Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

The Context-Dependent Impact Of Integrin-Associated Cd151 And Other Tetraspanins On Cancer Development And Progression: A Class Of Versatile Mediators Of Cellular Function And Signaling, Tumorigenesis And Metastasis, Sonia F. Erfani, Hui Hua, Yueyin Pan, Binhua P. Zhou, Xiuwei H. Yang

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

As a family of integral membrane proteins, tetraspanins have been functionally linked to a wide spectrum of human cancers, ranging from breast, colon, lung, ovarian, prostate, and skin carcinomas to glioblastoma. CD151 is one such prominent member of the tetraspanin family recently suggested to mediate tumor development, growth, and progression in oncogenic context- and cell lineage-dependent manners. In the current review, we summarize recent advances in mechanistic understanding of the function and signaling of integrin-associated CD151 and other tetraspanins in multiple cancer types. We also highlight emerging genetic and epigenetic evidence on the intrinsic links between tetraspanins, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition …

Funtionalization Of Morphologically Different Nanoclays For Enhanced Mechanical Properties, Malachi Kent

Honors College Theses

Nanoclays are microscopic clays that are comprised of layered nanoparticle aluminosilicates that are naturally arranged in several morphologies. Halloysite nanotubes (HNT) are hollow, double-layered tubes, bentonite (BNT) clays are trapezoidal platelets, and nanosilica or silica dioxide (SiO₂) are spherical. These nanoclays were chosen for sustainable purposes as they are naturally derived and for economical purposes because of their cheap commercial availability. In this study, the nanoclays are functionalized with an epoxy organosilane group through reflux conditions at 120 °C for 24 hours. The pristine and functionalized nanoclays were extensively characterized with infrared radiation (IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope …

Studies Of The Rectification Behavior Of The Pdt Ligand And The Active Site Of Msrp, Laura J. Ingersol

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Molybdenum (Mo) is an essential element that plays an important role in global nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur cycles with a critical role in human metabolism and ecological balance. It becomes catalytically active when complexed with the pyranopterin dithiolene ligand (PDT), forming the nearly ubiquitous molybdenum cofactor (Moco). The complex biosynthetic pathway of Moco, its presence in all three domains of life, and its role as a constituent cofactor in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) all point toward the importance of the PDT in the development of life on Earth. Molybdoenzymes catalyze the two-electron oxidation or reduction of substrates that …

Project Alien, Rebecca Mccallin, Madelyn Hoying, Alex Evans, Matthew Nestler, Karli Rae Sutton, Garett Craig, Lucia Secaia Del Cid, Alexander Guy, Rachel Fernandez, Amanda Trusiak, Paige Aley, Ingabire Gakwerere, Nina Dorfner, Maria Mosbacher, Mary Flavin, Selvin Hernandez, Audrey Steen, Benjamin Kazimer

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Project ALIEN is a comprehensive plan to send humans to Mars to look for life on the Martian surface while exploring the viability and adaptability of terrestrial microbes in Martian atmospheric conditions. ALIEN will use a ballistic capture trajectory to get to Mars and stay in aerostationary orbit for a 30-day surface mission, during which two surface crewmembers will perform a variety of experiments to achieve the mission’s goals of Martian microbial discovery within brines of the Gale Crater and terrestrial microbe adaptability and viability to Martian conditions. Experimentation is based on the presumption that Martian microbes are metabolically similar …

Dexmedetomidine Or Propofol For Sedation In Mechanically Ventilated Adults With Sepsis, Christopher G Hughes, Patrick T Mailloux, John W Devlin, Joshua T Swan, Robert D Sanders, Antonio Anzueto, James C Jackson, Aimee S Hoskins, Brenda T Pun, Onur M Orun, Rameela Raman, Joanna L Stollings, Amy L Kiehl, Matthew S Duprey, Lan N Bui, Hollis R O'Neal, Allison Snyder, Michael A Gropper, Kalpalatha K Guntupalli, Gregg J Stashenko, Mayur B Patel, Nathan E Brummel, Timothy D Girard, Robert S Dittus, Gordon R Bernard, E Wesley Ely, Pratik P Pandharipande, Mends2 Study Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Guidelines currently recommend targeting light sedation with dexmedetomidine or propofol for adults receiving mechanical ventilation. Differences exist between these sedatives in arousability, immunity, and inflammation. Whether they affect outcomes differentially in mechanically ventilated adults with sepsis undergoing light sedation is unknown.

METHODS: In a multicenter, double-blind trial, we randomly assigned mechanically ventilated adults with sepsis to receive dexmedetomidine (0.2 to 1.5 μg per kilogram of body weight per hour) or propofol (5 to 50 μg per kilogram per minute), with doses adjusted by bedside nurses to achieve target sedation goals set by clinicians according to the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale …

Bacteria, Guano And Soot: Source Assessment Of Organic Matter Preserved In Black Laminae In Stalagmites From Caves Of The Sierra De Atapuerca (N Spain), Joeri Kaal, Virginia Martínez-Pillado, Antonio Martínez Cortizas, Jorge Sanjurjo Sánchez, Arantza Aranburu, Juan-Luis Arsuaga, Eneko Iriarte

International Journal of Speleology

Speleothems are a recognized source of paleoclimatic information, but their value as a source of signals from human activities in caves with an archaeological record has rarely been explored. Previous studies of speleothems in the Sierra de Atapuerca karst system (Burgos, northern Spain) revealed an important human fossil record, provided information about human activities in and around these caves, and the impacts on their natural environment. The present study reports the results of molecular characterization of dark-colored laminae from the stalagmites Ilargi (Galería de las Estatuas) and GS1, GS2, and GS3 (Galería del Silo), by pyrolysis-GC-MS (Py-GC-MS) and …

Biotransformation Of Hbe And Other Benzofuran Derivatives, Hannah Trauger

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

The Supercam Instrument Suite On The Mars 2020 Rover: Science Objectives And Mast-Unit Description, S. Maurice, R. C. Wiens, P. Bernardi, P. Caïs, S. Robinson, T. Nelson, O. Gasnault, J. -M. Reess, M. Deleuze, F. Rull, J. -A. Manrique, S. Abbaki, R. B. Anderson, Y. André, Stanley M. Angel, G. Arana, T. Battault, P. Beck, K. Benzerara, S. Bernard, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

On the NASA 2020 rover mission to Jezero crater, the remote determination of the texture, mineralogy and chemistry of rocks is essential to quickly and thoroughly characterize an area and to optimize the selection of samples for return to Earth. As part of the Perseverance payload, SuperCam is a suite of five techniques that provide critical and complementary observations via Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Time-Resolved Raman and Luminescence (TRR/L), visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VISIR), high-resolution color imaging (RMI), and acoustic recording (MIC). SuperCam operates at remote distances, primarily 2–7 m, while providing data at sub-mm to mm scales. We report …

Proteogenomic And Metabolomic Characterization Of Human Glioblastoma, Liang-Bo Wang, Alla Karpova, Marina A Gritsenko, Jennifer E Kyle, Song Cao, Yize Li, Dmitry Rykunov, Antonio Colaprico, Joseph H Rothstein, Runyu Hong, Vasileios Stathias, Macintosh Cornwell, Francesca Petralia, Yige Wu, Boris Reva, Karsten Krug, Pietro Pugliese, Emily Kawaler, Lindsey K Olsen, Wen-Wei Liang, Xiaoyu Song, Yongchao Dou, Michael C Wendl, Wagma Caravan, Wenke Liu, Daniel Cui Zhou, Jiayi Ji, Chia-Feng Tsai, Vladislav A Petyuk, Jamie Moon, Weiping Ma, Rosalie K Chu, Karl K Weitz, Ronald J Moore, Matthew E Monroe, Rui Zhao, Xiaolu Yang, Seungyeul Yoo, Azra Krek, Alexis Demopoulos, Houxiang Zhu, Matthew A Wyczalkowski, Joshua F Mcmichael, Brittany L Henderson, Caleb M Lindgren, Hannah Boekweg, Shuangjia Lu, Jessika Baral, Lijun Yao, Kelly G Stratton, Lisa M Bramer, Erika Zink, Sneha P Couvillion, Kent J Bloodsworth, Shankha Satpathy, Weiva Sieh, Simina M Boca, Stephan Schürer, Feng Chen, Maciej Wiznerowicz, Karen A Ketchum, Emily S Boja, Christopher R Kinsinger, Ana I Robles, Tara Hiltke, Mathangi Thiagarajan, Alexey I Nesvizhskii, Bing Zhang, D R Mani, Michele Ceccarelli, Xi S Chen, Sandra L Cottingham, Qing Kay Li, Albert H Kim, David Fenyö, Kelly V Ruggles, Henry Rodriguez, Mehdi Mesri, Samuel H Payne, Adam C Resnick, Pei Wang, Richard D Smith, Antonio Iavarone, Milan G Chheda, Jill S Barnholtz-Sloan, Karin D Rodland, Tao Liu, Li Ding, Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive nervous system cancer. Understanding its molecular pathogenesis is crucial to improving diagnosis and treatment. Integrated analysis of genomic, proteomic, post-translational modification and metabolomic data on 99 treatment-naive GBMs provides insights to GBM biology. We identify key phosphorylation events (e.g., phosphorylated PTPN11 and PLCG1) as potential switches mediating oncogenic pathway activation, as well as potential targets for EGFR-, TP53-, and RB1-altered tumors. Immune subtypes with distinct immune cell types are discovered using bulk omics methodologies, validated by snRNA-seq, and correlated with specific expression and histone acetylation patterns. Histone H2B acetylation in classical-like and immune-low GBM …

Broken-Hearted” Carbon Bowl Via Electron Shuttle Reaction: Energetics And Electron Coupling, Gabrielle A. Leith, Allison M. Rice, Brandon J. Yarbrough, Preecha Kittikhunnatham, Abijai Mathur, Nicholas A. Morris, Megan J. Francis, Anna A. Berseneva, Poonam Dhull, Richard D. Adams, M. Victoria Bobo, Aaron A. Vannucci, Mark D. Smith, Sophya Garashchuk, Natalia B. Shustova

Faculty Publications

Unprecedented one-step CC bond cleavage leading to opening of the buckybowl (π-bowl), that could provide access to carbon-rich structures with previously inaccessible topologies, is reported; highlighting the possibility to implement drastically different synthetic routes to π-bowls in contrast to conventional ones applied for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Through theoretical modeling, we evaluated the mechanistic pathways feasible for π-bowl planarization and factors that could affect such a transformation including strain and released energies. Through employment of Marcus theory, optical spectroscopy, and crystallographic analysis, we estimated the possibility of charge transfer and electron coupling between “open” corannulene and a strong electron acceptor such …

Isoprene Production From Municipal Wastewater Biosolids By Engineered Archaeon Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Sean Carr, Jared Aldridge, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Wastewater biosolids are a promising feedstock for production of value-added renewable chemicals. Methane-producing archaea (methanogens) are already used to produce renewable biogas via the anaerobic treatment of wastewater. The ability of methanogens to efficiently convert dissolved organic carbon into methane makes them an appealing potential platform for biorefining using metabolic engineering. We have engineered a strain of the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans to produce the volatile hemiterpene isoprene in addition to methane. The engineered strain was adapted to grow in municipal wastewater through cultivation in a synthetic wastewater medium. When introduced to municipal wastewater the engineered methanogens were able to compete …

Isoprene Production From Municipal Wastewater Biosolids By Engineered Archaeon Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Sean Carr, Jared Aldridge, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Wastewater biosolids are a promising feedstock for production of value-added renewable chemicals. Methane-producing archaea (methanogens) are already used to produce renewable biogas via the anaerobic treatment of wastewater. The ability of methanogens to efficiently convert dissolved organic carbon into methane makes them an appealing potential platform for biorefining using metabolic engineering. We have engineered a strain of the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans to produce the volatile hemiterpene isoprene in addition to methane. The engineered strain was adapted to grow in municipal wastewater through cultivation in a synthetic wastewater medium. When introduced to municipal wastewater the engineered methanogens were able to compete …

Development Of Miriplatin-Loaded Nanoparticles Against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Zhongyue Yuan, Zizhao Xu, Xin Guo

Graduate and Professional Student Research Showcase

Lung cancer claims the highest mortality and the second-most new cases among all oncological diseases. NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all newly diagnosed lung cancers. Although platinum-based drugs are standard first-line chemotherapy for stage IIIB/IV NSCLC, accumulating reports have shown the failure of conventional platinum-based regimens due to drug resistance. Miriplatin is a lipophilic anti-cancer drug that has been approved in Japan for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Lipid-based nanoparticles such as liposomes, micelles, and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) can encapsulate anti-cancer drugs to improve their water solubility and bioavailability.

Structure, Function And Inhibition Of Critical Protein-Protein Interactions Involving Mixed Lineage Leukemia 1 And Its Fusion Oncoproteins, Xin Li, Yongcheng Song

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1, also known as MLL or KMT2A) is an important transcription factor and histone-H3 lysine-4 (H3K4) methyltransferase. It is a master regulator for transcription of important genes (e.g., Hox genes) for embryonic development and hematopoiesis. However, it is largely dispensable in matured cells. Dysregulation of MLL1 leads to overexpression of certain Hox genes and eventually leukemia initiation. Chromosome translocations involving MLL1 cause ~ 75% of acute leukemia in infants and 5-10% in children and adults with a poor prognosis. Targeted therapeutics against oncogenic fusion MLL1 (onco-MLL1) are therefore needed. Onco-MLL1 consists of the N-terminal DNA-interacting domains …

Coilin Expression During Nucleolar Stress In The Drosophila Brain, Kathryn Rose Deleo

LSU Master's Theses

Impairment of ribosome biogenesis disrupts cellular homeostasis and, in the process, causes a state of nucleolar stress in a cell. This triggers human syndromes collectively known as ribosomopathies. One such ribosomopathy is the Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) which causes congenital craniofacial birth defects and hearing loss in patients. In TCS migration of neural crest cells during development is hindered by the loss of the ribosome assembly factor, treacle, and consequent apoptosis of these progenitor cells. Modeling this disorder in Drosophila was previously accomplished by disruption of Nopp140, treacle’s closest equivalent in Drosophila. During nucleolar stress, the Mushroom Body neuroblast …

Structural Basis For Clostridium Perfringens Enterotoxin Targeting Of Claudins At Tight Junctions In Mammalian Gut, Alex J. Vecchio, Sewwandi S. Rathnayake, Robert M. Stroud

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The bacterium Clostridium perfringens causes severe, sometimes lethal gastrointestinal disorders in humans, including enteritis and enterotoxemia. Type F strains produce an enterotoxin (CpE) that causes the third most common foodborne illness in the United States. CpE induces gut breakdown by disrupting barriers at cell–cell contacts called tight junctions (TJs), which are formed and maintained by claudins. Targeted binding of CpE to specific claudins, encoded by its C-terminal domain (cCpE), loosens TJ barriers to trigger molecular leaks between cells. Cytotoxicity results from claudin-bound CpE complexes forming pores in cell membranes. In mammalian tissues, ∼24 claudins govern TJ barriers—but the basis for …

Thermodynamic Analysis Of Pamam Dendrimer Synthesis, Ryutaro Einar Jacobson

Honors Theses

The objective of this research was to determine kinetic and thermodynamic data about the reaction between ethylene diamine and methyl acrylate which is used in the production of PAMAM dendrimers. Establishing a rate law and finding values such as rate constant, activation energy, and Arrhenius coefficient will help in determining the best possible conditions for the reaction. A rate law was established through the method of initial rates, comparing the rates of reactions with different initial concentrations to one another. Additional reactions were run with active cooling to observe the effects on rate and reaction progress, and finally reactions were …

Finding Optimal Opa-Iblc Derivatized Amino Acid Analysis Parameters With Three-Dimensional Fluorometric Scans For Hplc Method Validation, Aaron Jacobs

Honors Theses

Three-dimensional fluorometric scans of OPA-IBLC derivatized glutamic acid and histidine solutions revealed that decreasing concentration maintained maximum λem but produced different maximum λex. In pH 0.4 M sodium borate buffer (pH 10.4), 50 μM derivatized amino acid solutions had maxima around 350- to 450-nm λex-λem where 12.5 μM solutions had maxima around 230- to 450-nm λex- λem. In the lower concentration, the λex peak at 230 nm was about 80% higher than 350 nm. Thus, collecting spectra with 230 nm λex would provide better LOD and LOQ. Results inform HPLC standard concentrations since differential quenching effects may produce non-linear calibration …

Lysine 53 Acetylation Of Cytochrome C In Prostate Cancer: Warburg Metabolism And Evasion Of Apoptosis, Viktoriia Bazylianska, Hasini A. Kalpage, Junmei Wan, Asmita Vaishnav, Gargi Mahapatra, Alice A. Turner, Dipanwita Dutta Chowdhury, Katherine Kim, Paul T. Morse, Icksoo Lee, Joseph S. Brunzelle, Lisa Polin, Prabal Subedi, Elisabeth I. Heath, Izabela Podgorski, Katrin Marcus, Brian Fp Edwards, Maik HüTtemann

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Two classic cancer hallmarks are a metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) to glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect, and resistance to cell death. Cytochrome c (Cytc) is at the intersection of both pathways, as it is essential for electron transport in mitochondrial respiration and a trigger of intrinsic apoptosis when released from the mitochondria. However, its functional role in cancer has never been studied. Our data show that Cytc is acetylated on lysine 53 in both androgen hormone-resistant and -sensitive human prostate cancer xenografts. To characterize the …

Cyclophilin D Is A Sensor Of Nano-Pulse Stimulation, Brittney Ruedlinger, Bani Hani Maisoun, Lucas Potter, Nicola Lai, Stephen J. Beebe

The Graduate School Posters

Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS), a pulsed power-derived technology, stimulates structural and functional changes in plasma membranes and cellular organelles. NPS induces a Ca²⁺ influx and opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) that dissipates the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ_m) and, when sustained, induces regulated cell death. Here we show that in rat cardiomyoblasts (H9C2) cyclophilin D (CypD) is a mitochondrial sensor for NPS as defined by observations that loss of ΔΨ_m is Ca²⁺ and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) dependent and cyclosporin A (CsA)-sensitive, which are diagnostic qualities for effects on CypD and the mPTP. …

Influence Of Monovalent And Divalent Ions In The Conformational Change Of Caspase-Cleaved Par-4 (Cl-Par-4) Tumor Suppressor Protein, Krishna K. Raut, Komala Ponniah, Steven M. Pascal

College of Sciences Posters

Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) is a pro-apoptotic tumor suppressor protein. We have shown that this 38 kDa full-length Par-4 (Fl-Par-4) protein is predominantly intrinsically disordered in vitro. In vivo, Par-4 is cleaved by caspase-3 at Asp-131 to generate a 24 kDa functionally active cleaved Par-4 (cl-Par-4) fragment. The cl-Par-4 protein inhibits the NF-κB-mediated cell survival pathway and causes selective apoptosis in various tumor cells. Our laboratory is interested in how the disorder-order balance within Fl-Par-4 and cl-Par-4 may be related to the balance between cell survival and cell death. Currently, we are using biophysical techniques such as circular …

Long-Term Impacts Of Acute Stressor Exposure On Locus Coeruleus Function And Anxiety-Like Behavior In Rats, Olga Borodovitsyna

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a physiological state characterized by behavioral arousal that occurs during exposure to harmful or threatening stimuli, and usually facilitates an adaptive behavioral response. The persistence of stress sometimes causes it to become maladaptive, potentially contributing to disease development, including physiological complications with altered neuroendocrine signaling and impaired function of organ systems, and psychological conditions including depression and anxiety. Anxiety disorders in particular are associated with a history of stress and are the most common class of mental disorders, with a lifetime prevalence of 33.7% in the general population. The locus coeruleus (LC) is a major node in the …

Visible Light Generation And Mechanistic Investigation Of High-Valent Metal-Oxo Species Supported By Different Ligands, Seth Ellis Klaine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Numerous transition metal catalysts have been designed as biomimetic model compounds for the active site of metalloenzymes found throughout Nature, most notably cytochrome P450 monooxygenases that carry out the oxidative transformations of organic substrates with near-perfect chemo-, regio-, and stereo-selectivity. The primary active oxidants in catalytic and enzymatic cycles are fleeting high-valent metal-oxo intermediates where the oxo ligand can transfer to an organic substrate in a process known as oxygen atom transfer (OAT).

In the present work, porphyrin-manganese(III), salen-chromium(III), and salenmanganese( III) derivatives were successfully synthesized and spectroscopically characterized using 1H NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopies. A facile photochemical approach was …

A High-Throughput Approach To Characterizing Arv1 On The Regulation Of Lipid Homeostasis Uncovers A Novel Interaction With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, Nicholas Anthony Wachowski

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Acyl-CoA cholesterol acyl transferase related enzyme-2 required for viability 1 (ARV1) was first recognized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a study done in 2000 by Tinkelenberg et al. In yeast, the deletion of ARV1 results in numerous defects including abnormal sterol trafficking [1], the reduction of sphingolipid metabolism [2], synthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor [3], ER stress [4], and hypersensitivity of fatty acids leading to lipoapoptosis [5]. Arv1 germline deletion in mice displayed a lean phenotype with increased energy [6]. In humans, ARV1 mutations lead to epileptic encephalopathy [7].

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) consists of simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis …

Analysis Of Student Learning Gains In A Biochemistry Cure Course During The Mandatory Covid-19 Shift To Online Learning, Ambika Kapil, Santanu De, Arthur Sikora

Biology Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, institutions across the world have had to make modifications to existing curricula, especially in the experimental science lab. There is a need to better understand student learning in this environment. Using the Participant Perception Indicator (PPI) survey, we measure the students’ knowledge, experience, and confidence (KEC) growth over the course of a fully online biochemistry course. Using a combination of video explanations, experimental procedure documents and sample data students completed the Biochemistry Authentic Scientific Inquiry Lab (BASIL) Course-based Undergraduate Experience (CURE) in summer 2020. The results and analysis of the survey data gave light …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, April 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2, Issue 4

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 & 3 Awards & Recognition
Page 4 Student Spotlight: Allsion Bjornstad
Page 5 Research Spotlight: Dr. Vondruska & Students
Page 6 Department Head Interviews
Page 7 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 8 Open PRAIRIE Data
Page 9 Student Club Spotlight: BMGSA
Page 10 Then & Now: Urban Geography

Bisc 579: Advanced Topics In Biology: Meta-Analysis In Biology, Jason Hoeksema

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Transcriptomic Analysis Of The Glycophytic Crop Ipomoea Aquatica Under Salinity Conditions Compared To Its Wild Halophyte Relative Ipomoea Pes-Caprae, Ruwan Saeed Aljneibi Husam Saeed Aljneibi

Theses

This study focuses on the glycophytic crop Ipomoea Aquatica (commonly known as water spinach) and its wild halophytic relative Ipomoea pes-caprae. I. Aquatica is a crop with economic value; however, it is unable to tolerate high levels of salinity. Whereas its relative Ipomoea pes-caprae is able to grow and thrive in the harsh environment of the UAE. The main aim of this study is to analyze the genetic differences underlying the variation in the two plants’ response to salinity and determine the genetic components that can be used to enhance I. Aquatica's tolerance to salinity. Accordingly, the plants were subjected …

Anaplasma Phagocytophilum Modulates Mammalian And Arthropod Signaling For Its Survival And Transmission, Supreet Khanal

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are illnesses transmitted to humans and other animals by arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas. These arthropod vectors transmit infectious pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, to humans during blood-feeding. We have very few control strategies to treat or control these diseases. Human anaplasmosis, caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is the second most common tick-borne disease in the United States. This work defines three studies elucidating Anaplasma phagocytophilum-mediated modulation of cell signaling in mammalian cells and arthropod vector Ixodes scapularis ticks.

The first study focused on mammalian PI3 kinases signaling in regulating …

A Test Of Rad Capture Sequencing On Ethanol-Preserved Centennial And Contemporary Specimens Of Philippine Fishes, Madeleine I. Kenton

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the relationship between ecological characteristics and genetic change in natural populations in different time scales can reveal how anthropogenic stressors affect natural populations and can improve the success of conservation strategies. The purpose of the Philippines Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) project is to examine levels of genetic change between historical fish samples collected by the USS Albatross expedition in the early 1900s in the Philippines and contemporary populations collected at the same localities. This study tests genetic protocols to process historical and contemporary DNA for simultaneous comparison. Two DNA library preparation methods, single digest RADseq (“un-baited” …