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Molecular Biology Commons

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Theses/Dissertations

University of Vermont

2014

Medicine and Health Sciences

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Molecular Biology

Mitochondrial Structure And Function As A Therapeutic Target In Malignant Mesothelioma, Brian Cunniff Jan 2014

Mitochondrial Structure And Function As A Therapeutic Target In Malignant Mesothelioma, Brian Cunniff

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a rare tumor associated with occupational exposure to asbestos with no effective treatment regime. Evaluation of mitochondrial function in human MM cell lines revealed a common tumor phenotype: in comparison to immortalized or primary human mesothelial cells, MM tumor cells displayed a more oxidized mitochondrial environment, increased expression of mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes, and altered mitochondrial metabolism. Earlier work by our laboratory indicated that increases in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) in MM cell lines supports expression of FOXM1, an oncogenic transcription factor that contributes to increased cell proliferation and chemoresistance. These studies sought to investigate targeting …


A Novel Approach For The Identification Of Cytoskeletal And Adhesion A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins, Laura Taylor Director Jan 2014

A Novel Approach For The Identification Of Cytoskeletal And Adhesion A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins, Laura Taylor Director

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) are signaling scaffolds which provide spatial and temporal organization of signaling pathways in discrete subcellular compartments. Through tethering the cyclic-AMP dependent protein kinase A (PKA), AKAPs target PKA activity to distinct regions in the cell, bringing PKA in close proximity to its target proteins. This provides a high level of specificity and regulation of PKA and its role in mediating a number of biological processes, one of which is cell migration. Cell migration is a highly dynamic and fundamental process, when misregulated can lead to a number of pathologies. The process of cell migration requires integration …