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Perception Of Attractiveness: A Comparison Of Two-Dimensional Versus Three-Dimensional Images, Aksana Marshall Jan 2013

Perception Of Attractiveness: A Comparison Of Two-Dimensional Versus Three-Dimensional Images, Aksana Marshall

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate whether there is a difference in perception of facial attractiveness when viewing two-dimensional (2D) versus three-dimensional images (3D) within each population studied (Caucasian, African American, and Chinese), (2) to evaluate whether panels of raters with different levels of orthodontic education would give similar facial attractiveness scores, and (3) to identify the soft tissue features that influence facial attractiveness when viewing 2D and 3D images. Materials and methods: A total of 60 3D images from three populations selected for this study were acquired using a 3dMDfaceTM system (Atlanta, GA) and were …

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The Role Of Palmitoylation And Other Post-Translational Modifications In Cftr Biogenesis, Michelle Mcclure Jan 2013

The Role Of Palmitoylation And Other Post-Translational Modifications In Cftr Biogenesis, Michelle Mcclure

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Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important contributors to protein bio-genesis and function. CFTR in particular is known to be regulated by multiple PTMs, in-cluding glycosylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. The functional significance and specific CFTR residues responsible for the majority of PTMs within CFTR are not known. The goal of this dissertation was to identify and characterize novel PTMs that influence wild-type and F508del CFTR. The study employed a combination of tandem and multiple reaction ion monitoring mass spectrometry to identify covalent side chain attachments. Analysis revealed the specific locations of numerous phosphorylated resi-dues, several sites of methylation, and more than twenty-five …

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Characterizing The Roles Of Il-11 And Cd68 In Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis, Erin Mills Mccoy Jan 2013

Characterizing The Roles Of Il-11 And Cd68 In Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis, Erin Mills Mccoy

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The molecular mechanisms regulating the preferential metastasis of breast cancer to bone have not been fully elucidated, but it is hypothesized that local conditions in the bone create an environment conducive to colonization by breast cancer cells and that the breast cancer cells interact directly with cells in the bone. In this dissertation, two goals were pursued: (1) to explore breast cancer secreted interleukin (IL)-11's role on osteoclast function and (2) investigate the expression and potential role of CD68 in breast cancer adhesion to bone. Higher rates of bone metastasis occur in human breast cancer tumors expressing IL-11, a cytokine …

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Cooking With Caste Iron: Food System Modernization In Birmingham, 1910-1964, Thomas Carl Mclemore Jan 2013

Cooking With Caste Iron: Food System Modernization In Birmingham, 1910-1964, Thomas Carl Mclemore

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This thesis aims to capture the social and political conditions that contributed to the rise of class and racial disparities in Birmingham's food system. The way in which all Birmingham residents located, grew, raised, purchased, cooked, and consumed food reinforced and furthered a caste system of social dispossession and black oppression. An overview of the poor health conditions of the pre-modern, industrial city provides a basis for understanding the reasoning of later efforts in systematic modernization. These efforts took place amid broader, national contexts of political and social Progressivism and the emerging paradigm of the New South. These trends contributed …

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Apparent Change In Obesity-Mortality Associations: Methodological Issues In Survival Analyses With Censored Outcomes, Tapan Shirish Mehta Jan 2013

Apparent Change In Obesity-Mortality Associations: Methodological Issues In Survival Analyses With Censored Outcomes, Tapan Shirish Mehta

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Analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) have suggested that the mortality rate (MR) associated with obesity has decreased over calendar time. However, there has been conflicting evidence about the apparent change in the obesity-MR over calendar time. This dissertation investigates some of the empirical and methodological issues involved in assessing the longitudinal change in the obesity-mortality associations. In the first manuscript, Obesity and Mortality: Are the Risks Declining? Evidence from Multiple Prospective Studies in the U.S., a multiple longitudinal design is proposed and implemented to evaluate whether the obesity-mortality associations have declined over calendar time after …

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Microevolution Of Capsule Synthesis Genes Contributes To Pneumococcal Capsule Diversity, Melissa Beth Oliver Jan 2013

Microevolution Of Capsule Synthesis Genes Contributes To Pneumococcal Capsule Diversity, Melissa Beth Oliver

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Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an important human pathogen that expresses a capsular polysaccharide (PS) to shield underlying antigenic structures from complement-mediated opsonophagocytosis. Thus, capsular PS is the major virulence factor, the target of primary immune responses to pneumococcal infections, and the antigenic component of pneumococcal vaccines. Pneumococci have diverse capsular PS synthesis (cps) loci and express over 90 different capsule types. Such diversity helps pneumococci escape immune detection and adapt to changing environments. Recombination of cps genes has been recognized as the main driver of capsule diversity. However, we show point mutations in cps genes encoding glycosyltransferases can broaden enzymes' …

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Understanding The Relation Between Routines And Problem Behaviors In Children With Clinical Diagnoses, Mark Ryan Pennick Jan 2013

Understanding The Relation Between Routines And Problem Behaviors In Children With Clinical Diagnoses, Mark Ryan Pennick

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The current study investigated the impact of routines on problem behaviors in children with the clinical diagnoses of either PDD, ADHD, or depression/anxiety. Previous research has identified negative relations between externalizing behaviors and routines as well as a link between using routines and having positive parenting. The study extends these findings to children with these various diagnoses and also to internalizing symptoms. In our sample negative relations were found between routines, as measured by the Child Routines Inventory (CRI), and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms when all groups were examined together. Additionally routines were found to moderate the relation between …

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Msx1 Mutations And Their Binding Interactions, Divakar Prakash Jan 2013

Msx1 Mutations And Their Binding Interactions, Divakar Prakash

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Orofacial clefting (OFC), also called cleft lip and/or palate, is the most common congenital birth anomaly that involve the craniofacial region in humans. The etiology of Non-Syndromic OFC (NS-OFC) is complex and multifactorial; a slew of genetic mutations, standing alone or in combinations, along with several environmental factors, play a major role in the disease process. Numerous linkage and association studies in humans, as well as expression studies and knockout mouse models, have implicated Muscle segment homeobox gene 1 (MSX1), which encodes a homeodomain/DNA binding domain (HD) containing transcription factor as a strong candidate contributing to NS-OFC and Tooth Agenesis …

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High Density Genotyping For Immunogenetic Polymorphisms Associated With Transmission And Control Of Hiv-1 Infection In Zambian Heterosexual Serodiscordant Couples, Heather Prentice Jan 2013

High Density Genotyping For Immunogenetic Polymorphisms Associated With Transmission And Control Of Hiv-1 Infection In Zambian Heterosexual Serodiscordant Couples, Heather Prentice

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Understanding host genetic correlates of HIV-1 outcomes in sub-Saharan African populations is of continued importance due to the disproportionate disease burden in this population. We sought to identify genetic variants associated with HIV-1 acquisition in a sample of 439 initially seronegative individuals enrolled in the Zambia-Emory HIV Research Project, as well as novel variants associated with viral load (VL) in a sample of 172 seroconverters (SCs) with an estimated date of infection and 449 seroprevalent individuals (SPs). We were unable to detect any statistically significant associations in our analysis of HIV-1 acquisition, though one signal in the HLA-DOA gene associated …

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Kindergarten Goes To The Fair! How The World's Fair Of 1876 Advanced The Kindergarten Movement In The United States, Elizabeth Cornelius Pruett Jan 2013

Kindergarten Goes To The Fair! How The World's Fair Of 1876 Advanced The Kindergarten Movement In The United States, Elizabeth Cornelius Pruett

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The purpose of this historical narrative study was to discover how the World's Fair of 1876 advanced the kindergarten movement in the United States. Historical documents, photographs, and drawings were used as data sources. The following questions guided this study: "What were the purposes of the kindergarten exhibits at the World's Fair?" "Who were the individuals that demonstrated the kindergarten at the first Centennial World's Fair and how did they influence the kindergarten exhibits at the next fair in 1893?" and "How did commercialism associated with the fair affect thekindergarten movement?" The kindergarten exhibits at the Centennial World's Fair had …

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The Genetic Complexity Of The Human Fc-Gamma Receptor 1q23 Locus And Its Relationship To Autoimmunity, Travis Samuel Ptacek Jan 2013

The Genetic Complexity Of The Human Fc-Gamma Receptor 1q23 Locus And Its Relationship To Autoimmunity, Travis Samuel Ptacek

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The human immune system must be able to adapt to a wide spectrum of invading pathogens in order to keep the human body alive. This variation includes directed recombination and mutation at the level of the individual and genetic variation and natural selection at the population level. A direct consequence of the adaptability of the immune system is autoimmunity: as the immune system adapts to a shifting spectrum of antigens, it can shift to self-antigens, and therefore attack the body and cause disease. Since genetic factors are part of this adaptability, they are also connected with autoimmune disease. SLE is …

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The Role Of Complement In Experimental Cerebral Malaria, Theresa N. Ramos Jan 2013

The Role Of Complement In Experimental Cerebral Malaria, Theresa N. Ramos

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Cerebral malaria (CM) is one of the most severe clinical complications of P. falciparum malaria with a fatality rate of 15-30%, and 10% of CM survivors have permanent neurological sequelae. Since inflammation is a central pathophysiological tenet of CM, we began examining the role of the complement system in pathogenesis of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) using Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) model. Previous studies using this model indicated that mice naturally deficient in complement component C5 were protected from cerebral complications, and wild type mice treated with anti-C5aR antibody were also protected. To determine the protective mechanism of naturally-C5 deficient mice, …

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External Aid And Its Effectiveness In The Reconstruction And Development Of Afghanistan - An Analysis Of The Years 2002-2014, Muneeb Raqeebi Jan 2013

External Aid And Its Effectiveness In The Reconstruction And Development Of Afghanistan - An Analysis Of The Years 2002-2014, Muneeb Raqeebi

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After more than twelve years of major humanitarian, security and development aid and assistance from international community, the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan prepares to shift back security arrangements throughout the country from the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) to Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF). As this transition takes place, the majority of Afghan population and a large number of donor nations and international aid organizations that provided aid to Afghanistan since 2002 are concerned as whether or not this transition will also result in the transition of Afghanistan from conflict to stability, confirming success of the international …

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Mesocorticolimbic Abnormalities In Schizophrenia: A Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy And Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study, Meredith A. Reid Jan 2013

Mesocorticolimbic Abnormalities In Schizophrenia: A Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy And Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study, Meredith A. Reid

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Schizophrenia is a complex, often debilitating chronic mental disorder that affects approximately 1% of people worldwide. Recently, there has been growing interest in identifying non-invasive biomarkers of schizophrenia. Understanding the molecular and structural mechanisms underlying clinical features of schizophrenia and patients' drug response is an important step in identifying biomarkers and potential targets for novel medications, treatment strategies, and interventions. The primary objective of this dissertation research was to use non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging techniques, specifically magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to examine the neurochemical and structural correlates of symptoms, cognition, and treatment response to antipsychotic …

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Commensal Microbiota And Its Impact On Health And Autoimmune Diabetets, Kyle James Wolf Jan 2013

Commensal Microbiota And Its Impact On Health And Autoimmune Diabetets, Kyle James Wolf

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Environmental exposures such as diet, use of antibiotics, and lifestyle have significant impact on the health of an individual. One mechanism that acts as a major pathway in these environmental exposures is the role intestinal commensal microbiota play in both metabolic and immunological responses. Metabolic pathways are altered through changes in metabolites provided by commensal microbiota; alterations in microbial make-up can have drastic impacts on metabolic function. Similarly, the development and maturation of the immune system is dependent on the intestinal microbes to induce tolerance and act as both an immune modulator as well as a barrier against pathogens. We …

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Executive Functions And Cardiorespiratory Fitness In Survivors Of Pediatric Posterior Fossa Tumor, Kelly Ross Wolfe Jan 2013

Executive Functions And Cardiorespiratory Fitness In Survivors Of Pediatric Posterior Fossa Tumor, Kelly Ross Wolfe

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As survival rates for pediatric posterior fossa tumor have improved, issues related to survivorship have become increasingly important. Foremost among these are cognitive difficulties, particularly in the domain of executive functions. The first manuscript reports on a systematic, comprehensive literature review of studies examining executive deficits in survivors of pediatric posterior fossa tumor, including the intervention studies that have attempted to ameliorate these difficulties. The second manuscript establishes the safety and feasibility of peak cardiorespiratory fitness testing in a cohort of pediatric posterior fossa tumor survivors. Survivors had lower fitness than typically developing children and children with cystic fibrosis, and …

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A Study Of Multi-Group And Multivariate Tests Of Equivalence With Application To Microarray And, Celeste Yang Jan 2013

A Study Of Multi-Group And Multivariate Tests Of Equivalence With Application To Microarray And, Celeste Yang

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In this dissertation we have adapted two multi-group equivalence tests to be performed on high-dimensional data. The F and Range test for multi-group equivalence were applied to the public microarray dataset GSE11291 to detect equivalently expressed genes. They were also evaluated in terms of type I error and power using single gene simulation and a high-dimension simulation. The F test has higher power than the Range for the same simulated data and parameter settings, in the single gene simulations. The power of the two tests is similar in the high-dimension simulation. The multi-group equivalence tests that were applied to the …

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Characterization Of The Mumps Virus Replicase, Robert Marsden Cox Jan 2013

Characterization Of The Mumps Virus Replicase, Robert Marsden Cox

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Negative strand RNA viruses (NSV) are unique because their nucleocapsids are used directly as the template for both transcription and replication. The viral genomic RNA is coated by the nucleoprotein (N) for the entirety of the NSV replication cycle. The viral polymerase, which is composed of the L and P proteins, can only recognize encapsidated RNA as the template for RNA synthesis. Our previous studies have solved the EM structure of the MuV N-RNA complex at 25Ņ. This structure revealed how the nucleocapsid is assembled and provides an initial model for examining how the viral polymerase may recognize the …

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Using A Mixed Methods Sequential Design To Identify Factors Associated With African American Mothers' Intention To Vaccinate Their Daughters Aged 9 To 12 For Hpv With A Purpose Of Informing A Culturally-Relevant, Theory-Based Intervention, Jennifer Cunningham Jan 2013

Using A Mixed Methods Sequential Design To Identify Factors Associated With African American Mothers' Intention To Vaccinate Their Daughters Aged 9 To 12 For Hpv With A Purpose Of Informing A Culturally-Relevant, Theory-Based Intervention, Jennifer Cunningham

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The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed methods research study was to understand what factors influenced African American maternal intentions to get their daughters aged 9 years to 12 years vaccinated in Alabama. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, the research questions focused on identifying the predictive power of eleven variables, representing selected factors associated with maternal intentions to vaccinate their daughters. The data were collected via a self-developed instrument that used a mixed mode survey design that was web-based (N = 14) and paper-based (N = 228). Participant demographics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A binary, logistic …

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Indebtedness, Debt Stress, And Health-Related Behaviors: A Study Of Alabamians' Financial Well-Being And Physical Health, Lingfei Guo Jan 2013

Indebtedness, Debt Stress, And Health-Related Behaviors: A Study Of Alabamians' Financial Well-Being And Physical Health, Lingfei Guo

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In order to better understand the SES-health relationship and gain a more accurate estimation of SES on physical health, the primary objectives of this research are: (1) to test the relationship between Alabamians' indebtedness and their health-related behaviors; (2) to test the mediating effect of Alabamians' socioeconomic and sociodemographic status in the relationship of indebtedness and health-related behaviors; and, (3) to test the possible mediating effect of debt stress on indebtedness and health-related behaviors. The health lifestyle theory guides this research. Research has advanced two views that explain the interrelationship between socioeconomic status and physical health. The first view deals …

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Sulindac Sulfide Amide As A Novel Agent For The Prevention And Treatment Of Lung Cancer, Evrim Gurpinar Jan 2013

Sulindac Sulfide Amide As A Novel Agent For The Prevention And Treatment Of Lung Cancer, Evrim Gurpinar

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Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as sulindac sulfide (SS) have shown promising antineoplastic activity in multiple tumor types, but toxicities resulting from cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition limit their use in cancer prevention. We recently described a N,N-dimethylethyl amine derivative of SS, sulindac sulfide amide (SSA), that does not inhibit COX-1 or -2, yet displays potent tumor cell growth inhibitory activity. Here, we studied the basis for the growth inhibitory effects of SSA on human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines and evaluated its preclinical pharmacology. SSA potently inhibited the growth of lung tumor cells with IC50 values of 2-5 μ compared with 44-52 …

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Comparison Of Low Abundance Biomarker Levels In Capillary-Collected Non-Stimulated Tears And Washout Tears Of Aqueous-Deficient And Normal Patients, Nicole Guyette Jan 2013

Comparison Of Low Abundance Biomarker Levels In Capillary-Collected Non-Stimulated Tears And Washout Tears Of Aqueous-Deficient And Normal Patients, Nicole Guyette

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Purpose: For patients suffering from aqueous-deficient dry eye, non-stimulated (NS) tear collection can be challenging and time-consuming. Adding a small volume of sterile saline to the eye allows a "washout" (WO) tear collection that takes considerably less time. The primary goal of this project was to determine if WO tear collection is a viable alternative to NS tears for comparing the levels of common ocular surface biomarkers in patients with and without aqueous-deficient dry eye (AD). Stimulated (Stim) tears were also investigated as a second possible alternative to NS tears. Methods: Two studies were conducted, tear cytokine levels being measured …

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The Effects Of Sleep Restriction On Adolescents' Pedestrian Safety, Aaron Leah Davis Jan 2013

The Effects Of Sleep Restriction On Adolescents' Pedestrian Safety, Aaron Leah Davis

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Introduction. Over 8,000 American adolescents ages 14 and 15 require medical attention due to pedestrian injury annually. Psychosocial factors contributing to pedestrian safety include reaction time, impulsivity, risk-taking, attention, and decision-making. These characteristics are also influenced by sleep restriction. Adolescents require 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Despite requiring more sleep than other children, adolescents often do not obtain adequate sleep due to delayed circadian, academic demands, extracurricular activities, media use, and minimal parental supervision. This combination of factors may place adolescents at risk for pedestrian injury. Method. This study investigated whether sleep restriction reduces adolescents' pedestrian safety. Using …

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Predictors Of Colorectal Cancer Surveillance Among Survivors Of Childhood Cancer At High Risk For Subsequent Colorectal Malignancies, Casey Leigh Daniel Jan 2013

Predictors Of Colorectal Cancer Surveillance Among Survivors Of Childhood Cancer At High Risk For Subsequent Colorectal Malignancies, Casey Leigh Daniel

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Childhood cancer survivors who were treated with ionizing radiation are at a significantly higher risk of developing a subsequent colorectal cancer (CRC) compared to the general population. The Children's Oncology Group (COG) recommends that children and adolescents who were treated with radiation therapy of 30 Gy or more to the abdomen, pelvis, or spine undergo a colonoscopy every five years, beginning at age 35 or 10 years after completion of radiation. Despite these recommendations, research indicates low adherence rates to CRC screening among high-risk childhood cancer survivors. Determining the predictors of attending subsequent colorectal cancer surveillance among individuals in this …

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Clinical Consequences Of Micrornas In Colorectal Cancer, Liselle C. Bovell Jan 2013

Clinical Consequences Of Micrornas In Colorectal Cancer, Liselle C. Bovell

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease, and factors such as tumor location, the environment, genetics, and ethnic differences, can influence its development and progression. Over the last few decades, overall CRC mortality rates have declined; however, racial disparities in mortality rates have increased. The discovery of biomarkers that focus on identifying individual differences based on confounders such as tumor stage and patient race/ethnicity is needed, for such biomarkers can lead to development of personalized therapeutic approaches to target these molecules. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small molecules that regulate genes at the post-transcriptional level. Altered miRNA expression levels …

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Tuberculosis Screening And Treatment Outcomes In Zambia, Jennifer Harris Jan 2013

Tuberculosis Screening And Treatment Outcomes In Zambia, Jennifer Harris

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Zambia is a country in Southern Africa with dual HIV and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics. The annual TB incidence is 444/100,000 and 64% of TB patients are co-infected with HIV. Accurate screening and diagnosis for TB is challenging since it often presents with non-specific signs and symptoms and the available diagnostics are neither sensitive nor specific. Papers one and two of this dissertation focus on the derivation of TB screening rules to more accurately identify high-risk persons in two Zambian populations: inmates and HIV clinic patients. Among inmates, being HIV positive and having a body mass index < 18.5 most strongly predicted HIV disease. Chest pain was also strongly associated, but this may have been a chance finding. For HIV clinic patients, we developed four rules with increasing complexity of clinical tools used for screening. Sensitivity was very high with all rules; the addition of vital signs and pulmonary exam findings to symptom-based screening rules greatly increased the rules' specificity. Furthermore, a rule incorporating pulmonary exam findings performed similarly to a rule with chest radiography suggesting pulmonary exam may be an inexpensive alternative to x-ray. The final paper looks at TB incidence, mortality and intermediate clinical outcomes in a cohort of HIV clinic patients with and without TB during their first 12 months of HIV care. TB incidence was very high during this time period, despite thorough screening at baseline. Mortality was elevated in both culture-confirmed and clinically-diagnosed TB patients, with much of the elevated risk concentrated in TB patients who had culture-confirmed but clinically-unapparent disease. Looking at intermediate outcomes among patients who started anti-retroviral therapy, the change in CD4 cell count was similar for patients with and without TB. TB patients started off with lower mean body weights and hemoglobin concentrations but also showed greater increases over 12 months, thus `catching up' with the TB-negative patients. If these findings are replicable in other cohorts they could have substantial impact on TB screening and diagnostic procedures in resource limited, high burden countries like Zambia.

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Oak Hill Cemetery: A Reflection Of Early Birmingham, 1871-1913, Terri L. Hicks Jan 2013

Oak Hill Cemetery: A Reflection Of Early Birmingham, 1871-1913, Terri L. Hicks

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OAK HILL CEMETERY: A REFLECTION OF EARLY BIRMINGHAM 1871 - 1913 TERRI L. HICKS ABSTRACT Oak Hill Cemetery, Birmingham's first city cemetery, is located north of the downtown area and within its walls are the gravestones of many of the city's founders, including Birmingham's first mayor, Robert Henley; William Mudd, who built Arlington Antebellum Home; several governors, and veterans from every war. Strolling through the cemetery is like walking into an outdoor classroom. From a preservation perspective, cemeteries provide essential elements of societies' collective history, including insight into past burial customs, religious beliefs, cultural and ethnic influences, community origins and …

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Therapeutic Potential Of Genetically-Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Multiple Myeloma, Jerome T. Higgs Jan 2013

Therapeutic Potential Of Genetically-Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Multiple Myeloma, Jerome T. Higgs

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ABSTRACT Multiple Myeloma (MM) remains the second most common hematologic malig-nancy occurring in adults, which primarily affects the skeletal system causing severe bone destruction, spinal cord compression and hypercalcemia. Current therapies, which include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, autologouos stem cell transplantation and in some cases surgery, have extended the median survival between 3 and 10 years. However, MM is still incurable and therefore improving current therapies or developing newer ones to reduce the burden of osteolytic damage and extend survival rate will be highly beneficial for patient management. The long-term goal of this study is to develop a novel therapeutic approach to …

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Regulation Of Glioma Cell Migration And Proliferation By A Non-Selective Cation Channel., Arun Kumar Rooj Jan 2013

Regulation Of Glioma Cell Migration And Proliferation By A Non-Selective Cation Channel., Arun Kumar Rooj

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Two of the most striking features of brain tumors are their unusual ability to robustly proliferate and migrate in the brain. Previous results from our laboratory suggest that glioma cells express a non-selective cation channel that is composed of Epithelial Sodium Channel (ENaC) and Acid Sensing Ion Channel (ASIC) subunits. We hypothesize that this glioma specific current regulates glioma cell migration and proliferation by modulating an intracellular signaling pathway. To test our hypothesis, we have attenuated this cationic conductance by either pharmacological blockers (psalmotoxin-1 and benzamil), or by knocking down expression of a particular subunit of this cross-clade ion channel …

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Determinant Of G-Chain Mediated Fc Receptor Signaling, Spandan Shah Jan 2013

Determinant Of G-Chain Mediated Fc Receptor Signaling, Spandan Shah

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Fc receptors provide an interface between humoral immunity and cellular immunity by binding to the Fc portion of immunoglobulin and mediating effector functions. Cells expressing Fc receptors play a major role in immune complex clearance via phagocytosis, leading to a context dependent pro- or anti-inflammatory environment. Signaling by multi-chain Fc receptor complexes, including FcgRI, FcgRIII, FceRI and FcaRI is mediated by the ITAM-containing common FceRIg (g-chain) subunit. However, despite the use of a common g-chain, different Fc receptor complexes elicit specific cellular programs, suggesting additional layers of regulation of tyrosine based signaling by g-chain. We hypothesized that the unique g-chain …

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