Biology Commons^™

The Effects Of The Omega-3 Fatty Acids Docosahexaenoic Acid On Inm1 Gene Expression In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Haley Kang

Honors Theses

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder associated with abnormal inositol levels. Preliminary studies show omega-3 fatty acids alter intracellular inositol levels; however, the cellular mechanism behind this process is unknown. Therefore, the focus of this study is to determine the effects of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the expression of INM1 which encodes inositol monophosphatase. Using yeast as our model system, cells were grown in varying concentrations DHA and the expression on INM1 was determined by RT-qPCR. The results show INM1 expression increased with increasing concentrations of DHA; thus, the effects of DHA on inositol levels may …

Novel Heterocyclic Arylidene Derivatives As Anticancer Agents Against U87 Human Glioblastoma, Benjamin H. Hiramoto

Honors Theses

The primary objectives of this interdisciplinary study were the synthesis of novel heterocyclic arylidenes and the investigation of their anticancer activity against U87 glioblastoma cell viability. Recently, novel hybrid derivatives have been considered as potential candidates for treating glioblastoma, demonstrating a synergistic anticancer effect in previous studies. 12 heterocyclic arylidenes with various functional groups, including halogens and boronic acid, were produced via a Knoevenagel condensation. These compounds and their starting reagents were then administered to U87 glioblastoma cancer cells at graded concentrations within a 12-well cell viability assay to determine each compound’s lethal concentration 50 (LC50). The LC50 of each …

Are Florida Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Wearing Their Teeth Beyond Functionality? Interspecific And Intraspecific Mesowear In Manatees, Nina Woodard

Honors Theses

Manatees (Trichechus spp.) are herbivorous aquatic mammals found in tropical and subtropical waters. At maturity, they possess only supernumerary molars (SM), with 5-8 in occlusion at each quadrant. Manatees exhibit a dental replacement system in which they shed old teeth anteriorly and erupt new teeth posteriorly. This adaptation is thought to have arisen to deal with abrasive foods. Mesowear (facet development on occlusal surfaces of teeth) increases from posterior (younger) to anterior (older) molars. Tooth functionality is linked to level of mesowear, with increased amounts resulting in decreased food-processing ability. Less functional teeth can result in an increase in feeding …

Synthesis Of An Arylidene Pyrazolone And Its Effects On Glioblastoma Cancer Cells, Joanna Deonarine

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to develop a new technique to synthesize a heterocyclic arylidene compound using fruit puree catalysis and investigate its anti-cancer activity on glioblastoma cancer cells. Recently, there has been interest in heterocycles due to their anticancer properties and they have been used in almost two-thirds of the novel molecular anticancer agents. Varying fruit purees were used to synthesize a novel hybrid arylidene pyrazolone from 3-methyl-1-phenyl-5-pyrazolone and 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde by modifying methodology developed by Dr. Murray. This arylidene pyrazolone was then tested for its anticancer activity on glioblastoma brain cancer cells using Dr. Smith’s 12-well cell viability …

Evaluation Of Anticancer Activity Of Heterocyclic Arylidenes On The U87mg Cancer Cell Line, Bernadette Flores

Honors Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme, is a type of brain cancer that develops from glial cells, which surround neurons and provide support and insulation. Previous investigation has shown that some heterocyclic compounds are key in improving the properties of anticancer drugs by enhancing lipophilicity, polarity, and other varying physiochemical features. Synthetic heterocyclic compounds used as anticancer drugs attempt to imitate naturally-occurring ligands and substrates so as to disturb the natural balance in cells. Testing was done to determine the anticancer abilities of hybrid compounds, heterocyclic arylidenes, containing various functional groups, including boronic acids, through a three-day testing process. These compounds were previous synthesized …

Exploring Soil Texture Effects On Mustard Seed Meal Suppression Of The Weed Velvetleaf, Daheun Danielle Harning

Honors Theses

The use of mustard seed meal (MSM) as a biofumigant in managing weeds in agricultural settings has been well documented. Previous work with MSM has shown that soils with a higher sand content were better at weed suppression than soils with lower amounts of sand. It was hypothesized that the elevated sand content created more air space for volatile inhibitory compounds to diffuse and inhibit seed germination and growth. Although initial results from bioassays systematically testing the comparison of 5 differing levels of sand showed support for this hypothesis, further testing with micron-sized glass beads showed that loss of airspace …

A Study Of Inactive Enzyme-Homologues: The Biochemical And Biological Function Of Ecm14 In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Robert Christian Mcdonald

Master's Theses

Like most major enzyme families, the M14 family of metallocarboxypeptidases (MCPs) contains several pseudoenzymes predicted to lack enzyme activity and with unknown molecular function. The genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes only one member of the M14 MCP family, a pseudoenzyme named Ecm14 proposed to function in the extracellular matrix. Ecm14 is found throughout ascomycete fungi, with a group of related pseudoenzymes found in basidiomycetes. Although the prodomain of Ecm14 can be cleaved in vivo and in vitro by endopeptidases, suggesting an activation mechanism, no activity has been detected using standard carboxypeptidase substrates.

In order to examine the function …

The Use Of Multiple Sensory Modalities By The Antillean Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Manatus) To Locate Food In Their Natural Environments, Amanda Marie Moore

Master's Theses

Manatees are herbivorous aquatic mammals found in the coastal and inland waters of the Atlantic Ocean. All three manatee species are currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list and there still remains much unknown about their ecology. It is currently unknown what sensory modalities manatees use to locate their food in the wild. A literature review of the Paenungulata clade (sirenians, proboscideans, and hyracoideans) was conducted in order to compare and contrast what is known about the sensory modalities of the clade, to better understand the sensory modalities of manatees, particularly the ones they use to locate their …

Paleoenvironmental Implications Of Small-Animal Fossils From The Black Mountain Turtle Layer And Associated Layers, Eocene Of Wyoming, Jeremy Mclarty

Master's Theses

The Bridger Formation is an Early Middle Eocene deposit in southwestern Wyoming that preserves a rich record of life from North America. Some horizons within the Bridger Formation contain abundant fossil turtle shells, but turtle skulls are rarely found. Previous research focused on one of these fossil-rich horizons, the Black Mountain turtle layer, to develop a model for the abundance and taphonomic condition of the fossil turtles. The proposed model begins with a limestone layer deposited in a lake. Then, an influx of fine-grained volcanic ash (forming the Black Mountain turtle layer) was rapidly deposited into this lake likely causing …

Exploring The Biological Function Of Carboxypeptidase O: Analysis Of Expression And Association With Chylomicrons And Lipid Droplets, Erika Bauza Nowotny

Master's Theses

Carboxypeptidase O (CPO) is a membrane-bound peptidase that cleaves acidic and polar C-terminal amino acids of peptides; however, its biological function remains unknown. CPO is strongly expressed in the small intestine, where it has been proposed to participate in digestion events at the brush border by extracellular cleavage of dietary peptides. At the subcellular level, CPO is anchored to the inner leaflet of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, where it has been shown to associate with lipid droplets (LDs). The ER membrane also represents the site of iv chylomicron formation, a process that shares many similarities with that of LDs …

Investigating The Nightime Departures Of Glaucous-Winged Gulls (Larus Glaucescens) And The Role Of Social Facilitation, Devon Leigh Mcclain

Master's Theses

Daytime behaviors and occupancy patterns of Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) have been described and can be mathematically predicted based on environmental factors. However, little is known about the nighttime behaviors of Glaucous-winged Gulls. I used trail cameras to study the daytime and nighttime colony occupancy patterns of Glaucous-winged Gulls on a breeding colony on Protection Island, Washington, USA. Early in the breeding season gulls desert the colony en masse during nighttime even after some gulls have initiated clutches. Using acoustic recording units to identify an acoustic cue that signals the onset of the coordinated nightly departures from the colony, I …