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Phenotypic And Electrophysiologic Characterization Of A Mouse Model Of Fragile X Syndrome, Snigdha Roy May 2012

Phenotypic And Electrophysiologic Characterization Of A Mouse Model Of Fragile X Syndrome, Snigdha Roy

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited mental retardation. It is caused by a mutation in the fragile X mental retardation (FMR1) gene on the X chromosome. Many children with FXS exhibit autistic behaviors and deficits in motor coordination including speech articulation deficits. The development of the FMR1 knockout (Fmr1 KO) mouse, in which the Fmr1 gene is inactivated, has provided an animal model that can be used to investigate underlying neuro-physiological mechanisms associated with FXS as well as to evaluate potential therapeutic treatments. In this study, quantitative behavioral assays were used, such as long term …


Taz As A Regulator Of Mesenchymal Transformation And Clinical Aggressiveness In Gliomas, Katrina Salazar May 2012

Taz As A Regulator Of Mesenchymal Transformation And Clinical Aggressiveness In Gliomas, Katrina Salazar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive, high grade brain tumor. Microarray studies have shown a subset of GBMs with a mesenchymal gene signature. This subset is associated with poor clinical outcome and resistance to treatment. To establish the molecular drivers of this mesenchymal transition, we correlated transcription factor expression to the mesenchymal signature and identified transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) to be highly associated with the mesenchymal shift. High TAZ expression correlated with worse clinical outcome and higher grade. These data led to the hypothesis that TAZ is critical to the mesenchymal transition and aggressive clinical behavior seen in …


Bim Mediates Imatinib-Induced Apoptosis Of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Translational Implications, David Reynoso May 2012

Bim Mediates Imatinib-Induced Apoptosis Of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Translational Implications, David Reynoso

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are oncogene-addicted cancers driven by activating mutations in the genes encoding receptor tyrosine kinases KIT and PDGFR-α. Imatinib mesylate, a specific inhibitor of KIT and PDGFR-α signaling, delays progression of GIST, but is incapable of achieving cure. Thus, most patients who initially respond to imatinib therapy eventually experience tumor progression, and have limited therapeutic options thereafter. To address imatinib-resistance and tumor progression, these studies sought to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate apoptosis in GIST, and evaluate combination therapies that kill GISTs cells via complementary, but independent, mechanisms. BIM (Bcl-2 interacting mediator …


Metabolic Regulation Of Mtor Activation And Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress In The Heart, Shiraj Sen May 2012

Metabolic Regulation Of Mtor Activation And Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress In The Heart, Shiraj Sen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

When subjected to increased workload, the heart responds metabolically by increasing its reliance on glucose and structurally by increasing the size of myocytes. Whether changes in metabolism regulate the structural remodeling process is unknown. A likely candidate for a link between metabolism and growth in the heart is the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which couples energy and nutrient metabolism to cell growth. Recently, sustained mTOR activation has also been implicated in the development of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We explored possible mechanisms by which acute metabolic changes in the hemodynamically stressed heart regulate mTOR activation, ER stress and cardiac …


Cellular Trafficking Of Single And Multistage Vectors, Silvia Ferrati May 2012

Cellular Trafficking Of Single And Multistage Vectors, Silvia Ferrati

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Nanomedicine is an innovative field of science which has recently generated many drug delivery platforms with exciting results. The great potential of these strategies rely on the unique characteristics of the devices at the nano-scale in terms of long time circulation in the blood stream, selective accumulation at the lesions sites, increased solubility in aqueous solutions, etc.

Herein we report on a new drug delivery system known as a multistage system which is comprised of non-spherical, mesoporous silicon particles loaded with second stage nanoparticles. The rationally designed particle shape, the possibility to modulate the surface properties and the degree of …


Chemosensitization Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma To Gemcitabine By Non-Invasive Radiofrequency Field-Induced Hyperthermia, Mustafa Raoof May 2012

Chemosensitization Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma To Gemcitabine By Non-Invasive Radiofrequency Field-Induced Hyperthermia, Mustafa Raoof

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Gemcitabine is a potent nucleoside analogue against solid tumors however drug resistance rapidly emerges. Removal of gemcitabine incorporated in the DNA by repair mechanisms could potentially contribute to resistance in chemo-refractory solid tumors. In this study, we evaluated homologous recombination repair of gemcitabine-stalled replication forks as a potential mechanism contributing to resistance. We also studied the effect of hyperthermia on homologous recombination pathway to explain the previously reported synergy between gemcitabine and hyperthermia. We found that hyperthermia degrades and inhibits localization of Mre11 to gemcitabine-stalled replication forks. Furthermore, gemcitabine-treated cells that were also treated with hyperthermia demonstrate a prolonged passage …


Prelamin A Influences A Program Of Gene Expression In Regulation Of Cell Cycle Control, Christina N. Bridges May 2012

Prelamin A Influences A Program Of Gene Expression In Regulation Of Cell Cycle Control, Christina N. Bridges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The A-type lamins are intermediate filament proteins that constitute a major part of the eukaryotic nuclear lamina—a tough, polymerized, mesh lining of the inner nuclear membrane, providing shape and structural integrity to the nucleus. Lamin A (LA) filaments also permeate the nucleoplasm, providing additional structural support, but also scaffolding numerous tethered molecules to stabilize, organize, and facilitate molecular interactions to accomplish critical functions of cellular metabolism. Over the past 2 decades, much attention has been focused on roles of LA in maintenance of nuclear structural integrity. Only since the late 1990s have scientists discovered the devastating effects of LA gene …


Activation Of An Nlrp3 Inflammasome Restricts Mycobacterium Kansasii Infection, Chang-Chieh Chen, Sheng-Hui Tsai, Chia-Chen Lu, Shiau-Ting Hu, Ting-Shu Wu, Tsung-Teng Huang, Najwane Saïd-Sadier, David M. Ojcius, Hsin-Chih Lai Apr 2012

Activation Of An Nlrp3 Inflammasome Restricts Mycobacterium Kansasii Infection, Chang-Chieh Chen, Sheng-Hui Tsai, Chia-Chen Lu, Shiau-Ting Hu, Ting-Shu Wu, Tsung-Teng Huang, Najwane Saïd-Sadier, David M. Ojcius, Hsin-Chih Lai

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Mycobacterium kansasii has emerged as an important nontuberculous mycobacterium pathogen, whose incidence and prevalence have been increasing in the last decade. M. kansasii can cause pulmonary tuberculosis clinically and radiographically indistinguishable from that caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Unlike the widely-studied M. tuberculosis, little is known about the innate immune response against M. kansasii infection. Although inflammasome activation plays an important role in host defense against bacterial infection, its role against atypical mycobacteria remains poorly understood. In this report, the role of inflammasome activity in THP-1 macrophages against M. kansasii infection was studied. Results indicated that viable, but not heat-killed, …


Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase-1 Prevents The Development Of Tactile Sensitivity In A Rodent Model Of Neuropathic Pain, Christian Ndong, Russell P. Landry, Joyce A. Deleo, Edgar A. Romero-Sandoval Apr 2012

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase-1 Prevents The Development Of Tactile Sensitivity In A Rodent Model Of Neuropathic Pain, Christian Ndong, Russell P. Landry, Joyce A. Deleo, Edgar A. Romero-Sandoval

Dartmouth Scholarship

Neuropathic pain due to nerve injury is one of the most difficult types of pain to treat. Following peripheral nerve injury, neuronal and glial plastic changes contribute to central sensitization and perpetuation of mechanical hypersensitivity in rodents. The mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) family is pivotal in this spinal cord plasticity. MAPK phosphatases (MKPs) limit inflammatory processes by dephosphorylating MAPKs. For example, MKP-1 preferentially dephosphorylates p-p38. Since spinal p-p38 is pivotal for the development of chronic hypersensitivity in rodent models of pain, and p-p38 inhibitors have shown clinical potential in acute and chronic pain patients, we hypothesize that induction of …


Nicotine, Ifn-Γ And Retinoic Acid Mediated Induction Of Muc4 In Pancreatic Cancer Requires E2f1 And Stat-1 Transcription Factors And Utilize Different Signaling Cascades., Sateesh Kunigal, Moorthy P. Ponnusamy, Navneet Momi, Surinder K. Batra, Srikumar P. Chellappan Apr 2012

Nicotine, Ifn-Γ And Retinoic Acid Mediated Induction Of Muc4 In Pancreatic Cancer Requires E2f1 And Stat-1 Transcription Factors And Utilize Different Signaling Cascades., Sateesh Kunigal, Moorthy P. Ponnusamy, Navneet Momi, Surinder K. Batra, Srikumar P. Chellappan

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

BACKGROUND: The membrane-bound mucins are thought to play an important biological role in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, in cell signaling and in modulating biological properties of cancer cell. MUC4, a transmembrane mucin is overexpressed in pancreatic tumors, while remaining undetectable in the normal pancreas, thus indicating a potential role in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. The molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of MUC4 gene are not yet fully understood. Smoking is strongly correlated with pancreatic cancer and in the present study; we elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which nicotine as well as agents like retinoic acid (RA) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) induce …


Genetics Of Clusterin Isoform Expression And Alzheimer's Disease Risk, I-Fang Ling, Jiraganya Bhongsatiern, James F. Simpson, David W. Fardo, Steven Estus Apr 2012

Genetics Of Clusterin Isoform Expression And Alzheimer's Disease Risk, I-Fang Ling, Jiraganya Bhongsatiern, James F. Simpson, David W. Fardo, Steven Estus

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The minor allele of rs11136000 within CLU is strongly associated with reduced Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. The mechanism underlying this association is unclear. Here, we report that CLU1 and CLU2 are the two primary CLU isoforms in human brain; CLU1 and CLU2 share exons 2-9 but differ in exon 1 and proximal promoters. The expression of both CLU1 and CLU2 was increased in individuals with significant AD neuropathology. However, only CLU1 was associated with the rs11136000 genotype, with the minor "protective" rs11136000T allele being associated with increased CLU1 expression. Since CLU1 and CLU2 are predicted to encode intracellular and secreted …


Proceedings - Wright State University Boonshoft School Of Medicine Fourth Annual Medical Student Research Symposium: Celebrating Medical Student Scholarship, Office Of Research Affairs, Boonshoft School Of Medicine Apr 2012

Proceedings - Wright State University Boonshoft School Of Medicine Fourth Annual Medical Student Research Symposium: Celebrating Medical Student Scholarship, Office Of Research Affairs, Boonshoft School Of Medicine

Medical Student Research Symposium Proceedings

The student abstract booklet is a compilation of abstracts from students' oral and poster presentations at Wright State University's Fourth Annual Boonshoft School of Medicine Medical Student Research Symposium held on April 5, 2012.


Modulation Of Gsk-3Β Activity In Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Infection, Kylene Kehn-Hall, Aarthi Narayanan, Lindsay Lundberg, Gavin Sampey, Chelsea Pinkham, Irene Guendel, Rachel Van Duyne, Svetlana Senina, Kimberly L. Schultz, Eric Stavale, M. Javad Aman, Charles Bailey, Fatah Kashanchi Apr 2012

Modulation Of Gsk-3Β Activity In Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Infection, Kylene Kehn-Hall, Aarthi Narayanan, Lindsay Lundberg, Gavin Sampey, Chelsea Pinkham, Irene Guendel, Rachel Van Duyne, Svetlana Senina, Kimberly L. Schultz, Eric Stavale, M. Javad Aman, Charles Bailey, Fatah Kashanchi

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Alphaviruses, including Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV), cause disease in both equine and humans that exhibit overt encephalitis in a significant percentage of cases. Features of the host immune response and tissue-specific responses may contribute to fatal outcomes as well as the development of encephalitis. It has previously been shown that VEEV infection of mice induces transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines genes (e.g., IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-12, iNOS and TNF-α) within 6 h. GSK-3β is a host protein that is known to modulate pro-inflammatory gene expression and has been a therapeutic target in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's. Hence inhibition of GSK-3β …


Mussel Inspired Protein-Mediated Surface Modification To Electrospun Fibers And Their Potential Biomedical Applications, Jingwei Xie, Praveesuda Lorwattanapongsa Michael, Shaoping Zhong, Bing Ma, Matthew R. Macewan, Chwee Teck Lim Apr 2012

Mussel Inspired Protein-Mediated Surface Modification To Electrospun Fibers And Their Potential Biomedical Applications, Jingwei Xie, Praveesuda Lorwattanapongsa Michael, Shaoping Zhong, Bing Ma, Matthew R. Macewan, Chwee Teck Lim

MIIR Faculty Research

Mussel inspired proteins have been demonstrated to serve as a versatile biologic adhesive with numerous applications. The present study illustrates the use of such Mussel inspired proteins (polydopamine) in the fabrication of functionalized bio-inspired nanomaterials capable of both improving cell response and sustained delivery of model probes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the ability of dopamine to polymerize on the surface of plasma-treated, electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fiber mats to form polydopamine coating. Transmission electron microscopy images demonstrated that self-polymerization of dopamine was induced by pH shift and that the thickness of polydopamine coating was readily modulated by adjusting the concentration …


Chronic Paracetamol Treatment Influences Indices Of Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation In The Aging Fischer 344 X Brown Norway Rat Aorta, Kevin M. Rice, Sarath Meduru, Sunil K. Kakarla, Anjaiah Katta, Sriram P. Mupparaju, Brent Kidd, Lynne J. Goebel, Eric R. Blough Apr 2012

Chronic Paracetamol Treatment Influences Indices Of Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation In The Aging Fischer 344 X Brown Norway Rat Aorta, Kevin M. Rice, Sarath Meduru, Sunil K. Kakarla, Anjaiah Katta, Sriram P. Mupparaju, Brent Kidd, Lynne J. Goebel, Eric R. Blough

MIIR Faculty Research

Previous reports have demonstrated that increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alterations in cell signaling characterize aging in the Fischer 344 X Brown Norway (FBN) rat aorta. Other work has suggested that increases in ROS may be related to vascular wall thickening and the development of hypertension. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a potent antioxidant that has been found to diminish free radicals in ischemia-reperfusion studies. However, it remains unclear whether chronic paracetamol administration influences signaling or ROS accumulation in the aging aorta. FBN rats (27 months old; n=8) were subjected to 6 months of treatment with a therapeutic dose …


Single-Chain Vαvβ T Cell Receptors Function Without Mispairing With Endogenous Tcr Chains1, David H. Aggen, Adam S. Chervin, Thomas M. Schmitt, Boris Engels, Jennifer D. Stone, Sarah A. Richman, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker, Philip D. Greenberg, Hans Schreiber, David M. Kranz Apr 2012

Single-Chain Vαvβ T Cell Receptors Function Without Mispairing With Endogenous Tcr Chains1, David H. Aggen, Adam S. Chervin, Thomas M. Schmitt, Boris Engels, Jennifer D. Stone, Sarah A. Richman, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker, Philip D. Greenberg, Hans Schreiber, David M. Kranz

Food for Health: Publications

Transduction of exogenous T cell receptor (TCR) genes into patients’ activated peripheral blood T cells is a potent strategy to generate large numbers of specific T cells for adoptive therapy of cancer and viral diseases. However, the remarkable clinical promise of this powerful approach is still being overshadowed by a serious potential consequence: mispairing of the exogenous TCR chains with endogenous TCR chains. These “mixed” heterodimers can generate new specificities that result in graft-versus-host reactions. Engineering TCR constant regions of the exogenous chains with a cysteine promotes proper pairing and reduces the mispairing, but, as we show here, does not …


Gene Patents No More? Deciphering The Meaning Of Prometheus, Fazal Khan, Lindsay Kessler Apr 2012

Gene Patents No More? Deciphering The Meaning Of Prometheus, Fazal Khan, Lindsay Kessler

Scholarly Works

When Congress enacted the United States Patent Act in 1952, it specified that patentable subject matter included anything “under the sun that is made by man.” Three decades ago the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the first gene patent and ushered in a brave new gold rush. Some genes are associated with specific diseases, so being able to identify these sequences is an essential first step for developing genomic diagnostic tests and therapies. The problem with gene patents is that they allow modern-day prospectors to cordon off access to naturally occurring DNA sequences and exclude others from …


The Metastasis Suppressor Kiss1 Lacks Antimetastatic Activity In The C8161.9 Xenograft Model Of Melanoma., Jean-Marc Navenot, Barry Evans, Shinya Oishi, Shohei Setsuda, Nobutaka Fujii, Stephen C Peiper Apr 2012

The Metastasis Suppressor Kiss1 Lacks Antimetastatic Activity In The C8161.9 Xenograft Model Of Melanoma., Jean-Marc Navenot, Barry Evans, Shinya Oishi, Shohei Setsuda, Nobutaka Fujii, Stephen C Peiper

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The objective of this study was to use the established xenograft model of human melanoma (C8161.9) to test a pharmacological approach to the effect of the metastasis suppressor KISS1. A KISS1 analog was used to inhibit the metastatic development of C8161.9 cells in nude mice. Further experiments were performed to test the validity of the C8161.9 model and test the connection between KISS1 expression and loss of metastatic potential. New clones of C8161.9 cells were obtained, with or without KISS1 expression, and were tested for metastasis formation. The absence of benefit in survival with the KISS1 analog compared with PBS …


Sick With Fear: Popular Challenges To Scientific Authority In The Vaccine Controversies Of The 21st Century, Ellen Watkins Mar 2012

Sick With Fear: Popular Challenges To Scientific Authority In The Vaccine Controversies Of The 21st Century, Ellen Watkins

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

In the 20th century, vaccines were heralded as one of the greatest medical inventions in history. In the late 1990’s, however, the myth of vaccine-caused autism caught fire. Despite mountains of evidence disproving the link, panicking Americans eschewed vaccines and turned against their physicians. Why did Americans turn their backs on doctors, scientists, and the health industry? This paper follows the vaccine controversy of the last thirty years, looking in particular at the relationship between science and the media. This paper analyzes the contrast between discussion of the hypothesized link in scientific circles and in popular news sources, seeking to …


Characterization Of Species C Human Adenovirus Serotype 6 (Ad6), Eric A. Weaver, Reeti Khare, Mathew L. Hillestad, Donna Palmer, Philip Ng, Michael A. Barry Mar 2012

Characterization Of Species C Human Adenovirus Serotype 6 (Ad6), Eric A. Weaver, Reeti Khare, Mathew L. Hillestad, Donna Palmer, Philip Ng, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Adenovirus serotype (Ad5) is the most studied Ad. Ad1, 2, and 6 are also members of species C Ad and are presumed to have biologies similar to Ad5. In this work, we have compared the ability of Ad1, 2, 5, and 6 to infect liver and muscle after intravenous and intramuscular injection. We found that Ad6 was surprisingly the most potent at liver gene delivery and that Ad1 and Ad2 were markedly weaker than Ad5 and 6. To understand these differences, we sequenced the Ad6 genome. This revealed that the Ad6 fiber protein is surprisingly three shaft repeats shorter than …


Inverse Relationship Between Psa And Il-8 In Prostate Cancer: An Insight Into A Nf-Κb-Mediated Mechanism, Yong Xu, Daret K. St. Clair, Fang Fang, William H. St. Clair Mar 2012

Inverse Relationship Between Psa And Il-8 In Prostate Cancer: An Insight Into A Nf-Κb-Mediated Mechanism, Yong Xu, Daret K. St. Clair, Fang Fang, William H. St. Clair

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is traditionally used as an indicator for the presence of prostate cancer (PCa) and radiotherapy is generally used to treat inoperable and locally advanced PCa. However, how cellular PSA level is associated with sensitivity of PCa to radiotherapy is unknown. The previous finding that the RelB-based NF-κB alternative pathway differentially regulates PSA and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in aggressive PCa has directed our attention to the role of RelB in the response of PCa to radiotherapy.

Methodology/Principal Findings: RelB and its targets PSA and IL-8 in PCa cells were manipulated by ectopic expression in PCa …


Caveolae, Fenestrae And Transendothelial Channels Retain Pv1 On The Surface Of Endothelial Cells, Eugene Tkachenko, Dan Tse, Olga Sideleva, Sophie J. Deharvengt, Marcus R. Luciano, Yan Xu, Caitlin L. Mcgarry, John Chidlow, Paul F. Pilch, William C. Sessa, Derek K. Toomre, Radu V. Stan Mar 2012

Caveolae, Fenestrae And Transendothelial Channels Retain Pv1 On The Surface Of Endothelial Cells, Eugene Tkachenko, Dan Tse, Olga Sideleva, Sophie J. Deharvengt, Marcus R. Luciano, Yan Xu, Caitlin L. Mcgarry, John Chidlow, Paul F. Pilch, William C. Sessa, Derek K. Toomre, Radu V. Stan

Dartmouth Scholarship

PV1 protein is an essential component of stomatal and fenestral diaphragms, which are formed at the plasma membrane of endothelial cells (ECs), on structures such as caveolae, fenestrae and transendothelial channels. Knockout of PV1 in mice results in in utero and perinatal mortality. To be able to interpret the complex PV1 knockout phenotype, it is critical to determine whether the formation of diaphragms is the only cellular role of PV1. We addressed this question by measuring the effect of complete and partial removal of structures capable of forming diaphragms on PV1 protein level. Removal of caveolae in mice by knocking …


Enhanced Protective Efficacy Of A Chimeric Form Of The Schistosomiasis Vaccine Antigen Sm-Tsp-2, Mark S. Pearson, Darren A. Pickering, Henry J. Mcsorley, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Leon Tribolet, Annette M. Dougall, Peter J. Hotez, Alex Loukas Mar 2012

Enhanced Protective Efficacy Of A Chimeric Form Of The Schistosomiasis Vaccine Antigen Sm-Tsp-2, Mark S. Pearson, Darren A. Pickering, Henry J. Mcsorley, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Leon Tribolet, Annette M. Dougall, Peter J. Hotez, Alex Loukas

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

The large extracellular loop of the Schistosoma mansoni tetraspanin, Sm-TSP-2, when fused to a thioredoxin partner and formulated with Freund's adjuvants, has been shown to be an efficacious vaccine against murine schistosomiasis. Moreover, Sm-TSP-2 is uniquely recognised by IgG1 and IgG3 from putatively resistant individuals resident in S. mansoniendemic areas in Brazil. In the present study, we expressed Sm-TSP-2 at high yield and in soluble form in E. coli without the need for a solubility enhancing fusion partner. We also expressed in E. coli a chimera called Sm-TSP-2/5B, which consisted of Sm-TSP-2 fused to …


Active Site Mutations Change The Cleavage Specificity Of Neprilysin., Travis Sexton, Lisa J. Hitchcook, David W. Rodgers, Luke H. Bradley, Louis B. Hersh Feb 2012

Active Site Mutations Change The Cleavage Specificity Of Neprilysin., Travis Sexton, Lisa J. Hitchcook, David W. Rodgers, Luke H. Bradley, Louis B. Hersh

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Neprilysin (NEP), a member of the M13 subgroup of the zinc-dependent endopeptidase family is a membrane bound peptidase capable of cleaving a variety of physiological peptides. We have generated a series of neprilysin variants containing mutations at either one of two active site residues, Phe563 and Ser546. Among the mutants studied in detail we observed changes in their activity towards leucine5-enkephalin, insulin B chain, and amyloid β1-40. For example, NEPF563I displayed an increase in preference towards cleaving leucine5-enkephalin relative to insulin B chain, while mutant NEPS546E was less discriminating …


Pathobiological Implications Of The Expression Of Egfr, Pakt, Nf-Κb And Mic-1 In Prostate Cancer Stem Cells And Their Progenies., Murielle Mimeault, Sonny L. Johansson, Surinder K. Batra Feb 2012

Pathobiological Implications Of The Expression Of Egfr, Pakt, Nf-Κb And Mic-1 In Prostate Cancer Stem Cells And Their Progenies., Murielle Mimeault, Sonny L. Johansson, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

The progression of prostate cancers (PCs) to locally invasive, androgen-independent and metastatic disease states is generally associated with treatment resistance and disease relapse. The present study was undertaken to establish the possibility of using a combination of specific oncogenic products, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), pAkt, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for optimizing the management of patients with localized PC at earlier disease stages. The immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence data have revealed that the expression levels of EGFR, Ser(473)-pAkt, NF-κB p65 and MIC-1 proteins were significantly enhanced in the same subset of …


The Mechanical Behavior Of Mutant K14-R125p Keratin Bundles And Networks In Neb-1 Keratinocytes, Daniel R. Beriault, Oualid Haddad, John V. Mccuaig, Zachary J. Robinson, David Russell, E. Birgitte Lane, Douglas S. Fudge Feb 2012

The Mechanical Behavior Of Mutant K14-R125p Keratin Bundles And Networks In Neb-1 Keratinocytes, Daniel R. Beriault, Oualid Haddad, John V. Mccuaig, Zachary J. Robinson, David Russell, E. Birgitte Lane, Douglas S. Fudge

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is an inherited skin-blistering disease that is caused by dominant mutations in the genes for keratin K5 or K14 proteins. While the link between keratin mutations and keratinocyte fragility in EBS patients is clear, the exact biophysical mechanisms underlying cell fragility are not known. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that mutant K14-R125P filaments and/or networks in human keratinocytes are mechanically defective in their response to large-scale deformations. We found that mutant filaments and networks exhibit no obvious defects when subjected to large uniaxial strains and have no negative effects on the ability of human …


Identification Of Functionally Distinct Traf Proinflammatory And Pi3k/Mek Transforming Activities Emanating From The Ret/Ptc Fusion Oncoprotein, Josephine H.F. Wixted, Jay L. Rothstein, Laurence C. Eisenlohr Feb 2012

Identification Of Functionally Distinct Traf Proinflammatory And Pi3k/Mek Transforming Activities Emanating From The Ret/Ptc Fusion Oncoprotein, Josephine H.F. Wixted, Jay L. Rothstein, Laurence C. Eisenlohr

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Thyroid carcinomas that harbor RET/PTC oncogenes are well differentiated, relatively benign neoplasms compared with those expressing oncogenic RAS or BRAF mutations despite signaling through shared transforming pathways. A distinction, however, is that RET/PTCs induce immunostimulatory programs, suggesting that, in the case of this tumor type, the additional pro-inflammatory pathway reduces aggressiveness. Here, we demonstrate that pro-inflammatory programs are selectively activated by TRAF2 and TRAF6 association with RET/PTC oncoproteins. Eliminating this mechanism reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine production without decreasing transformation efficiency. Conversely, ablating MEK/ERK or PI3K/AKT signaling eliminates transformation but not pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. Functional uncoupling of the two pathways demonstrates that …


The Expression Of Ecotropic Virus Integration Site-1 In Seven Cancer Cell Lines, Wendy Bindeman '12 Feb 2012

The Expression Of Ecotropic Virus Integration Site-1 In Seven Cancer Cell Lines, Wendy Bindeman '12

Student Publications & Research

The ecotropic virus integration site-1 (EVI1) gene is a transcriptional repressor implicated in the control of cell proliferation and frequently over-expressed in cancerous cells. I investigated the expression of this gene across seven cancer cell lines of varying morphologies. The tested lines included leukemia lines Kasumi-3, U937, MOLT-4, and CEM, breast cancer line MCF7, colorectal cancer line HT-29, and glioblastoma line M059K. Kasumi-3 and HT-29 are documented to have high EVI1 expression. Protein concentrations were normalized with respect to actin using SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Western blots for EVI1 showed expression of an unidentified protein with a molecular weight of …


Decorin Antagonizes The Angiogenic Network: Concurrent Inhibition Of Met, Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1Α, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, And Induction Of Thrombospondin-1 And Timp3, Thomas Neill, Hannah Painter, Simone Buraschi, Rick T. Owens, Michael P. Lisanti, Liliana Schaefer, Renato V. Iozzo Feb 2012

Decorin Antagonizes The Angiogenic Network: Concurrent Inhibition Of Met, Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1Α, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, And Induction Of Thrombospondin-1 And Timp3, Thomas Neill, Hannah Painter, Simone Buraschi, Rick T. Owens, Michael P. Lisanti, Liliana Schaefer, Renato V. Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Decorin, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan, inhibits tumor growth by antagonizing multiple receptor tyrosine kinases including EGFR and Met. Here, we investigated decorin during normoxic angiogenic signaling. An angiogenic PCR array revealed a profound decorin-evoked transcriptional inhibition of pro-angiogenic genes, such as HIF1A. Decorin evoked a reduction of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in MDA-231 breast carcinoma cells expressing constitutively-active HIF-1α. Suppression of Met with decorin or siRNA evoked a similar reduction of VEGFA by attenuating downstream β-catenin signaling. These data establish a noncanonical role for β-catenin in regulating VEGFA expression. We found that exogenous …


Decorin-Mediated Inhibition Of Colorectal Cancer Growth And Migration Is Associated With E-Cadherin In Vitro And In Mice., Xiuli Bi, Nicole M Pohl, Zhibin Qian, George R Yang, Yuan Gou, Grace Guzman, Andre Kajdacsy-Balla, Renato V Iozzo, Wancai Yang Feb 2012

Decorin-Mediated Inhibition Of Colorectal Cancer Growth And Migration Is Associated With E-Cadherin In Vitro And In Mice., Xiuli Bi, Nicole M Pohl, Zhibin Qian, George R Yang, Yuan Gou, Grace Guzman, Andre Kajdacsy-Balla, Renato V Iozzo, Wancai Yang

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Previous studies have shown that decorin expression is significantly reduced in colorectal cancer tissues and cancer cells, and genetic deletion of the decorin gene is sufficient to cause intestinal tumor formation in mice, resulting from a downregulation of p21, p27(kip1) and E-cadherin and an upregulation of β-catenin signaling [Bi,X. et al. (2008) Genetic deficiency of decorin causes intestinal tumor formation through disruption of intestinal cell maturation. Carcinogenesis, 29, 1435-1440]. However, the regulation of E-cadherin by decorin and its implication in cancer formation and metastasis is largely unknown. Using a decorin knockout mouse model (Dcn(-/-) mice) and manipulated expression of decorin …