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Articles 61 - 90 of 193
Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Significance Of Rna 2'-5' Linkage And Metal-Ion Mediated Base Pairs, Fusheng Shen
Significance Of Rna 2'-5' Linkage And Metal-Ion Mediated Base Pairs, Fusheng Shen
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
It has been known that the template-directed RNA chemical replication reaction produces mixture of backbones containing both 3’-5’ and 2’-5’ linkages. This backbone heterogeneity has been a significant problem in studying the emergence of RNA World from the prebiotic chemistry. However, very recently, it is reported that FMN binding aptamer and a hammerhead ribozyme are still able to retain considerable functions in the presence of certain 2’-5’ linkages, indicating that RNA backbones may be quite flexible and this backbone heterogeneity problem may not be as severe as originally thought. This finding also brings two related important questions: First, how does …
Of Donuts And Promo : In Silico Approaches To Identification Of Transcriptional Regulators Of Salivary Acinar Differentiation, Connor Cillian Duffy
Of Donuts And Promo : In Silico Approaches To Identification Of Transcriptional Regulators Of Salivary Acinar Differentiation, Connor Cillian Duffy
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The salivary gland is an organ often taken for granted by most people. However, its proper function is essential for several everyday activities, such as speaking, swallowing, and tasting. As such, impaired salivary gland function, such as that caused by Sjögren’s Syndrome or radiotherapy for head and neck cancers, can lead to a significantly reduced quality of life. The cells that produce saliva in salivary glands are known as acinar cells, which arise from proacinar cells generated during embryonic development. As such, in studying the promoter regions of proacinar and acinar genes, it may be possible to identify common transcription …
Post-Translational Modifications And Functional Studies Of Dksa In Escherichia Coli, Andrew Charles Isidoridy
Post-Translational Modifications And Functional Studies Of Dksa In Escherichia Coli, Andrew Charles Isidoridy
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
DksA is a bacterial gene regulator that functions synergistically with the stress alarmone ppGpp to mediate the stringent response. DksA also functions independently of ppGpp to regulate transcription of a number of genes. DksA function is dependent on its binding affinity to RNA polymerase and requires specific interactions between RNAP and catalytic amino acids located on the coiled coil tip, D74 and A76. While much of the previous work on DksA has focused on understanding the mechanisms of action and the numerous gene targets for transcriptional regulation, little is known about the mechanisms by which DksA expression and function may …
Inteins From Pathogenic Microbes As Regulatory Elements And Potential Drug Targets, Cathleen Maria Schiraldi
Inteins From Pathogenic Microbes As Regulatory Elements And Potential Drug Targets, Cathleen Maria Schiraldi
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Inteins are self-splicing elements that orchestrate the autocatalytic process of protein splicing, during which the intein excises itself from a host polypeptide. This multistep reaction involves a series of coordinated nucleophilic attacks and peptide bond rearrangements that remove the intein and reassemble the flanking halves, called exteins, to form the mature host protein. Some inteins are also mobile elements, and can spread to the same or ectopic sites using an internal homing endonuclease domain.
Evaluation Of Fingerprint Content For Forensic Crime Scene Analysis And Drug Metabolite Detection, Erica Kathryn Brunelle
Evaluation Of Fingerprint Content For Forensic Crime Scene Analysis And Drug Metabolite Detection, Erica Kathryn Brunelle
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
With respect to criminal investigations, one key piece of evidence that often gets overlooked are fingerprints. For years, fingerprint samples have been believed to be useful only for matching purposes using their unique ridges, shapes, and sizes. With the rapid growth of forensic science, it has become evident that the development of fingerprint analysis has been stagnant. The traditional approach has been advantageous for the identification of many individuals; however, many fingerprint samples have been labeled “unusable” due to smudging, smearing, or any one of a myriad of reasons that could cause inconclusive matches. These samples can, however, still be …
Epitranscriptomic Writer Systems And Codon Bias Regulate The Response To Environmental Stress, Andrea Leonardi
Epitranscriptomic Writer Systems And Codon Bias Regulate The Response To Environmental Stress, Andrea Leonardi
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Epitranscriptomic marks in the form of enzyme-catalyzed modifications to RNA nucleosides can be important regulators of translation and play integral roles in the response to stress. Dynamic changes in tRNA modification status can regulate the translation of stress response proteins whose transcripts have distinct codon biases. The epitranscriptomic writer Alkylation repair homolog 8 (ALKBH8) plays a crucial part in the translation of codon biased transcripts, as it regulates stop codon recoding, which is a specialized form of translation used to generate selenoproteins. ALKBH8 modifies the wobble uridine of selenocysteine tRNA (tRNASec) to promote the decoding of an internal UGA codon …
Transcriptional Regulation Of Dksa In E. Coli, Daniel Thomas Woods
Transcriptional Regulation Of Dksa In E. Coli, Daniel Thomas Woods
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
DksA is a global transcription factor that binds RNAP directly to regulate the expression of many genes and operons, including ribosomal RNA, in a ppGpp-dependent or ppGpp–independent manner. It is also involved in facilitating the process of DNA replication by removing stalled transcription elongation complexes that could block the progress of the replication fork. In addition, DksA is important for colonization, establishment of biofilms, and pathogenesis. In order to sustain these various functions, an adequate level of cellular DksA is required. This work tested the hypothesis that the E. coli dksA is substantially regulated at the level of transcription. Using …
Sers For Protein Detection At A Single Molecule Level For Developing A New Medical Diagnostics Platform, Lamyaa Almehmadi
Sers For Protein Detection At A Single Molecule Level For Developing A New Medical Diagnostics Platform, Lamyaa Almehmadi
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
A two-step process of protein detection at a single molecule level using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) was developed as a new platform for medical diagnostics in this proof-of-concept study. First, a protein molecule was bound to a linker in the bulk solution and then this adduct was chemically reacted with the SERS substrate. Traut’s Reagent (TR) was used to thiolate Bovine serum albumin (BSA) in solution followed by chemical cross linking to a gold surface through a sulfhydryl group. A Glycine-TR adduct was used as a control sample to identify the protein contribution to the SER spectra. Gold SERS …
Defining And Harnessing Nature's Selection Of Geranylation In Rna Modification, Phensinee Haruehanroengra
Defining And Harnessing Nature's Selection Of Geranylation In Rna Modification, Phensinee Haruehanroengra
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Natural RNAs utilize extensive chemical modifications to diversify their structures and functions. Geranylated-2-thiouridine is a special hydrophobic tRNA modification that has been discovered very recently in several bacteria, namely E. coli, E. aerogenes, P. aeruginosa and S. typhimurium by Liu group. It has been found as a post-transcription modification on the wobble position of anticodon of tRNAs specific for glutamic acid, glutamine and lysine. Geranylated-tRNA was shown to correct the frameshifting during the translation of E. coli. However, the reason of the existing of the modification is still largely unclear. To understand why nature incorporates such a hydrophobic group in …
Saliva As A Diagnostic Biological Fluid And The Human Salivary Proteome, Jessica Ghassan Emsies
Saliva As A Diagnostic Biological Fluid And The Human Salivary Proteome, Jessica Ghassan Emsies
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Saliva is a unique biologic fluid that contains a varying spectrum of proteins, nucleic acids, electrolytes, and hormones.31 It is an exocrine secretion of the salivary glands which is hypotonic in nature with a pH of 7.2-7.4.31 Saliva plays an important role in the oral cavity.33 It lubricates, hydrates, and bathes the oral cavity, therefore, aiding speech and mastication.33 Saliva forms a barrier on the teeth, protects against demineralization, and aids in remineralization.33 Saliva is required for chewing and food bolus preparation, it contains enzymes necessary for digestion, and mediates the sense of taste.33 It also helps wound healing and …
Premature Rho-Dependent Transcription Termination In Escherichia Coli : Link To Translation And Gene Regulation, Gabriele Baniulyte
Premature Rho-Dependent Transcription Termination In Escherichia Coli : Link To Translation And Gene Regulation, Gabriele Baniulyte
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Transcription termination factor Rho is an essential protein in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. The primary function of Rho is to clear unproductive RNA polymerases from the DNA template to minimize negative effects associated with uncontrolled transcription. Although most of the Rho termination events are constitutive, premature Rho-mediated termination was observed at 3% of all affected transcripts indicating active regulation of Rho activity. In this work, we investigated the regulatory mechanism behind premature Rho-dependent transcription termination in two unrelated genes: suhB and topAI. We show that in both cases transcription is terminated inside the coding gene as a consequence of …
Rack1 Is A Critical Component In Ires-Mediated Translation, Ethan Asher Lafontaine
Rack1 Is A Critical Component In Ires-Mediated Translation, Ethan Asher Lafontaine
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Due to its sheer number of interacting partners, core ribosomal protein RACK1 is a key player in many cellular processes and has been shown to play a vital role of translation initiation of the Hepatitis C virus RNA. The HCV 5′ untranslated region contains an internal ribosome entry site. IRES-mediated translation is a process employed in eukaryotes by select viruses and some cellular mRNAs by which translation initiation bypasses the canonical mRNA cap-dependent pathway by means of an RNA secondary structure (the IRES). While cap-dependent translation requires the recruitment of a suite of initiation factors, IRES-mediated translation requires few to …
Technology Development For Detection Of Circulating Disease Biomarkers From Liquid Biopsies Using Multifunctional Nanomaterials, Mustafa Balcioglu
Technology Development For Detection Of Circulating Disease Biomarkers From Liquid Biopsies Using Multifunctional Nanomaterials, Mustafa Balcioglu
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Despite the advance health care, devastating health conditions such as cancer and infectious diseases that affect populations worldwide are too often not diagnosed until morbid symptoms become apparent in the late phase. Obtaining an early and accurate diagnosis that reveal a hidden lethal threat before the disease becomes complicated may dramatically reduce the severity of its impact on the patient’s life and increase the probability of survival. For example, in the case of ovarian cancer, which is the fifth most common malignancy and the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality in women in the US, the 5-year relative survival is …
Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Signaling In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis : New Insights Into A Universal Second Messenger, Richard Mcpherson Johnson
Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Signaling In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis : New Insights Into A Universal Second Messenger, Richard Mcpherson Johnson
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Despite being the focus of intense research for many years Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), remains the deadliest bacterial pathogen plaguing mankind today. Humans are the sole host and reservoir for Mtb, and Mtb has coevolved closely with its human host for thousands of years. Mtb currently infects over two billion people worldwide and over 1.5 million people die from TB each year, arguably making Mtb the most successful bacterial pathogen on the planet.
Regulated Transcriptional Silencing Promotes Germline Stem Cell Differentiation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Pooja Flora
Regulated Transcriptional Silencing Promotes Germline Stem Cell Differentiation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Pooja Flora
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Germ cells are the only cell in an organism that have the capacity to give rise to a new organism and are passed from one generation to the next. Therefore, to maintain this unique ability of totipotency and immortality, germ cells execute specific functions, such as, repression of a somatic program and contour a germ line-specific pre- and post-transcriptional gene regulatory landscape. In many sexually reproducing organisms, germ cells are formed during the earliest stages of embryogenesis and undergoes several stages of development to eventually get encapsulated by the somatic cells of the gonad. Once, in the gonad, the germ …
Dna Functionalized Nanoparticles In Nanobiosensor And Sensor Array Development For Molecular Diagnostics And In Vitro Identification Of Biomolecules, Mustafa Salih Hizir
Dna Functionalized Nanoparticles In Nanobiosensor And Sensor Array Development For Molecular Diagnostics And In Vitro Identification Of Biomolecules, Mustafa Salih Hizir
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Nucleic acid technology along with vast variety of nanomaterials has demonstrated a great potential in many applications from biosensing studies to molecular diagnostics, from biomedical and bioanalytical research to environmental analysis. Especially short single stranded (ss) DNA molecules, called oligonucleotides, are extraordinary biopolymers featuring diverse functionality on the nanoparticles thanks to their high degree of programmability, target-specific binding or cleavage, molecular recognition ability, structure-switching capability, and unique interactions at the bio-nano interfaces. Among those, there have been many biosensing applications utilizing ss DNAs and numerous nanomaterials through various detection techniques such as fluorometric, colorimetric or electrochemical methods. Although many groundbreaking …
Chromatin-Signaling Axis Orchestrates The Formation Of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation Niche In Drosophila, Maitreyi Upadhyay
Chromatin-Signaling Axis Orchestrates The Formation Of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation Niche In Drosophila, Maitreyi Upadhyay
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Stem cells have the unique capability of self-renewing into stem cells and differentiating into several terminal cell types. Loss of either of these processes can lead to aging, progression towards degenerative diseases and cancers. Insight into how self-renewal and differentiation are regulated will have tremendous therapeutic impact. Drosophila is an excellent model system for stem cell study due to the availability of various mutants, markers and RNAi technology. In order to study stem cell biology, we use female Drosophila gonads, whose stem cell population – the germline stem cells (GSCs) gives rise to gametes.
The Dissemination, Regulatory Role, And Evolution Of Mycobacterial Inteins, Danielle Skye Kelley
The Dissemination, Regulatory Role, And Evolution Of Mycobacterial Inteins, Danielle Skye Kelley
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Inteins are intervening protein elements, capable of coordinating escape from a host protein through a self-catalyzed mechanism, called protein splicing. This results in free intein and a mature host protein product. Inteins are also mobile elements and many contain homing endonucleases that enable the targeting to ectopic sites and invasion of novel niches. Inteins have been found across all three domains of life and are often present in replication, recombination, and repair proteins. However, it is unclear if the observed distribution is simply a factor of endonuclease preference or if inteins have been selectively maintained due to an adaptation that …
Evaluating The Effects Of Vitamin D And Hyaluronic Acid On The Radiation Response Of Normal Mammary Epithelial Cells And Breast Cancer Cells, Lauren Rose-Boehnlein
Evaluating The Effects Of Vitamin D And Hyaluronic Acid On The Radiation Response Of Normal Mammary Epithelial Cells And Breast Cancer Cells, Lauren Rose-Boehnlein
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Each year over 200,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Nearly 25% of them are told they have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive and lethal form, with few targeted treatment options beyond the standard regimen of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Over 40% of TNBC cases overexpress hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2), a cell membrane enzyme that synthesizes the extracellular matrix (ECM) polysaccharide hyaluronic acid (HA). HA binds to and activates the cell surface receptor CD44, which is highly enriched on the cell surface of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and has been associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition …
Circular Rna : A Review Of History, Diseases, And Diagnostic Potential, Daniel Conley
Circular Rna : A Review Of History, Diseases, And Diagnostic Potential, Daniel Conley
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Abstract
Heteromeric Assemblies Of Glua3 Flip And Flop Shows Differences In Their Channel Opening Kinetics, Nicholas Karl
Heteromeric Assemblies Of Glua3 Flip And Flop Shows Differences In Their Channel Opening Kinetics, Nicholas Karl
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Prior studies of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors, including that of GluA3 AMPA receptor subunit, have shown that alternative mRNA splicing, which generates flip and flop variants with different amino acid sequences, gives rise to functional differences between the two variants. The goal of this MS thesis is to investigate the basic gating properties of the heteromeric complex channels formed from GluA2R/GluA3 AMPA receptor subunits and the different variants between the two subunits. The hypothesis to be tested is whether different GluA3 variants affect the channel gating properties when each of the variants is in a complex with the Q/R-site edited …
Functional Modulation Of Ampa Receptors By R/G Editing And Auxiliary Subunits, Wei Wen
Functional Modulation Of Ampa Receptors By R/G Editing And Auxiliary Subunits, Wei Wen
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The propagation of information in the central nervous system is, in essence, the flow of ions. Neurons connect with each other to form neural circuits that perform distinct functions, and these connections are formed through synapses. Excitatory and inhibitory synapses determine the excitability of a neuron, which further dictates the firing of action potentials. The major ion channels that mediate the transmission at the excitatory synapses are ionotropic glutamate receptors, among which AMPA receptors are responsible for the fast excitatory transmission. Therefore, the functionalities of AMPA receptors substantially affect the information flow, and dysfunction of them could potentially cause many …
The Development Of Bioaffinity-Based Concepts For On-Site Forensic Analyses : Blood, Sweat, And ... Fingerprints?, Crystal Huynh
The Development Of Bioaffinity-Based Concepts For On-Site Forensic Analyses : Blood, Sweat, And ... Fingerprints?, Crystal Huynh
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
There have been many advances in forensic science over the recent years, but a majority of the tests currently preformed are still heavily reliant upon laboratory-based processes. This means that valuable pieces of information are left unexamined until a crime scene has been completely processed and evidence is moved to a crime lab. In some cases, the evidence may even be left in a queue due to backlogs from previous cases. The delay resulting from the time necessary for crime scene processing and transportation, as well as additional time spent waiting on lab equipment availability, hinders an investigator’s ability to …
Retinoic Acid Receptor Isoform-Specific Control Of Mouse Salivary Gland Development And Regeneration, Kara Desantis
Retinoic Acid Receptor Isoform-Specific Control Of Mouse Salivary Gland Development And Regeneration, Kara Desantis
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Controlled expansion and differentiation of progenitor cell populations is essential for organogenesis followed by continued maintenance of the population into and through adulthood. As the K5+ basal cell population is regulated by retinoic acid signaling, we interrogated the contribution of specific RAR isoforms to the regulation of these cells during submandibular salivary gland (SMG) organogenesis and regeneration. Retinoic acid has previously been shown to be involved in the development of the salivary gland, and recently, lack of retinoid signaling has been shown to impact the K5+ population of basal progenitor cells. Since retinoic acid is known to exert stimulatory effects …
Genetically Engineered Polypeptides As Biomimetic Light Harvesting Optical Antenna, Jason P. Seeley
Genetically Engineered Polypeptides As Biomimetic Light Harvesting Optical Antenna, Jason P. Seeley
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Natural resources useful for the generation of energy are limited. The development of efficient materials capable of utilizing the abundant free solar radiation is of considerable interest. Utilization of otherwise wasted energy sources, including solar radiation, is a progressive step in the quest for sustainable energy. Solar radiation incident upon the earth’s surface exceeds current energy requirements and motivates scientists to investigate and develop functional devices and nanomaterials including light harvesting complexes (LHC) capable of capturing solar radiation for energy conversion and storage.
Raman Spectroscopy And Chemometrics For Forensic Bloodstain Analysis : Species Differentiation, Donor Age Estimation, And Dating Of Bloodstains, Kyle C. Doty
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The field of forensic science is constantly growing, so the advancement of old and unreliable techniques is at the forefront of what will lead to future progress and improvement. Current methods for identification and analysis of bloodstains are underwhelming due to the insignificant amount of information provided in a destructive, unreliable, and unsafe manner. As is the purpose of this research, creating new methodologies that are rapid, nondestructive, robust, statistically reliable, and safe would significantly advance the way bloodstains are currently analyzed, while providing more useful and relevant information for investigations and criminal proceedings. Raman spectroscopy, along with advanced statistical …
Development And Characterization Of Novel Anti-Bat Monoclonal Antibodies For Studying Bat Immunity, Cailyn Cowan
Development And Characterization Of Novel Anti-Bat Monoclonal Antibodies For Studying Bat Immunity, Cailyn Cowan
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Abstract
Discovering Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeted To Ligand-Stimulated Rage-Diaph1 Signaling Transduction, Jinhong Pan
Discovering Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeted To Ligand-Stimulated Rage-Diaph1 Signaling Transduction, Jinhong Pan
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The receptor of advanced glycation end product (RAGE) is a multiligand receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface molecules, which plays an important role in immune responses. Full-length RAGE includes three extracellular immunoglobulin domains, a transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain. It is a pattern recognition receptor that can bind diverse ligands. NMR spectroscopy and x-ray crystallization studies of the extracellular domains of RAGE indicate that RAGE ligands bind by distinct charge- and hydrophobicity-dependent mechanisms. It is found that calgranulin binding to the C1C2 domain or AGEs binding to the V domain activates extracellular signaling, which triggers interactions of …
Profiling Resistance To P450-Activated Food Carcinogens Using Toxicogenomic Approaches In Budding Yeast, Nicholas Stjohn
Profiling Resistance To P450-Activated Food Carcinogens Using Toxicogenomic Approaches In Budding Yeast, Nicholas Stjohn
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The human response to environmental carcinogens, some of which require metabolic activation, is highly variable. Factors such as environment, lifestyle, and genetics all influence the rates of exposure to and ultimate bioactivation of these compounds. Genetic factors include mutations to cell-cycle regulation, cell proliferation, and DNA repair genes; however, epidemiological studies may lack significance due to inadequate patient numbers. We used budding yeast as a model organism to determine genetic susceptibility to food-associated carcinogens, including aflatoxin (AFB1) and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs). Budding yeast does not contain P450s that activate these compounds, so expression vectors were induced that contain human …
Novel Approaches To Mitigating Bacterial Biofilm Formation And Intercellular Communication, Stephen Kasper
Novel Approaches To Mitigating Bacterial Biofilm Formation And Intercellular Communication, Stephen Kasper
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Long thought of as solitary single-cell organisms, it is now widely accepted that bacteria can act and cooperate as social organisms. Phenomena such as biofilm formation and quorum sensing (QS) are two intimately intertwined cooperative behaviors that significantly contribute to the pathogenesis of many bacteria. Biofilms are surface associated communities of bacteria encased in a secreted extracellular matrix, which provides several advantages over an individualized lifestyle, such as increased protection from antimicrobial agents as well as enhanced opportunity for the exchange of genetic material. Bacterial QS is a system of population-based communication through the production, sensing, and response to chemical …