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Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons™

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The Texas Medical Center Library

2023

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

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

Development Of Novel Methods To Study Host-Microbe Interactions In The Larval Zebrafish Gastrointestinal Tract, Anh K. Trinh Nguyen Dec 2023

Development Of Novel Methods To Study Host-Microbe Interactions In The Larval Zebrafish Gastrointestinal Tract, Anh K. Trinh Nguyen

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The dynamic nature and inaccessible location of the intestine pose significant challenges to the study of intestinal physiology and pathology. Zebrafish larvae, possessing optical transparency and genetic tractability, offer an accessible and clinically relevant model for investigating dynamic events in the intestine via time-lapse imaging. In the first part of this work, I discuss our efforts to optimize the parameters of a foodborne infection assay using paramecia as a vehicle. This method provides an effective, high-throughput alternative to infection via immersion or oral gavage, and replicates the most common route of transmission of gastrointestinal (GI) infection in humans. The foodborne …

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A Cancer-Specific Study On The Differentially Expressed Protein-Protein Interactions Of Fumarate Hydratase, Sydney Lac Dec 2023

A Cancer-Specific Study On The Differentially Expressed Protein-Protein Interactions Of Fumarate Hydratase, Sydney Lac

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Fumarate hydratase (FH) is an enzyme used in the Krebs Cycle to convert fumarate to malate, and it is controlled by the FH gene. In this paper, we will investigate its role in Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (UCEC) and how FH-deficient cells affect tumorigenesis. It is well-established that FH has been extensively studied in connection with renal cell carcinoma, skin and uterine leiomyomas, pheochromocytoma, and paraganglioma. However, we aim to construct an interaction network of significant genes related to the FH gene under conditions of FH deficiency in the Kreb Cycle. Creating an interactive network that illustrates the interconnectedness of …

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Targeting Metabolic Alterations Associated With Smooth Muscle Α-Actin Pathogenic Variant Attenuates Moyamoya-Like Cerebrovascular Disease, Anita Kaw May 2023

Targeting Metabolic Alterations Associated With Smooth Muscle Α-Actin Pathogenic Variant Attenuates Moyamoya-Like Cerebrovascular Disease, Anita Kaw

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Heterozygous pathogenic variants in ACTA2, encoding smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA), predispose to thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. De novo missense variants disrupting ACTA2 arginine 179 (p.Arg179) cause a multisystemic disease termed smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome (SMDS), which is characterized by early onset thoracic aortic disease and moyamoya disease-like (MMD) cerebrovascular disease. The MMD-like cerebrovascular disease in SMDS patients is marked by bilateral steno-occlusive lesions in the distal internal carotid arteries (ICAs) and their branches. To study the molecular mechanisms that underlie the ACTA2 p.Arg179 variants, a smooth muscle-specific Cre-lox knock-in mouse model of the heterozygous Acta2 R179C variant, termed …

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Regulation And Function Of Zeb1 Acetylation In Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression And Metastasis, Mabel Perez-Oquendo May 2023

Regulation And Function Of Zeb1 Acetylation In Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression And Metastasis, Mabel Perez-Oquendo

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Lung cancer metastasis is leading the causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States and worldwide. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a model for metastasis that results in loss of specialized epithelial cell contacts and acquisition of mesenchymal invasive capacity. Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) recognizes and binds to E-boxes of epithelial gene promoters to repress its transcription. ZEB1 has inconsistent molecular weights, which have been attributed to post-translational modifications (PTMs). In the presented dissertation, I specifically addressed the gap in the molecular mechanisms by which PTMs of ZEB1 regulate its ability to induce EMT and how its activity might …

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S-Acylation Is A Key Regulator Of Orai1/Stim1-Mediated Store-Operated Calcium Entry In T Cells, Savannah J. West Diaz Jan 2023

S-Acylation Is A Key Regulator Of Orai1/Stim1-Mediated Store-Operated Calcium Entry In T Cells, Savannah J. West Diaz

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Orai1 and STIM1 proteins are the essential components of the Ca2+ release activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel which is required for store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) in T cells and subsequent signaling events leading to T cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation. Plasma membrane (PM)-localized Orai1 is the pore-forming subunit of the CRAC channel, and STIM1 is the Ca2+ sensor localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane in quiescent T cells. T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation leads to depletion of ER Ca2+ stores resulting in Ca2+ no longer being bound to STIM1. This activates STIM1 by triggering …

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