Biochemistry Commons^™

The Rpl13a Snorna U33 Forms Novel Snornps During Lipotoxicity, Miquia Sherree Henderson

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lipid overload contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetic complications, causing tissue damage and cell death in a number of organ systems. This process is termed lipotoxicity. Animal and cell culture studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress are major pathways engaged in the lipotoxic response. However, the molecular mechanisms of lipotoxicity are not well understood. A genetic screen revealed that small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) encoded in the introns of the Rpl13a locus are critical for cell death in response to lipotoxicity. Initial studies have suggested that the Rpl13a snoRNAs function in this pathway through non-canonical modes of …