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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Polymerase Alpha Components Associate With Telomeres To Mediate Overhang Processing, Raffaella Diotti
Polymerase Alpha Components Associate With Telomeres To Mediate Overhang Processing, Raffaella Diotti
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Telomeres consist of TTAGGG repeats, which end with a 3' G-overhang and are bound by a six-protein complex, known as Shelterin. In humans, telomeres shorten at each cell division, unless telomerase is expressed and able to add telomeric repeats to the 3' G-overhang. However, for effective telomere maintenance, the DNA strand complementary to that made by telomerase must be synthesized. In this study, I focused on the Polα/primase complex, in particular the subunits p68 (POLA2, the regulatory subunit) and p180 (Polα, the catalytic subunit), and their potential roles at telomeres. I was able to detect p180, p68 and OBFC1, a …
The Sex Of The Cell Dictates Its Response, Carlos Ganesh Penaloza
The Sex Of The Cell Dictates Its Response, Carlos Ganesh Penaloza
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Male and female differences in frequency of occurrence in disease have perplexed scientists for some time. This in part derives from limitations in the systems in which one can evaluate sex differences. At the organismal level, differences can be hidden by a myriad of extensive and complex factors. Additional limitations exist since most biomedical studies are performed almost exclusively on male subjects, as the female hormonal milieu is intrinsically more variable and too troublesome for routine inclusion in research protocols. Research documenting sex differences continues to grow, and while most researchers suggests that sex hormones are at the core of …
Identification And Characterization Of Protein Phopshatases Regulating The Sma/Mab Pathway In C. Elegans, Sheng Xiong
Identification And Characterization Of Protein Phopshatases Regulating The Sma/Mab Pathway In C. Elegans, Sheng Xiong
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
TGF-beta signaling is a conserved signaling pathway among eukaryotes, which controls various normal cellular responses from cell proliferation to cell death. The mutations in its components are found in developmental disorders and cancer. Therefore, this signaling pathway is extensively investigated so that new therapeutic targets could be discovered and novel drugs could be developed. Previous studies suggested the involvement of phosphatases in regulation of TGF-beta signaling, but these studies were performed in cell culture rather than intact organisms. C. elegans is a tractable organism in which to study signaling in vivo. In C. elegans, growth is controled by a conserved …
Metabolic Checkpoints In Cancer Cell Cycle, Mahesh Saqcena
Metabolic Checkpoints In Cancer Cell Cycle, Mahesh Saqcena
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Growth factors (GFs) as well as nutrient sufficiency regulate cell division in metazoans. The vast majority of mutations that contribute to cancer are in genes that regulate progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle. A key regulatory site in G1 is the growth factor-dependent Restriction Point (R), where cells get permissive signals to divide. In the absence of GF instructions, cells enter the quiescent G0 state. Despite fundamental differences between GF signaling and nutrient sensing, they both have been confusingly referred to as R and therefore by definition considered to be a singular event in G1. Autonomy from …
Lipid Dependence In Ras-Driven Tumors, Darin Salloum
Lipid Dependence In Ras-Driven Tumors, Darin Salloum
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Over past decade, metabolic alterations in cancer cells have received a substantial amount of interest. It had been established that cancer cells undergo a significant amount of metabolic alterations, and some of these alterations are similar to those in normal highly proliferative cells. However, it is becoming more apparent that many of the metabolic alterations are specific to particular oncogenic signaling pathways. Although altered metabolic machinery makes cancer cells more efficient at promoting growth when nutrients are supplied at the sufficient amounts, the dependency of cancer cells on particular metabolic reprogramming deems cancer cells susceptible to disruptions within metabolic network. …