Biochemistry Commons^™

Structural And Functional Characterization Of A Putative Citmhs Protein From Bacillus Anthracis, Qi Wen Li

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The growing number of strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a new threat to human health. The development of innovative strategies to treat bacterial infections is essential. The recent discovery of a new class of membrane transporters, CitMHS, unique to bacteria, presents a potential new target for antibacterial therapeutics. CitMHS is a class of secondary metal citrate membrane transporters, with only five members characterized to date (2,3,5,6,7). No crystal structures have been reported. Detailed structural and functional studies of CitMHS are essential to the understanding of infection pathways and, consequently, the ability to block such pathways. Cit_Ba is a CitMHS …

Effects Of Ethanol On Social Behavior & Brain Structure, Lua Jafari

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Autism spectrum disorders are a developmental disorder characterized by abnormal social behavior. Those with autism have problems with social interactions, repetitive behaviors, and both verbal and non-verbal communication. While the cause of autism is not yet know, studies have shown that there are both genetic and environmental factors linked with autism. The amygdala is considered to be part of the “social brain”, and atypical activation and morphology of the amygdala has been seen in those with autism.

For this research project, I utilized rats subjected to acute ethanol exposure during gestation and examined exposure effects on the anatomy and biochemistry …

Synthetic Dosage Lethality Screen With Actin Cytoskeleton In Yeast, Jessica Cho

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The actin cytoskeleton is a vitally important organizing structure found in the cytoplasm of our cells. It contributes to essential cell functions from growth and cell division, development, signal transduction, adaptation, to gene expression. Interest in how regulation of the actin cytoskeleton---due to actin cytoskeleton's importance to cell function-may contribute to diverse human disease states such as the rampant cell division and metastasis that occurs in cancerous tissues. It has been further elucidated that many human genetic disorders are the result of complex haploinsufficiencies (CHI) and/or altered gene dosages at multiple loci. By reviewing a large number of potential Synthetic …

Germline Cyst Formation And Development In Zebrafish, Tess Cherlin

Honors Capstone Projects - All

In developing pre-natal mice, germline cysts are clusters or packages of cells consisting of individual oocytes. They are formed after the primordial germ cells move to the ovary during embryogenesis. The primordial germ cells divide, but do not completely separate. The cells within the cysts are linked by intercellular bridges, which end up breaking down leading to the formation of primordial follicles. The primordial follicles are oocytes surrounded by somatic cells called granulosa cells. Only one third of the original oocytes survive cyst breakdown and become the eggs that will be used by the mouse for her reproduction. This developmental …

Determination Of The Amino Acids Involved In The Interactions Between Dpy-30 And Ash2l, Key Components Of The Mll1 Core Complex, Carey Stuart

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The human version of the DPY-30 protein is homologous to the DPY-30 protein in Caenorhabditis elegans (nematode), along with other DPY-30 homologous proteins in other organisms. This protein is involved in dosage compensation of X-linked genes, balancing the levels of expression of these genes between the sexes. The mechanism by which the balancing is carried out varies from organism to organism. For example, in C. elegans hermaphrodites (XX), transcript levels of the X-linked genes are cut in half. In Drosophila, the genes on the male’s (XY) X chromosome are transcribed at twice the rate of the female’s (XX) genes. …