Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

The Characterization Of A Novel Petite Phenotype In Transgenic Arabidopsis Thaliana And The Examination Of The Expression Patterns Of A Gamma Carbonic Anhydrase Homologue In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sumeet K. Asrani

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Evidence For Two Mechanisms Of Amino Acid Osmolyte Release From Hippocampal Slices, R. Franco, M. E. Torres-Marquez, H. Pasantes-Morales

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

A 30% decrease in osmolarity stimulated ³H-taurine, ³H-GABA and glutamate (followed as ³H-D-aspartate) efflux from rat hippocampal slices. ³H-taurine efflux was activated rapidly but inactivated slowly. It was decreased markedly by 100 μM 5-nitro-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (NPPB) and 600 μM niflumic acid and inhibited strongly by tyrphostins AG18, AG879 and AG112 (25–100 μM), suggesting a tyrosine kinase-mediated mechanism. Hyposmolarity activated the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) extracellular-signal-related kinase-1/2 (ERK1/ERK2) and p38, but blockade of this reaction did not affect ³H-taurine efflux. Hyposmosis also activated phosphatidyl-inositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and its prevention by wortmannin (100 nM) essentially abolished …

The Examination Of The Expression Patterns Of A Gamma Carbonic Anhydrase Homologue In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Eric Thomas Dane Nielsen Iii

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Aneuploidy For Chromosomes 7 And 8 Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization In Patients With Aplastic Anemia And Sequencing Of The Mitotic Checkpoint Gene Hbub1, Laura Jane Aridgides

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Aplastic anemia (AA) is characterized by complete bone marrow failure. Progression to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) occurs frequently. At the time of transformation, cytogenetic abnormalities are common. Detection of cytogenetic abnormalities prior to leukemic transformation may indicate future disease progression. Karyotype analysis is the current method of choice to evaluate chromosome aberrations. However, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is more sensitive in detecting these abnormalities.

hBUB1, a mitotic spindle checkpoint gene, was shown to be mutated in two colorectal cancer cell lines with high levels of aneuploidy (Cahill, et al., 1998). Although theoretically possible, conclusive …

Phase Modulation At 125 Khz In A Michelson Interferometer Using An Inexpensive Piezoelectric Stack Driven At Resonance, Barbara M. Hoeling, Andrew D. Fernandez, Richard C. Haskell, Daniel C. Petersen

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Fast phase modulation has been achieved in a Michelson interferometer by attaching a lightweight reference mirror to a piezoelectric stack and driving the stack at a resonance frequency of about 125 kHz. The electrical behavior of the piezo stack and the mechanical properties of the piezo-mirror arrangement are described. A displacement amplitude at resonance of about 350 nm was achieved using a standard function generator. Phase drift in the interferometer and piezo wobble were readily circumvented. This approach to phase modulation is less expensive by a factor of roughly 50 than one based on an electro-optic effect.

Structural Studies Of Scallop Abductin, A Compressible Elastomer That Translates Hydrophobic Interactions To Elasticity, Felipe Jimenez Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Abductin is a natural elastomer found as the major component of the elastic hinge ligament in marine scallops. Until now, very little was known about the structure and function of this compressible elastomer. Biochemical studies of a synthetic 25 amino acid peptide of abductin produces fibers that assemble into a gel matrix at room temperature. Further investigation of this phenomenon via temperature-dependent turbidimetry revealed that this peptide self-assembles or aggregates at 23 °C. Secondary structural studies of this peptide at different temperatures revealed that it undergoes an inverse temperature transition much like soluble elastin peptides. Replacing phenylalanine with alanine in …

Plant-Based Multicomponent Vaccines Against Enteric Diseases, Jie Yu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

To generate a plant-based multicomponent oral vaccine against cholera, rotavirus and enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), we have constructed transgenic potato plants that synthesize the cholera toxin B and A2 subunits, the rotavirus enterotoxin NSP4 22 amino acid epitope and the ETEC fimbrial antigen CFA/L To use cholera toxin as a carrier molecule for delivery of multiple antigens to the gut-associated lymphoid tissues, the rotavirus NSP4 epitope was linked to the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) and the ETEC fimbrial antigen CFA/I was linked to the cholera toxin A2 subunit. Cholera toxin-antigen fusion proteins were detected in transformed tuber tissues by immunoblot …

Nuclear Export Of 60s Ribosomal Subunits Depends On Xpo1p And Requires A Nuclear Export Sequence-Containing Factor, Nmd3p, That Associates With The Large Subunit Protein Rpl10p, Olivier Gadal, Daniela Strau, Jacques Kessl, Bernard Trumpower

Dartmouth Scholarship

Nuclear export of ribosomes requires a subset of nucleoporins and the Ran system, but specific transport factors have not been identified. Using a large subunit reporter (Rpl25p-eGFP), we have isolated several temperature-sensitive ribosomal export (rix) mutants. One of these corresponds to the ribosomal protein Rpl10p, which interacts directly with Nmd3p, a conserved and essential protein associated with 60S subunits. We find that thermosensitive nmd3 mutants are impaired in large subunit export. Strikingly, Nmd3p shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm and is exported by the nuclear export receptor Xpo1p. Moreover, we show that export of 60S subunits is Xpo1p dependent. We …

Heterogeneity Within Animal Thioredoxin Reductases, Qi-An Sun, Francesca Zappacosta, Valentina M. Factor, Peter J. Wirth, Dolph L. Hatfield, Vadim N. Gladyshev

Vadim Gladyshev Publications

Animal thioredoxin reductases (TRs) are selenocysteine- containing flavoenzymes that utilize NADPH for reduction of thioredoxins and other protein and nonprotein substrates. Three types of mammalian TRs are known, with TR1 being a cytosolic enzyme, and TR3, a mitochondrial enzyme. Previously characterized TR1 and TR3 occurred as homodimers of 55–57-kDa subunits. We report here that TR1 isolated from mouse liver, mouse liver tumor, and a human T-cell line exhibited extensive heterogeneity as detected by electrophoretic, immunoblot, and mass spectrometry analyses. In particular, a 67-kDa band of TR1 was detected. Furthermore, a novel form of mouse TR1 cDNA encoding a 67-kDa selenoprotein …

Induction Of White Cell Proliferation Due To Haematopoietic Growth Factors Is Associated With An Increase In Multiple Forms Of Dihydrofolate Reductase In Non-Neutropenic Cancer Patients, M P. Iqbal, I A. Burney, F Sultana, N Mehboobali

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) are frequently used in cancer patients to overcome the granulocytopenic effects of chemotherapy, and also to mobilize the stem cells. The mobilized stem cells are collected from the peripheral blood and used for transplantation following high doses of chemotherapy. However, the molecular mechanism by which these colony stimulating factors (CSFs) bring about proliferation of myeloid precursor cells is not clearly known. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), which has an established role in DNA synthesis, could be a link between administration of CSF and stem cell proliferation. The purpose of this study …

Process For Immobilizing Waste Using Bagasse (Us Patent 6174275), Michael A. Janusa

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Genomic Diversity Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa In Cystic Fibrosis, Nathaniel Edwards Head

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common environmental microorganism. However, it has the genetic capacity to cause diseases in patients with compromised host defense systems. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the major hereditary diseases among Caucasian populations. CF patients are born with a defective chloride channel that is responsible for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance across the lumen of the lung. This imbalance leads to the production of an abnormal dehydrated viscous mucous, prohibiting the patient from normally clearing the respiratory airway. Chronic pulmonary infections with P. aeruginosa are the major causes of high morbidity and mortality in CF. Two of …

Methods Development For The Identification Of Unknown Proteins, Laura Brumfield Neal

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The chemistry of transport, storage, energy production, and reproduction in physiological systems is controlled by the actions and interactions of proteins. A species full complement of these amazing machines is often referred to as its proteome. The new science of proteomics utilizes a set of powerful and evolving tools to characterize the nature of the proteome, and further to fully elucidate the functional attributes of the proteins and their associations.

A methodology was developed by combining several proteomic techniques, such as electrophoresis, RP-HPLC, and mass spectrometry, to correctly identity proteins. Three known proteins (myoglobin, albumin, and actin) were employed for …

Characterization And Regulation Of Skn-Directed Autoimmune Skin Lesions, Pamela Jane Staton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the Skn model of autoimmunity, pathogenic T cells sensitized to Skn epidermal antigens (Skn-immune spleen cells or SIS cells) elicited disease in the form of skin lesions when adoptively transferred into shaved immunoincompetent syngeneic adult recipients (‘lesion-forming animals’) while concomitant injection of immunoregulatory normal spleen cells at twice the concentration (2 x normal spleen cells or 2XNS cells) of SIS cells significantly lessened lesion development (‘lesion-controlling animals’) by Day 7 post cell transfer. In a time-course RT-PCR cytokine analysis of skin from lesion-forming and lesion-controlling animals, IL-7 mRNA was significantly elevated in lesion-controlling skin on Day 7 while no …

The Algebraic Application Of Lewis Structures In Conjunction With Combinatorial Analysis In Global Molecular Identification From Graphs, Jonathan Geach

Capstone Research Projects

Closed shell bonding can be described by a theory that relates the manner that atoms fill their outer shells to algebraic formulas. Equations can be derived that are capable of deciding whether a given electron configuration gives a closed shell electron structure or not. A combinatorial analysis can be used to try every possible electron configuration for a given structure. The equations are then used to determine whether each structure gives a closed shell electron configuration. Some of these molecules may be considered impossible because they are bonded to noble gases. However, a list of molecules that contain a noble …

Antifungal Activity Of Substituted 8-Quinolinol-5- And 7-Sulfonic Acids: A Mechanism Of Action Is Suggested Based On Intramolecular Synergism / Hermon Gershon, Muriel Gershon, & Donald D. Clarke Harding Laboratory, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458, Usa; Department Of Chemistry, Fordham University, Bronx, New York 10458, Usa, Herman Gershon, Muriel Gershon, Donald Dudley Clarke Phd

Chemistry Faculty Publications

8-Quinolinol-5-sulfonic acid was nearly devoid of antimicrobial activity, due to what was believed to be an unfavorable partition coefficient. Since twenty six 8-quinolinol-5- and 7 -sulfonic acids were available from our previous work, they were tested against six fungi. The 7 -chloro and 7 -bromo-5-sulfonic acids and the 5-chloro and 5-bromo-7 -sulfonic acids showed fungal inhibition within one order of magnitude of that of 8-quinolinol. It is suggested that a nonchelating mechanism is in part responsible for this fungitoxicity. Five additional 5-sulfonic acids with chlorine in positions 3-, 6-, 3,6-, 3,7-, and 6,7- that were suitable for studies in synergism …

Preparation And Fungitoxicity Of Some Trichloro-, Tribromo-, Tetrachloro-, And Tetrabromo-8-Quinolinols / Herman Gershon, Donald D. Clarke, And Muriel Gershon Department Of Chemistry, Fordham University, Bronx, New York 10458-9993 Usa, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458-9993 Usa, Herman Gershon, Donald Dudley Clarke Phd, Muriel Gershon

Chemistry Faculty Publications

3,5,6-, 3,5,7-, 4,5,7-, and 5,6,7-trichloro- and -tribromo-8-quinolinols as well as 3,5,6,7- tetrachloro- and -tetrabromo-8-quinolinols were prepared and tested against six fungi (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Myrothecium verrucaria, Trichoderma viride, Mucor cirinelloides, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes) in Sabouraud dextrose broth. The compounds strongly inhibit five fungi but not M. cirinelloides. They are less active than the related dichloro-8-quinolinols which is attributed to steric hindrance

Cloning And Expression Analysis Of Hemoglobin Genes From Maize (Zea Mays Ssp. Mays) And Teosinte (Zea Mays Ssp. Parviglumis), Elena Aréchaga-Ocampo, Juan Saenz-Rivera, Gautam Sarath, Robert V. Klucas, Raúl Arredondo-Peter

Gautam Sarath Publications

With the exception of barley and rice, little is known about the existence of hemoglobins (Hbs) in cereals. This work reports the cloning and analysis of hb genes from maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) and teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis). Coding sequences of maize and teosinte hb genes (hbm and hbt, respectively) are highly similar to each other and are interrupted by three introns located at identical positions as other plant hb genes. Sequences of predicted Hbm and Hbt proteins are identical. The hydropathic profile of Hbm and Hbt is highly similar to that …

Effect Of Forskolin On Actin Polymerization In Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle, Mary Janay Bailey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Increases in intracellular cyclic AMP levels have been shown to affect vascular smooth muscle morphology. In the present study, effects of elevated cyclic AMP levels on actin polymerization were assessed to determine whether cyclic AMP induces specific changes in cytoskeletal proteins of vascular smooth muscle cells. Forskolin was used to increase intracellular cyclic AMP levels through direct activation of adenylate cyclase. Light and Electron microscopy was employed to appraise changes in the shape of vascular smooth muscle cells. Confocal microscopy was used to reveal cytoskeletal changes after exposure to M forskolin for increasing intervals of time. Differences in the expression …

Voltage Gating Of A Model Membrane Spanning Channel, Eric Miller

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Channels in cell membranes are important for intercellular communication and especially for the function of the nervous system in higher vertebrates. These channels consist of proteins made from the 20 common amino acids. Channel proteins are embedded into the lipid bilayer membranes of living cells and function by allowing the specific passage of a positively charged material such as sodium or potassium ions across the membrane in response to an external signal. The external signaloeither a chemical signal or a voltageoregulates the opening and closing of channels. In an attempt to understand the voltage-dependent opening of channels (igatingi), we are …

Cationic Surfactant Mediated Hybridization And Hydrophobization Of Dna Molecules At The Liquid/Liquid Interface And Their Phase Transfer, Murali Sastry, Ashavani Kumar, Mrunalini Pattarkine, Vidya Ramakrishnan, Krishna N. Ganesh

Faculty Works

Hybridization of complementary oligonucleotides mediated by a cationic surfactant at the water/hexane interface leads to hydrophobic, double-helical DNA which may be readily phase transferred to the organic phase and cast into thin films on solid substrates.

A Crystallographic Map Of The Transition From B-Dna To A-Dna, Jeff Vargason, Keith Henderson, P. Shing Ho

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

No abstract provided.

Nitric Oxide Mediated Effect Of Cyclo-Oxygenase Inhibitors, M Mahmood, H S. Zuberi, M K. Ashfaq

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objectives: Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) have long been used as anti-inflammatory agents, yet their mode of action is not entirely clear. The inhibitory effects of NSAIDS on prostaglandin production can only partly explain their anti-inflammatory actions. This study was aimed at defining the role of cycl-oxygenase (COX) inhibitors on nitric oxide (NO) production in murine macrophages in vitro.
Methods: Murine macrophages were obtained from the peritoneum and after exposure, in vitro to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produced nitrite, measured after 24 hours by Griess reaction. The macrophages were pre-incubated with aspirin or indomethacin before activation with LPS.
Results: Treatment with aspirin resulted …

Chemical Constituents Of Desmos Dumosus, Roxb., Mazdida Sulaiman

Student Works (2000-2009)

The chemical content of the 'leaves and bark of Des mos dumosus has been carried out in this study. The leaves yielded nine isoquinoline type of alkaloids and two flavones. The isoquinoline alkaloids isolated were pronuciferine 37, stepharine 39, nomuciferine 40, (-) - 3 - hydroxynomuciferine 41, norlirioferine 42, asimilobine 43, liriodenine 44, lysicamine 45 and O - methylmoschatoline 46. The flavones were 5 - hydroxy - 6,7 - dimethoxyflavone 47 and 5 - hydroxy - 7,8 - dimethoxyflavone 48. The same flavones, 47 and 48 and the alkaloids 45 and 46 were also present in the bark of this …

Use Of Py-Gc/Ms Analysis Techniques In Animal Waste Management: A Preliminary Survey Of Dairy Manures, Daniel L. Vaughn, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The increasing practice of industrial-scale agriculture tends to concentrate large masses of animal waste in relatively compact areas, potentially leading to excessive release of polluting nutrients into waterways during major storms. Anaerobic treatment conditions are generally favored to conserve nitrate N as an agricultural commodity. However, overall N contents in waste are often in excess of crop fertilization needs: storing excess N in soluble nitrate form increases pollution potential. Thus the perceived needs of agriculture and society-at-large become at odds. Organic nitrogen forms (e.g., proteins) are more environmentally stable and are less subject to unintentional release. Although U.S. farmers tend …

Monoclonal Light Chain–Mesangial Cell Interactions: Early Signaling Events And Subsequent Pathologic Effects, William J. Russell, James Cardelli, Ed Harris, R. John Baier, Guillermo A. Herrera

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Glomerulopathic monoclonal light chains (G-LC) interact with mesangial cells (MC), resulting in alterations of mesangial homeostasis. Early signaling events control mitogenic activities and cytokine production, which in turn participate in the subsequent pathologic events. Mesangial homeostasis is affected in two very different ways, depending on whether the G-LC is from a patient with light chain deposition disease (LCDD) or light chain–related amyloidosis (AL-Am). In contrast, tubulopathic (T)-LC chains from patients with myeloma cast nephropathy do not significantly interact with MC and result in no alterations in mesangial homeostasis. Therefore, understanding early events in the monoclonal LC–MC interactions is fundamental. MC …

An Enzymatic Method For The Measurement Of Magnesium, Joseph Murphy

Theses

Magnesium is quantitatively the most important intracellular divalent cation (4), and has been found to serve in a wide range of enzymatic reactions (2). Studies have shown that up to ten percent of hospital patients may have hypomagnesaemia (6).

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) under highly specified conditions is the de facto reference method for magnesium measurement but only about ten per cent of laboratories routinely use this method (4). This is because AAS is time-consuming, requires specialised equipment and a certain level of expertise, and may be hazardous due to the use of inflammable gases. Colourimetric methods e.g. calmagite are …

Molecular Orbital Studies Of Nitrosyl Metalloporphyrin Complexes, John P. Graham, Genevive Brown

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Molecular orbital calculations are applied to the study of the structure and bonding of nitrosyl metalloporphyrin complexes. The Fenske-Hall approximate molecular orbital method and the Amsterdam Density Functional (ADF) method are used. The calculations provide qualitative and quantitative explanations for the observed structural differences between the nitrosyl porphyrin complexes ofiron, manganese, and cobalt. It is proposed that the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of these complexes is primarily responsible for the observed structural differences. The interaction between the nitrosyl ligand and metal dz2 orbital results in an antibonding orbital that is occupied in the complexes of Fe …

X-Ray Diffraction Structures Of Some Phosphatidylethanolamine Lamellar And Inverted Hexagonal Phases, Paul E. Harper, David A. Mannock, Ruthven Lewis, Ronald N. Mcelhaney

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

X-ray diffraction is used to solve the low-resolution structures of fully hydrated aqueous dispersions of seven different diacyl phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) whose hydrocarbon chains have the same effective chain length but whose structures vary widely. Both the lower-temperature, liquid-crystalline lamellar (Lα) and the higher-temperature, inverted hexagonal (H11) phase structures are solved, and the resultant internal dimensions (d-spacing, water layer thickness, average lipid length, and headgroup area at the lipid-water interface) of each phase are determined as a function of temperature. The magnitude of the Lα and H11 phase d-spacings on either side of the Lα/H11 phase transition temperature (Tη) depends significantly …

Analysis Of Wine For Penicillin, Gary Morris, James Yuan, Roy Williams

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

This study addresses the question of whether the antibiotic Penicillin, which is produced by the common mold Penicillium notatum, could possibly become a contaminate of wine during the fermentation process. The significance of this study is related to the potential health effects this agent might produce in those consumers who have an allergic response to Penicillin. It has been estimated that between 6% and 8% of the American population is subject to this type of allergic response. A method is developed for the detection of penicillin in wines using high-pressure liquid chromatography. We demonstrate that penicillin G hydrolyzes rapidly …