Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Upregulation Of The Predominant Cystic Fibrosis Causing Mutation Df508-Cftr By Triazole Compounds In Epithelial Cells, Maggie Taylor

Undergraduate Research Conference

Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disease that is caused by a mutation in the plasma membrane protein CFTR, which stands for Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane-conductance Regulator. When this membrane protein is mutated, it impairs its chloride ion channel function, blocking the movement of chloride ions that travel in and out of the cell. Previous studies have demonstrated that the most prevalent CFTR mutation, ∆F508-CFTR, can be partially reversed using small molecules (Heda and Marino, BBRC, 271:659-664, 2000). In this study, I have investigated the effects of several triazole compounds known to bind and transport chloride ions in cultured cells, on …

Hgs-3 The Influence Of A Tandem Cycling Program In The Community On Physical And Functional Health, Therapeutic Bonds, And Quality Of Life For Individuals And Care Partners Coping With Parkinson’S Disease, Leila Djerdjour, Jennifer L. Trilk

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Purpose Statement: Several studies have shown that aerobic exercise can have a positive impact on alleviating symptoms experienced by individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite this evidence, the potential benefits of exercise for both PD patients and their care partners (PD dyad) remain unexplored. This research project investigates the effectiveness, therapeutic collaborations, and physical outcomes of a virtual reality (VR) tandem cycling program specifically designed for PD dyads.

Methods: Following approval from the Prisma Health Institutional Review Board, individuals with PD were identified and screened by clinical neurologists. The pre-testing measures for PD dyads (N=9) included emotional and cognitive status …

A Comparison Of In Vitro Studies Between Cobalt(Iii) And Copper(Ii) Complexes With Thiosemicarbazone Ligands To Treat Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Duaa R. Alajroush, Chloe B. Smith, Brittney F. Anderson, Ifeoluwa T. Oyeyemi, Stephen J. Beebe, Alvin A. Holder

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, and disproportionately affects African American women. TNBC cells lack the common hormone receptors that many pre-existing cancer treatments target. Fortunately, metal-based complexes with thiosemicarbazone ligands have gained significant attention for their potential as anti-cancer agents. Cobalt(III) complex ([Co(phen)2(MeATSC)](NO3)3•1.5H2O•C2H5OH]) and Copper(II) complex ([Cu(acetylethTSC)Cl]Cl•0.25C2H5OH) specifically have properties of high toxicity, which can contribute to decreased cancer cell activity. The effects of these complexes are currently being investigated on cancerous and non-cancerous breast cell lines. The cytotoxic effect of the cobalt(lll) complex and the copper(ll) complex was analyzed …

Trip13’S Crucial Role In Pancreatic Cancer Progression, Swati Dhasmana, Anupam Dhasmana, Stella Rios, Iris A. Enriquez-Perez, Sheema Khan, Farrukh Afaq, Upender Manne, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer, characterized by its high mortality rate, stands as one of the most aggressive cancer forms. The projected surge in pancreatic cancer-related deaths, making it the second leading cause in the United States by 2030, underscores the urgency for effective early screening tools. This study employs data mining methods to scrutinize bioinformatic data surrounding TRIP13. Examining differential expression across various cancers, correlating TRIP13 expression with pancreatic cancer stages, exploring associations with common cancer genes, and analyzing overall survival rates constitute the core investigations. Integrated with molecular biology techniques, the study further quantifies TRIP13 expression in progressive pancreatic cancer …

Investigating Optimal Laboratory Growth Conditions Of Gracilibacillus Halotolerans In Media Supplemented With Salt, Isaac Young

Annual Research Symposium

As interest continues to grow in the field of persister cells and their morphology, there arises an ever-evolving desire to further understand specific strains of bacteria that exemplify the qualities of seemingly anomalous survival regardless of anti-bacterial treatment. In the case of the Gracilibacillus halotolerans, a halotolerant extremophile extracted from the Great Salt Lake with known persistent characteristics, uncovering its optimal growth conditions was essential for future investigations. Identifying the optimal salinity for the growth of G. halotolerans will allow us to standardize our growth methods, uncover several mechanisms of saline tolerance, and add to future investigations of persistence with …

Using Hyperosmotic Shock To Study The Cell Wall Of Myxococcus Xanthus, Ian Sabol

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Growth Rate On Peptidoglycan Crosslink Density Of E. Coli Using Fluorescent Labeling, Morgan Olszewski

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Peptidoglycan (PG) is a polymer composed of polysaccharides and crosslinked peptide chains found in bacterial cell walls. It helps to protect the cell from environmental stress and maintain cell morphology throughout its life cycle and further generations. The PG is made up of two sugars, N-acetyl muramic acid (NAM) and N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). NAM and NAG are connected by glycosidic linkages to form repeated chains. The chains are formed in layers, which are interconnected via a polypeptide stem linked by a peptide bridge. During cell growth, continuous turnover of existing PG occurs by severing existing crosslinks, inserting new PG into …

Molecular Event In Hrp Apoptosis, Laura Valdez

Research Colloquium

Background: Human retinal pericytes (HRP) are contractile cells providing support for endothelial cells of capillaries, essential in the regulation of retinal vasculature. Early stages of DR are characterized by the loss of HRP, leading to angiogenesis. Our preliminary studies identified monocyte-derived macrophages secrete TGF-β1, inducing the expression and secretion of a TGFβ1-Induced, pro-apoptotic BIGH3 protein leading to apoptosis of HRP. Based on a preliminary study in renal cells (unpublished data), CTP with an RGD domain is released from BIGH3 by proteolysis leading to renal cell apoptosis. In the present study, we employed Western Blots to determine if a similar molecular …

Irbp In Diabetic Retinopathy – Cell Culture & Ophthalmic Pathology Studies, Laura Valdez

Research Colloquium

Background: Interphotoreceptor-Retinoid-Binding-Protein (IRBP) is restricted to the subretinal space by the external limiting membrane and RPE zonulae occludens. Its expression is reduced in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and increased expression is protective. Hypoxia decreases viable conelike photoreceptors (661W) but increased VEGF, suggesting a role of photoreceptors in proliferative DR (PDR) (Rodriguez et al, Arch Clin Exp. Ophthal 3:23,2021). Here, we investigated the effects of high glucose and VEGF on IRBP expression by 661W and rod-like Y79 cells and distribution of IRBP and albumin in human globes with PDR and NPDR.

Methods:  661W and Y79 cells were cultured in DMEM or RPMI …

Natural Remedies To Combat Aberrant Hallmark Signatures Including Altered Glycosylation In Oral Carcinoma, Kruti A. Mehta, Jayendra B. Patel, Prabhudas S. Patel

Research Symposium

Background: Tobacco associated oral cancers remain a major concern in India with higher incidence and mortality making it an Indian-centric burning issue. To combat this dreadful disease, we investigated effects of certain natural compounds on the hallmark signatures including glycosylation transcripts levels in oral carcinoma.

Methods: The tongue carcinoma cells- SAS cells were treated with tobacco compounds, natural compounds and Cisplatin. RNA was isolated from the cells and converted to cDNA. RT-qPCR was performed to evaluate expression levels of various genes.

Results: The treatment of tobacco compounds resulted in similar pattern of altered makers (ST3GAL1, NEU3, FUT5, FUT6, MMP2, BCL2) …

Hpv Imprints In Western India: The Overlooked Criteria For Cancer Profiling, Ashi R. Thobias, Jayendra B. Patel, Prabhudas P. Patel

Research Symposium

Background: In India, HPV infection detection for cancer-typing has been largely evaded. Especially, data on prevalence of HPV types other than the highly prevalent HPV 16 and 18 are lacking, particularly from the western region. Thus, present study aimed to evaluate prevalence of HPV strains in three most prevailing cancers in India i.e. cervical, oral and oropharyngeal cancer.

Materials & methods: DNA was isolated from tissue samples of 400 cervical cancer cases, 127 oral cancer cases and 75 oropharyngeal cancer cases and endpoint PCR was performed using degenerative primers MY 09/11, GP 5+/6+ and CP I/II. TS-PCR was conducted to …

Identification Of Tectorigenin As A Natural Pro-Hypoxia Compound: Implications In Modulation Of Cellular Differentiation And Senescence, Mallika Khurana, Renu Wadhwa, Sunil Kaul

Research Symposium

Background: Hypoxia, a suboptimal level of oxygen, evokes stress response in cells and activated hypoxia signaling has been largely established as a pro-metastasis and pro-angiogenic factor for tumor cells. On the other hand, age-related neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by hypoxic environment, accumulation of molecular garbage and induction of premature senescence. Several recent studies have reported anti-stress impact of the intermittent induction of hypoxia signaling in these cells.

Methods: Screening of a phytochemical library using Hypoxia Responsive Element (HRE) driven luciferase as a reporter was carried out to identify hypoxia-modulating phytochemicals. Activation of HIF-1a (master regulator of hypoxia signaling) was validated …

Ethical Issues And Standards Of Responsible Research Conduct And Monitoring In An Adventist Institution Of Higher Learning - The Babcock Experience, Kayode O. Ogunwenmo, Godswill N. Anyasor, Grace O. Tayo

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Ethical issues and standards of responsible research conduct involving human participants are important considerations in any institution of higher learning and in particular Adventist institutions. Research conduct and ethics are reviewed and approved before they begin by the Babcock University Health Research Ethics Committee (BUHREC)

The Involvement Of Ubiquitin In Med13 Cyclin C Degradation Following Cellular Stress, Ayesha Gurnani, Brittany Friedson, Katrina Cooper

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The Cdk8 Kinase Module is a dissociable regulator of cellular stress response genes, with degradation of its components Med13 and cyclin C eventually determining cell fate decisions such as engaging cell survival or cell death mechanisms. We aimed to explore the roles of ubiquitin in degradation of the Cdk8 Kinase Module following nitrogen starvation, with respect to the potential involvement of deubiquitinating enzyme Doa4, lysine linkage at position K63, and E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzymes Ubc4 and Ubc5. We utilized Western blot analysis to observe nitrogen starvation-induced degradation of Med13-HA in wild-type, doa4 mutant, and K63R yeast strains; degradation of cyclin …

The Effects Of Prenatal Cannabis Exposure On The Basolateral Amygdala, Karen Kw Wong

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Clinical and preclinical studies indicate prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) pathologically affects fetal brain development and may increase vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and mood/anxiety disorders. In review research from our lab suggests that fetal exposure to Δ9-THC sex-selectively impairs mesocorticolimbic (MCL) circuit function. However, there is a distinct lack of focus on PCE models on the BLA. The BLA plays a central role within the MCL where it directly interacts with the VTA, PFC and HIPP. Importantly, our model exhibits significant VTA hyperdopaminergic activity, and sex-specific alterations to PFC/HIPP glutamate firing, alongside region- and sex-specific changes in dopamine (DA), …

Creating A Protein Chimera To Study Regulation Of Muscle Diversity, Shannon Scarboro

Symposium of Student Scholars

Creating a protein chimera to study regulation of muscle diversity.

Body muscles are made of many individual super-cells, called muscle fibers, that have distinct properties and determine every individual’s strength and endurance. Initially all muscle fibers have identical characteristics, but become differentiated into specific types in adults. The mechanism of such transition is not well understood, despite its obvious importance for shaping human physicality.

Remarkable conservation of the muscle tissue enables us to use fruit flies to study the mechanisms of muscle fiber diversity. We hypothesized that the transcription factor Mef2 acts as a molecular switch that activates structural genes …

Identification Of The E3 Ligase That Directs The Degradation Of Proteins That Control Cell Fate Decisions In Yeast, Prasanna Tati, Stephen D Willis, Katrina F. Cooper

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy pathways are distinct, highly conserved proteolytic systems that play important roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis in response to environmental cues [1]. The goal of this project is to identify the E3 ligase that mediates the degradation of cyclin C following nitrogen starvation in yeast using quantitative Western blot analysis of cyclin C-myc following nitrogen starvation in mutants of known Ubc4/5 interacting E3 ligases. No potential E3 ligases were identified as stable after 4 hours of nitrogen starvation, suggesting redundancy in function.

216— Loss Of Function Mutation For Tp53 Does Not Rescue The Chaf1bNt2 Small-Eye Phenotype In Danio Rerio, Alex Parks

GREAT Day Posters

In Zebrafish, the chromosome assembly factor 1b (chaf1b) gene is in part responsible for the development of the eye. In homozygous chaf1bt24412 mutants retinal cell death is promoted through cell-death promoting activity of the gene, tumor suppressor protein p53 (tp53), resulting in a small-eye phenotype. Another allele chaf1bnt2, was found to also result in the small-eye phenotype when in a homozygous state. We found that knockdown of Tp53 protein via morpholino antisense oligonucleotide injection of 1-2 cell stage embryos failed to rescue retinal cell death of chaf1bnt2 homozygous mutants as detected by TUNEL labeling. Because morpholinos may fail to fully …

All Nuts And No Bolts: The Evolution Of Undergraduate Research At A Small State School, James Hawker

Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

In fall of 2017, students first started doing research with their biology instructor, and just a few terms later, two students have earned Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowships. In some ways, the program is going well with students participating in high numbers, but organizers still have questions about the “nuts and bolts” of establishing the program within the institution. Enthusiasm is high! However, key metrics are not being tracked and the workload needs to be distributed more evenly. The organizers will be talking with the audience about different ways to integrate UGR into the institution.

Knocking Out A Negative Regulator Of Hedgehog Signaling Blocks Differentiation Of Cells Into Neurons, Danielle Margaret Spice, Gregory M. Kelly Ph.D.

Western Research Forum

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, one of many different protein signaling pathways found in mammals, is vital in many stage of neural development. A major negative regulator of Hh signaling is a protein known as Suppressor of Fused (SUFU), which acts to sequester the full length Gli transcription factors, proteins that can turn genes on and off, in the cytoplasm or facilitates its conversion to a repressive form. The P19 embryonal carcinoma cell line is a model of hind-brain neuronal differentiation and the involvement of Hh signaling, in particular the role of SUFU in this process has yet to be explored. We …

Ultrafine Carbon Nanoparticles Activate Inflammasome Signaling And Cell Death In Murine Macrophages, Alexander Soloniuk, Hadley Lamascus, Jay Brewster, John Mann

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Carbon black (CB) is the primary nanoparticulate component of air pollution from fossil fuel combustion. This work examines the cellular impact of ultrafine carbon (carbon black, CB) nanoparticles, that range in size down to 30 nm, upon murine macrophages. The size analysis of the carbon black nanoparticles was performed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. RAW246.7 macrophage cells were exposed to CB doses ranging from 50 – 200 ug/ml in complete media. Analysis of cell survival over time revealed elevated rates of significant nuclear degradation and cell lifting after 48 hours of exposure, and in …

Analyzing Neuronal Dendritic Trees With Convolutional Neural Networks, Olivier Trottier, Jonathon Howard

Yale Day of Data

In the biological sciences, image analysis software are used to detect, segment or classify a variety of features encountered in living matter. However, the algorithms that accomplish these tasks are often designed for a specific dataset, making them hardly portable to accomplish the same tasks on images of different biological structures. Recently, convolutional neural networks have been used to perform complex image analysis on a multitude of datasets. While applications of these networks abound in the technology industry and computer science, use cases are not as common in the academic sciences. Motivated by the generalizability of neural networks, we aim …

A Three State Model Can Explain The Dynamics Of Class Iv Drosophila Dendritic Tips, Sabyasachi Sutradhar

Yale Day of Data

No abstract provided.

A Crispr Platform For Rapid And Inducible Genome Editing In Human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells, Lloyd Bartley

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer death in the world. High mortality rate associated with NSCLC is partially attributed to the limited understanding of NSCLC as well as ineffective therapeutic treatments. The initiation and progression of NSCLC involves genetic changes leading to alterations in the control of tissue development and homeostatic maintenance. Better knowledge about these genetic abnormalities is imperative for developing new chemotherapeutic drugs for NSCLC. Recent research demonstrates that the expression of paraoxonase 2 (PON2), a lactonase/arylesterase with anti-oxidant properties, are markedly enhanced in cancer …

Development Of A Pd-L1 Pet Imaging Biomarker, Caleb Jack Bridgwater

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Immunotherapy strategies are very promising treatments for cancer patients. Specifically, Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy focusing on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway shows long-lasting positive results in many cancer patients. Unfortunately, not all the patients can benefit from this highly effective treatment. Hence, there is a great need for predictive biomarkers. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining has been used as a way of predicting patient response, yet shows many problems. For example, IHC utilizes an invasive biopsy and sample fixing, which creates an incomplete and delayed picture of the patient’s biochemistry and the tumor microenvironment, consequently ignoring metastases.

The purpose of this study is to …

Combined High-Speed Single Particle Tracking Of Membrane Proteins And Super-Resolution Of Membrane-Associated Structures, Hanieh Mazloom Farsibaf, Keith A. Lidke

Shared Knowledge Conference

Many experiments have shown that the diffusive motion of lipids and membrane proteins are slower on the cell surface than those in artificial lipid bilayers or blebs. One hypothesis that may partially explain this mystery is the effect of the cytoskeleton structures on the protein dynamics. A model proposed by Kusumi [1] is the Fence-Picket Model which describes the cell membrane as a set of compartment regions, each ~ 10 to 200 nm in size, created by direct or indirect interaction of lipids and proteins with actin filaments just below the membrane. To test this hypothesis, we have assembled a …

Structural And Functional Characterization Of Hyper-Phosphorylated Grk5 Protein Expressed From E. Coli, Joseph M. Krampen, John Tesmer, Qiuyan Chen

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) are proteins in the cell responsible for regulating GPCRs located on the cell membrane. GRKs regulate active GPCRs by phosphorylating them at certain sites which causes them to stop normal signaling on the membrane. This ultimately affects how the cell responds to its environment. GRK5 is a kinase of particular interest due to its involvement in the pathology of diseases such as cardiac failure, cancers, and diabetes. Understanding the structure and function of GRK5 is essential for discovering ways to manipulate its behavior with these diseases, but not much is known about how GRK5 …

Mathematical Modeling Of Nutrient Signaling And Growth In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Amogh P. Jalihal, Pavel Kraikivski, T.M. Murali, John J. Tyson

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Constitutive Expression Of Thioglucoside Glucohydrolase 1 (Tgg1) Decreases Intercellular Trafficking In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Alessandro Francesco Sarno

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Plasmodesmata (PD) are pores that traverse plant cell walls, providing a route for intercellular trafficking of essential metabolites, nutrients, and signaling molecules between adjacent plant cells, thereby aiding communication. The increased size exclusion limit 2 (ise2) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana has an increased abundance of branched PD, as well as a greater flux of intercellular trafficking. A search for proteins that interact with ISE2 identified THIOGLUCOSIDE GLUCOHYDROLASE 2 (a myrosinase). A. thaliana also encodes a second, closely-related myrosinase, TGG1. Myrosinases are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of glucosinolates, a type of secondary metabolite that are amino acid derivatives. The breakdown …

Mapping Netrin Signaling In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Katelyn R. Malik, Bethany C. Khol, Stephanie J. Hermann, Kenneth W. Ward, Daniele T. Modderman, Heather G. Kuruvilla

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The netrin family of proteins, found throughout the animal kingdom, are well known for their roles in developmental signaling. Netrin-1, the best-studied member of this family, signals through four receptor types in vertebrates: the UNC-5 family, DCC, neogenin, and DSCAM. We have previously characterized a netrin-1-like protein in the ciliated protozoan, Tetrahymena thermophila. This protein is secreted from Tetrahymena, and functions as a chemorepellent. Since a netrin-like protein is produced by this organism, we hypothesized that some components of the vertebrate netrin signaling pathway might also be present in Tetrahymena. Through immunolocalization on the plasma membrane of the cell, we …