Biochemistry Commons^™

Explorations In Homeoviscous Adaptation And Mass Spectral Analysis Of Membrane Lipids, Michael Douglas Timmons

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is centered on the mass spectral analysis of lipids and changes occurring in keeping with the concept of homeoviscous adaptation [1]. Homeoviscous adaptation is the process of modification of membrane lipids in response to environmental stimuli [1]. Dissertation investigations applied this concept to prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, and expanded the perception of environmental factors from exogenous organic solvents to intracellular environment.

The field of lipidomics deals with the analysis of phospholipid and fatty acid components of membranes the changes that occur due to environmental stimuli and their biological significance [2-6]. The high sensitivity of mass …

Substrate And Regulation Of Mitochondrial Μ-Calpain, Aashish Joshi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

μ -Calpain is localized to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Apoptosisinducing factor (AIF), which executes caspase-independent cell death, is also localized to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Following processing at the N-terminus, AIF becomes truncated (tAIF) and is released from mitochondria. The protease responsible for AIF processing has not been established. The same submitochondrial localization of mitochondrial μ-calpain and AIF gives support to the hypothesis that mitochondrial μ-calpain may be responsible for processing AIF. Atractyloside-induced tAIF release in rat liver mitochondria was inhibited by cysteine protease inhibitor MDL28170, but not by calpain inhibitors PD150606 or calpastatin. Moreover, μ-calpain immunoreactivity was difficult to …