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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Role Of Proteome In Cellular Zn2+ Trafficking And In The Ability Of The Fluorescent Zinc Sensors To Image Intracellular Zn2+, Mohammad Rezaul Karim Aug 2016

The Role Of Proteome In Cellular Zn2+ Trafficking And In The Ability Of The Fluorescent Zinc Sensors To Image Intracellular Zn2+, Mohammad Rezaul Karim

Theses and Dissertations

Zinc is an essential biological trace metal used in as many as 3000 Zn-proteins, about 10% of the eukaryotic proteome, as either a structural constituent or a catalytic cofactor. These proteins include the zinc fingers, the most prevalent transcription factors that bind a wide range of gene promoters and thus regulate gene expression. A eukaryotic cell contains several hundred micromolar of Zn2+- almost all of it is bound to specific Zn-proteins. Recently, Zn2+ has been reported to serve as a regulatory signal and a neurotransmitter, suggesting that there also exists a dynamic Zn2+ pool in cells. These findings led to …


Structural And Functional Characterization Of Acetoacetate Decarboxylase-Like Enzymes, Lisa Mueller Aug 2016

Structural And Functional Characterization Of Acetoacetate Decarboxylase-Like Enzymes, Lisa Mueller

Theses and Dissertations

The acetatoacetate decarboxylase-like superfamily (ADCSF) is a largely unexplored group of enzymes that may be a potential source of new biocatalysts. Bioinformatic analysis has grouped these approximately 2000 enzymes into seven different families based on comparison of predicted active site residues. To date, only the prototypical ADCs (Family I) that catalyze the decarboxylation of acetoacetate have been studied. Analysis of gene context suggests that Family V contains predominantly enzymes predicted to be involved in secondary metabolism. On average, these share about 20% sequence identity to the true ADCs. To learn more about the diversity of chemistries performed by members of …


The Function Of Renalase, Brett Allen Beaupre Aug 2016

The Function Of Renalase, Brett Allen Beaupre

Theses and Dissertations

Renalase was originally reported to be an enzyme secreted into the blood by the kidney to lower blood pressure and slow heart rate. Despite multiple reports claiming to confirm this activity in vivo there has been considerable discord in regards to the reaction catalyzed by renalase. The structural topology of renalase resembles that of known flavoprotein oxidases, monooxygenases and demethylases, but the conserved active site residues are unique to renalase. It has been reported that the catalytic function of renalase is to oxidize circulating catecholamines, however in vitro studies have failed to demonstrate a catalytic activity in the presence of …