Determination Of The Phylogenetic Range Of Sex Combs Reduced Activity In Drosophila Melanogaster,
2015
The University of Western Ontario
Determination Of The Phylogenetic Range Of Sex Combs Reduced Activity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Laura E. Garofalo
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The homeotic selector (Hox) genes are required for body patterning in bilaterians. Sex combs reduced (SCR) is a HOX protein in Drosophila melanogaster with two activities: SCRT1 and SCRlab activity required for patterning the prothorax (T1) and labia, respectively. SCRT1 is proposed to be conserved throughout bilaterians while the phylogenetic range of functional conservation of SCRlab is comparatively unknown. The goal of this work was to elucidate the evolutionary time point at which SCR activity changed. CRISPR/Cas9 transgenesis was used to incorporate ɸC31 integrase recombination sites in Drosophila Scr. The ɸC31 integrase could …
Genetic Analysis Of A Non-Germinating Mutant Of Arabidopsis Thaliana,
2015
The University of Western Ontario
Genetic Analysis Of A Non-Germinating Mutant Of Arabidopsis Thaliana, Md Jakir Hossan
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Seed germination is partially controlled by plant hormone gibberellins (GAs). Chemical mutagenesis yielded an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant gm11, which has an absolute gibberellin requirement for seed germination. This mutant exhibited phenotypes of GA-rescuable dwarfs, including dark-green leaves, and reduced fertility. However, with repeated GA treatment, gm11 develops into fertile plants with a nearly wild type phenotype. Bulked-segregant analysis mapped gm11 to the bottom arm of chromosome 1, and subsequent next-generation mapping revealed that the mutation is a G → A transition in At1g79460 (GA2), creating a premature stop codon. This gene encodes an ent-kaurene synthase (KS) which catalyzes …
Three-Dimensional Confocal Microscopy Indentation Method For Hydrogel Elasticity Measurement,
2015
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Three-Dimensional Confocal Microscopy Indentation Method For Hydrogel Elasticity Measurement, Donghee Lee, Md Mahmudur Rahman, You Zhou, Sangjin Ryu
Md Mahmudur Rahman
No abstract provided.
Crosstalk Between Brca-Fanconi Anemia And Mismatch Repair Pathways Prevents Msh2-Dependent Aberrant Dna Damage Responses,
2015
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Crosstalk Between Brca-Fanconi Anemia And Mismatch Repair Pathways Prevents Msh2-Dependent Aberrant Dna Damage Responses, Min Peng, Jenny X. Xie, Anna J. Ucher, Janet Stavnezer, Sharon B. Cantor
Janet M. Stavnezer
Several proteins in the BRCA-Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway, such as FANCJ, BRCA1, and FANCD2, interact with mismatch repair (MMR) pathway factors, but the significance of this link remains unknown. Unlike the BRCA-FA pathway, the MMR pathway is not essential for cells to survive toxic DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), although MMR proteins bind ICLs and other DNA structures that form at stalled replication forks. We hypothesized that MMR proteins corrupt ICL repair in cells that lack crosstalk between BRCA-FA and MMR pathways. Here, we show that ICL sensitivity of cells lacking the interaction between FANCJ and the MMR protein MLH1 is …
Application Of Β-Lactamase Reporter Fusions As An Indicator Of Effector Protein Secretion During Infections With The Obligate Intracellular Pathogen Chlamydia Trachomatis ,
2015
University of Kentucky
Application Of Β-Lactamase Reporter Fusions As An Indicator Of Effector Protein Secretion During Infections With The Obligate Intracellular Pathogen Chlamydia Trachomatis , Konrad E. Mueller, Kenneth A. Fields
Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications
Chlamydia spp. utilize multiple secretion systems, including the type III secretion system (T3SS), to deploy host-interactive effector proteins into infected host cells. Elucidation of secreted proteins has traditionally required ectopic expression in a surrogate T3SS followed by immunolocalization of endogenous candidate effectors to confirm secretion by chlamydiae. The ability to transform Chlamydia and achieve stable expression of recombinant gene products has enabled a more direct assessment of secretion. We adapted TEM-1 β-lactamase as a reporter system for assessment of chlamydial protein secretion. We provide evidence that this system facilitates visualization of secretion in the context of infection. Specifically, our findings …
A Screen To Identify Saga-Activated Genes That Are Required For Proper Photoreceptor Axon Targeting In Drosophila Melanogaster,
2015
Purdue University
A Screen To Identify Saga-Activated Genes That Are Required For Proper Photoreceptor Axon Targeting In Drosophila Melanogaster, Kaelan J. Brennan, Vikki M. Weake, Jingqun Q. Ma
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The inherited human genetic disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration and visual impairment that ultimately leads to blindness. SCA7 results from a mutation in the human ATXN7 gene that causes an expansion of polyglutamine tracts in this gene’s corresponding protein. Human ATXN7 protein serves as a component of the deubiquitylase (DUB) module of the large, multi-subunit complex Spt-Ada-Gcn acetyltransferase, or SAGA. SAGA is a transcriptional coactivator and histone modifier that functions to deubiquitylate histone H2B and allow for transcription of SAGA-mediated genes to occur. In Drosophila, mutations in SAGA DUB’s Nonstop and sgf11 components …
Calmodulin-Like Protein 38: A Component Of Ribonucleoprotein Particles During Hypoxic Stress Responses In Arabidopsis,
2015
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Calmodulin-Like Protein 38: A Component Of Ribonucleoprotein Particles During Hypoxic Stress Responses In Arabidopsis, Ansul Lokdarshi
Doctoral Dissertations
Waterlogging stress leads to a crisis in energy metabolism and the accumulation of toxic metabolites due to the hypoxic and/or anoxic environment associated with this condition. To respond and adapt to this situation, higher plants employ an integrated genetic program that leads to the induction of anaerobic response polypeptide genes that encode metabolic and signaling proteins involved in altering metabolic flow and other adaptive responses. The study presented here shows that the Arabidopsis thaliana calmodulin-like protein CML38 is calcium sensor protein that serves as a member of the core anaerobic response gene family and is involved in modulating the survival …
Using High Throughput Genomic Sequencing To Predict Ecological Impacts On Sea Turtle Populations,
2015
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Using High Throughput Genomic Sequencing To Predict Ecological Impacts On Sea Turtle Populations, Lesley Anderson
STAR Program Research Presentations
Marine turtles are long-lived, migratory vertebrates that encounter a variety of human and natural stressors throughout their lives. Understanding the biology and threats of these animals is challenging because they are hard to observe, and can migrate across whole ocean basins. Minimally invasive sampling techniques (e.g., blood samples) allow us to learn about their physiology, genetics, and the environmental conditions they have experienced. In this project, we developed a novel method to extract the RNA from whole green and loggerhead turtle blood from animals inhabiting a variety of sites across the Pacific Ocean. Some habitats are more pristine, while others …
Intracellular Listeria Monocytogenes Comprises A Minimal But Vital Fraction Of The Intestinal Burden Following Foodborne Infection,
2015
University of Kentucky
Intracellular Listeria Monocytogenes Comprises A Minimal But Vital Fraction Of The Intestinal Burden Following Foodborne Infection, Grant S. Jones, Kate M. Bussell, Tanya Myers-Morales, Abigail M. Fieldhouse, Elsa N. Bou Ghanem, Sarah E. F. D'Orazio
Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications
Listeria monocytogenes is a highly adaptive bacterium that replicates as a free-living saprophyte in the environment as well as a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes invasive foodborne infections. The intracellular life cycle of L. monocytogenes is considered to be its primary virulence determinant during mammalian infection; however, the proportion of L. monocytogenes that is intracellular in vivo has not been studied extensively. In this report, we demonstrate that the majority of wild-type (strain EGDe) and mouse-adapted (InlAm-expressing) L. monocytogenes recovered from the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) was extracellular within the first few days after foodborne infection. In addition, …
Distinct Physiological Roles For The Two Isoforms Of The Er Chaperone Grp170 In Caenorhabditis Elegans,
2015
State University of New York College at Buffalo - Buffalo State College
Distinct Physiological Roles For The Two Isoforms Of The Er Chaperone Grp170 In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Yuanyuan Li
Biology Theses
GRP170 is a large molecular chaperone found in the ER of all eukaryotes. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has two loci encoding GRP170: T24H7.2 (grp170a) and T14G8.3 (grp170b). The phenotypes of nematodes genetically deficient for either grp170a or grp170b were compared to a standard laboratory strain with functional grp170 loci. Worms that were deficient for grp170a developed 32% slower than the control strain. The loss of grp170a had a significant but modest reduction on the life span compared to the control strain. Worms deficient for grp170a also displayed significantly increased embryonic lethality and resulted in 6.9% arrested embryos. The loss of …
Characterization Of Putative Wnt3a-Inducible Enhancers,
2015
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Characterization Of Putative Wnt3a-Inducible Enhancers, Katelynn C. Lee, Nicholas Hum, Aimy Sebastian, Gabriela Loots
STAR Program Research Presentations
The Wnt signaling pathway has been previously shown to play a major role in regulating bone metabolism and it is emerging as a target for the therapeutic intervention of bone thinning disorders such as osteoporosis. Several Wnt proteins have been shown to be expressed in bone and mutations in Wnt pathway members such as Wnt co-receptor Lrp5 and Wnt inhibitor Sost have been shown to be associated with low or high bone mass disorders, however, very little is known about specific roles played by different Wnt ligands in bone development, repair and remodeling. To identify downstream targets of Wnt signaling …
Hippocalcin Response To Calcium: Do Conserved Tryptophans – W30 Or W103 – Matter?,
2015
Rowan University
Hippocalcin Response To Calcium: Do Conserved Tryptophans – W30 Or W103 – Matter?, Sunkesula K. Sagar
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Changes in intracellular calcium levels play a very important role in cell signaling, in turn, affecting neuronal functions such as memory, learning and cell death. A class of proteins called Neuronal Calcium Sensor (NCS) proteins serves to modulate the functioning of the neuronal cells in response to changes in calcium levels, and prevent neuronal apoptosis. Structurally, all NCS proteins have 4 calcium-binding EF hand motifs, although EF1 does not bind to calcium in many members. All NCS proteins have an acyl modification at the N- terminus – where a myristoyl group is added post-translationally. Hippocalcin (HPCA) is an NCS protein, …
Functional Analysis Of Synthetic Gene Circuits Controlling A Protein Pump In Yeast,
2015
The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston
Functional Analysis Of Synthetic Gene Circuits Controlling A Protein Pump In Yeast, Junchen Diao
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Synthetic biology aims to build biological devices to understand living systems and explore new applications. Synthetic gene circuits such as genetic switches, oscillators and logic gates are at the core of many synthetic biology applications. These gene circuits often include a sensor/regulator protein capable to detect small molecules and then transduce them into a regulatory signal to generate measurable output. Similar signal transduction networks are also abundant in nature. However, in many natural and engineered scenarios, the output also affects the regulator/sensor protein. How such interactions between the regulator/sensor and the output affect synthetic gene circuit function has not been …
Beyond Bivariate Correlations: Three-Block Partial Least Squares Illustrated With Vegetation, Soil, And Topography,
2015
University of Kentucky
Beyond Bivariate Correlations: Three-Block Partial Least Squares Illustrated With Vegetation, Soil, And Topography, Daehyun Kim, Thomas J. Dewitt, César S. B. Costa, John A. Kupfer, Ryan W. Mcewan, J. Anthony Stallins
Biology Faculty Publications
Ecologists, particularly those engaged in biogeomorphic studies, often seek to connect data from three or more domains. Using three-block partial least squares regression, we present a procedure to quantify and define bi-variance and tri-variance of data blocks related to plant communities, their soil parameters, and topography. Bi-variance indicates the total amount of covariation between these three domains taken in pairs, whereas tri-variance refers to the common variance shared by all domains. We characterized relationships among three domains (plant communities, soil properties, topography) for a salt marsh, four coastal dunes, and two temperate forests spanning several regions in the world. We …
Identification Of Familial Wilms Tumor Predisposition Genes Using Whole Genome Sequencing,
2015
The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston
Identification Of Familial Wilms Tumor Predisposition Genes Using Whole Genome Sequencing, Timothy B. Palculict
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Wilms tumor, a childhood tumor arising from undifferentiated renal mesenchyme, is diagnosed in North America at a frequency of 1 in 10,000 live births and accounts for 5% of all pediatric cancers. The etiology of Wilms tumor is heterogeneous with multiple genes known to have an effect on Wilms tumor development; however, these genes are rarely associated with familial Wilms tumor. Gene mutations in WT1, WTX, CTNNB1 and TP53 are observed in a third of sporadic tumors, while the causative gene(s) responsible for familial Wilms tumor are largely unknown. Approximately 2% of Wilms tumor patients have a family …
Assessment Of Genome-Wide Genetic And Epigenetic De Novo Variation In Families With Monozygotic Twins Discordant For Schizophrenia,
2015
The University of Western Ontario
Assessment Of Genome-Wide Genetic And Epigenetic De Novo Variation In Families With Monozygotic Twins Discordant For Schizophrenia, Christina A. Castellani
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Schizophrenia (OMIM: 181500) is a common, debilitating and life-altering disorder. It affects 1% of the population worldwide and most often presents in early adulthood leading to devastating effects for patients, their families and society. Despite thousands of studies performed on the underlying mechanisms of schizophrenia, the causes of the disease remain unknown. However, what is known is that environmental, genetic and epigenetic factors contribute to the development of this complex disorder. Although a genetic role in schizophrenia is well established, the search for schizophrenia genes using traditional approaches has remained challenging. Interestingly, monozygotic twins show concordance for schizophrenia only 50% …
Zbtb20 Is A Sequence-Specific Transcriptional Repressor Of Alpha-Fetoprotein Gene,
2015
Second Military Medical University, China
Zbtb20 Is A Sequence-Specific Transcriptional Repressor Of Alpha-Fetoprotein Gene, Hai Zhang, Dongmei Cao, Luting Zhou, Ye Zhang, Xiaoqin Guo, Hui Li, Yuxia Chen, Brett T. Spear, Jia-Wei Wu, Zhifang Xie, Weiping J Zhang
Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) represents a classical model system to study developmental gene regulation in mammalian cells. We previously reported that liver ZBTB20 is developmentally regulated and plays a central role in AFP postnatal repression. Here we show that ZBTB20 is a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor of AFP. By ELISA-based DNA-protein binding assay and conventional gel shift assay, we successfully identified a ZBTB20-binding site at -104/-86 of mouse AFP gene, flanked by two HNF1 sites and two C/EBP sites in the proximal promoter. Importantly, mutation of the core sequence in this site fully abolished its binding to ZBTB20 in vitro, as well …
Novel Neuroprotective Function Of Apical-Basal Polarity Genecrumbs In Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration,
2015
University of Dayton
Novel Neuroprotective Function Of Apical-Basal Polarity Genecrumbs In Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration, Andrew Steffensmeier, Meghana Tare, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Rohan Modi, Jaison Nainaparampil, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh
Amit Singh
Alzheimer's disease (AD, OMIM: 104300), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no cure to date, is caused by the generation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) aggregates that trigger neuronal cell death by unknown mechanism(s). We have developed a transgenic Drosophilaeye model where misexpression of human Aβ42 results in AD-like neuropathology in the neural retina. We have identified an apical-basal polarity gene crumbs (crb) as a genetic modifier of Aβ42-mediated-neuropathology. Misexpression of Aβ42 caused upregulation of Crb expression, whereas downregulation of Crb either by RNAi or null allele approach rescued the Aβ42-mediated-neurodegeneration. Co-expression of full length Crb with Aβ42 increased severity of Aβ42-mediated-neurodegeneration, due …
Activation Of Jnk Signaling Mediates Amyloid-Ss- Dependent Cell Death,
2015
University of Dayton
Activation Of Jnk Signaling Mediates Amyloid-Ss- Dependent Cell Death, Meghana Tare, Rohan Modi, Jaison Nainaparampil, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Shimpi Bedi, Pedro Fernandez-Funez, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh
Amit Singh
Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age related progressive neurodegenerative disorder. One of the reasons for Alzheimer's neuropathology is the generation of large aggregates of Aß42 that are toxic in nature and induce oxidative stress, aberrant signaling and many other cellular alterations that trigger neuronal cell death. However, the exact mechanisms leading to cell death are not clearly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings: We employed a Drosophila eye model of AD to study how Aß42 causes cell death. Misexpression of higher levels of Aß42 in the differentiating photoreceptors of fly retina rapidly induced aberrant cellular phenotypes and cell death. We found that …
Novel Neuroprotective Function Of Apical-Basal Polarity Genecrumbs In Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration,
2015
University of Dayton
Novel Neuroprotective Function Of Apical-Basal Polarity Genecrumbs In Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration, Andrew Steffensmeier, Meghana Tare, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Rohan Modi, Jaison Nainaparampil, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh
Madhuri Kango-Singh
Alzheimer's disease (AD, OMIM: 104300), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no cure to date, is caused by the generation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) aggregates that trigger neuronal cell death by unknown mechanism(s). We have developed a transgenic Drosophilaeye model where misexpression of human Aβ42 results in AD-like neuropathology in the neural retina. We have identified an apical-basal polarity gene crumbs (crb) as a genetic modifier of Aβ42-mediated-neuropathology. Misexpression of Aβ42 caused upregulation of Crb expression, whereas downregulation of Crb either by RNAi or null allele approach rescued the Aβ42-mediated-neurodegeneration. Co-expression of full length Crb with Aβ42 increased severity of Aβ42-mediated-neurodegeneration, due …
