Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Reproduction And Genetic Detection Of Veligers In Changing Dreissena Populations In The Great Lakes, Jeffrey L. Ram, Aos S. Karim, Payel Acharya, Pranav Jagtap, Sonal Purohit, Donna R. Kashian

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Dreissenid bivalves, Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel) and Dreissena bugensis (quagga mussel) are biofouling species that invaded the Great Lakes region of North America from source populations in Europe in the 1980s. Initially, D. polymorpha spread faster and farther; however, D. bugensis have recently displaced D. polymorpha in many areas of the Great Lakes and was the first to be found west of the Continental Divide. Early detection of dreissenids is important in anticipating and preventing potentially high economic impacts. To study population dynamics and to enhance detection methods, we assessed “spawnability” using a serotonin bioassay and developed a new, sensitive, …

Study Of Protein-Rna Interactions Using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (Fret) And Single-Molecule Fret, Rajan Lamichhane

Wayne State University Dissertations

In the cell, RNA and protein, interact to form ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) that have vital structural, catalytic and regulatory roles. Despite their functional importance, the mechanistic details and dynamics of RNPs are poorly understood. Single-molecule Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) techniques that provide information about heterogeneity and dynamic behaviors of molecules have been developed to investigate inter- and intra-molecular interactions. Here we have used FRET in combination with smFRET to study three very different RNP systems.

Alternative splicing is a highly regulated biological process that plays a crucial role in proteomic diversity in eukaryotes. One splicing regulator, PTB, has been …

A Supermatrix Analysis Of Genomic, Morphological, And Paleontological Data From Crown Cetacea, Jonathan H. Geisler, Michael R. Mcgowen, Guang Yang, John Gatesy

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Cetacea (dolphins, porpoises, and whales) is a clade of aquatic species that includes the most massive, deepest diving, and largest brained mammals. Understanding the temporal pattern of diversification in the group as well as the evolution of cetacean anatomy and behavior requires a robust and well-resolved phylogenetic hypothesis. Although a large body of molecular data has accumulated over the past 20 years, DNA sequences of cetaceans have not been directly integrated with the rich, cetacean fossil record to reconcile discrepancies among molecular and morphological characters.

Results

We combined new nuclear DNA sequences, including segments of six genes (~2800 …

Artificial And Natural Nucleic Acid Self Assembling Systems, Marcus Wood

Wayne State University Dissertations

Nucleic acids are good candidates for nanomachine construction. They participate in all the processes of life, and so can function as structural building blocks and dynamic catalysts. However, to use nucleic acids as nanomachines, a better understanding of their material properties, how to design structures using them, and their dynamics is needed. We have tried to address these issues, in a small way, with nucleic acid force field development, an attempt at nanostructural design and synthesis using DNA, and a study of the RNA/protein regulatory dynamics of the tryptophan regulatory attenuation protein.

Development Of Chemical Inducers Of Dimerization For Screening Competitive Histone Deactelyase Inhibitors, Emily Lynn Aubie

Wayne State University Dissertations

Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) proteins are transcriptional regulators that affect histone proteins, which are involved in packaging of DNA into chromosomes. HDACs have been linked to the proliferation of cancer through their role in transcriptional regulation. Due to these findings, HDAC inhibitors have been explored as anti-cancer agents. Several HDAC inhibitors are currently in various stages of clinical trials, and the inhibitor suberoyl anilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) has been FDA approved for treatment of cutaneous T-Cell lymphoma. Currently, most of the known HDAC inhibitors are non-selective, which causes non-specific binding to the active sites of all HDAC isoforms, including those not …

Exploring Potential Drug Target Sites In The Ribosome Using Cisplatin And Its Analogues, Keshab Rijal

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cis-diamminodichloridoplatinum (II), cisplatin, is an antitumor drug that has been used to treat several types of cancers. The reaction of cisplatin with DNA has been studied and discussed extensively in the literature; however, the effects of cisplatin on RNA function are poorly understood. In this thesis, two aspects of cisplatin, its preferred sites of interaction with RNA and its use as a chemical probe to gain accessibility information, were explored.

To understand the site-selectivity of cisplatin with RNA, model RNA constructs and full-length 16S rRNA were employed. The binding studies revealed a cisplatin preference for guanosine-rich sequences. Primer extensions in …

Laser-Assisted Single-Molecule Refolding, Rui Zhao

Wayne State University Dissertations

Non-coding RNAs must fold into precise secondary and tertiary structures in order to perform the biological functions. Due to the flexibility of RNA, the RNA folding energy landscape can be rugged and full of local minimum (kinetic trap). To provide a means to study kinetically trapped RNAs, we have developed a new technique combining single-molecule FRET detection with laser induced temperature jump. We have calibrated the magnitude of the temperature jump with 1˚C accuracy using gold micro-size sensor. The accuracy of temperature calibration was confirmed by close agreement between single-molecule and bulk DNA duplex melting experiments.

HIV 1 DIS RNAs …

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Libs): An Innovative Tool For Studying Bacteria, Qassem I. Mohaidat

Wayne State University Dissertations

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has gained a reputation as a flexible and convenient technique for rapidly determining the elemental composition of samples with minimal or no sample preparation. In this dissertation, I will describe the benefits of using LIBS for the rapid discrimination and identification of bacteria (both pathogenic and non-pathogenic) based on the relative concentration of trace inorganic elements such as Mg, P, Ca, and Na. The speed, portability, and robustness of the technique suggest that LIBS may be applicable as a rapid point-of-care medical diagnostic technology.

LIBS spectra of multiple genera of bacteria such as Escherichia, Streptococcus, Mycobacterium, …

Nmr Solution Structures Of Two Hairpins Of E. Coli 16s Rrna: The Effects Of Mutations And Chemical Modifications On Structure And Function Of Rrna, Yu Liu

Wayne State University Dissertations

The structures of two functional mutants, the UC (G690U, U697C) and the QM mutants (G690A, G693C, A695C, U697A) of the 690 hairpin of E. coli 16S ribosomal RNA were determined by NMR. The UC mutant and the QM mutant with high biological function are able to fold into structures that are isomorphous with the wild-type 690 hairpin sequence. The structural comparisons among the functional mutants and the wild-type provides structural validation for previously identified specific functional groups that are crucial for maintaining function of the 690 hairpin. The key groups for maintaining the structure and function of the 690 loop …