Life Sciences Commons^™

Pipecolic Acid And Novel Insights Into Cerebral Malaria, Akua E. Mensah

Theses

Cerebral malaria (CM), a severe manifestation of Plasmodium infection, prompts our investigation into the nuanced role of pipecolic acid in its pathophysiology. To unravel the molecular intricacies, we conducted in vitro lysine labeling techniques of mice infected with P. berghei ANKA parasites, and human P. falciparum grown in vitro, aiming to discern the impact of Plasmodium on pipecolic acid production. Previous observations indicated an elevation in pipecolic acid levels correlating with neurological decline in children with CM. In our study, confirming elevated pipecolic acid presence in the plasma and brain tissues of CM patients and the animal model of CM, …

Canagliflozin Ameliorates Autistic-Like Features And Mitigates Brain Oxidative Stress Levels In Valproic Acid-Induced Autism In Rats, Mohammad Moutaz Nakhal

Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease with a substantially increasing incidence rate. It is mainly characterized by repetitive behavior, intellectual difficulties, social communication and interactions deficits. Many medications, dietary supplements, and behavioral treatments have been recommended for ASD management, however, there is no cure yet. Recent studies have examined the therapeutic potential of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in neurodevelopmental diseases, based on their proved anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The main objective of this study is to assess the ability of canagliflozin in improving the behavioural characteristics of autistic rats and investigate the efficacy of canagliflozin in …

An Evolutionary Comparative Study Of Congenital Stationary Night Blindness-Associated Trpm1 Genetic Variants Of Uncertain Significance In Horses And Humans Utilizing Caenorhabditis Elegans, Gabrielle Davis

Theses

Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is a heterogeneous collection of genetic diseases affecting the eyes and vision in horses and humans. Current research has implicated several genetic mutations impacting different genes involved in phototransduction and signal transmission, including TRPM1. In horses, genetic mutations in TRPM1 also result in a leopard spotting pattern or leopard complex. The goal of this study is to examine the potential impact of CSNB associated TRPM1 missense variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Previous research in Caenorhabditis elegans have revealed an orthologous TRPM1 gene known as gon-2 that allows for comparative studies. The evolutionary relationship of …

Understanding The Intracellular Positive Regulatory Interactions In The Metabolic Network, Sultana Mohammed Al Zubaidi

Theses

Metabolism is an essential cellular process that produces essential components such as energy molecules and cellular building blocks. It is regulated by intracellular metabolite-enzyme interactions, which can increase or decrease enzyme efficiency. Each metabolic process is not evolved in nature and may not contribute to the optimal efficiency of the organism's metabolism. However, this study aims to clarify the relationship between cellular positive regulatory interactions and the cell's metabolic network, especially how these relationships regulate metabolism and how it evolved in nature. To obtain that, for each enzyme, the activation molecules from the BRENDA database were downloaded, mapped data to …

Csi Botany: Dna Barcode “Fingerprints” Identify Cryptic Urban Flora, Luis R. Vega

Theses

As short genomic markers, DNA barcodes can play a role in conservation by identifying cryptic species and hybrids when morphological approaches fall short. Here we present our application of barcodes to the identities of two wetland taxa as part of an ongoing floristic inventory of Van Cortlandt Park (VCP), Bronx, NY. Previous barcode data by Marriott et al. (2018) identified the VCP lake water lily as the exotic Nymphaea alba, rather than the native N. odorata as historically described. In addition, cattails in the park were historically identified as the native Typha latifolia and the exotic T. angustifolia …

Distribution Of Erm Proteins In The Stomach Mucosa Of Normal And Diabetic Rats, Asmaa Salem Al Sereidi

Theses

Diabetes mellitus (DM), or simply diabetes, refers to a group of metabolic disorders that include a variety of diseases that disrupt our body's metabolism. The long-term uncontrolled disease can lead to stomach complications such as gastroparesis, as well as disruption in several proteins, such as ERM (Ezrin, radixin, moesin) proteins. ERM proteins are three proteins that are structurally and functionally related. ERM proteins have molecular masses of 82, 80, and 75 kDa, respectively. Ezrin is highly expressed in the stomach, especially in parietal cells that secrete gastric acid. ERM proteins function as scaffolding proteins in lipid rafts and granule trafficking …

The Effect Of Licogliflozin (Sglt1/2 Inhibitor) On Diabetes And Cardiac Complications, Alanoud Gharib Alblooshi

Theses

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic endocrine disease affecting millions of people worldwide. In spite of the advances made in the management of DM, poor glycemic control and diabetes complications are still very common. There is a continuous search for new and more effective drugs to treat DM. One of the drugs currently in clinical trials for the treatment of DM is licogliflozin (LIK066), a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, which can be used to treat obesity and diabetes. LIK066 inhibits glucose reabsorption in the kidney and small intestine, thereby reducing hyperglycemia. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of licogliflozin on …

Optimization Of Palmitic Acid Production In Chloroidium Sp. Utex 3007 As A Sustainable Source Of Palm Oil Alternative, Amnah Salem Alzahmi

Theses

The increase in palm oil consumption and production has resulted in removing up to 90% of trees in some tropical forests. The green microalgae Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007 can be an alternative sustainable source of palm oil due to its high palmitic acid content. The objective of this study was to generate a mutant Chloroidium population that is capable of producing and accumulating elevated levels of palmitic acid and to characterize the obtained populations’ lipid contents. The palmitic acid production optimization in Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007 was conducted via a workflow of ultraviolet (UV) mutagenesis and sorting of high-lipid producing …

Molecular Mechanisims Underlying The Anti-Cancer Activity Of Gum Arabic From Acacia Sp. In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Sawsan Yaslam Hussein Alyafii

Theses

Metastatic breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive, accounting for 15-20% of all breast cancer cases. As TNBC cells lack the expression of hormone receptors estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), TNBCs are unresponsive to hormonal therapy and often become highly resistant when exposed to standard chemotherapy, which has been identified as a major obstacle in TNBC treatment. Gum Arabic, a natural exudate produced from plants, is widely used traditionally for religious, cosmetics as well as medicinal purposes …

Lipocalin-2 Ameliorates The Signs And Outcomes Of Diabetes Mellitus In An Animal Model, Saeeda Mohammed Al Jaberi

Theses

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is a new adipocytokine consisting of 198 amino acids. It is also referred to as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, siderocalin, uterocalin, α1-microglobulin related protein, or 24p3. LCN2 belongs to a large group of transport proteins that are capable of carrying small and lipid-soluble molecules in blood circulation. It has two membrane receptors, megalin/glycoprotein GP330, which binds human LCN2 and SLC22A17 or 24p3R, which forms complexes with mouse Lcn2 protein. LCN2 is encoded by a gene located at chromosome locus 9q34.11. LCN2 was initially isolated from neutrophil granules released at the site of infection and inflammation in humans and from …

Transcriptomic Analysis Of The Glycophytic Crop Ipomoea Aquatica Under Salinity Conditions Compared To Its Wild Halophyte Relative Ipomoea Pes-Caprae, Ruwan Saeed Aljneibi Saeed Aljneibi

Theses

This study focuses on the glycophytic crop Ipomoea Aquatica (commonly known as water spinach) and its wild halophytic relative Ipomoea pes-caprae. I. Aquatica is a crop with economic value; however, it is unable to tolerate high levels of salinity. Whereas its relative Ipomoea pes-caprae is able to grow and thrive in the harsh environment of the UAE. The main aim of this study is to analyze the genetic differences underlying the variation in the two plants’ response to salinity and determine the genetic components that can be used to enhance I. Aquatica's tolerance to salinity. Accordingly, the plants were subjected …

New Methods For Deep Learning Based Real-Valued Inter-Residue Distance Prediction, Jacob Barger

Theses

Background: Much of the recent success in protein structure prediction has been a result of accurate protein contact prediction--a binary classification problem. Dozens of methods, built from various types of machine learning and deep learning algorithms, have been published over the last two decades for predicting contacts. Recently, many groups, including Google DeepMind, have demonstrated that reformulating the problem as a multi-class classification problem is a more promising direction to pursue. As an alternative approach, we recently proposed real-valued distance predictions, formulating the problem as a regression problem. The nuances of protein 3D structures make this formulation appropriate, allowing predictions …

Prevalence Of Brca1 And Brca2 Mutations Among Breast And Ovarian Cancer Patients In Northern Emirates, Zahra Ahmed Mohammed Saeed

Theses

Breast Cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the second most cause of death among women. Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes confer high susceptibility to both breast and ovarian cancer. However, data on the prevalence of the BRCA1/2 mutations among breast and ovarian cancer patients is limited. The genetic component of breast cancer in the UAE is largely unknown and no study has evaluated the BRCA mutations status in breast and ovarian cancer patients in the UAE population. This retrospective study aimed to establish mutation frequencies of the BRCA genes in breast and ovarian cancer patients from the …

Effect Of Mptp On Α-Synuclein Spreading, Accumulation And Toxicity In Mice With Intrastriatal Innoculation Of Human Α-Synuclein Preformed Fibril, Madiha Mohieldin Merghani

Theses

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by abnormal accumulation of interneuronal inclusions of α-synuclein (α-syn) known as Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs), and significant loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) region of the brain. Recent evidence suggests that intrastriatal inoculation of α-syn Preformed Fibril (PFF) into mice induces PD-like LBs and LNs pathology formed by aggregated α-syn in anatomically interconnected brain regions which needs several months of incubation to develop the pathology. In the present study, we have evaluated the effect of different doses of 1-methyl, 4-phenyl, …

The Association Of Dna And Histone Methyltransferase Genes With Different Methylation Levels In Fragile X Syndrome Individuals, Sara Humaid Sembaij

Theses

Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 (FMR1) gene produces an FMR protein (FMRP) which is known to regulate the translation process in various organs. It has a significant role in neurons function, maturation, and synaptic plasticity. FMR1 gene encompasses 5 - 30 CGG repeats and the greater number of repeats has the potential to expand during gametogenesis. The expansion depending on the number of CGG repeat undergoes hyper-methylation and is considered as a dynamic mutation in which the expansion increases through generation. Methylation of expanded CGG repeats results in inhibiting the transcription and silencing the gene. There are two types of …

Protein Inter-Residue Distance Prediction Using Residual And Capsule Networks, Andrew Dillon

Theses

The protein folding problem, also known as protein structure prediction, is the task of building three-dimensional protein models given their one-dimensional amino acid sequence. New methods that have been successfully used in the most recent CASP challenge have demonstrated that predicting a protein's inter-residue distances is key to solving this problem. Various deep learning algorithms including fully convolutional neural networks and residual networks have been developed to solve the distance prediction problem. In this work, we develop a hybrid method based on residual networks and capsule networks. We demonstrate that our method can predict distances more accurately than the algorithms …

The Role Of Parathyroid Hormone 1 Receptor (Pth1r) Signaling In Gastric Epithelial Homeostasis, Maram Maher Al-Hasan

Theses

In the stomach, the epithelial stem cells are responsible for glandular homeostasis. These stem cells continuously undergo cellular proliferation and differentiation to balance the death of senescent cells. Studies conducted on gastric cancers showed a significant increase in parathyroid hormone-like hormone (PTHLH). Moreover, both PTHLH along with parathyroid hormone (PTH) act as endogenous ligands for parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) which belongs to family B of G- protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This receptor functions by mediating many different signaling pathways and the most studied pathway is the stimulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as a second messenger.

There are very few …

Evaluating The Therapeutic Potential Of Crocin Against Diethylnitrosamine Induced Experimental Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Rats, Basma Ali Mustafa Awad

Theses

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common type of cancer and the third cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Liver cancer is the result of repeated injuries to the liver triggered by different causes. Currently, sorafenib is the only drug U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved targeted therapy. Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, which inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells and blocks angiogenesis. Sorafenib has been shown to treat early and mild HCC lesions and it helped increase the survival rates at one year, but for only 44% of patients. Chemotherapies are an important line of defense when it comes …

Transcriptomics Of Learning, Pablo Iturralde

Theses

Learning is a basic and important component of behavior yet we have very little empirical information about the interaction between mechanisms of learning and evolution. In our work, we are testing hypotheses about the neurogenetic mechanisms through which animal learning abilities evolve. We are able to test this directly by using experimentally evolved populations of flies, which differ in learning ability. These populations were previously evolved within the lab by creating worlds with different patterns of change following theoretically predicted effects on which enhanced learning will evolve. How has evolution acted to modulate genes and gene expression in the brain …

Role Of The Snf2 Homolog, Irc20, In Yeast Genome Maintenance, Deena Mohamed Galal Eldin Ahmed

Theses

In eukaryotes, DNA is wrapped around histone proteins forming a highly compact structure, the chromatin. All DNA-based processes must occur within the complex organization of the chromatin, and this requires modulation of its structure when needed. This is accomplished by covalent histone modifications that alter histone-DNA contacts, as well as through the actions of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers. These multi-subunit complexes play major roles in transcription regulation, replication and repairing DNA damage. This thesis aims to characterize a poorly studied member of the SWI/SNF family of ATPases/helicases, Irc20, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Previously, Irc20 has been shown to be involved in …

Optimisation Of Ion Exchange Chromatography Purification Protocols For A Staphylococcal Peptidoglycan Degrading Hydrolase Enzyme, Fiona Maher

Theses

Bacteriophage (phage) are the most abundant biological entities on earth and were first discovered by d’Herelle in 1917. They are found wherever their hosts live and, like all viruses they do not have the ability to make their own protein. Therefore, in order to reproduce, phage must invade and infect bacterial cells. This project focused on the optimisation of Ion Exchange Chromatography purification protocols for a staphylococcal peptidoglycan degrading hydrolase enzyme (CHAPk). The project objective was to obtain the greatest yield of enzyme from the growth of the E.coU XL 1-Blue expression system into which the vector pQE60 was previously …

2-D Electrophoresis Modeling Of Multienzyme Cutting Of Polypeptides, Howard Mayes

Theses

2-Dimensional Electrophoresis is one of the tools in the identification of proteins by molecular weight and pH. The display of molecular weight allows the researcher to quickly identify whether a specific protein or peptide string is in the sample. The pH measurement allows even better resolution between different species in the sample. The MultiEnzyme ElectroPhoresis (MEEP) program tries to model that by providing a graph that displays separated protein strings by both molecular weight and pH. The ability to cleave the protein with 43 different enzyme variations allows the researcher to analyze appropriate enzymes to isolate a protein subsequence before …

Rational Drug Design Directed At Blocking The Initial Signaling Events In Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Sepsis., Christopher A. Tipton

Theses

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) is classified as an immune system response to an infectious state. If left untreated, SIRS leads to sepsis, septic shock, end-organ dysfunction, and death. As a patient progresses through these stages, associations of acute respiratory distress, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and acute renal failure persist, resulting in millions of deaths annually. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial endotoxin, is released into the blood stream, triggering SIRS. LPS is found in the outer cell-wall of Gram-negative bacteria and is responsible for initiation of a devastating cytokine storm. One of the regions of LPS, lipid A, is a polyacylated glucosamine …

The Role Of Estrogen In Mouse Gastric Stem Cell Homeostasis, Aysha Mohamed Yusuf Alkaabi

Theses

To maintain cellular homeostasis, the epithelial lining of the stomach wall continuously fluctuates between cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. A key player in this process is the gastric stem cell (GSC). GSCs are located in the isthmus region of the corpus gastric gland and have the potential to proliferate and differentiate. Although several pathways have been identified to regulate stem cell role in several body tissues, little is known about controlling GSC homeostasis. This project aims to study the role of estrogen (E2) in GSC homeostasis using the well-established mouse gastric epithelial progenitor (mGEP) cell line. Our data showed that …

The Biological Function Of Hammerhead Rana Ribozyme In Human Genome, Ibtehal M. A. Awad

Theses

Hammerhead RNA [HHR] sequence originally found in viroids is also detected in many species. HHR are often found in introns of different genes ranging from prokaryotes to

eukaryotes. HHR can form specific tertiary structure that make specific region susceptible to cleavage. However, the role of the HHR is not clear in other life forms. This study aims to

Investigate the role of HHR in the intron 6 of (RECK) gene. Our study shows that when blocking the HHR sequence in the intron6, the production of RECK protein declines which may be due to the effect of HHR in splicing and …

Identification And Characterization Of The Anticancer Potential Of Indigenous Medicinal Plants Of The Arabian Peninsula, Sameera Omar Mohammed Saeed Balhamar

Theses

Indigenous plant species historically used for their medicinal properties are a tremendous source for bringing newer and safer drugs to the market. A concerted effort is needed to characterize their medicinal potential and identify new molecules that could be exploited in modern medicine. The current study was undertaken to study the anticancer properties of several indigenous plants that are used by the local population of the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for various medicinal purposes. Towards this end, we acquired different plant extracts from five plants, namely Boswellia sacra (BS), Cleome droserifolia (CD), Teucrium muscatensis (TM), Orchadenus arabicus (OA), and Acredocarpus …

Effects Of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes On Gene And Protein Expression In Sinoatrial Node Of Rat Heart, Zannatul Ferdous

Theses

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine disorders and its global prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality among diabetic patients. In addition to defects in contraction, the diabetic heart also frequently suffers from disturbances to the electrical conduction system. This study investigates the effects of diabetes on the sinoatrial node (SAN) of the rat heart. Previous in vivo and in vitro experiments have demonstrated reduced heart rate, longer SAN action potential duration, prolonged pacemaker cycle length and Sino-atrial conduction time in streptozotocin (STZ) - induced diabetic rat …

High Borate Glasses For The Controlled Release Of Therapeutic Metal Ions, Kathleen O'Connell

Theses

Within the biomaterial community significant effort has been directed towards engineering materials that induce precise host responses, which are tailored to specific applications. However, this has also seen an increase in the complexity of some biomaterials, which is being increasingly criticised within the literature, as it is attributed to hindering their clinical utility. In this context the release of therapeutic metal ions from glass-based biomaterials have been shown to promote hard tissue repair and regeneration through angiogenesis and osteogenesis processes. Within this thesis project two separate quaternary high borate glass systems were prepared containing the therapeutic metal ions strontium and …

Evaluation Of Reproductive Strategies In Captive California Yellowtail (Seriola Dorsalis) Using Genetic Parentage Analyses, Elizabeth K. Smith, Mark Drawbridge Ms, John Hyde Phd, Geoffrey Morse Phd

Theses

A good understanding of spawning dynamics of species in aquaculture is vital in order to maximize egg production and quality as well as efficient allocation of food and space resources. The breeding program of California yellowtail (CYT; Seriola dorsalis previously Seriola lalandi) at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) is set up such that up to 30 wild caught brood fish can broadcast spawn in a group setting, just as CYT reproduce in the wild. The population of brood fish were originally caught offshore from Southern California, and are maintained under ambient sea water and natural lighting conditions. The spawning season …

Biological And Physiological Condition Of Juvenile California Halibut (Paralichthys Californicus) Exposed To A Contamination Gradient In Mission Bay, Ca, Kevin Stolzenbach

Theses

Contaminated sediments in marine environments have been shown to be good indicators of ecological risk and a means to assess anthropogenic impacts on marine habitats and the animals that inhabit them (Long et al. 1995, Rattner 2009). Estuarine sediments are especially complex media with regard to physical, chemical, and biological characteristics that trap, store, modify and sometimes release contaminants to the biota (Long et al. 1995). Especially vulnerable are animals that are in constant contact with the sediments, such as flatfishes that partially bury themselves for camouflage (Costa et al. 2011). Impacts can be assessed in a number of ways, …