Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Effects Of Trans-Acting Factors On The Translational Machinery In Yeast, Brandon M. Trainor

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Synthesis of proteins, or translation, is a complex biological process requiring the coordinated effort of numerous protein and RNA factors. Central to translation is the ribosome, a complex macromolecular complex consisting of both ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and ribosomal protein (r-protein). Ribosomes are essential and are one of the oldest and most abundant biomolecules across all forms of life. In addition to the ribosome, translation requires messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer-RNA conjugated to an amino acid (aa-tRNA), translation factors, and energy in the form of ATP and GTP. Translation universally occurs in four major stages, initiation, elongation, termination, and recycling, with initiation …

Evolutionary Conservation Of The Heterochronic Pathway In C. Elegans And C. Briggsae, Maria Ivanova, Eric G. Moss

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Heterochronic genes control the sequence and timing of developmental events during four larval stages of Caenorhabitis nematodes. Mutations in these genes may cause skipping or reiteration of developmental events.

C. briggsae is a close relative of C. elegans. These species have similar morphology and share the same ecological niche. C. briggsae undergoes the same developmental pathway consisting of four larval stages before reaching adulthood. It also has the same set of heterochronic genes.

Lin-28 is one of the heterochronic genes that also exists in other animals from flies to humans. It conservatively blocks the maturation of let-7 miRNA, the process …

A High-Throughput Approach To Characterizing Arv1 On The Regulation Of Lipid Homeostasis Uncovers A Novel Interaction With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, Nicholas Anthony Wachowski

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Acyl-CoA cholesterol acyl transferase related enzyme-2 required for viability 1 (ARV1) was first recognized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a study done in 2000 by Tinkelenberg et al. In yeast, the deletion of ARV1 results in numerous defects including abnormal sterol trafficking [1], the reduction of sphingolipid metabolism [2], synthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor [3], ER stress [4], and hypersensitivity of fatty acids leading to lipoapoptosis [5]. Arv1 germline deletion in mice displayed a lean phenotype with increased energy [6]. In humans, ARV1 mutations lead to epileptic encephalopathy [7].

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) consists of simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis …