Molecular Biology Commons^™

Characterization Of An Epoxide Hydrolase From The Florida Red Tide Dinoflagellate, Karenia Brevis, Pengfei Sun

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polyether compounds are a subgroup of natural products with regular occurrence of multiple C-O-C motifs. The biosynthetic origin of polycylic polethers has been studied and the majority of them are derived from polyketide or terpene pathways. Normally, the polycyclic polyethers can be divided into two groups based on their structural features: the first group features multiple rings that are interconnected by carbon-carbon single bond, which are produced by a biosynthetic cascade of exo epoxide-opening reactions; the other group has multiple fused cyclic ethers and are formed by an cascade of endo epoxide-opening reactions.

Karenia brevis (K. brevis) is …

The Effect Of Sample And Sample Matrix On Dna Processing: Mechanisms For The Detection And Management Of Inhibition In Forensic Samples, Lilliana I. Moreno

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The presence of inhibitory substances in biological forensic samples has, and continues to affect the quality of the data generated following DNA typing processes. Although the chemistries used during the procedures have been enhanced to mitigate the effects of these deleterious compounds, some challenges remain. Inhibitors can be components of the samples, the substrate where samples were deposited or chemical(s) associated to the DNA purification step. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the extraction processes and their ability to handle the various types of inhibitory substances can help define the best analytical processing for any given sample. A series of experiments …

Redox Regulation Of Ras Proteins In Dictyostelium Discoideum, Boris Castillo Chabeco

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reactive oxygen species are a normal consequence of life in an aerobic environment. However when they deviate from the narrow permissible range in cells, oxidative damage can occur. Dictyostelium discoideum is a model organism ideal for the study of cell signaling events such as those affected by oxidative stress. It was previously shown that Ras signaling in Dictyostelium is affected by genetic inactivation of the antioxidant enzyme Superoxide dismutase C (SodC) and in vitro data suggests that the NKCD motif of Ras is the redox target of superoxide.

The main objective of this project was to determine the mechanism of …

Multimode Analysis Of Nanoscale Biomolecular Interactions, Purushottam Babu Tiwari

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomolecular interactions, including protein-protein, protein-DNA, and protein-ligand interactions, are of special importance in all biological systems. These interactions may occer during the loading of biomolecules to interfaces, the translocation of biomolecules through transmembrane protein pores, and the movement of biomolecules in a crowded intracellular environment. The molecular interaction of a protein with its binding partners is crucial in fundamental biological processes such as electron transfer, intracellular signal transmission and regulation, neuroprotective mechanisms, and regulation of DNA topology. In this dissertation, a customized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been optimized and new theoretical and label free experimental methods with related analytical …