Cell Biology Commons^™

Analyzing The Effect Of Apoptotic Mutations On The State Of The Nascent-Polypeptide Associated Complex In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Monica Gerber

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Cells experiencing misfolded protein stress can become debilitated and die, contributing to the onset of disease. The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is a heterodimeric translational chaperone that protects against misfolded protein stress by mediating proper protein folding and localization during translation. Depletion of this complex results in misfolded protein accumulation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). To determine the importance of the NAC to proteostasis, we have previously depleted the complex in C.elegans via RNA interference and observed numerous dose-dependent effects, including apoptosis of neuronal cells and changes in gene expression of hypodermal cells. While we have observed these cell-specific responses …

Anti-Crispr Vs. Crispr: The Evolutionary Arms Race Between Microorganisms, Rachael M. St. Jacques

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

CRISPR arrays are a defense mechanism employed by bacteria against viral invaders. Cas proteins do the work in detecting, capturing, and integrating the viral DNA into the CRISPR array (Barrangou et al., 2007). Anti-CRISPR proteins are produced by phages, viruses that infect bacteria, to stop the bacterial host’s CRISPR-Cas complex from interrupting the phage life cycle (Bondy-Denomy, et al., 2015).

SEA-PHAGES is a course-based bacteriophage research network composed of 120 colleges and known at James Madison University as Viral Discovery. JMU uses the unsequenced Streptomyces griseus ATCC10137 as a host for bacteriophage discovery and propagation, and in this study we …

Biosemiotics As An Argument For The Recontextualization Of Biological Discoveries: A Critical Analysis Of The Biosemiotic Model Of Marcello Barbieri., Augustus Morrissey Snyder

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The primary purpose of this project was to investigate and explain the philosophical approach of biosemiotics to understanding living systems in contrast to the current scientific paradigm. Secondary goals were to evaluate the potential merits and relevance of this approach to biology and to introduce such a topic for discussion to biologists in a formal academic setting. My method consisted of critical textual analysis supplemented by analogy and biological examples where appropriate. In general, contemporary biosemiotics argues for a teleologic recontextualization of biological discoveries in practice and education. This is accomplished in a sophisticated fashion through the application and modification …

Characterization Of Neuronal Specific Responses To Induced Misfolded Protein Stress In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Claire Gormley

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Abstract

Misfolded protein stress has been associated with many types of disease,

including neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s

disease. When a cell accumulates misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum,

misfolded protein stress occurs and the unfolded protein response (UPR) is triggered to

induce mechanisms that will allow the cell to either survive or undergo cell death. The

nascent polypeptide associated complex (NAC) is a co-translational chaperone and α/β

heterodimer that manages protein folding and localization, and protects against misfolded

protein stress; changes in NAC function have been linked to both neurodegeneration and

cancer. In these studies, I depleted …

The Fate Of Icd-1 During Misfolded Protein Induced Apoptosis In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Kyle H. Perez

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Severe misfolded protein stress initiates cellular responses that often result in the death of the affected cell, typically by apoptosis. An essential aspect of apoptosis is caspase-mediated cleavage of proteins that, once cleaved, further propagate death. One heterodimeric structure putatively targeted in this process in the nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC), a translational chaperone thought to help prevent misfolded protein stress in the ER. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the beta subunit of the NAC in C. elegans (ICD-1) is cleaved during the induction of apoptosis, with the hypothesis that ICD-1 is cleaved during stressed-induced apoptosis to …

The Effects Of Chronic Partial Sleep Deprivation And Chronic Voluntary Alcohol Consumption On Δfos B Accumulation, Kristian Ponder

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The present study explores the relation between sleep restriction and alcohol use and the neural substrates that result from chronic behaviors. Accumulation of the transcription factors ΔFosB is suggested as a possible outcome of chronic behaviors, such as addiction. Sleep is discussed as possible mediating factor in the relationship between ΔFosB and chronic alcohol consumption. There were four experimental groups in this study: Control (C), Sleep Deprivation only (SD), Alcohol Exposure only (AO), and both sleep deprivation and alcohol exposure (B). Levels of ΔFosB accumulation in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) revealed a significant main effect of sleep deprivation, but no …

Characterization Of The C. Elegans Nascent Polypeptide Associated Complex (Nac) Function Under Stress, Jonathan E. Sandoval

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is a highly conserved heterodimer known to play an important role in protein folding and localization during metazoan development. Evidence in different model systems indicates that removal of either subunit of the NAC, i.e. α- or β-NAC, is sufficient to generate misfolded protein stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), resulting in the activation of the ER-specific unfolded protein response (UPR). What is not yet understood is the nature of the UPR depending on which subunit of the NAC is depleted. My research is focused on characterizing the specific UPR outcomes induced upon depletion of either …