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

Novel Roles Of Replication Protein A Phosphorylation In Cellular Response To Dna Damage, Moises A. Serrano Aug 2013

Novel Roles Of Replication Protein A Phosphorylation In Cellular Response To Dna Damage, Moises A. Serrano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human replication protein A (RPA) is an eukaryotic single-stranded DNA binding protein directly involved in a variety of DNA metabolic pathways including replication, recombination, DNA damage checkpoints and signaling, as well as all DNA repair pathways. This project presents 2 novel roles of RPA in the cellular response to DNA damage. The first elucidates the regulation of RPA and p53 interaction by DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR) in homologous recombination (HR). HR and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) are 2 distinct DNA double-stranded break (DSB) repair pathways. Here, we report that DNA-PK, the …


Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Sensitize Pancreatic Cancer Cells To Radiation By Promoting Acidic Ph, Ros, And Jnk Dependent Apoptosis, Melissa Wason Jan 2013

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Sensitize Pancreatic Cancer Cells To Radiation By Promoting Acidic Ph, Ros, And Jnk Dependent Apoptosis, Melissa Wason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Side effects of radiation therapy (RT) remain the most challenging issue for pancreatic cancer treatment. In this report we determined whether and how cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to RT. CONP pretreatment enhanced radiation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production preferentially in acidic cell-free solutions as well as acidic human pancreatic cancer cells. In acidic environments, CONPs favor the scavenging of superoxide radical over the hydroxyl peroxide resulting in accumulation of the latter whereas in neutral pH CONPs scavenge both. CONP treatment prior to RT markedly potentiated the cancer cell apoptosis both in culture and in tumors and …


The Role Of Mitochondrial Omi/Htra2 Protease In Protein Quality Control And Mitophagy, Camilla Ambivero Jan 2013

The Role Of Mitochondrial Omi/Htra2 Protease In Protein Quality Control And Mitophagy, Camilla Ambivero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Omi/HtrA2 is a mitochondrial serine protease with a dual and opposite function depending on its subcellular localization. Most of the previous studies focused on Omi/HtrA2’s pro-apoptotic function when the protein is released to the cytoplasm. It is becoming apparent that the main function of Omi/HtrA2 is within the mitochondria, where it has a pro-survival role. However, its mechanism is still poorly understood. To this end, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to dissect the Omi/HtrA2 pathway by identifying novel interactors and substrates. Our studies revealed a novel function of Omi/HtrA2 in the regulation of a deubiquitinating (DUB) complex. In addition …