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Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Clemson University

2011

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Characterization Of De Novo Fatty Acid Biosynthesis In Soybean Somatic Embryo Plastids, Karen Clark Dec 2011

Characterization Of De Novo Fatty Acid Biosynthesis In Soybean Somatic Embryo Plastids, Karen Clark

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A method for the isolation of intact physiologically active plastids from rapidly developing soybean (Glycine max L.) somatic embryos has been developed for the in vitro study of lipid metabolism. Using de novo fatty acid biosynthesis from 14C-acetate as a marker for physiological functionality, the greatest rates of fatty acid biosynthesis were recovered in 3000 x g fractions that were isolated in the presence of 0.5 M sorbitol, with essentially no activity occurring in the 3000 x g supernatant. Plastids purified on 10% Percoll were approximately 70 and 97 % free from mitochondrial and ER contamination, respectively, as judged …

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Investigations Of The Ppi-Dependent Acetate Kinase From The Parasite Entamoeba Histolytica, Matthew Fowler Aug 2011

Investigations Of The Ppi-Dependent Acetate Kinase From The Parasite Entamoeba Histolytica, Matthew Fowler

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Acetate, a short-chain fatty acid that plays a key role in all domains of life, can be utilized as a carbon source or excreted as a product of metabolism. Acetate kinase (ACK), a member of the acetate and sugar kinase-Hsp70-actin (ASKHA) enzyme superfamily, is responsible for the reversible phosphorylation of acetate to acetyl phosphate utilizing ATP as the phosphoryl donor. Acetate kinases are ubiquitous in the Bacteria, found in one genus of Archaea, and are also present in microbes of the Eukarya. A partially purified ACK which can utilize pyrophosphate (PPi) as the phosphoryl donor in the acetyl …

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Changes In Expression Of Akt Pathway Proteins Following Treatment With Rg3 In Vitro, Kathryn Schalkoff Aug 2011

Changes In Expression Of Akt Pathway Proteins Following Treatment With Rg3 In Vitro, Kathryn Schalkoff

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To assess changes in AKT pathway signaling, a recombinant protein of the G3 domain of rat laminin-5 (rG3) that specifically binds the alpha subunit of integrins α6β1 and α6β4 expressed on cancer cells (e.g., MDA-MB-231) was produced. This recombinant protein is believed to interrupt the intracellular signaling events of the AKT pathway, causing a decrease in proliferation and survival of cells after treatment. Viability assays confirmed an apoptotic effect of rG3 on cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, data from gene expression studies of Caspase-9, GRB10, and CDKNIB proved non-conclusive that rG3 is acting upon gene expression, leading to the …

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Biomass V2.0: A New Tool For Bioprocess Simulation, Y Phan-Thien May 2011

Biomass V2.0: A New Tool For Bioprocess Simulation, Y Phan-Thien

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A simulation software (BioMASS - Biological Modeling and Simulation Software) was upgraded from the previous version and provided with additional enhancements. Several new bioprocess configurations and their subroutines have been added. The additional processes included continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with biomass recycle, and CSTR with additional stream in the second stage. The primary goal in the development of BioMASS v2.0 was to provide users with a ready-to-use, expressive visual modeling tools. In this new version, output from simulation can be visualized in graphics. Printing, exporting, and saving file options also are available. In summary, BioMASS v2.0 offers an effective …

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Regulation Of Trypanosoma Brucei Hexokinase 1 And 2 On Multiple Levels: Transcript Abundance, Protein Expression And Enzyme Activity, Heidi Dodson May 2011

Regulation Of Trypanosoma Brucei Hexokinase 1 And 2 On Multiple Levels: Transcript Abundance, Protein Expression And Enzyme Activity, Heidi Dodson

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Trypanosoma brucei, a unicellular eukaryotic parasite, is the causative agent of African sleeping sickness in sub-Saharan Africa. The parasite encounters two main environments as it progresses through its life cycle: the tsetse fly and the mammalian
bloodstream. Nutrient availability is distinct in the two environments, requiring the parasite to utilize diverse metabolic pathways to efficiently produce ATP for survival. Bloodstream form parasites (BSF), residing in a glucose rich environment, rely solely on
glycolysis for energy, while procyclic form (PF) parasites metabolize readily available proline and threonine in addition to glucose.
T. brucei expresses two hexokinases, the first enzyme in the …

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