Biochemistry Commons^™

Rnp Granules In Toxoplasma Gondii: Function And Formation, Scott Roscoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite capable of infecting mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. T. gondii only undergoes sexual reproduction in a feline host. In all other organisms the parasite reproduces asexually, either as fast growing tachyzoites or slow growing bradyzoites. Bradyzoites form latent cysts inside the host cell that can lay dormant for years and convert back to tachyzoites when the host’s immune system becomes weakened. Tachyzoites rapidly replicate in the host cell, eventually causing it to lyse. While extracellular, tachyzoites repress their own translation by phosphorylating the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF2α and form microscopically visible aggregates of …

Elucidating Mechanisms For S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase Activity And Control In Plants Using O-Aminobenzoyl-S-Nitrosoglutathione And A Novel Photo-Sensitive Probe, Leslie Ventimiglia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

S-nitrosoglutathione reductase, (GSNOR) is widely accepted as the master regulator of stress through NO signaling and protein S-nitrosylation. GSNOR mediates stress response through the catalysis of its principal substrate S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO). The instigation of various stressors in plants cause observable changes in plant phenotype, which are associated with changes in GSNOR activity. There are no current methods for measuring GSNOR activity directly in living plants. In this paper, a previously developed fluorogenic pseudo-substrate for human GSNOR, OAbz-GSNO, was applied to the Solanum lycopersicum plant model. OAbz-GSNO was identified as a promising novel pseudo- substrate to study changes …

Structure And Mechanics Of Biomembrane Mimics In The Presence Of Vitamin E, Mitchell Dipasquale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of this dissertation, the fundamental behaviours and interactions between various analogs of vitamin E and biologically-relevant membranes will be explored. These analogs include the biologically active form, α-tocopherol; the most naturally abundant form γ-tocopherol; an oxidized product, α-tocopheryl quinone; and the synthetic stabile form, vitamin E acetate.

Beginning in Chapter 1, a foundation in membrane biophysics is established from a historical progression of the field. The importance of biomembranes is argued and a deep connection is established between structure and function. Key structural features of lipid assemblies, and role of lipid composition is defined, and with the …