Molecular Biology Commons^™

Regulation Of Phosphatase And Tensin Homolog Expression And Activity By Transforming Growth-Factor Beta In The Trabecular Meshwork Cells: Implications For Primary Open Angle Glaucoma, Nikoleta Tellios

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Glaucoma is a multifactorial condition caused, in part, by fibrosis of the sieve-like trabecular meshwork (TM) tissue, which impedes drainage of aqueous humor (AH), leading to increased intraocular pressure and associated optic nerve damage and blindness. Fibrosis of the TM is mainly caused by the increased levels of active transforming growth factor-β 2 (TGFβ2) in the AH of glaucoma patients.

Previous reports have shown that TGFβ decreases the expression of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) gene and that PTEN is a major regulator of ECM deposition. In this study we investigate the regulation of PTEN protein expression and …

Investigation Of Novel Functions For Dna Damage Response And Repair Proteins In Escherichia Coli And Humans, Benjamin A. Hilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endogenous and exogenous agents that can damage DNA are a constant threat to genome stability in all living cells. In response, cells have evolved an array of mechanisms to repair DNA damage or to eliminate the cells damaged beyond repair. One of these mechanisms is nucleotide excision repair (NER) which is the major repair pathway responsible for removing a wide variety of bulky DNA lesions. Deficiency, or mutation, in one or several of the NER repair proteins is responsible for many diseases, including cancer. Prokaryotic NER involves only three proteins to recognize and incise a damaged site, while eukaryotic NER …

In Vitro Investigation Of The Effect Of Exogenous Ubiquitin On Processes Associated With Atherosclerosis, Chase W. Mussard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Atherosclerosis, characterized by the build-up of cholesterol, immune cells and cellular debris within arterial walls, is accelerated following myocardial infarction by poorly understood mechanisms. Ubiquitin, a small, well-studied intracellular protein involved in protein turnover via the proteasome pathway, has recently been shown to exert extracellular effects on cardiac myocytes, in vitro, and in mice undergoing myocardial remodeling. This study investigates the potential role of extracellular ubiquitin in atherosclerosis by determining its effects on two critical atherosclerotic processes: the migration of vascular smooth muscles cells and the uptake of modified LDL by monocyte/macrophages in foam cell formation. In the presence …