Molecular Biology Commons^™

Novel Regulatory Mechanisms Of Inositol Biosynthesis In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae And Mammalian Cells, And Implications For The Mechanism Underlying Vpa-Induced Glucose 6-Phosphate Depletion, Wenxi Yu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Myo-inositol is the precursor of all inositol containing molecules, including inositol phosphates, phosphoinositides and glycosylphosphatidylinositols, which are signaling molecules involved in many critical cellular functions. Perturbation of inositol metabolism has been linked to neurological disorders. Although several widely-used anticonvulsants and mood-stabilizing drugs have been shown to exert inositol depletion effects, the mechanisms of action of the drugs and the role of inositol in these diseases are not understood. Elucidation of the molecular control of inositol synthesis will shed light on the pathologies of inositol related illnesses.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, deletion of the four glycogen synthase kinase-3 genes, MCK1, MRK1, MDS1, …

Genome Wide Analysis Identifies Sphingolipid Metabolism As A New Target Of Valproic Acid, Shyamalagauri Jadhav Jadhav

Wayne State University Dissertations

Bipolar disorder (BD), which is characterized by depression and mania, affects about 1% of the total world population. Current treatments are effective in only 40-60% of cases and cause severe side effects. Valproic acid (VPA), a branched short-chain fatty acid, is one of the most widely used drugs for the treatment of BD. Although many hypotheses have been postulated to explain the molecular mechanism of action of this drug in BD, the therapeutic mechanism is not understood. This knowledge gap has hampered the development of new drugs to treat this disorder. To identify candidate pathways affected by VPA, I performed …