Mitochondria play critical roles not only in primary metabolism as a central organelle for ATP generation, but also in responding to abiotic stresses. We identified a mutation in the MTERF18 (Mitochondrial Transcription Termination factor)/SHOT1 (Suppressor of hot1-4 1) gene in Arabidopsis thaliana that enables plants to better tolerate heat and oxidative stresses, presumably due to reduced oxidative damage, but the exact molecular mechanism of the heat tolerance is unknown. In order to reveal the stress tolerance mechanisms of mterf18/shot1 mutations, it is critical to understand the molecular defects of the mutant and to identify …


Exploration Of The Association Between Muscle Volume And Bone Geometry Reveals Surprising Relationship At The Genetic Level, Prakrit Subba Dec 2020

Exploration Of The Association Between Muscle Volume And Bone Geometry Reveals Surprising Relationship At The Genetic Level, Prakrit Subba

Masters Theses

The evolution of jaws in cichlid fishes of the East African Great Lakes is a textbook example of adaptive radiation in vertebrates. Karl Liem postulated that this adaptive radiation has been possible due to the functional decoupling of two cichlid functional units – the pharyngeal jaw (PJ) and the oral jaw (OJ). This functional decoupling of the jaws has enabled the OJ to be relieved of its dual role of prey capturing and processing and has allowed the PJ to take on the role of prey processing. As a result, African cichlids have adapted the morphology of their functional units …


In-Vitro Propagation And Fish Assessments To Inform Restoration Of Dwarf Wedgemussel (Alasmidonta Heterodon), Jennifer Ryan Dec 2020

In-Vitro Propagation And Fish Assessments To Inform Restoration Of Dwarf Wedgemussel (Alasmidonta Heterodon), Jennifer Ryan

Masters Theses

The dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) is a federally endangered freshwater mussel that once ranged from New Brunswick to North Carolina, but now only exists in isolated populations throughout its diminished range. Laboratory propagation in conjunction with augmentation or reintroduction is considered a critical component of dwarf wedgemussel restoration. My thesis aimed to I) develop in-vitro propagation techniques including methods to minimize microbial contamination for two Alasmidonta species and II) compile and assess critical fish assemblage information at existing dwarf wedgemussel presence and absence locations to inform future restoration activities. For the first objective (Chapter 2) I assessed three …


Effects Of Berberine On Development In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Zhuojia Qian Dec 2020

Effects Of Berberine On Development In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Zhuojia Qian

Masters Theses

Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid found in some plants and has many bioactivities including anti-microbial, lipid- and glucose-lowering, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, etc. However, there is limited knowledge about berberine’s effects on development and locomotive activity. Herein, in vivo studies were conducted to determine these effects of berberine using Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model. Treatment of berberine at 50 μM starting at L1 stage significantly retarded the growth rate of nematodes, and reduced the length, width and moving speed of worms by 19%, 12% and 29%, respectively, compared to the control. In addition, triglycerides (TG) and protein content in worms …


Assessing Stress Tolerance Of Organelle Small Heat Shock Protein Mutants In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Parth Patel Dec 2020

Assessing Stress Tolerance Of Organelle Small Heat Shock Protein Mutants In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Parth Patel

Masters Theses

Molecular chaperones are proteins found in virtually every organism and are essential to cell survival. When plants are heat stressed, they upregulate and downregulate multiple genes, many of which are associated with the heat shock response. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are one class of molecular chaperones that are upregulated during heat shock. They are proposed to act as the first line of defense by binding to heat sensitive proteins and preventing their irreversible aggregation. However, many details of sHSP function remain to be discovered and exactly what proteins they protect is unresolved. In addition to cytosolic sHSPs found in …


From Intentional Awareness To Environmental Action: The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Nischal Neupane Dec 2020

From Intentional Awareness To Environmental Action: The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Nischal Neupane

Masters Theses

Mindfulness is defined as the ‘awareness that arises through paying attention to the present moment, on purpose, non-judgmentally’. Despite ample empirical evidence of its efficacy in inducing positive behavior change, almost no work has investigated the viability of using mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to promote pro-environmental behavior. Some recent studies have demonstrated consistent correlational relationships between mindfulness levels and pro-environmental attitudes (e.g., connectedness to nature), intentions, and some pro-environmental behaviors (e.g., recycling, “green” purchasing decisions), but no past work has explicitly examined mindfulness in the context of energy saving behaviors. Results from both quantitative and qualitative research conducted as part of …


Does Invasion Science Encompass The Invaded Range? A Comparison Of The Geographies Of Invasion Science Versus Management In The U.S., Lara Munro Dec 2020

Does Invasion Science Encompass The Invaded Range? A Comparison Of The Geographies Of Invasion Science Versus Management In The U.S., Lara Munro

Masters Theses

Biases in invasion science lead to a taxonomic focus on plants, particularly a subset of well-studied plants, and a geographic focus on invasions in Europe and North America. Geographic biases could also cause some branches of invasion science to focus on a subset of environmental conditions in the invaded range, potentially leading to an incomplete understanding of the ecology and management of plant invasions. While broader, country-level geographic biases are well known, it is unclear whether these biases extend to a finer scale and thus affect research within the invaded range. This study assessed whether research sites for ten well-studied …


The Shape Of U: Mapping Out Protective Elements In Mrna Escapees, Jacob Miles Dec 2020

The Shape Of U: Mapping Out Protective Elements In Mrna Escapees, Jacob Miles

Masters Theses

A crucial step of the viral life cycle of Kaposi’s Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV) lytic infection is the triggering of a massive RNA decay event termed “Host Shutoff”. Host Shutoff is driven by the viral endonuclease SOX which leads to the destruction of over 70% of the total transcriptome. This process cripples cellular gene expression and allows for viral reprograming of the cell for the purpose of viral replication. Co-evolution has led to the host developing a multitude of antiviral defenses aimed at preserving certain cellular RNAs linked to antiviral responses. One such defense are RNA secondary structures located within the …


Effect Of Jackfruit-Derived Extract Consumption On Colitis-Associated Colon Tumorigenesis In Mice, Jingwen Lin Dec 2020

Effect Of Jackfruit-Derived Extract Consumption On Colitis-Associated Colon Tumorigenesis In Mice, Jingwen Lin

Masters Theses

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. The global burden of colorectal cancer is also expected to increase by 60%, to over 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million annual deaths, by the year 2030. Jackfruit is known for its packed nutrition including many antioxidants: vitamin C, carotenoids and flavanones. It has also been used in traditional medicine due to its potential protection against many chronic diseases. However, there is limited research studying the potential effect of jackfruit on colorectal cancer. Here, we used a well-established AOM/DSS …


New England’S Underutilized Seafood Species: Defining And Exploring Marketplace Potential In A Changing Climate, Amanda Davis Dec 2020

New England’S Underutilized Seafood Species: Defining And Exploring Marketplace Potential In A Changing Climate, Amanda Davis

Masters Theses

New England’s seafood industry has been searching for opportunities to diversify their landings and build resilience as it faces socio-economic challenges from a changing climate. Developing markets for underutilized species is one way the New England community could help their seafood industry build resilience. This thesis identified New England’s underutilized fish species and explored their marketplace potential by examining their availability in a changing climate, current availability to consumers, and consumers’ responses. In Chapter I, I account how New England’s seafood preferences have changed over time. In Chapter II, I identify New England’s seven underutilized seafood species: 1) Acadian redfish …


Impact Of Predators On Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) In The Eastern And Western United States, Ryan Crandall Dec 2020

Impact Of Predators On Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) In The Eastern And Western United States, Ryan Crandall

Masters Theses

Hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, native to Asia and the Pacific Northwest of North America (Pacific Northwest), has devastated eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in a major portion of its range in the eastern U.S. After many years and much effort directed towards rearing and releasing biological control agents to manage HWA, one of these agents, Laricobius nigrinus, native to the Pacific Northwest, is now well-established in sites from the southern to the mid-Atlantic states of the eastern U.S. However, there have yet to be studies of its efficacy in lowering A. tsugae densities, and there has …


Habitat Associations Of Priority Bird Species And Conservation Value On Small, Diversified Farms In New England, Isabel Brofsky Dec 2020

Habitat Associations Of Priority Bird Species And Conservation Value On Small, Diversified Farms In New England, Isabel Brofsky

Masters Theses

In recent decades, New England agriculture has become increasingly characterized by small, diversified farming operations with values deeply rooted in community and conservation. In sharp contrast to large-scale, high-intensity agriculture currently typified by the majority of North American farms, New England farmers commonly prioritize ecologically beneficial production practices such as reduced chemical inputs, integrated pest management (IPM), low tillage, cover cropping and crop rotation, and retention of natural habitats like woody hedgerows and herbaceous strips. Public support and demand for local, sustainable food, evidenced by the success of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in the region, has helped to bolster this …


A Rational Design Approach To Developing Second Generation Fabry Disease Treatments, Matthew Metcalf Dec 2020

A Rational Design Approach To Developing Second Generation Fabry Disease Treatments, Matthew Metcalf

Doctoral Dissertations

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder that affects approximately 1 in 40,000 males in its classical form and as many as 1:4,600 in its late-onset form [1]. The disease is caused by mutations in the gene encoding α- galactosidase (α-GAL), which results in deficient levels of α-GAL activity in the lysosomes of patients [2, 3]. This lack of enzymatic activity causes macromolecular substrates to accumulate in tissues, and can result in a wide range of symptoms such as impaired renal and cardiac function [4]. The severity of disease is linked to the amount of residual …


Circadian Regulation Of The Timing Of Pre-Ovulatory Luteinizing Hormone Surge In Mice And Hamsters, Ajay Kumar Dec 2020

Circadian Regulation Of The Timing Of Pre-Ovulatory Luteinizing Hormone Surge In Mice And Hamsters, Ajay Kumar

Doctoral Dissertations

Endogenous daily (circadian) oscillators ensure the proper timing of physiological and behavioral processes that are essential to health. A set of core clock genes and their protein products function in transcriptional/translational feedback loops (TTFLs) that time and coordinate vital homeostatic, cognitive, and hormonal processes. A master pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) coordinates circadian function throughout the organism. Investigating the causal role of genetically defined cell types in the suprachiasmatic nucleus for circadian rhythms is essential to understand how an animal’s physiology is temporally organized. This thesis explores the role of molecular clocks within particular cell types in regulating physiology. …


Coffee Bioactives Regulate Lipid Metabolism In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Renalison Farias Pereira Dec 2020

Coffee Bioactives Regulate Lipid Metabolism In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Renalison Farias Pereira

Doctoral Dissertations

Coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes. Although the mechanisms of action are not yet elucidated, the effects of coffee and its bioactive components on lipid metabolism may account for the overall coffee effects on human health. Therefore, this study investigated the molecular mechanisms of coffee and its bioactive components on lipid metabolism using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system. Green coffee bean extract (GCBE), the chlorogenic acid 5-O-caffeyolquinic acid (5-CQA), and the coffee diterpenes cafestol and kahweol reduced fat accumulation via distinct lipid metabolism pathways and/or behavior changes in C. elegans …


Engineering Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanoassemblies: Rational Designs For Intracellular Delivery Of Biologics, Kingshuk Dutta Dec 2020

Engineering Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanoassemblies: Rational Designs For Intracellular Delivery Of Biologics, Kingshuk Dutta

Doctoral Dissertations

Biologic drugs have gained enormous research attention in recent years as reflected by the development of multiple candidates to the clinical pipelines and an increased percentage of FDA approval. This is reasoned by the fact that biologics have been proven to deliver more predictive and promising benefits for many hard-to-cure diseases by ‘drugging the undruggable’ targets. However, the challenges associated with biologic drug development are multi-fold, viz, poor encapsulation efficacy, systemic instability, low cellular internalization and endosomal escape capability. Thus, it is essential to develop new molecular strategies that can not only address the associated drug delivery challenges, but also …


Engineered Proteins As Tools To Understand Ubiquitin Signaling, Lin Hui Chang Dec 2020

Engineered Proteins As Tools To Understand Ubiquitin Signaling, Lin Hui Chang

Doctoral Dissertations

Ubiquitin is a 76 amino acids protein that is evolutionary conserved in eukaryotes. It is an important signaling molecule in a plethora biological events, such as protein degradation, DNA damage response, and transcription. This thesis aims to develop engineered protein as a tool to study ubiquitin signaling. Through targeted mutagenesis and directed evolution, a deubiquitinase is reprogrammed into a transamidase, which lead to the generation of ubiquitinprotein conjugates with discrete ubiquitin linkages through auto-ubiquitination. These ubiquitin-protein conjugates could be used as a model substrate to profile their interaction of different ubiquitin interacting proteins. In addition, using directed evolution and deep …


The Association Of The Inflammatory Potential Of Diet With Inflammation And Depression Among U.S. Adults: Nhanes 2005-2010, Deniz Azarmanesh Dec 2020

The Association Of The Inflammatory Potential Of Diet With Inflammation And Depression Among U.S. Adults: Nhanes 2005-2010, Deniz Azarmanesh

Doctoral Dissertations

Depression affects 8% of adults in America. Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression. The economic burden in the U.S. is $83 billion in direct (e.g., pharmaceutical) and indirect costs (e.g., absenteeism from work). The etiology of depression includes non-modifiable (e.g., genetics) and modifiable risk factors (e.g., diet). Depression is concurrent with an increase in inflammatory biomarkers, such as c-reactive protein (CRP). Emerging research suggests that a pro-inflammatory diet may increase odds of experiencing depression. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) assesses the inflammatory potential of diet. According to our narrative review of the current literature in Chapter …


Don't Delay: The Effects Of Tide Gates And Road-Stream Crossing Culverts On River Herring (Alosa Spp.) Spawning Migrations, Derrick J. Alcott Dec 2020

Don't Delay: The Effects Of Tide Gates And Road-Stream Crossing Culverts On River Herring (Alosa Spp.) Spawning Migrations, Derrick J. Alcott

Doctoral Dissertations

River herring (Alosa spp.) are anadromous fish that spawn in freshwater rivers and lakes in North America from Florida to Nova Scotia, CA. They have been listed as a species of conservation concern due to dramatic stock declines observed in the 1970’s. Stocks have failed to show significant signs of recovery despite over a decade of harvest restrictions throughout their range. Bycatch in commercial fisheries and reduced access to spawning habitat due to anthropogenic barriers to migration, such as dams and tide gates, have been identified as major causes of the decline in herring populations. Physical barriers to …


Effects Of Tempeh Fermentation On Soy Free And Bound Phenolics: Release, Transformation, And Stimulated Production, Amadeus Driando Ahnan Dec 2020

Effects Of Tempeh Fermentation On Soy Free And Bound Phenolics: Release, Transformation, And Stimulated Production, Amadeus Driando Ahnan

Doctoral Dissertations

The fermentation of tempeh, a traditional source of protein originated in Indonesia, has been reported to enhance the health-promoting potentials of various grains, legumes, and beans. Tempeh fermentation on soybeans can modulate the bioavailability of phenolic compounds, particularly isoflavones, bioactive compounds that have been found to be protective against lung, prostrate, and colon cancers. However, the mechanism of the protective benefits was unknown. Using whole-food and in vitro models, this study addressed this research gap by investigating the effects of tempeh fermentation using various cultures on the compositions of soy free, bound, and minor phenolics, as well as their antioxidative, …


Analysis Of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles In Foods Using Raman Spectroscopic Techniques, Janamkumar Pandya Dec 2020

Analysis Of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles In Foods Using Raman Spectroscopic Techniques, Janamkumar Pandya

Doctoral Dissertations

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and its nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in various applications. Recently, the presence of TiO2 NPs in food and consumer products raised safety concerns to human health and the environment. The goal of this project is to explore the capability of Raman Spectroscopy in the analysis of TiO2-NPs and apply this technique for the analysis of TiO2-NPs in food and environmental samples. Two approaches, i.e. the ligand-based and the mapping-based, were evaluated. The ligand-based approach utilized the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) property of the TiO2 NPs as a substrate to enhance the signal of a surface …


Controlled Membrane Remodeling By Nanospheres And Nanorods: Experiments Targeting The Design Principles For Membrane-Based Materials, Sarah Zuraw-Weston Dec 2020

Controlled Membrane Remodeling By Nanospheres And Nanorods: Experiments Targeting The Design Principles For Membrane-Based Materials, Sarah Zuraw-Weston

Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis we explore two experimental systems probing the interactions of nanoparticles with lipid bilayer membranes. Inspired by the ability of cell membranes to alter their shape in response to bound particles, we report two experimental studies: one of nanospheres the other of long, slender nano-rods binding to lipid bilayer vesicles and altering the membrane shape. Our work illuminates the role of particle geometry, particle concentration, adhesion strength and membrane tension in how membrane morphology is determined. We combine giant unilamellar vesicles with oppositely charged nanoparticles, carefully tuning adhesion strength, membrane tension and particle concentration. In the case of …


Improving Understanding Of Forest Communities And Biodiversity With Multi-Dimensional Landscape Gradients, Ben J. Padilla Dec 2020

Improving Understanding Of Forest Communities And Biodiversity With Multi-Dimensional Landscape Gradients, Ben J. Padilla

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation was motivated by a desire to understand the effects of habitat degradation and urbanization on a single species in a single study system in western Massachusetts, the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus), but along the way unexpected conceptual and methodological hurdles caused the work to grow into a multi-species, multi-region, and multi-scale endeavor. As I designed my dissertation research and began considering approaches to quantifying heterogeneity and human influence in my study landscape, I recognized inconsistencies in methods used to define and quantify landscape metrics, particularly in urban systems. To investigate further, I conducted a critical review …


Investigating The Accumulation, Sub-Organ Distribution, And Biochemical Effects Of Nanomaterials Using Mass Spectrometry, Kristen Nicole Sikora Dec 2020

Investigating The Accumulation, Sub-Organ Distribution, And Biochemical Effects Of Nanomaterials Using Mass Spectrometry, Kristen Nicole Sikora

Doctoral Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are attractive materials for use in various biomedical applications, such as therapeutic delivery, due to their unique chemical properties and modular tunability. Mass spectrometry methods, including laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) have been successfully used to evaluate the distribution of AuNPs in complex biological systems. As new AuNP-based materials are developed for applications in therapeutic delivery, it is essential to simultaneously develop analytical techniques that can comprehensively assess their behavior in vivo. In this dissertation, novel mass spectrometric methods have been developed and utilized to evaluate the uptake, distribution, …


Liver Kinase B1 Isoform Expression As A Regulator Of T Cell Phenotypic Stability, Heather Sherman Dec 2020

Liver Kinase B1 Isoform Expression As A Regulator Of T Cell Phenotypic Stability, Heather Sherman

Doctoral Dissertations

Following activation, CD4 T cells undergo extensive metabolic and transcriptional changes to respond to external cues and differentiate into T helper (Th) cell subsets. This differentiation process was originally perceived to be terminal. However, it has been shown that T cells exhibit plasticity between subsets in the context of highly inflammatory environments. This phenomenon is especially prevalent in autoimmune conditions such as colitis and multiple sclerosis in which high levels of IL-6 promote considerable plasticity between regulatory T (Treg) cells and Th17 cells. Herein we show that Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1), a metabolic sensor that enforces energy-preserving mechanisms such as …


Micro-Physiological Models To Mimic Mucosal Barrier Complexity Of The Human Intestine In Vitro, Abhinav Sharma Dec 2020

Micro-Physiological Models To Mimic Mucosal Barrier Complexity Of The Human Intestine In Vitro, Abhinav Sharma

Doctoral Dissertations

The mucosal barrier in the intestine is vital to maintain selective absorption of nutrients while protecting internal tissues and maintaining symbiotic relationship with luminal microbiota. This bio-barrier consists of a cellular epithelial barrier and an acellular mucus barrier. Secreted mucus regulates barrier function via in situ biochemical and biophysical interaction with luminal content that continually evolves during digestion and absorption. Increasing evidence suggests that a mucus barrier is indispensable to maintain homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract. However, the importance of mucus barrier is largely underrated for in vitro mucosal tissue modeling. The major gap is the lack of experimental material …


Engineering Mesothelin-Binding Proteins As Targeted Cancer Diagnostics And Therapeutics, Allison Rita Sirois Dec 2020

Engineering Mesothelin-Binding Proteins As Targeted Cancer Diagnostics And Therapeutics, Allison Rita Sirois

Doctoral Dissertations

Cancer is a significant global health concern; and traditional therapies, including chemotherapeutics, are often simultaneously toxic yet ineffective. There is a critical need to develop targeted cancer therapeutics which specifically inhibit molecules or molecular pathways essential for tumor growth and maintenance. Furthermore, a targeted therapy is only effective when a patient's tumor expresses the molecular target; therefore, companion diagnostics, including molecular imaging agents, are a necessary counterpart of targeted therapies. Mesothelin (MSLN) is a cell surface protein overexpressed in numerous cancers, including triple-negative breast, pancreatic, ovarian, liver, and lung, with limited expression in normal tissues. Aberrant MSLN expression promotes tumor …


Shared Neural Substrates Of Perception And Memory: Testing The Assumptions And Predictions Of The Representational-Hierarchical Account, D. Merika W. Sanders Sep 2020

Shared Neural Substrates Of Perception And Memory: Testing The Assumptions And Predictions Of The Representational-Hierarchical Account, D. Merika W. Sanders

Doctoral Dissertations

Proponents of the representational-hierarchical (R-H) account claim that memory and perception rely on shared neural representations. In the ventral visual stream, posterior brain areas are assumed to represent simple information (e.g. low-level image properties), but the complexity of representations increases toward more anterior areas, such as inferior temporal cortex (e.g., object-parts, objects), extending into the medial temporal lobe (MTL; e.g. scenes). This view predicts that brain structures along this continuum serve both memory and perception; a structure’s engagement is determined by the representational demands of a task, rather than the cognitive process putatively involved. In a neuroimaging study, I searched …


Study Of The Role Of Biologically-Relevant, Labile Nickel Pools In The Maturation Of Nickel-Dependent Enzymes, Priyanka Basak Sep 2020

Study Of The Role Of Biologically-Relevant, Labile Nickel Pools In The Maturation Of Nickel-Dependent Enzymes, Priyanka Basak

Doctoral Dissertations

Cellular nickel pools, comprised of static and labile pools of nickel complexes, play important roles in maintaining nickel homeostasis in various organisms (microbes, fungi, and plants), which utilize it as a cofactor of one or more nickel enzymes that catalyze specific reactions and are essential for their proper growth and survival in various ecological niches. Like other metals, tight regulation of cellular nickel levels is critical to prevent toxic effects of nickel deprivation, nickel overload, and ‘free’ nickel. While more static nickel pools include nickel tightly bound to nickel-dependent enzymes, nickel in the labile pool is exchangeable and weakly bound …


Dietary Oligosaccharides Modulate Bifidobacterial Production Of The Neurotransmitter Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Michelle Rozycki Sep 2020

Dietary Oligosaccharides Modulate Bifidobacterial Production Of The Neurotransmitter Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Michelle Rozycki

Masters Theses

Bifidobacteria are the predominant members of the infant gut, colonize adults to a lesser extent, and are recognized as beneficial microbes. Various bifidobacterial species produce ��-aminobutryic acid (GABA), the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It is postulated that in order to produce GABA, the bifidobacterial genome must contain the gadB and gadC genes which encode a glutamate decarboxylase and a glutamate/GABA antiporter, respectively. Once exported by GadC, GABA is absorbed and transported systemically throughout the host. We hypothesize that specific dietary oligosaccharides will modulate bifidobacterial production of GABA due to varying intracellular concentrations of glutamate. To …