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2018

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Articles 1 - 30 of 32

Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Targeting The Brd4/Foxo3a/Cdk6 Axis Sensitizes Akt Inhibition In Luminal Breast Cancer, Jingyi Liu, Weijie Guo, Zhibing Duan, Lei Zeng, Yadi Wu, Yule Chen, Fang Tai, Yifan Wang, Yiwei Lin, Qiang Zhang, Yanling He, Jiong Deng, Rachel L. Stewart, Chi Wang, Pengnian Charles Lin, Saghi Ghaffari, B. Mark Evers, Suling Liu, Ming-Ming Zhou, Binhua P. Zhou, Jian Shi Dec 2018

Targeting The Brd4/Foxo3a/Cdk6 Axis Sensitizes Akt Inhibition In Luminal Breast Cancer, Jingyi Liu, Weijie Guo, Zhibing Duan, Lei Zeng, Yadi Wu, Yule Chen, Fang Tai, Yifan Wang, Yiwei Lin, Qiang Zhang, Yanling He, Jiong Deng, Rachel L. Stewart, Chi Wang, Pengnian Charles Lin, Saghi Ghaffari, B. Mark Evers, Suling Liu, Ming-Ming Zhou, Binhua P. Zhou, Jian Shi

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

BRD4 assembles transcriptional machinery at gene super-enhancer regions and governs the expression of genes that are critical for cancer progression. However, it remains unclear whether BRD4-mediated gene transcription is required for tumor cells to develop drug resistance. Our data show that prolonged treatment of luminal breast cancer cells with AKT inhibitors induces FOXO3a dephosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and disrupts its association with SirT6, eventually leading to FOXO3a acetylation as well as BRD4 recognition. Acetylated FOXO3a recognizes the BD2 domain of BRD4, recruits the BRD4/RNAPII complex to the CDK6 gene promoter, and induces its transcription. Pharmacological inhibition of either BRD4/FOXO3a association or …


Actinomycin D And Telmisartan Combination Therapy Targets Lung Cancer Stem Cells, Ryan Green Nov 2018

Actinomycin D And Telmisartan Combination Therapy Targets Lung Cancer Stem Cells, Ryan Green

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The failure of lung cancer treatments has been attributed partly to the development of drug resistance, however the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. It has been suggested that a very small group of specific cells within the heterogeneous tumors, cancer initiating stem cells (CSC), develop resistance to treatment, survive and later initiate the growth of new tumors. Due to their pivotal role in maintenance and relapse of tumors following the acquisition of drug resistance, we reasoned that novel drugs targeting cancer cells and CSC might provide the most effective treatments, if not a cure. To this end, …


Development Of A Pd-L1 Pet Imaging Biomarker, Caleb Jack Bridgwater Nov 2018

Development Of A Pd-L1 Pet Imaging Biomarker, Caleb Jack Bridgwater

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Immunotherapy strategies are very promising treatments for cancer patients. Specifically, Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy focusing on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway shows long-lasting positive results in many cancer patients. Unfortunately, not all the patients can benefit from this highly effective treatment. Hence, there is a great need for predictive biomarkers. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining has been used as a way of predicting patient response, yet shows many problems. For example, IHC utilizes an invasive biopsy and sample fixing, which creates an incomplete and delayed picture of the patient’s biochemistry and the tumor microenvironment, consequently ignoring metastases.

The purpose of this study is to …


Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Phaeosphaeride A Derivatives As Antitumor Agents, Victoria Abzianidze, Petr Beltyukov, Sofya Zakharenkova, Natalia Moiseeva, Jennifer Mejia, Alvin Holder, Yuri Trishin, Alexander Berestetskiy, Victor Kuznetsov Nov 2018

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Phaeosphaeride A Derivatives As Antitumor Agents, Victoria Abzianidze, Petr Beltyukov, Sofya Zakharenkova, Natalia Moiseeva, Jennifer Mejia, Alvin Holder, Yuri Trishin, Alexander Berestetskiy, Victor Kuznetsov

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

New derivatives of phaeosphaeride A (PPA) were synthesized and characterized. Anti-tumor activity studies were carried out on the HCT-116, PC3, MCF-7, A549, К562, NCI-Н929, Jurkat, THP-1, RPMI8228 tumor cell lines, and on the HEF cell line. All of the compounds synthesized were found to have better efficacy than PPA towards the tumor cell lines mentioned. Compound 6 was potent against six cancer cell lines, HCT-116, PC-3, K562, NCI-H929, Jurkat, and RPMI8226, showing a 47, 13.5, 16, 4, 1.5, and 7-fold increase in anticancer activity comparative to those of etoposide, respectively. Compound 1 possessed selectivity toward the NCI-H929 cell line (IC …


Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury: Apoptotic, Inflammatory And Oxidative Stress Role Of Galectin-3, Suhail Al-Salam, Satwat Hashmi Oct 2018

Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury: Apoptotic, Inflammatory And Oxidative Stress Role Of Galectin-3, Suhail Al-Salam, Satwat Hashmi

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background/aims: Myocardial reperfusion has the potential to salvage the ischemic myocardium after a period of coronary occlusion. Reperfusion, however, can cause a wide spectrum of deleterious effects. Galectin-3 (GAL-3), a beta galactoside binding lectin, is closely associated with myocardial infarction (MI), myocardial fibrosis and heart failure. In our study, we investigated its role in ischemia-reperfusion injuries (IR) as this phenomenon is extremely relevant to the early intervention after acute MI.
Methods: C57B6/J wild type (WT) mice and GAL-3 knockout (KO) mice were used for murine model of IR injury in the heart where a period of 30 minutes ischemia was …


Effects Of Maternal Protein Restriction On The Pulmonary Surfactant System During The Early Life And Adulthood, Reza Khazaee Oct 2018

Effects Of Maternal Protein Restriction On The Pulmonary Surfactant System During The Early Life And Adulthood, Reza Khazaee

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is defined by low birth weight and contributes to a variety of adult-onset diseases with different severities between males and females. However, the effects of FGR on the pulmonary surfactant are not fully elucidated. In this thesis, first, we investigated the FGR effects on the lung function and the surfactant system at the early postnatal life. It was hypothesized that FGR contributes to alterations of lung mechanics and the surfactant system during the neonatal period. Second, we assessed the FGR effects on the surfactant system in response to sepsis in adulthood. It was hypothesized that FGR …


Proteomic Profiling Of Serum Derived Exosomes From Prostate Cancer Patients, David Turay Oct 2018

Proteomic Profiling Of Serum Derived Exosomes From Prostate Cancer Patients, David Turay

David Turay, MD

Touted among the major achievements in the diagnosis and management of Prostate cancer (PCa) in the past few decades has been, the dramatic decline of men with advanced/metastatic PCa at diagnosis coupled with a significant improvement ( >90%) in the five and ten year survival rates of the disease. Non-palpable PCa (potentially clinically treatable disease) now accounts for 70-80% of all newly diagnosed cases of PCa. Preceding these changes by about a decade was the introduction of Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA) into clinical practice; first as biomarker for monitoring response to therapy and subsequently as a complementary screening tool. It …


Mechanisms Adopted By Dengue-2 Viruses To Induce Autophagy In Mammalian Cells, Sounak Ghosh Roy Sep 2018

Mechanisms Adopted By Dengue-2 Viruses To Induce Autophagy In Mammalian Cells, Sounak Ghosh Roy

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Dengue, the most rapidly spreading flavivirus, threatens to affect almost half of the human global population. We previously showed that dengue-2 protects canine kidney cells (MDCK) from cytotoxic chemicals. We showed, independently, that cell protection, as well as viral replication and maturation, are positively regulated by PI3K-dependent autophagy. However, we had not identified the specific pathway that induces autophagy in infected cells. The current study explores the role of a specific branch of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 pathway in the induction of autophagy by …


Bayesian Analytical Approaches For Metabolomics : A Novel Method For Molecular Structure-Informed Metabolite Interaction Modeling, A Novel Diagnostic Model For Differentiating Myocardial Infarction Type, And Approaches For Compound Identification Given Mass Spectrometry Data., Patrick J. Trainor Aug 2018

Bayesian Analytical Approaches For Metabolomics : A Novel Method For Molecular Structure-Informed Metabolite Interaction Modeling, A Novel Diagnostic Model For Differentiating Myocardial Infarction Type, And Approaches For Compound Identification Given Mass Spectrometry Data., Patrick J. Trainor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolomics, the study of small molecules in biological systems, has enjoyed great success in enabling researchers to examine disease-associated metabolic dysregulation and has been utilized for the discovery biomarkers of disease and phenotypic states. In spite of recent technological advances in the analytical platforms utilized in metabolomics and the proliferation of tools for the analysis of metabolomics data, significant challenges in metabolomics data analyses remain. In this dissertation, we present three of these challenges and Bayesian methodological solutions for each. In the first part we develop a new methodology to serve a basis for making higher order inferences in metabolomics, …


Characterizing The Activity Of Antimicrobial Peptides Against The Pathogenic Bacterium Clostridium Difficile In An Anaerobic Environment, Adenrele Mojeed Oludiran Jul 2018

Characterizing The Activity Of Antimicrobial Peptides Against The Pathogenic Bacterium Clostridium Difficile In An Anaerobic Environment, Adenrele Mojeed Oludiran

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic Gram-positive pathogen with high treatment costs and mortality and very high antibiotic tolerance. Antimicrobial host-defense peptides (HDPs) produced naturally by animal immune systems are promising candidates to develop novel therapies for bacterial infection because they cause oxidative stress that damages multiple targets in bacterial cells, so it is difficult for bacteria to evolve resistance to these attacks.

Piscidins, fish-derived HDPs that can also form complexes with copper (Cu) to enhance their activities, are very active against multiple bacterial species in an aerobic environment. We examined their activity against C. difficile and other species in an …


Melatonin-Micronutrients Osteopenia Treatment Study (Mots): A Translational Study Assessing The Effects Of Melatonin, Strontium Citrate, Vitamin D3 And Vitamin K2 On Bone Density, Bone Turnover Markers And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Postmenopausal Osteopenic Women Following A One-Year Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial And On Osteoblast-Osteoclast Co-Cultures, Sifat Maria May 2018

Melatonin-Micronutrients Osteopenia Treatment Study (Mots): A Translational Study Assessing The Effects Of Melatonin, Strontium Citrate, Vitamin D3 And Vitamin K2 On Bone Density, Bone Turnover Markers And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Postmenopausal Osteopenic Women Following A One-Year Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial And On Osteoblast-Osteoclast Co-Cultures, Sifat Maria

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess if a novel combination of melatonin and three other natural bone-aiding micronutrients: strontium citrate, vitamins D3 and K2 (MSDK) could improve bone health by modulating the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in favor of balanced bone remodeling and by improving the overall health-related quality of life in postmenopausal osteopenic women.

Methods: The Melatonin-micronutrients Osteopenia Treatment Study (MOTS) is a translational research study that used both clinical and in vitro approaches to assess the efficacy of MSDK on bone health in women and to identify potential mechanisms for its effects. …


Structure Determination Of A Bioengineered Human/Porcine Factor Viii For Hemophilia A Treatment, And Improvements To The Human Factor Viii Model, Ian Smith May 2018

Structure Determination Of A Bioengineered Human/Porcine Factor Viii For Hemophilia A Treatment, And Improvements To The Human Factor Viii Model, Ian Smith

Graduate Student Symposium

Blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII), is a non-enzymatic cofactor which plays a crucial role in the formation of a stable blood clot. Absence or deficiency of FVIII results in the blood disorder hemophilia A; with symptoms including internal hemorrhaging and the inability to stop bleeding from open wounds. Treatment of hemophilia A relies on infusions of blood, plasma, or protein concentrates to replace FVIII. Unfortunately, approximately 30% of patients receiving replacement FVIII generate pathologic anti-FVIII inhibitory antibodies, which both reduce the effectiveness of the FVIII therapeutic and increase the severity of hemophilia A symptoms.

We have determined the molecular structure …


Role Of Leptin And Dyslipidemia In Chronic Kidney Disease, Sabeela Noor, Faiza Alam, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Mahnur Khan, Rehana Rehman May 2018

Role Of Leptin And Dyslipidemia In Chronic Kidney Disease, Sabeela Noor, Faiza Alam, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Mahnur Khan, Rehana Rehman

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are at an increased risk of cardiovascular complications and plasma leptin level is elevated in cardio renal syndrome. We wanted to explore leptin levels in patients with different stages of CKD and find its association with risk of cardiovascular disease. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Nephrology Department of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) from January 2014 to September 2014. Group I comprised of controls (GFR=116±8.3, n = 44) acquired from general population, CKD patients were grouped as II, III and IV respectively with GFR; 85.77±9.9 (n = 42), 53.84±9.9 (n=42) and 20.22±8.4 (n …


A Cytotoxic Evaluation Of A Chalcone Derivative Library On A549 Cells, Mary Elaine Kuo Apr 2018

A Cytotoxic Evaluation Of A Chalcone Derivative Library On A549 Cells, Mary Elaine Kuo

Undergraduate Theses

Chalcones, a precursor to flavonoids, are chemical compounds found naturally in plants. The chalcones’ structure consists of a ketone bridge attached to two aromatic rings. Varying substituents on the aromatic rings allow for different affects, including anti-cancer properties. As a Michael acceptor, chalcones interact with pathways that cause inhibition of the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer tumors. We have screened 32 compounds for growth inhibition in lung cells that vary the flexibility and confirmation of the 3 carbon bridge between the two aromatic rings as well as the effects of electronic modifications to the aromatic ring. We have found …


Experiences Of The Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy At A Public Hospital Peshawar Pakistan, Gulzar Habibullah, Raisa Raisa, Shanaz Hussein Cassum, Rehana Elahi Apr 2018

Experiences Of The Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy At A Public Hospital Peshawar Pakistan, Gulzar Habibullah, Raisa Raisa, Shanaz Hussein Cassum, Rehana Elahi

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of female breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) in a public hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Methods: This study employed a descriptive exploratory method. A purposive sample of 14 breast cancer women undergoing RT was selected for this study. Data were collected over the period of 5 months, using a semi-structured interview guide and conducting in-depth face-to-face interviews. These interviews were audio taped and transcribed by a bilingual transcriber. The translated version of the interview was coded, and the analysis was done manually.
Results: Four main categories emerged from data analysis, which were: …


Profiling Prostate Cancer Therapeutic Resistance, Cameron A. Wade, Natasha Kyprianou Mar 2018

Profiling Prostate Cancer Therapeutic Resistance, Cameron A. Wade, Natasha Kyprianou

Urology Faculty Publications

The major challenge in the treatment of patients with advanced lethal prostate cancer is therapeutic resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and chemotherapy. Overriding this resistance requires understanding of the driving mechanisms of the tumor microenvironment, not just the androgen receptor (AR)-signaling cascade, that facilitate therapeutic resistance in order to identify new drug targets. The tumor microenvironment enables key signaling pathways promoting cancer cell survival and invasion via resistance to anoikis. In particular, the process of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT), directed by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), confers stem cell properties and acquisition of a migratory and invasive phenotype via resistance to anoikis. Our …


Serum Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha In Osteopenic And Osteoporotic Postmenopausal Females: A Cross-Sectional Study In Pakistan, Rafat Murad, Zahra Shezad, Saara Ahmed, Mussarat Ashraf, Murad Qadir, Rehana Rehman Mar 2018

Serum Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha In Osteopenic And Osteoporotic Postmenopausal Females: A Cross-Sectional Study In Pakistan, Rafat Murad, Zahra Shezad, Saara Ahmed, Mussarat Ashraf, Murad Qadir, Rehana Rehman

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To compare biochemical parameters serum tumour necrosis factor alpha, calcium, magnesium, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and vitamin D in postmenopausal women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from June 2015 to July 2016 at Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Karachi, and comprised postmenopausal women. Bone mineral density done by dual energy X-ray absorptiometryscan categorised subjects by World Health Organisation classification into normal (T score > -1) osteopenic (T score between -1 and -2.5) and osteoporotic (T score < -2.5). Biochemical parameters like tumour necrosis alpha, calcium, magnesium, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and vitamin D were measured by solid phase enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay method. SPSS 16 was used to analyse the data.
Results: Of the 146 women, 34(23%) were normal, 93(67%) were osteopenic and 19(13%) were osteoporotic. There was significant difference in mean body mass …


A Gender-Based Comparison In Health Behaviors And State Of Happiness Among University Students, Rehana Rehman, Amara Zafar, Aleena Mohib, Mukhtiar Baig Mar 2018

A Gender-Based Comparison In Health Behaviors And State Of Happiness Among University Students, Rehana Rehman, Amara Zafar, Aleena Mohib, Mukhtiar Baig

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: The presence of good healthy behaviors among university students is imperative for their future life. This study aimed to compare positive health behaviors and state of happiness between the two genders of Bahria University (BU), Karachi, Pakistan.
Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at BU, Karachi, Pakistan. A total 813 students participated in this study. The healthquestionnaire, adapted from Health and Behavior Survey and the Subjective Happiness Scale, was used to assess self-reported happiness. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22.
Results: Overall self-reported health behaviors were found to be more prevalent in females as …


Lafora Disease Offers A Unique Window Into Neuronal Glycogen Metabolism, Matthew S. Gentry, Joan J. Guinovart, Berge A. Minassian, Peter J. Roach, Jose M. Serratosa Feb 2018

Lafora Disease Offers A Unique Window Into Neuronal Glycogen Metabolism, Matthew S. Gentry, Joan J. Guinovart, Berge A. Minassian, Peter J. Roach, Jose M. Serratosa

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Lafora disease (LD) is a fatal, autosomal recessive, glycogen-storage disorder that manifests as severe epilepsy. LD results from mutations in the gene encoding either the glycogen phosphatase laforin or the E3 ubiquitin ligase malin. Individuals with LD develop cytoplasmic, aberrant glycogen inclusions in nearly all tissues that more closely resemble plant starch than human glycogen. This Minireview discusses the unique window into glycogen metabolism that LD research offers. It also highlights recent discoveries, including that glycogen contains covalently bound phosphate and that neurons synthesize glycogen and express both glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase.


Lack Of Association Of Statin Use With Vitamin D Levels In A Hospital Based Population Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Khalida Iqbal, Najmul Islam, Iqbal Azam Syed, Naseema Mehboobali, Mohammad Perwaiz Iqbal Feb 2018

Lack Of Association Of Statin Use With Vitamin D Levels In A Hospital Based Population Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Khalida Iqbal, Najmul Islam, Iqbal Azam Syed, Naseema Mehboobali, Mohammad Perwaiz Iqbal

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To investigate the relationship of statins (drug given to reduce serum levels of LDL-cholesterol) on vitamin D levels of Pakistani type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients in a hospital in Karachi.
Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, 312 consecutive patients with type 2 DM (219 males and 93 females, age 22-70 years) were recruited with informed consent. A questionnaire was administered to find out whether they were statin users or non-users. Serum was analyzed for concentrations of 25(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] and other related biomarkers such as serum cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, phosphate and calcium using kit methods. Multiple Linear …


Amyloid-Beta Solubility In The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease, Michael Paul Murphy Jan 2018

Amyloid-Beta Solubility In The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease, Michael Paul Murphy

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Peptide Density Targets And Impedes Triple Negative Breast Cancer Metastasis, Daxing Liu, Peng Guo, Craig Mccarthy, Biran Wang, Yu Tao, Debra Auguste Jan 2018

Peptide Density Targets And Impedes Triple Negative Breast Cancer Metastasis, Daxing Liu, Peng Guo, Craig Mccarthy, Biran Wang, Yu Tao, Debra Auguste

Publications and Research

The C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4, CD184) pathway is a key regulator of cancer metastasis. Existing therapeutics that block CXCR4 signaling are dependent on single molecule-receptor interactions or silencing CXCR4 expression. CXCR4 localizes in lipid rafts and forms dimers therefore CXCR4 targeting and signaling may depend on ligand density. Herein, we report liposomes presenting a CXCR4 binding peptide (DV1) as a threedimensional molecular array, ranging from 9k to 74k molecules μm−2, target triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC cells exhibit a maxima in binding and uptake of DV1functionalized liposomes (L-DV1) in vitro at a specific density, which yields a …


Association Of Two Foxp3 Polymorphisms With Breast Cancer In Chinese Han Women, Wenge Zhu, +Several Additional Authors Jan 2018

Association Of Two Foxp3 Polymorphisms With Breast Cancer In Chinese Han Women, Wenge Zhu, +Several Additional Authors

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is a key gene in the immune system which also plays a role in tumor development. This study aims to explore the association of two FOXP3 polymorphisms (rs3761548 and rs3761549) with susceptibility to breast cancer (BC).

Method

A case–control study was conducted, involving 560 patients and 583 healthy individuals from the Chinese Han population. The genotypes of FOXP3 polymorphisms were detected using the Sequenom MassARRAY method. The association between FOXP3 polymorphisms and BC risk was evaluated using a χ2 test with an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) under six …


The Western Diet: A Smoking Gun For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease And Asthma?, Conor Kerley Jan 2018

The Western Diet: A Smoking Gun For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease And Asthma?, Conor Kerley

Other resources

No abstract provided.


Wnt Secretion Proteins Modulate Rankl-Induced Expression Of Aire In Thymic Epithelial Cells, Daniel Pollack Jan 2018

Wnt Secretion Proteins Modulate Rankl-Induced Expression Of Aire In Thymic Epithelial Cells, Daniel Pollack

Dissertations and Theses

Thymic epithelial cells (TEC) are essential for a proper adaptive immune response by regulating thymocyte development and establishing central tolerance. In the thymus, TECs differentially express Wnt proteins, which activate canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways. Wnt signaling is thought to regulate cell survival, proliferation, and development although the direct molecular mechanisms in TECs have yet to be elucidated. The inducible inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling with Dkk1 leads to a rapid loss of TEC progenitors as well as a decline in mature Aire-expressing mTECs. Therefore, we explore the role of Wnt ligands potentially responsible for stimulating and/or regulating Wnt …


Adp-Ribosylation Factor-Like 2 (Arl2) Regulates Cilia Stability And Development Of Outer Segments In Rod Photoreceptor Neurons, Zachary C. Wright, Yuriy Loskutov, Daniel Murphy, Peter Stoilov, Elena Pugacheva, Andrew F.X. Goldberg, Visvanathan Ramamurthy Jan 2018

Adp-Ribosylation Factor-Like 2 (Arl2) Regulates Cilia Stability And Development Of Outer Segments In Rod Photoreceptor Neurons, Zachary C. Wright, Yuriy Loskutov, Daniel Murphy, Peter Stoilov, Elena Pugacheva, Andrew F.X. Goldberg, Visvanathan Ramamurthy

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Photoreceptor cells are specialized neurons with a sensory cilium carrying an elaborate membrane structure, the outer segment (OS). Inherited mutations in genes involved in ciliogenesis frequently result in OS malformation and blindness. ADP-ribosylation factor-like 2 (ARL2) has recently been implicated in OS formation through its association with Binder of ARL2 (BART or ARL2BP), a protein linked to inherited blinding disease. To test the role of ARL2 in vision we created a transgenic mouse model expressing a tagged-dominant active form of human ARL2 (ARL2-Q70L) under a rod-specific promoter. Transgenic ARL2-Q70L animals exhibit reduced photoreceptor cell function as early as post-natal day …


Quantum Confined Peptide Assemblies With Tunable Visible To Near-Infrared Spectral Range, Kai Tao, Zhen Fan, Leming Sun, Pandeeswar Makam, Zhen Tian, Mark Ruegsegger, Shira Shaham-Niv, Derek Hansford, Ruth Aizen, Zui Pan, Scott Galster, Jianjie Ma, Fan Yuan, Mingsu Si, Songnan Qu, Mingjun Zhang, Ehud Gazit, Junbai Li Jan 2018

Quantum Confined Peptide Assemblies With Tunable Visible To Near-Infrared Spectral Range, Kai Tao, Zhen Fan, Leming Sun, Pandeeswar Makam, Zhen Tian, Mark Ruegsegger, Shira Shaham-Niv, Derek Hansford, Ruth Aizen, Zui Pan, Scott Galster, Jianjie Ma, Fan Yuan, Mingsu Si, Songnan Qu, Mingjun Zhang, Ehud Gazit, Junbai Li

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Quantum confined materials have been extensively studied for photoluminescent applica- tions. Due to intrinsic limitations of low biocompatibility and challenging modulation, the utilization of conventional inorganic quantum confined photoluminescent materials in bio- imaging and bio-machine interface faces critical restrictions. Here, we present aromatic cyclo-dipeptides that dimerize into quantum dots, which serve as building blocks to further self-assemble into quantum confined supramolecular structures with diverse morphologies and photoluminescence properties. Especially, the emission can be tuned from the visible region to the near-infrared region (420 nm to 820 nm) by modulating the self-assembly process. Moreover, no obvious cytotoxic effect is observed for …


Spontaneous Dna Damage To The Nuclear Genome Promotes Senescence, T Redox Imbalance And Aging, Andria R. Robinson, Matthew J. Yousefzadeh, Tania A. Rozgaja, Jin Wang, Xuesen Li, Jeremy S. Tilstra, Chelsea H. Feldman, Siobhan Q. Gregg, Caroline H. Johnson, Erin M. Skoda, Marie-Celine Frantz, Harris Bell-Temin, Hannah Pope-Varsalona, Aditi U. Gurkar, Luigi A. Nasto, Rena A.S. Robinson, Heike Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg, Jolanta Czerwinska, Sara J. Mcgowan, Nadiezhda Cantu-Madellin, Jamie B. Harris, Salony Maniar, Mark A. Ross, Christy E. Trussoni, Nicholas F. Larusso, Eugenia Cifuentes-Pagano, Patrick J. Pagano, Barbara Tudek, Nam V. Vo, Lora H. Rigatti, Patricia L. Opresko, Donna B. Stolz, Simon C. Watkins, Christin E. Burd, Claudette M. St, Croix, Gary Siuzdak, Nathan A. Yates, Paul D. Robbins, Yinsheng Wang, Peter Wipf, Eric E. Kelley, Laura J. Neidernhofer Jan 2018

Spontaneous Dna Damage To The Nuclear Genome Promotes Senescence, T Redox Imbalance And Aging, Andria R. Robinson, Matthew J. Yousefzadeh, Tania A. Rozgaja, Jin Wang, Xuesen Li, Jeremy S. Tilstra, Chelsea H. Feldman, Siobhan Q. Gregg, Caroline H. Johnson, Erin M. Skoda, Marie-Celine Frantz, Harris Bell-Temin, Hannah Pope-Varsalona, Aditi U. Gurkar, Luigi A. Nasto, Rena A.S. Robinson, Heike Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg, Jolanta Czerwinska, Sara J. Mcgowan, Nadiezhda Cantu-Madellin, Jamie B. Harris, Salony Maniar, Mark A. Ross, Christy E. Trussoni, Nicholas F. Larusso, Eugenia Cifuentes-Pagano, Patrick J. Pagano, Barbara Tudek, Nam V. Vo, Lora H. Rigatti, Patricia L. Opresko, Donna B. Stolz, Simon C. Watkins, Christin E. Burd, Claudette M. St, Croix, Gary Siuzdak, Nathan A. Yates, Paul D. Robbins, Yinsheng Wang, Peter Wipf, Eric E. Kelley, Laura J. Neidernhofer

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Accumulation of senescent cells over time contributes to aging and age-related diseases. However, what drives senescence in vivo is not clear. Here we used a genetic approach to determine if spontaneous nuclear DNA damage is sufficient to initiate senescence in mammals. Ercc1-/Δ mice with reduced expression of ERCC1-XPF endonuclease have impaired capacity to repair the nuclear genome. Ercc1-/Δ mice accumulated spontaneous, oxidative DNA damage more rapidly than wild-type (WT) mice. As a consequence, senescent cells accumulated more rapidly in Ercc1-/Δ mice compared to repair-competent animals. However, the levels of DNA damage and senescent cells in Ercc1-/Δ mice never exceeded that …


Farnesylation Of The Transducin G Protein Gamma Subunit Is A Prerequisite For Its Ciliary Targeting In Rod Photoreceptors, Celine Brooks, Joseph Murphy, Marycharmain Belcastro, Daniel Heller, Saravanan Kolandaivelu, Oleg Kisselev, Maxim Sokolov Jan 2018

Farnesylation Of The Transducin G Protein Gamma Subunit Is A Prerequisite For Its Ciliary Targeting In Rod Photoreceptors, Celine Brooks, Joseph Murphy, Marycharmain Belcastro, Daniel Heller, Saravanan Kolandaivelu, Oleg Kisselev, Maxim Sokolov

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Primary cilia are microtubule-based organelles, which protrude from the plasma membrane and receive a wide range of extracellular signals. Various cilia use G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for the detection of these signals. For instance, vertebrate rod photoreceptors use their cilia (also called outer segments) as antennae detecting photons by GPCR rhodopsin. Rhodopsin recognizes incoming light and activates its G protein, transducin, which is composed of three subunits α, β, and γ. Similar to all G protein γ subunits, the transducin Gγ1 subunit undergoes C-terminal prenylation resulting in the addition of an isoprenoid farnesyl; however, the significance of this posttranslational modification …


Targeting Ovarian Cancer And Endothelium With An Allosteric Ptp4a3 Phosphatase Inhibitor, Kelley E. Mcqueeney, Joseph M. Salamoun, James C. Burnett, Nektarios Barabutis, Paula Pekic, Sophie L. Lewandowski, Danielle C. Llaneza, Robert Cornelison, Yunpeng Bai, Zhong-Yin Zhang, John D. Catravas Jan 2018

Targeting Ovarian Cancer And Endothelium With An Allosteric Ptp4a3 Phosphatase Inhibitor, Kelley E. Mcqueeney, Joseph M. Salamoun, James C. Burnett, Nektarios Barabutis, Paula Pekic, Sophie L. Lewandowski, Danielle C. Llaneza, Robert Cornelison, Yunpeng Bai, Zhong-Yin Zhang, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Overexpression of protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP4A oncoproteins is common in many human cancers and is associated with poor patient prognosis and survival. We observed elevated levels of PTP4A3 phosphatase in 79% of human ovarian tumor samples, with significant overexpression in tumor endothelium and pericytes. Furthermore, PTP4A phosphatases appear to regulate several key malignant processes, such as invasion, migration, and angiogenesis, suggesting a pivotal regulatory role in cancer and endothelial signaling pathways. While phosphatases are attractive therapeutic targets, they have been poorly investigated because of a lack of potent and selective chemical probes. In this study, we disclose that a potent, …