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Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry

A Polyaniline-Based Sensor Of Nucleic Acids, Partha Sengupta, Jared Gloria, Marcus K. Parker, Alex S. Flynt Nov 2016

A Polyaniline-Based Sensor Of Nucleic Acids, Partha Sengupta, Jared Gloria, Marcus K. Parker, Alex S. Flynt

Faculty Publications

Detection of nucleic acids is at the center of diagnostic technologies used in research and the clinic. Standard approaches used in these technologies rely on enzymatic modification that can introduce bias and artifacts. A critical element of next generation detection platforms will be direct molecular sensing, thereby avoiding a need for amplification or labels. Advanced nanomaterials may provide the suitable chemical modalities to realize label-free sensors. Conjugated polymers are ideal for biological sensing, possessing properties compatible with biomolecules and exhibit high sensitivity to localized environmental changes. In this article, a method is presented for detecting nucleic acids using the electroconductive …


The Function Of Renalase, Brett Allen Beaupre Aug 2016

The Function Of Renalase, Brett Allen Beaupre

Theses and Dissertations

Renalase was originally reported to be an enzyme secreted into the blood by the kidney to lower blood pressure and slow heart rate. Despite multiple reports claiming to confirm this activity in vivo there has been considerable discord in regards to the reaction catalyzed by renalase. The structural topology of renalase resembles that of known flavoprotein oxidases, monooxygenases and demethylases, but the conserved active site residues are unique to renalase. It has been reported that the catalytic function of renalase is to oxidize circulating catecholamines, however in vitro studies have failed to demonstrate a catalytic activity in the presence of …


Mutant Study Of Sinorhizobium Meliloti Proline Utilization A (Puta), Jacob E. Wilkinson, John J. Tanner, Donald F. Becker Apr 2016

Mutant Study Of Sinorhizobium Meliloti Proline Utilization A (Puta), Jacob E. Wilkinson, John J. Tanner, Donald F. Becker

UCARE Research Products

The purpose of this project is to purify and characterize the reaction kinetics of mutant versions the enzyme Proline Utilization A (PutA) in Sinorhizobium meliloti. The enzyme catalyzes the first step in proline metabolism. It has two active sites. The first is proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) which converts proline to pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C). The second is P5C dehydrogenase (P5CDH) which converts P5C to glutamate. Although many bacterial organisms have PutA, there are still significant interspecies variations, resulting in an entire family of PutA enzymes. The main difference is the length of the amino acid sequence. This affects the protein’s structure or …


Clinical Light Exposure, Photoreceptor Degeneration, And Ap-1 Activation: A Cell Death Or Cell Survival Signal In The Rhodopsin Mutant Retina?, Danian Gu, William Beltran, Zexiao Li, Gregory M. Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre Feb 2016

Clinical Light Exposure, Photoreceptor Degeneration, And Ap-1 Activation: A Cell Death Or Cell Survival Signal In The Rhodopsin Mutant Retina?, Danian Gu, William Beltran, Zexiao Li, Gregory M. Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre

Gustavo D. Aguirre, VMD, PhD

PURPOSE. The T4R RHO mutant dog retina shows retinal degeneration with exposures to light comparable to those used in clinical eye examinations of patients. To define the molecular mechanisms of the degeneration, AP-1 DNA-binding activity, composition, posttranslational modification of the protein complex, and modulation of ERK/MAPK signaling pathways were examined in light-exposed mutant retinas. METHODS. Dark-adapted retinas were exposed to short-duration light flashes from a retinal camera used clinically for retinal photography and were collected at different time points after exposure. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), supershift EMSA, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemistry were used to examine AP-1 signaling. RESULTS. …


Bestrophin Gene Mutations Cause Canine Multifocal Retinopathy: A Novel Animal Model For Best Disease, Karina E. Guziewicz, Barbara Zangerl, Sarah J. Lindauer, Robert F. Mullins, Lynne S. Sandmeyer, Bruce H. Grahn, Edwin M. Stone, Gregory M. Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre Feb 2016

Bestrophin Gene Mutations Cause Canine Multifocal Retinopathy: A Novel Animal Model For Best Disease, Karina E. Guziewicz, Barbara Zangerl, Sarah J. Lindauer, Robert F. Mullins, Lynne S. Sandmeyer, Bruce H. Grahn, Edwin M. Stone, Gregory M. Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre

Gustavo D. Aguirre, VMD, PhD

PURPOSE. Canine multifocal retinopathy (cmr) is an autosomal recessive disorder of multiple dog breeds. The disease shares a number of clinical and pathologic similarities with Best macular dystrophy (BMD), and cmr is proposed as a new large animal model for Best disease. METHODS. cmr was characterized by ophthalmoscopy and histopathology and compared with BMD-affected patients. BEST1 (alias VMD2), the bestrophin gene causally associated with BMD, was evaluated in the dog. Canine ortholog cDNA sequence was cloned and verified using RPE/choroid 5′- and 3′-RACE. Expression of the canine gene transcripts and protein was analyzed by Northern and Western blotting and immunocytochemistry. …


Characterization Of A Phosphonate-Specific Cytidylyltransferase, Kissa Batul Jan 2016

Characterization Of A Phosphonate-Specific Cytidylyltransferase, Kissa Batul

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Antibiotic resistance is a major global health concern that requires new therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, a lack of narrow spectrum antibiotics on the market produces unintended consequences with respect to changes in our microbial make up. Phosphonates are reduced versions of phosphates that possess a C-P bond which is more resistant to enzymatic and chemical degradation. The role of phosphonate containing macromolecules (e.g. cell surface polysaccharides) remains enigmatic, however their presence suggests that they may confer an advantage. The biosynthesis of phosphonate-containing macromolecules is unknown, but a pathway is proposed involving aLicC type cytidylyltransferase-catalyzed conjugation to a phosphonate followed by a …