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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Transcriptional Influence Of Retinoic Acid And Its Effects On Angiogenesis Of Murine Salivary Glands., Isaac Feinn May 2019

Transcriptional Influence Of Retinoic Acid And Its Effects On Angiogenesis Of Murine Salivary Glands., Isaac Feinn

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Salivary gland hypofunction is a major disorder of salivary glands, and can arise either from diseases such as xerostomia, or from defective epithelial morphogenesis during embryogenesis. Hundreds of thousands of individuals suffer from dry mouth, and there is currently no restorative therapy for these patients. Investigation of salivary gland developmental biology will inform regenerative therapies. Currently it is known that retinoic acid (RA), the biologically active form of Vitamin A, is required for proper development of the salivary gland, but little is known about its cellular mechanism regulating organogenesis. This study sought to analyze salivary gland development in Rdh10 knock …


Development Of Bar-Peptide Nanoparticles And Electrospun Fibers For The Prevention And Treatment Of Oral Biofilms., Mohamed Yehia Mahmoud May 2019

Development Of Bar-Peptide Nanoparticles And Electrospun Fibers For The Prevention And Treatment Of Oral Biofilms., Mohamed Yehia Mahmoud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Periodontal diseases are globally prevalent inflammatory disorders that affect ~47% of U.S adults. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) has been identified as a “keystone” pathogen that disrupts host-microbe homeostasis and contributes to the initiation and progression of periodontitis. Pg associates with oral streptococci in supragingival plaque and this interaction represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Previously our group developed a peptide (designated BAR), that potently inhibits Pg/Streptococcus gordonii (Sg) adherence in vitro and Pg virulence in a murine model of periodontitis. While efficacious, BAR (SspB Adherence Region) provided transient inhibition and required higher concentrations of BAR to disrupt established …


The Q Rule In Bacteriodetes And The Identification And Characterization Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Glutaminyl Cyclase., John Andrew Houston May 2019

The Q Rule In Bacteriodetes And The Identification And Characterization Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Glutaminyl Cyclase., John Andrew Houston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major pathogen associated with chronic periodontitis, secretes variety of proteins, majority of which begins with glutamine. Several of these proteins were found with pyroglutamate (pGlu) at N-terminus suggesting the presence of this posttranslational modification pathway in P.gingivalis. The observation that N-terminal glutamine is over-represented as the first amino acid after signal peptide cleavage, and subsequent confirmation of pGlu formation on the nascent protein via mass spectrometry, led us to conclude that an enzyme must be present as the executor of this reaction. Hypothesis: PG2157 is a glutaminyl cyclase and is responsible for the cyclization of …