Life Sciences Commons^™

Comparative Animal Mucomics, Antonio R. Cerullo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mucus is one of Nature’s most abundant and versatile biomaterials. These secretions are present in all animals, from the lowly garden snail to the great blue whale, and fulfill a multitude of functions, acting as antimicrobial barriers, moisturizers, adhesive glues, surface lubricants, and mineralizing agents. Despite their importance, very little is known about mucus compositions or properties. The largest challenge precluding the greater understanding of mucus function is its complexity; a single mucus contains complex mixtures of proteins, glycans, and ions that all have important roles in function. Therefore, understanding mucus function necessitates analysis that compares different mucus from one …

Loss Of Pml Nuclear Bodies In Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Frontotemporal Dementia, Francesco Antoniani, Marco Cimino, Laura Mediani, Jonathan Vinet, Enza M. Verde, Valentina Secco, Alfred Yamoah, Priyanka Tripathi, Eleonora Aronica, Maria Elena Cicardi, Davide Trotti, Jared Sterneckert, Anand Goswami, Serena Carra

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are two neurodegenerative disorders that share genetic causes and pathogenic mechanisms. The critical genetic players of ALS and FTD are the TARDBP, FUS and C9orf72 genes, whose protein products, TDP-43, FUS and the C9orf72-dipeptide repeat proteins, accumulate in form of cytoplasmic inclusions. The majority of the studies focus on the understanding of how cells control TDP-43 and FUS aggregation in the cytoplasm, overlooking how dysfunctions occurring at the nuclear level may influence the maintenance of protein solubility outside of the nucleus. However, protein quality control (PQC) systems that maintain protein homeostasis comprise …

Migratory Material: Epigenetics & Weaving At The Us-Mexico Border, Valerie Navarrete

Masters Theses

Discourse often sutures the body shut, disallowing representations of identity to outgrow sociopolitical interests. This issue may originate from borders, but also from the unnamable pathology that generational colonial trauma transmits to the mind, body, and environment. Without a direct form of translatability, this thesis proposes a new materialism that deviates from any object-oriented ontology. Untethered and intra-active, epigenetics and weaving represent objects that transform typical ways of knowing and seeing. Their sensitivity to the environment, in addition to their mobility across generations of time, broaden the spatiotemporal loci of the body and its embodiment. Proposing new materials that expand …

Targeting Metabolic Alterations Associated With Smooth Muscle Α-Actin Pathogenic Variant Attenuates Moyamoya-Like Cerebrovascular Disease, Anita Kaw

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Heterozygous pathogenic variants in ACTA2, encoding smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA), predispose to thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. De novo missense variants disrupting ACTA2 arginine 179 (p.Arg179) cause a multisystemic disease termed smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome (SMDS), which is characterized by early onset thoracic aortic disease and moyamoya disease-like (MMD) cerebrovascular disease. The MMD-like cerebrovascular disease in SMDS patients is marked by bilateral steno-occlusive lesions in the distal internal carotid arteries (ICAs) and their branches. To study the molecular mechanisms that underlie the ACTA2 p.Arg179 variants, a smooth muscle-specific Cre-lox knock-in mouse model of the heterozygous Acta2 R179C variant, termed …

Gonads Without Glp-1: Silencing Glp-1 In The Male Somatic Gonad In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Matthew Titus

Undergraduate Theses

In C. elegans, the gene glp-1 encodes for a Notch receptor called GLP-1, one of two found in C. elegans’ genome. The gene has been previously implicated in the development of the hermaphroditic germline as well as playing a role in the mitosis/meiosis decision. Genetic screening has further identified it as potentially playing a role in the development of the male somatic gonad, making it an ideal candidate for a reverse genetic. We did this by silencing glp-1 and observing if any alterations to the gonad’s phenotype occur.

Normally this could be done by performing a gene knockout. …

Extension Of The Ergot Alkaloid Gene Cluster, Samantha Joy Fabian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Specialized metabolites produced by fungi impact human health. A large portion of the pharmaceuticals currently on the market are derived from metabolites biosynthesized by microbes. Ergot alkaloids are a class of fungal metabolites that are important in the interactions of environmental fungi with insects and mammals and also are used in the production of pharmaceuticals. In animals, ergot alkaloids can act as partial agonists or antagonists at receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), dopamine, and noradrenaline as ergot alkaloids have chemical structures similar to those neurotransmitters. Therefore, they affect insects and mammals that consume them and can be used to produce drugs …

Dissecting Interactions Across Gene Regulatory Layers In C. Elegans, Morgan Taylor

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful tool for studying nervous system genetics. Though relatively simple compared to mammals, C. elegans boasts a remarkably well-conserved neuronal genome and proteome, and its utility in the characterization of neuronal genes has been well-established. However, gene expression is often controlled by complex interactions between multiple genes, and teasing apart the functions of individual genes within such networks remains a challenge. Dissecting these interaction networks is crucial in determining the multifaceted functions of important, conserved regulatory genes. Here we explore interactions between gene regulatory layers in the C. elegans nervous system, employing a synthetic …

Ngly1 Deficiency Affects Glycosaminoglycan Biosynthesis And Wnt Signaling Pathway In Mice, Amy Batten

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Individuals affected by NGLY1 Deficiency cannot properly deglycosylate and recycle certain proteins. Even though less than 100 people worldwide have been diagnosed with this rare autosomal recessive condition, thousands are affected by similar glycosylation disorders. Common phenotypic manifestations of NGLY1 Deficiency include severe neural and intellectual delay, impaired muscle and liver function, and seizures that may become intractable. Very little is currently known about the various mechanisms through which NGLY1 deficiency affects the body and this has led to a lack of viable treatment options for those afflicted. This experiment uses a loss-of-function (LOF) mouse model of NGLY1 Deficiency homologous …

Validation Of Whole Genome Resequencing For Mapping The Genetics Of Ascites In Broilers And Viral Susceptibility In Layers, Katherine Pepper Lee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focused on the efficacy and validity of whole genome resequencing (WGR) for fine mapping genetic determinants of particular traits in a given organism. Previously, our research group used WGR to identify haplotype blocks of single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with ascites resistance with some as strong candidates for use in marker-assisted selection (MAS). Chapter 2 discusses the completion of a MAS project through evaluation of ascites incidence as well as production traits of economic value to poultry producers. Thus, the MAS project also covered viability of this methodology in the industry. The MAS significantly reduced ascites incidence in broilers …

Assembly Of The Peripheral Arm Subunits Of Escherichia Coli Complex I And Analysis Of Clinical Mutations, Hind Alkhaldi

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Respiratory Complex I from E. coli is a proto-type of the mitochondrial enzyme, consisting of a 6-subunit peripheral arm (B-CD-E-F-G-I) and a 7-subunit membrane arm. When subunits E-F-G (N-module), were expressed alone they formed an active complex as determined by co-immunoprecipitation and native gel electrophoresis. When co-expressed with subunits B and CD, only a complex of E-F-G was found. When these five subunits were co-expressed with subunit I and two membrane subunits, A and H, a complex of B-CD-E-F-G-I was membrane-bound, constituting the N- and Q-modules. Assembly of Complex I was also followed by splitting the genes between two plasmids, …

Science, Physiology, And Nutrition For The Nonscientist, Judi S. Morrill

Open Educational Resources

A wonderful blend of physiology, nutrition, biochemistry, genetics, biology, evolution, chemistry--what we all need to know as informed citizens. A basic knowledge of the life sciences and how our bodies work--to promote our own good health, especially as we're bombarded with misleading advertisements, soundbites, and the like. DNA fingerprinting, calorie requirements, dietary advice, genetic engineering (including gene editing with CRISPR cas9)--all in an easy-to understand book.

The Role Of Foxd1 In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Kyle H. Bond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the 8^th most common cancer in the United States, with the clear cell variant (ccRCC) being the most prevalent. Over 14,000 people die every year to RCC, with rates continuing to increase with an aging general population. Patients suffering from metastatic RCC (mRCC) have extremely poor prognoses, with a 5-year survival of only 11.2%. Current treatment options include resection of primary lesions, tyrosine kinase inhibition (Sunitinib, Pazopanib), mTOR inhibition (Temsirolimus, Everolimus), and immune checkpoint inhibition (Nivolumab, Atezolizumab). Recent attention has been drawn to inhibition of transcription factors like HIF2α (Belzutifan). There is a need …

Mechanisms Of Telomere Maintenance In Trypanosoma Brucei, M A G G. Rabbani

ETD Archive

Telomeres are a nucleoprotein structure at the end of the chromosome and are essential for genome integrity and chromosome stability. Telomere lengths are primarily maintained by a telomerase-mediated pathway but can be maintained by a homologous recombination-mediated pathway. However, detailed mechanisms of telomere maintenance are still unclear in many eukaryotes, including an important human pathogen, Trypanosoma brucei. Telomeres can be elongated by telomerase in T. brucei, a causative agent of fatal sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle. T. brucei evades host immune response by regularly switching its major surface antigen, variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), a process known as …

The Role Of Rad51 In Trichomonas Vaginalis, Dominique Hall

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Drug resistance to the current treatments on the market is on the rise, therefore there is strong interest in understanding what could be causing the resistance, how resistance could be spreading through the population, and finding some possible new drug targets. One protein of interest is Radiation Sensitive Protein 51 (Rad51). It is a protein that is involved in homologous recombination as well as other processes such as DNA damage repair. While Trichomonas vaginalis traditionally has been known to replicate via binary fission, a modified form of closed mitosis, there is some evidence that meiosis, or at least some form …

Genomic Instability At A Polypurine/Polypyrimidine Repeat Sequence, Nathen S. Zavada

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Microsatellite repeat sequences have been shown to induce replication stalling, fork collapse, double-strand breaks (DSBs), and possibly stimulate break-induced replication. In this study we use a dual-fluorescent HeLa model that is designed to monitor recombination at an ectopic site through use of flow cytometry and inverse PCR with a microsatellite in the lagging strand for DNA synthesis. To test the stability of the 78 bp polypurine/pyrimidine repeat from the PDK1 locus, we subjected cells to replication stress drugs designed to induce DSBs and measure break-induced replication (BIR). The study revealed that polypurine repeat cells undergo endogenous stress contributing to instability …

Mhc Diversity Analysis Of Spheniscus Demersus For In Situ And Ex Situ Populations, Antonieta Van Den Berg Monsalve

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The South African Penguin has been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles provide valuable statistics because of their variation in terms of vertebrate genomes and are pertinent to immune and reproductive health. A greater number of MHC alleles correlates with survivability of a population because the genes control the immune and reproductive systems. Legacy research by Otterbein alumni and Dr. Simon Lawrance studied MHC samples from wild, in situ, and captive, ex situ, penguin populations. By comparing these populations' major histocompatibility complexes through biostatistical analysis, contributions to conservation of the …

Identifying The Cell Composition And Clonal Diversity Of Supratentorial Ependymoma Using Single Cell Rna-Sequencing, James He

Honors Scholar Theses

Ependymoma is a primary solid tumor of the central nervous system. Supratentorial ependymoma (ST-EPN), a subtype of ependymomas, is driven by an oncogenic fusion between the ZFTA and RELA genes in 70% of cases. We introduced this fusion into neural progenitor cells of mice embryos via in utero electroporation of a non-viral binary piggyBac transposon system containing ZFTA-RELA. From preliminary data in the LoTurco lab, inducing the expression of ZFTA-RELA into different neural progenitor cells produces tumors of varying lethality and cellular composition. To define the cellular composition and subclonal diversity of ST-EPN tumors, we used single cell RNA-sequencing …

The Role Of Subclonal Gene Mutations During Progression From Myelodysplastic Syndrome To Secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Andrew John Menssen

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal bone marrow disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis. Approximately 30% of MDS patients progress to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MDS is caused by somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and progression to secondary AML is associated with the acquisition and/or expansion of at least one subclone. We hypothesized that specific gene mutations would be enriched in subclones compared to founding clones, and that the order of mutation acquisition would be critical for clonal evolution and progression from MDS to secondary AML. Sequencing of paired MDS and secondary AML samples from 44 …

Molecular And Genetic Studies Of Robo2 Transcriptional Regulation In The Central Nervous System Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Muna Abdal Rahim Abdal Rhida

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drosophila Robo2 axon guidance receptor is a member of the evolutionarily conserved Roundabout (Robo) protein family that is involved in directing axons that cross the midline to the other side of the animal body. Robo2 roles mainly depend on two factors: The functional domains of the Robo2 protein, which is extensively studied, and the dynamic transcription of robo2 in various subsets of cells throughout embryogenesis which is not fully understood. Thus, knowing robo2 enhancers that transcriptionally regulate robo2 during embryogenesis is significant. To investigate robo2 potential enhancers, we screened 17 transgenic lines of Drosophila that were generated by Janelia Research …

Using Crispr-Cas9 To Characterize The Role Of Gli-Similar 3 (Glis3) In Insulin Regulation, Pancreatic Development, And Type 2 Diabetes, Lilyanne Grieve

Honors College Theses

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise nationally and internationally, impacting millions of people worldwide. Type 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance leading to chronic hyperinsulinemia and dysfunction of the insulin producing β cells of the pancreas. While environmental factors can influence the development of type 2 diabetes, research has shown genetics are also involved. Gli-similar 3 (Glis3), a Krüppel-like zinc finger transcription factor, has been identified as a novel regulator of insulin transcription. Evidence has shown that loss-of-function Glis3 mutations decrease insulin expression, implicating Glis3 in the development of type 2 diabetes. However, the distinct role Glis3 …

Living With It: A Patient’S And A Biochemist’S Perspective On Kidney Disease; A Historical Review Of Alport Syndrome, Jacob Olson

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

A review paper on the origin of health studies around Alport Syndrome, including aspects of genetics, pharmacy, and biochemistry, from the past to today and beyond. This report deals with important aspects of health development with regards to kidney disease overall, but narrows its focus on Alport Syndrome specifically due to the personal nature of the topic for the author. While this paper includes no personal testimony, as it is strictly meant to be formal, the author shares a deep connection with the material.

Molecular Genetic Analysis Of Drought Resistance And Productivity Traits Of Rice Genotypes, Yheni Dwiningsih

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the staple food for a majority of the world’s population, and uses 30% of the global fresh water during its life cycle. Drought at the reproductive stage is the most important abiotic stress factor limiting grain yield. The United States is the third largest exporter of rice, and Arkansas is the top rice-producing state. The Arkansas rice-growing region in the Lower Mississippi belt is among the 10 areas with the highest risk of water scarcity. Adapted U.S. rice cultivars were screened for drought resistant (DR) traits to find sources for breeding U.S. rice cultivars for …

P53 Drives A Transcriptional Program That Elicits A Non-Cell-Autonomous Response And Alters Cell State In Vivo, Sydney Moyer

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cell stress and DNA damage activate the tumor suppressor p53, triggering transcriptional activation of a myriad of target genes. The molecular, morphological, and physiological consequences of this activation remain poorly understood in vivo. We activated a p53 transcriptional program in mice by deletion of Mdm2, a gene which encodes the major p53 inhibitor. By overlaying tissue-specific RNA-sequencing data from pancreas, small intestine, ovary, kidney, and heart with existing p53 ChIP-sequencing, we identified a large repertoire of tissue-specific p53 genes and a common p53 transcriptional signature of seven genes which included Mdm2 but not p21. Global p53 activation …

10th Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium, University Of Texas Md Anderson Cancer Center Postdoctoral Association

Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium Abstracts

The Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium (APSS) was initiated on August 4, 2011, by the MD Anderson Postdoctoral Association to provide a platform for talented postdoctoral fellows throughout the Texas Medical Center to present their work to a wider audience.

APSS is a scientific symposium organized by postdoctoral fellows from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center that welcomes submissions and presentations from postdoctoral fellows from all Texas Medical Center affiliated institutions and other Houston area institutions. The APSS provides a professional venue for postdoctoral scientists to develop, clarify and refine their research as result of formal reviews and critiques …

A Look At Gene Control: Tracking The Ccnd1 Gene, Bryan Anders

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Cancer occurs when the cell does not properly control its own cell cycle. It then replicates in an out of control fashion leading to the death of various organs and then the demise of the organism as a whole. As it seems to have always been a problem for cell-based life, certain safeguards against cancer have been evolved over time. One such method comes in the form of prevention via cyclin proteins, which are encoded from cyclin genes. The gene that is the focus of this research is the CCND1, or cyclin D1, gene that controls the progression through various …

Investigating Growth Performance And Intestinal Barrier Integrity In Heat-Stressed Modern Broilers And Their Ancestor Jungle Fowl, Travis Tabler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress (HS) has a negative effect on poultry production sustainability due to its adverse consequence on bird welfare, health, growth, and mortality. Although modern broilers have greater gut mass and higher energy use efficiency than unselected birds, they are more vulnerable to HS that induces “leaky gut syndrome,” or increased intestinal permeability. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of HS on growth performance and gut barrier integrity in three modern broiler lines and their ancestor the Jungle Fowl. Four chicken populations including Giant Jungle Fowl (JF), Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB), 1995 Arkansas Random …

9th Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium, University Of Texas Md Anderson Cancer Center Postdoctoral Association

Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium Abstracts

The mission of the Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium (APSS) is to provide a platform for talented postdoctoral fellows throughout the Texas Medical Center to present their work to a wider audience. The MD Anderson Postdoctoral Association convened its inaugural Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium (APSS) on August 4, 2011.

The APSS provides a professional venue for postdoctoral scientists to develop, clarify, and refine their research as a result of formal reviews and critiques of faculty and other postdoctoral scientists. Additionally, attendees discuss current research on a broad range of subjects while promoting academic interactions and enrichment and developing new collaborations.

Genotyping For Response To Physical Training, Stacy Simmons

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the inter-individual variability in physical fitness performance has been the focus of scientific research for decades especially in the United States military. Injury and physical inadequacy cost the U.S military millions of dollars every year. The project PHITE (Precision High Intensity Training through Epigenetics) was funded to investigate this personal complex trait by combing the genetic and epigenetic (non-shared environmental factors) contributions into a single model for physical training response. This project is set up as having 150 male and female recruits between the ages of 18-27 years old. Each participant is randomly put blind into either a high …

Regulation Of The Tubulin Homolog Ftsz In Escherichia Coli, Monika S. Buczek

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Escherichia coli is a well-known pathogen, and importantly, a widely used model organism in all fields of biological sciences for cloning, protein purification, and as a model for Gram-negative bacterial species. And yet, researchers do not fully understand how this bacterium replicates and divides. Every year additional division proteins are discovered, which adds complexity to how we understand E. coli undergoes cell division. Due to their specific roles in cytokinesis, some of these proteins may be potential targets for development of antibacterials or bacteriostatics, which are much needed for fighting the current global antibacterial deficit. My thesis work focuses on …

Crispr Gene Editing In The Sea Squirt, Ciona Intestinalis, Evelyn Siler, Steven Irvine

Senior Honors Projects

Genetic manipulation has come a long way in the past ten years alone. Scientists have had access to gene editing techniques for decades, but until recently these methods have proven to be expensive and unpredictable. However, thanks to the development of a new, more efficient genome editing strategy called CRISPR/Cas9, more aggressive progress can now be made in genetics research.

CRISPR is not a machine or a physical tool, but rather it is a system that involves introducing a protein into a cell, along with a DNA segment that will attract the protein to a desired location on the DNA. …