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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Role Of Traf2 In Zebrafish, Bradie N. Manion
The Role Of Traf2 In Zebrafish, Bradie N. Manion
Honors College
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor 2 (Traf2) is suspected to be involved in the anti-apoptotic pathways of the innate immune system in the zebrafish. The expression of three different forms of Traf2, 2a1, 2a2, and 2b, was knocked down in pairs using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides in zebrafish embryos. A rescue was attempted by knocking down a potential receptor for the Traf2 to pathway. After infection with snakehead rhabdovirus (SHRV), mortality was quantified and the apoptotic effects of each of the Traf2 genes was assessed. Cell death was quantified using the TUNEL technique. The findings indicated that at least …
Optimization Of A Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization Protocol In The Chloroplast Hosting Mollusc Elysia Chlorotica, Geoffry Austin Davis
Optimization Of A Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization Protocol In The Chloroplast Hosting Mollusc Elysia Chlorotica, Geoffry Austin Davis
Honors College
The symbiosis between the mollusc Elysia chlorotica and chloroplasts of its algal prey, Vaucheria litorea, has challenged the understanding of chloroplast biology. E. chlorotica feeds on and retains the algal chloroplasts within its digestive cells. The chloroplasts remain photosynthetically active for months in the animal’s cells devoid of the algal nucleus which encodes approximately 90% of the proteins required for the chloroplasts. To help explain the ability of E. chlorotica to maintain functionally active chloroplasts, horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of V. litorea nuclear genes to the E. chlorotica genome has been hypothesized. However, the extent of HGT, as well as …
Characterization Of Genes In The Cftr-Mediated Innate Immune Response, Eric Peterman
Characterization Of Genes In The Cftr-Mediated Innate Immune Response, Eric Peterman
Honors College
Recently, the Kim Lab has shown that the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) gene is responsible for mediating resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a zebrafish infection model. Using the Gene Expression Omnibus, an NCBI functional genomics data repository, it was determined that Smad3, a transcription factor in the TGF-β signaling pathway, is upregulated in the presence of P. aeruginosa. It was found that in our zebrafish model, the Smad3 paralogs Smad3a and Smad3b are upregulated following microinjection of a cftr antisense morpholino oligomer. It was also found that microinjection of Smad3a and Smad3b morpholinos, along with …
The Haptotactic Motility Of Angiogenic Endothelial Cells, Breana E. Bennett
The Haptotactic Motility Of Angiogenic Endothelial Cells, Breana E. Bennett
Honors College
Angiogenesis, an essential but often pathological biological process, requires complex cellular coordination. This coordination is achieved through numerous extracellular signals. We investigated the role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibronectin in the support of angiogenesis and endothelial cell motility. The directed migration in response to increasing concentration of ECM proteins is termed haptotaxis. We created a preliminary, two-dimensional model of the haptotactic motility of endothelial cells using a step change in fibronectin density as a substrate. Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) exhibited directional motility towards the higher fibronectin concentration side. In addition, the physical and mechanical properties of BAECs …