Molecular Biology Commons^™

Functional Characterization Of The Ovarian Tumor Domain Deubiquitinating Enzyme 6b, Jasmin M. D'Andrea

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The posttranslational modification ubiquitination is major regulatory mechanism used throughout cell signaling pathways such as cell cycle regulation and the DNA damage response. As such, the E3 ligases and their deubiquitinating enzyme counterparts, which conjugate and deconjugate ubiquitin to and from protein substrates respectively, must be tightly regulated to prevent aberrant cellular behaviors that could lead to diseases such as cancer.

Of the five families of deubiquitinating enzymes, the Ovarian Tumor Domain (OTU) family is fairly unique and under-studied; many of its family members hold a linkage specificity to certain ubiquitin chains and a number of them have been implicated …

Characterization Of Beryllium As A Novel Agent To Study Cell Cycle Arrest And Cellular Senescence, Priyatham Gorjala

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cancer cells evade senescence, apoptosis, and other constraints on proliferation, often via mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene (TP53). Normal human lung fibroblasts have been shown to enter premature senescence upon exposure to beryllium. In these cells, BeSO₄ stabilizes p53 protein, increases p21 gene expression, induces senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and causes cell proliferation arrest. In the present study, we have investigated whether BeSO₄ is able to induce similar effects in cancer cells that have wildtype p53. We have demonstrated that beryllium salt at low concentration can induce molecular changes in the p53 signaling pathway leading to cell …

The Role Of The Androgen Receptor Cofactor P44/Wdr77 In Astrocyte Activation, Bryce H. Vincent

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Astrogliosis is induced by neuronal damage and is also a pathological feature of the major aging-related neurodegenerative disorders. The mechanisms that control the cascade of astrogliosis have not been well established. In a previous study, we identified a novel androgen receptor (AR)-interacting protein (p44/WDR77) and found that it plays a critical role in the control of proliferation and differentiation of prostate epithelial cells. In the present study, we found that deletion of the p44 gene in the mouse brain caused accelerated aging with dramatic astrogliosis. The p44/WDR77 is expressed in astrocytes and loss of p44/WDR77 expression in astrocytes leads to …