Molecular Biology Commons^™

Chemosensory Receptors In Berghia Stephanieae: Bioinformatics And Localization, Kelsi L. Watkins

Masters Theses

Chemosensation is achieved through the binding of chemical signals to chemoreceptor proteins embedded in the membranes of sensory neurons. The molecular identity of these receptors, as well as the downstream processing of chemosensory signals, has been well studied in arthropods and vertebrates. However, very little is known about molluscan chemosensation. The identity of chemoreceptor proteins in the nudibranch mollusc Berghia stephanieae are unknown. Data from other protostome and molluscan studies suggest Berghia may use ionotropic receptors for some forms of chemoreception. This study used a bioinformatics approach to identify potential chemosensory ionotropic receptors in the transcriptome of Berghia. A …

Development Of Fluorescence Microscopy Approaches To Study Subcellular Protein Transport And Enzymatic Activity, Anchal Singh

Masters Theses

Understanding the subcellular localization of proteins and their activity is important in understanding their normal function in eukaryotic cells. Fluorescence cellular imaging techniques can selectively and sensitively visualize subcellular biochemistry. Using this approach, two different methods were employed in this thesis. The first focused on studying protein import into peroxisome and the other on monitoring the activity of an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized enzyme, human carboxylesterase 1 (CES1).

Peroxisomes are mainly known as the center for long chain fatty acid b-oxidation as well as the production and detoxification of hydrogen peroxide. Proteins which are needed in the peroxisomes are encoded in …

Feronia-Related Receptor Kinase 7 And Feronia And Their Role In Receiving And Transducing Signals, David Vyshedsky

Masters Theses

Receptor kinases (RKs) are transmembrane proteins that have been shown to regulate an array of important processes in A. thaliana, including polar cell growth, plant reproduction, and many other plant growth processes. In this thesis, I examine RECEPTOR KINASE 7 (RK7) and FERONIA (FER), two closely related transmembrane RKs, and their effects on plant reproduction. The RK7 gene when knocked out (rk7) in conjunction with FER resulted in delayed plant growth, decreased seed yield, and a lower percentage of the seeds germinating as compared to the single FER knockout. Transgenic plants with GUS reporter driven by RK7 promoter …

Modifications Of Myofilament Structure And Function During Global Myocardial Ischemia, Mike K. Woodward

Masters Theses

Cardiac arrest is a prevalent condition with a poor prognosis, attributable in part to persistent myocardial dysfunction following resuscitation. The molecular basis of this dysfunction remains unclear. We induced cardiac arrest in a porcine model of acute sudden death and assessed the impact of ischemia and reperfusion on the molecular function of isolated cardiac contractile proteins. Cardiac arrest was electrically induced, left untreated for 12 min, and followed by a resuscitation protocol. With successful resuscitations, the heart was reperfused for 2 h (IR2) and the muscle harvested. In failed resuscitations, tissue samples were taken following the failed efforts (IDNR). Actin …

Promoting Extracellular Matrix Crosslinking In Synthetic Hydrogels, Marcos M. Manganare

Masters Theses

The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides mechanical and biochemical support to tissues and cells. It is crucial for cell attachment, differentiation, and migration, as well as for ailment-associated processes such as angiogenesis, metastases and cancer development. An approach to study these phenomena is through emulation of the ECM by synthetic gels constructed of natural polymers, such as collagen and fibronectin, or simple but tunable materials such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) crosslinked with short peptide sequences susceptible to digestion by metalloproteases and cell-binding domains. Our lab uses PEG gels to study cell behavior in three dimensions (3D). Although this system fosters cell …