Biology Commons^™

Determining The Critical Window Of Influence Of Pcb Perinatally On Behavioral And Hormonal Development In Sprague-Dawley Rat Pups, Natalie Sommerville, Lee A. Meserve, Howard C. Cromwell

Honors Projects

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) had widespread use in the United States in commercial manufacturing in the United States until the late 1970s. Even though they were banned, measurable amounts can still be found in the environment and food sources. PCB has known effects on altering hormone development and behavior in the species Rattus norvegicus. To determine the most crucial developmental time of exposure to PCB in Sprague-Dawley rat pups, rat pups were exposed to PCB at differing weeks of either gestation period or the first postnatal week. Behavioral tests were performed for the different rat pups, as well as blood …

Examining The Role Of Dax-1 In Regulation Of Cell Proliferation In Human Breast Cells, Amy E. Scandurra

Master's Theses

DAX-1 is a member of the Nuclear Hormone Receptor superfamily and acts as a transcriptional repressor. DAX-1 plays an important role in the development of adrenal and gonadal tissues. In addition to its role in normal cell development and differentiation, DAX-1 appears to have some influence on the progression of cancer. This work aims to examine the role of DAX-1 in regulation of proliferation in breast cancer. In our study, we have expressed DAX-1 in a DAX-1 deficient breast cancer cell line as well as knocked down DAX-1 expression in normal DAX-1 positive breast cells. Through these experiments, we were …

Targeting Cox-2 And Rank In Aggressive Breast Cancers: Inflammatory Breast Cancer And Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Monica Elizabeth Reyes

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are two highly aggressive breast cancer subtypes associated with a poor outcome. Despite sensitivity to current treatment, these breast cancers subtypes have a high recurrence rate and proclivity to metastasize early. The aggressiveness of IBC and TNBC have been linked to CSCs and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which are critical features of breast cancer progression and metastasis. The clinical challenge faced in the treatment of IBC and TNBC is finding a treatment strategy to target the cancer stem-like (CSC) population to block metastasis. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and receptor activator of nuclear …

Targeting Cox-2 And Rank In Aggressive Breast Cancers: Inflammatory Breast Cancer And Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Monica E. Reyes

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are two highly aggressive breast cancer subtypes associated with a poor outcome. Despite sensitivity to current treatment, these breast cancers subtypes have a high recurrence rate and proclivity to metastasize early. The aggressiveness of IBC and TNBC have been linked to CSCs and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which are critical features of breast cancer progression and metastasis. The clinical challenge faced in the treatment of IBC and TNBC is finding a treatment strategy to target the cancer stem-like (CSC) population to block metastasis. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and receptor activator of nuclear …

The Role Of Lactate Dehydrogenase B In Aerobic Glycolysis-Mediated Resistance To Ab Toxicity, Tyler Tam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) plaques in affected brain regions. Strong evidence indicates that Aβ exerts neurotoxic effects by promoting mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS production, leading to widespread oxidative damage and activation of pro-apoptotic mechanisms. Past investigations suggest that neuronal resistance to Aβ toxicity is partly mediated by a Warburg Effect-like metabolism, in which cells exhibit elevated glycolytic activity and lactate production, while limiting mitochondrial respiration. Elevated lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) activity, which catalyzes lactate production from pyruvate, has been demonstrated to counter Aβ-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, however the …

Strategies To Sensitize Bladder Cancer Cells To Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting The Pi3k Pathway, Giovanni Nitti

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

After many years of cancer research, it is well accepted by the scientific community that the future cure for this disease lies in a personalized therapeutic approach. Anticipating therapeutic outcome based on the genetic signature of a tumor has become the new paradigm. The PI3K pathway represents an ideal target for bladder cancer, as many of the key proteins of this pathway are altered or mutated in this particular type of cancer. Several small molecule inhibitors have been developed to target this pathway, but their efficacy has been shown to be heterogeneous among different cell lines and mostly cytostatic but …

Development Of Chimeric Type Iv Secretion Systems For Transfer Of Heterologous Substrates Across The Gram-Negative Cell Envelope, Trista M. Berry

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Many bacteria use Type IV Secretion Systems (T4SSs) to aid in pathogenesis by translocating virulence factors across the cell envelope and into eukaryotic cells. These systems are structurally and functionally diverse, but are often compared to the archetypal VirB/VirD4 T4SS of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This system is composed of the VirD4 type IV coupling protein (T4CP) and 11 VirB subunits (VirB1-11) that assemble as the secretion channel and an extracellular pilus. The T4CP is an inner membrane ATPase that interacts with T4SS substrates and the secretion channel, and is thought to link substrates with the secretion channel and possibly energize …

Gain-Of-Function Mouse Models To Investigate Biological Roles Of Prmt6, Alessandra Di Lorenzo

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Gain-of-function Mouse Models to Investigate Biological Roles of PRMT6

Alessandra Di Lorenzo, Ph.D. Candidate

Mentor: Dr. Mark T. Bedford

Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) is the histone tail writer that methylates the H3R2 (arginine 2 of histone H3) residue, which counteracts the activating H3K4me3 mark. PRMT6 has been shown to behave both as transcriptional co-repressor (i.e. trhrombospondin-1, p21, p53), and co-activator (nuclear receptors). The co-repressor function of PRMT6 is likely the result of H3K4me3 antagonism, while the mechanism by which PRMT6 exerts its co-activator function has yet to be elucidated. PRMT6 is over-expressed in several types of tumors including small …

Walk-Training Increases Expression Of Gdnf In Pectoralis Muscle But Not Diaphragm From Mouse, Erin Donovan

Honors Theses

Neurotrophic factors are proteins that play an important role in the development and maintenance of neurons. Recent studies have shown that neurotrophic factors may hold promise for treating damage to the nervous system caused by trauma or diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is expressed in skeletal muscles and affects peripheral motor neurons. Results of previous studies have demonstrated that exercise can increase GDNF content in skeletal muscle of rat. The goal of the current study was to examine whether expression of GDNF in skeletal muscle of mouse is also regulated …

Targeted Knockout Of Beclin-1 Reveals An Essential Function In Ovary And Testis, Thomas R. Gawriluk

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

An estimated 12% of couples worldwide are infertile. The contributing factor is approximately equal between men and women with nearly 25% diagnosed as idiopathic. Despite the increasing numbers of couples seeking assistance from infertility clinics, few molecular mechanisms have been identified for treatment. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process for bulk degradation and recycling of cytosolic components through the lysosome to maintain homeostasis. Several studies have observed increased levels of autophagy during ovarian folliculogenesis and gonadal steroidogenesis; however, no genetic studies to determine the significance of autophagy exist.

To investigate the function of autophagy in the ovary and testis, …

The Prevalence And Effect Of Wolbachia Infection On The Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus Geometricus), Brittany Dane' Arrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wolbachia was recently identified in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus). This symbiont has not previously been found in this genus, therefore the consequences on the host’s population dynamics are unknown. The frequency of endosymbiont infection can provide insight into the population dynamics of the host as this bacteria is known to alter host life history. In my 1^st chapter I determine the prevalence of Wolbachia pipentis infection in in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus) from five locations in the Southeastern United States. Infection frequency differed significantly among sampling locations, ranging from 20% to …

Pcb Effects On Development Of Behavior In Rats, Robert Witte

Honors Projects

Abstract

PCBs were originally used as industrial chemicals in many devices and applications, including electrical capacitors and transformers, lubricants, and sealants in buildings. PCBs have been investigated and their use has been slowly phased out starting in the U.S. in the 1970s. A worldwide ban was put on the use and manufacturing of PCB in 2001, however they remain in the food chain because of their lipophilic properties and their long half-life. Major sources of PCB include wild-life, fish, and other seafood. Individuals exposed to PCB during development can experience negative effects on neurobiological, cognitive, and behavior functioning in both …

The Effects That Liquid And Solid Cattle Manure Have On The Water Quality Of Drainage Ditches In Putnam County, Ohio, Janelle Horstman

Honors Projects

Lake Erie has experienced harmful algal blooms with increased frequency since the mid-1990s due to excess nutrients from Rivers, such as the Maumee River, and largely agricultural watersheds. Nonpoint source pollution from agriculture contributes to eutrophication, algal blooms, and the degradation of water quality. This creates stress on aquatic fauna, reduced aesthetic quality, odor, and limits of the water for usage of drinking, recreation, and industry. This research paper asks what the contributions of having access to manure application records, soil records, and information about antibiotics have on what is known about manure management and antibiotic resistance, which has been …