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2010

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Articles 31 - 60 of 176

Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry

Phosphorus Uptake In Rhodomonas Salina (Wislouch) And Its Effect On Allocation And Elimination In Acartia Tonsa (Dana), Danna Palladino Oct 2010

Phosphorus Uptake In Rhodomonas Salina (Wislouch) And Its Effect On Allocation And Elimination In Acartia Tonsa (Dana), Danna Palladino

OES Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus is a key element in important biochemical compounds, such as RNA and phospholipids, and can become limiting in a variety of marine systems. The uptake of phosphorus into biochemical fractions (protein, low molecular weight (LMW) compounds, lipid, polysaccharide and nucleic acid) in Acartia tonsa fed 33P -labeled Rhodomonas salina was examined. R. salina was cultured on two variations of one media that in one case contained phosphorus in balance and the other out of balance with relation to other standard f/2 components. The P-balanced (PB) media had a N:P ratio of 24.5, which is higher than that found …


Physical Interaction Between Vivid And White Collar Complex Regulates Photoadaptation In Neurospora, Chen-Hui H. Chen, Bradley S. Demay, Amy S. Gladfelter, Jay Dunlap, Jennifer J. Loros Sep 2010

Physical Interaction Between Vivid And White Collar Complex Regulates Photoadaptation In Neurospora, Chen-Hui H. Chen, Bradley S. Demay, Amy S. Gladfelter, Jay Dunlap, Jennifer J. Loros

Dartmouth Scholarship

Photoadaptation, the ability to attenuate a light response on prolonged light exposure while remaining sensitive to escalating changes in light intensity, is essential for organisms to decipher time information appropriately, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In Neurospora crassa, VIVID (VVD), a small LOV domain containing blue-light photoreceptor protein, affects photoadaptation for most if not all light-responsive genes. We report that there is a physical interaction between VVD and the white collar complex (WCC), the primary blue-light photoreceptor and the transcription factor complex that initiates light-regulated transcriptional responses in Neurospora. Using two previously characterized VVD mutants, we show …


The Terebridae And Teretoxins: Combining Phylogeny And Anatomy For Concerted Discovery Of Bioactive Compounds, Nicolas Puillandre, Mandë Holford Sep 2010

The Terebridae And Teretoxins: Combining Phylogeny And Anatomy For Concerted Discovery Of Bioactive Compounds, Nicolas Puillandre, Mandë Holford

Publications and Research

The Conoidea superfamily, comprised of cone snails, terebrids, and turrids, is an exceptionally promising group for the discovery of natural peptide toxins. The potential of conoidean toxins has been realized with the distribution of the first Conus (cone snail) drug, Prialt (ziconotide), an analgesic used to alleviate chronic pain in HIV and cancer patients. Cone snail toxins (conotoxins) are highly variable, a consequence of a high mutation rate associated to duplication events and positive selection. As Conus and terebrids diverged in the early Paleocene, the toxins from terebrids (teretoxins) may demonstrate highly divergent and unique functionalities. Recent analyses of the …


Aromatic Acid Metabolites Of Escherichia Coli K-12 Can Induce The Marrab Operon, Lon Chubiz, Christopher Rao Sep 2010

Aromatic Acid Metabolites Of Escherichia Coli K-12 Can Induce The Marrab Operon, Lon Chubiz, Christopher Rao

Biology Department Faculty Works

MarR is a key regulator of the marRAB operon involved in antibiotic resistance and solvent stress tolerance in Escherichia coli. We show that two metabolic intermediates, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate and anthranilate, involved in enterobactin and tryptophan biosynthesis, respectively, can activate marRAB transcription. We also found that a third intermediate involved in ubiquinone biosynthesis, 4-hydroxybenzoate, activates marRAB transcription in the absence of TolC. Of the three, however, only 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate directly binds MarR and affects its activity.


Axial Temperature Gradients In Gas Chromatography, Jesse Alberto Contreras Sep 2010

Axial Temperature Gradients In Gas Chromatography, Jesse Alberto Contreras

Theses and Dissertations

The easiest and most effective way to influence the separation process in gas chromatography (GC) is achieved by controlling the temperature of the chromatographic column. In conventional GC, the temperature along the length of the column is constant at any given time, T(t). In my research, I investigated the effects of temperature gradients on GC separations as a function of time and position, T(t,x), along the column. This separation mode is called thermal gradient GC (TGGC). The research reported in this dissertation highlights the fundamental principles of axial temperature gradients and the separation potential of the TGGC technique. These goals …


Negative Dielectrophoretic Capture Of Bacterial Spores In Food Matrices, Mehti Koklu, Seungkyung Park, Suresh D. Pillai, Ali Beskok Sep 2010

Negative Dielectrophoretic Capture Of Bacterial Spores In Food Matrices, Mehti Koklu, Seungkyung Park, Suresh D. Pillai, Ali Beskok

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A microfluidic device with planar square electrodes is developed for capturing particles from high conductivity media using negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP). Specifically, Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium sporogenes spores, and polystyrene particles are tested in NaCl solution (0.05 and 0.225 S/m), apple juice (0.225 S/m), and milk (0.525 S/m). Depending on the conductivity of the medium, the Joule heating produces electrothermal flow (ETF), which continuously circulates and transports the particles to the DEP capture sites. Combination of the ETF and n-DEP results in different particle capture efficiencies as a function of the conductivity. Utilizing 20 μm height DEP chambers, “almost complete” and …


Selection For Non-Amyloidogenic Mutants Of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (Iapp) Identifies An Extended Region For Amyloidogenicity, Ayano Fox, Thibaut Snollaerts, Camille Errecart Casanova, Anastasia Calciano, Luiza A. Nogaj, David A. Moffet Sep 2010

Selection For Non-Amyloidogenic Mutants Of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (Iapp) Identifies An Extended Region For Amyloidogenicity, Ayano Fox, Thibaut Snollaerts, Camille Errecart Casanova, Anastasia Calciano, Luiza A. Nogaj, David A. Moffet

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Works

The aggregation of the 37-residue polypeptide IAPP, as either insoluble amyloid or as small oligomers, appears to play a direct role in the death of pancreatic β-islet cells in type II diabetes. While IAPP has been known to be the primary component of type II diabetes amyloid, the molecular interactions responsible for this aggregation have not been identified. To identify the aggregation-prone region(s), we constructed a library of randomly generated point mutants of IAPP. This mutant IAPP library was expressed in E. coli as genetic fusions to the reporter protein enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Because IAPP aggregates rapidly, both …


Kinetic Characterization Of Salmonella Flik-Flhb Interactions Demonstrates Complexity Of The Type Iii Secretion Substrate-Specificity Switch, Daniel P. Morris, Eric D. Roush, J. Will Thompson, M. Arthur Moseley, James W. Murphy, Jonathan L. Mcmurry Aug 2010

Kinetic Characterization Of Salmonella Flik-Flhb Interactions Demonstrates Complexity Of The Type Iii Secretion Substrate-Specificity Switch, Daniel P. Morris, Eric D. Roush, J. Will Thompson, M. Arthur Moseley, James W. Murphy, Jonathan L. Mcmurry

Faculty Articles

The bacterial flagellum is a complex macromolecular machine consisting of more than 20000 proteins, most of which must be exported from the cell via a dedicated Type III secretion apparatus. At a defined point in flagellar morphogenesis, hook completion is sensed and the apparatus switches substrate specificity type from rod and hook proteins to filament ones. How the switch works is a subject of intense interest. FIiK and F1hBs play central roles. In the present study, two optical biosensing methods were used to characterize FIiK-F1hB interactions using wild-type and two variant FlhBs from mutants with severe flagellar structural defects. Binding …


Frataxin And Mitochondrial Fes Cluster Biogenesis, Timothy L. Stemmler, Emmanuel Lesuisse, Debumar Pain, Andrew Dancis Aug 2010

Frataxin And Mitochondrial Fes Cluster Biogenesis, Timothy L. Stemmler, Emmanuel Lesuisse, Debumar Pain, Andrew Dancis

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Friedreich’s ataxia is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by frataxin deficiency. Frataxin is a conserved mitochondrial protein that plays a role in Fe-S cluster assembly in mitochondria. Fe-S clusters are modular cofactors that perform essential functions throughout the cell. They are synthesized by a multi-step and multi-subunit mitochondrial machinery that includes a scaffold protein Isu for assembling a protein bound Fe-S cluster intermediate. Frataxin interacts with Isu, iron, and with the cysteine desulfurase Nfs1 that supplies sulfur, thus placing it at the center of mitochondrial Fe-S cluster biosynthesis.


Novel Polymer Coupling Chemistry Based Upon Latent Cysteine-Like Residues And Thiazolidine Chemistry, Jospeh S. Carlson, Megan R. Hill, Taiga Young, Philip Costanzo Aug 2010

Novel Polymer Coupling Chemistry Based Upon Latent Cysteine-Like Residues And Thiazolidine Chemistry, Jospeh S. Carlson, Megan R. Hill, Taiga Young, Philip Costanzo

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Chain end functional polymers were prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization techniques that were further chain extended with acrylonitrile. Under reducing conditions, latent cysteine-like residues were exposed at the chain ends. A variety of reduction conditions were explored and base polymers were then tethered together via thiazolidine chemistry.


Studies On Antidyslipidemic Effects Of Morinda Citrifolia (Noni) Fruit, Leaves And Root Extracts., Saf-Ur Rehman Mandukhail, Nauman Aziz, Anwar Gilani Aug 2010

Studies On Antidyslipidemic Effects Of Morinda Citrifolia (Noni) Fruit, Leaves And Root Extracts., Saf-Ur Rehman Mandukhail, Nauman Aziz, Anwar Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: The objective of present study was to provide the pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of Morinda citrifolia Linn in dyslipidemia using the aqueous-ethanolic extracts of its fruits (Mc.Cr.F), leaves (Mc.Cr.L) and roots (Mc.Cr.R). Results: Mc.Cr.F, Mc.Cr.L and Mc.Cr.R showed antidyslipidemic effects in both triton (WR-1339) and high fat diet-induced dyslipidemic rat models to variable extents. All three extracts caused reduction in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in triton-induced dyslipidemia. In high fat diet-induced dyslipidemia all these extracts caused significant reduction in total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), atherogenic index and TC/HDL ratio. Mc.Cr.R extract also caused increase …


Integrated Affinity Column Capillary Electrophoresis Microdevices For Biomarker Analysis, Weichun Yang Aug 2010

Integrated Affinity Column Capillary Electrophoresis Microdevices For Biomarker Analysis, Weichun Yang

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, microfluidic systems that integrate antibody-based sample preparation methods with electrophoretic separation are developed to analyze multiple biomarkers in a point-of-care setting. To form an affinity column, both monolith materials and wall-coated channels were explored. I successfully demonstrated that monolith columns can be prepared in microfluidic devices via photopolymerization. The selectivity of monolith columns was improved by immobilizing antibodies on the surface. These affinity columns can selectively enrich target analytes and reduce the signal of contaminant proteins up to 25,000 fold after immunoaffinity extraction. These results clearly demonstrate that microchip affinity monoliths can selectively concentrate and purify target …


Mechanisms Of Oxidant Generation By Catalase, Diane E. Heck, Michael Shakarjian, Hong-Duck Kim, Jeffrey Laskin, Anna M. Vetrano Aug 2010

Mechanisms Of Oxidant Generation By Catalase, Diane E. Heck, Michael Shakarjian, Hong-Duck Kim, Jeffrey Laskin, Anna M. Vetrano

NYMC Faculty Publications

The enzyme catalase converts solar radiation into reactive oxidant species (ROS). In this study, we report that several bacterial catalases (hydroperoxidases, HP), including Escherichia coli HP-I and HP-II also generate reactive oxidants in response to ultraviolet B light (UVB). HP-I and HP-II are identical except for the presence of NADPH. We found that only one of the catalases, HPI, produces oxidants in response to UVB light, indicating a potential role for the nucleotide in ROS production. This prompts us to speculate that NADPH may act as a cofactor regulating ROS generation by mammalian catalases. Structural analysis of the NADPH domains …


The Marine Sponge Metabolite Mycothiazole: A Novel Prototype Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitor., J Brian Morgan, Fakhri Mahdi, Yang Liu, Veena Coothankandaswamy, Mika B. Jekabsons, Tyler A. Johnson, Koneni V. Sashidhara, Phillip Crews, Dale G. Nagle, Yu-Dong Zhou Aug 2010

The Marine Sponge Metabolite Mycothiazole: A Novel Prototype Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitor., J Brian Morgan, Fakhri Mahdi, Yang Liu, Veena Coothankandaswamy, Mika B. Jekabsons, Tyler A. Johnson, Koneni V. Sashidhara, Phillip Crews, Dale G. Nagle, Yu-Dong Zhou

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

A natural product chemistry-based approach was applied to discover small-molecule inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). A Petrosaspongia mycofijiensis marine sponge extract yielded mycothiazole (1), a solid tumor selective compound with no known mechanism for its cell line-dependent cytotoxic activity. Compound 1 inhibited hypoxic HIF-1 signaling in tumor cells (IC(50) 1nM) that correlated with the suppression of hypoxia-stimulated tumor angiogenesis in vitro. However, 1 exhibited pronounced neurotoxicity in vitro. Mechanistic studies revealed that 1 selectively suppresses mitochondrial respiration at complex I (NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase). Unlike rotenone, MPP(+), annonaceous acetogenins, piericidin A, and other complex I inhibitors, mycothiazole is a mixed polyketide/peptide-derived compound …


Synthesis And Characterization Of An Oligothiophene-Ruthenium Complex And Synthesis And Optical Properties Of Oligothiophene-Ruthenium Complexes Bound To Cdse Nanoparticles, Nathan A. Bair Aug 2010

Synthesis And Characterization Of An Oligothiophene-Ruthenium Complex And Synthesis And Optical Properties Of Oligothiophene-Ruthenium Complexes Bound To Cdse Nanoparticles, Nathan A. Bair

Theses and Dissertations

Oligothiophenes are of increasing interest in organic based electronic devices in part due to their high electron and hole mobilities. In an organic photovoltaic (OPV) device, the electronic properties of oligothiophenes make them advantageous as charge transfer junctions. To serve as charge transfer junctions, oligothiophenes must be functionalized to bind to the donor and acceptor parts of the device. The donor and acceptor parts are different materials and the synthesis of asymmetric oligothiophenes is of great interest. Previous researchers in our lab synthesized four asymmetric oligothiophenes, two with two thiophene subunits and two with four. Each set of oligothiophenes contained …


Exploring Zirconia As A Column Packing Material, Tushar Ghugare Aug 2010

Exploring Zirconia As A Column Packing Material, Tushar Ghugare

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Zirconia is one of the most promising column packing materials for High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The perfect HPLC support material should be energetically homogenous, have a high surface area on which different chemical species can reversibly attach and be physically and chemically stable over a wide range of pH, temperature and solvent conditions. Most existing supports do not have all of these properties. This project is also focused on a proteomics study. Zirconia, hafnium oxide and titanium oxide which are some of the more promising materials currently available, can be used for the separation and analysis of phosphorylated proteins. …


Properties Of Microbes In Natural Fire Burn Soils, Holly Anderson Aug 2010

Properties Of Microbes In Natural Fire Burn Soils, Holly Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Soil underlying a natural fire develops a hydrophobic soil sub-layer. This hydrophobicity decreases with time although the mechanisms are unresolved, but are thought to be biotic and abiotic. Some of the compounds accounting for hydrophobicity are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of which pyrene is an example.

Bacteria that grew on pyrene were isolated from burned soils at two sites in Utah in order to analyze the biotic microbial degradation of the hydrophobic soil sub-layer. The two sites were Wood Camp (Logan, UT) and Milford Flats (Central UT). Identifications of the genera of nine isolated bacteria were made through l6S rRNA …


Study Of The Efficacy, Biodistribution, And Safety Profile Of Therapeutic Gutless Adenovirus Vectors As A Prelude To A Phase I Clinical Trial For Glioblastoma, Akm Ghulam Muhammad, Mariana Puntel, Marianela Candolfi, A Salem, Kader Yagiz, C Farrokhi, Kurt Kroeger, Weidong Xiong, James Curtin, Chunyan Liu, K Lawrence, Niyati Bondale, Jonathan Lerner, G Baker, David Foulad, Robert Pechnick, Donna Palmer, Philip Ng, Pedro Lowenstein, Maria Castro Aug 2010

Study Of The Efficacy, Biodistribution, And Safety Profile Of Therapeutic Gutless Adenovirus Vectors As A Prelude To A Phase I Clinical Trial For Glioblastoma, Akm Ghulam Muhammad, Mariana Puntel, Marianela Candolfi, A Salem, Kader Yagiz, C Farrokhi, Kurt Kroeger, Weidong Xiong, James Curtin, Chunyan Liu, K Lawrence, Niyati Bondale, Jonathan Lerner, G Baker, David Foulad, Robert Pechnick, Donna Palmer, Philip Ng, Pedro Lowenstein, Maria Castro

Articles

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumor in humans. Systemic immunity against gene therapy vectors has been shown to hamper therapeutic efficacy; however, helper-dependent high-capacity adenovirus (HC-Ad) vectors elicit sustained transgene expression, even in the presence of systemic anti-adenoviral immunity. We engineered HC-Ads encoding the conditional cytotoxic herpes simplex type 1 thymidine kinase (TK) and the immunostimulatory cytokine fms-like tyrosine kinase ligand 3 (Flt3L). Flt3L expression is under the control of the regulatable Tet-ON system. In anticipation of a phase I clinical trial for GBM, we assessed the therapeutic efficacy, biodistribution, and clinical and …


Aryl Boronic Acid Inhibition Of Synthetic Melanin Polymerization, Jason M. Belitsky Aug 2010

Aryl Boronic Acid Inhibition Of Synthetic Melanin Polymerization, Jason M. Belitsky

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Inhibitors of melanin formation are sought after for a range of applications. Boronophenylalanine is known to inhibit melanogenesis via boronic acid-catechol interactions. A spectroscopic assay was developed to study the polymerization of L-dopa to synthetic melanin in the presence of para-substituted aryl boronic acids. The best inhibition was observed for aryl boronic acids with electron-withdrawing substituents. The IC50 values exhibit a correlation with the Hammett sigma(p) parameter (rho = 0.97, r(2) = 0.92).


Poxa, Yjek And Elongation Factor P Coordinately Modulate Virulence And Drug Resistance In Salmonella Enterica, William Wiley Navarre, Shicong Zou, Hervé Roy, Jinglin Lucy Xie, Alexei Savchenko, Alexander Singer, Elena Edvokimova, Lynne R. Prost, Runjun Kumar, Michael Ibba, Ferric C. Fang Jul 2010

Poxa, Yjek And Elongation Factor P Coordinately Modulate Virulence And Drug Resistance In Salmonella Enterica, William Wiley Navarre, Shicong Zou, Hervé Roy, Jinglin Lucy Xie, Alexei Savchenko, Alexander Singer, Elena Edvokimova, Lynne R. Prost, Runjun Kumar, Michael Ibba, Ferric C. Fang

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We report an interaction between poxA, encoding a paralog of lysyl tRNA-synthetase, and the closely linked yjeK gene, encoding a putative 2,3-β-lysine aminomutase, that is critical for virulence and stress resistance in Salmonella enterica. Salmonella poxA and yjeK mutants share extensive phenotypic pleiotropy, including attenuated virulence in mice, an increased ability to respire under nutrient-limiting conditions, hypersusceptibility to a variety of diverse growth inhibitors, and altered expression of multiple proteins, including several encoded on the SPI-1 pathogenicity island. PoxA mediates posttranslational modification of bacterial elongation factor P (EF-P), analogous to the modification of the eukaryotic EF-P homolog, eIF5A, with …


Measurement Of Hono, Hnco, And Other Inorganic Acids By Negative-Ion Proton-Transfer Chemical-Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Ni-Pt-Cims): Application To Biomass Burning Emissions, J. M. Roberts, P. Veres, C. Warneke, J. A. Neuman, R. A. Washenfelder, S. S. Brown, M. Baasandorj, J. B. Burkholder, I. R. Burling, T. J. Johnson, Robert J. Yokelson, J. De Gouw Jul 2010

Measurement Of Hono, Hnco, And Other Inorganic Acids By Negative-Ion Proton-Transfer Chemical-Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Ni-Pt-Cims): Application To Biomass Burning Emissions, J. M. Roberts, P. Veres, C. Warneke, J. A. Neuman, R. A. Washenfelder, S. S. Brown, M. Baasandorj, J. B. Burkholder, I. R. Burling, T. J. Johnson, Robert J. Yokelson, J. De Gouw

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

A negative-ion proton-transfer chemical ionization mass spectrometric technique (NI-PT-CIMS), using acetate as the reagent ion, was applied to the measurement of volatile inorganic acids of atmospheric interest: hydrochloric (HCl), nitrous (HONO), nitric (HNO(3)), and isocyanic (HNCO) acids. Gas phase calibrations through the sampling inlet showed the method to be intrinsically sensitive (6-16 cts/pptv), but prone to inlet effects for HNO(3) and HCl. The ion chemistry was found to be insensitive to water vapor concentrations, in agreement with previous studies of carboxylic acids. The inlet equilibration times for HNCO and HONO were 2 to 4s, allowing for measurement in biomass burning …


2,4,6-Triphenyl­Aniline, Onome Ugono, Stephanie Cowin, Alicia Beatty Jul 2010

2,4,6-Triphenyl­Aniline, Onome Ugono, Stephanie Cowin, Alicia Beatty

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

Individual mol­ecules of the title compound, C24H19N, do not participate in hydrogen-bonding inter­actions due to the steric bulk of the phenyl rings ortho to the amine. The dihedral angles between the central ring and the pendant rings are 68.26 (10), 55.28 (10) and 30.61 (11)°.


Synthesis Of Glycolipids And Evaluation Of Their Nkt Cell Stimulatory Properties, Yang Liu Jul 2010

Synthesis Of Glycolipids And Evaluation Of Their Nkt Cell Stimulatory Properties, Yang Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a subset of T cells that modify a variety of immune responses. NKT cells recognize glycolipid antigen presented by a molecule called CD1d, a nonclassical antigen-presenting molecule. The best known subset of CD1d-dependent NKT cells expresses an invariant T cell receptor Vα (TCR-α) chain. These are referred to as type I or invariant NKT (iNKT) cells. When stimulated by a glycolipid, NKT cells rapidly release large amounts of cytokines. Cytokines released by NKT cells can induce either Th1 or Th2 responses. Th1 cytokines are effective in regulating bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections. But Th1 …


Release Of Hmgb1 In Response To Pro-Apoptotic Glioma Killing Strategies: Efficacy And Neurotoxicity, Marianela Candolfi, Kader Yagiz, David Foulad, Gabrielle Alzadeh, Matthew Tesarfreund, Akm Ghulam Muhammad, Mariana Puntel, Kurt Kroeger, Chunyan Liu, Sharon Lee, James Curtin, Gwendalyn D. King, Jonathan Lerner, Katsuaki Sato, Yohei Mineharu, Weidong Xiong, Pedro R. Lowenstein, Maria Castro Jul 2010

Release Of Hmgb1 In Response To Pro-Apoptotic Glioma Killing Strategies: Efficacy And Neurotoxicity, Marianela Candolfi, Kader Yagiz, David Foulad, Gabrielle Alzadeh, Matthew Tesarfreund, Akm Ghulam Muhammad, Mariana Puntel, Kurt Kroeger, Chunyan Liu, Sharon Lee, James Curtin, Gwendalyn D. King, Jonathan Lerner, Katsuaki Sato, Yohei Mineharu, Weidong Xiong, Pedro R. Lowenstein, Maria Castro

Articles

Purpose In preparation for a Phase I clinical trial utilizing a combined cytotoxic/immunotherapeutic strategy using adenoviruses expressing Flt3L (Ad-Flt3L) and thymidine kinase (Ad-TK) to treat glioblastoma (GBM), we tested the hypothesis that Ad-TK+GCV would be the optimal tumor killing agent in relation to efficacy and safety when compared to other pro-apoptotic approaches. Experimental Design and Results The efficacy and neurotoxicity of Ad-TK+GCV was compared with Ads encoding the pro-apoptotic cytokines (TNF-α, TRAIL, FasL), alone or in combination with Ad-Flt3L. In rats bearing small GBMs (day 4), only Ad-TK+GCV or Ad-FasL improved survival. In rats bearing large GBMs (day 9), the …


Short-Chain Carboxylic Acids From Gray Catbird (Dumetella Carolinensis) Uropygial Secretions Vary With Testosterone Levels And Photoperiod, Rebecca J. Whelan, Tera C. Levin, Mary C. Garvin Jul 2010

Short-Chain Carboxylic Acids From Gray Catbird (Dumetella Carolinensis) Uropygial Secretions Vary With Testosterone Levels And Photoperiod, Rebecca J. Whelan, Tera C. Levin, Mary C. Garvin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The uropygial gland of birds produces secretions that are important in maintaining the health and structural integrity of feathers. Non-volatile components of uropygial secretions are believed to serve a number of functions including waterproofing and conditioning the feathers. Volatile components have been characterized in fewer species, but are particularly interesting because of their potential importance in olfactory interactions within and across species. We used solid-phase microextraction headspace sampling with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect and identify volatiles in uropygial secretions of gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis), a North American migratory bird. We consistently detected the following carboxylic acids: acetic, …


Targeting Complex Cyclic Peptides For Synthesis: The Celogentin And Theonellamide Families, Joshua Wayne Robinson Jun 2010

Targeting Complex Cyclic Peptides For Synthesis: The Celogentin And Theonellamide Families, Joshua Wayne Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Celogentin C and theonellamide F are a class of natural products that have potential antimitotic behavior. They both contain interesting bicyclic structures with unusual linkages within a central moiety. Celogentin C's highly functionalized tryptophan moiety has two unusual linkages, a β-substituted Leu connection to the C6 of the indole structure that makes up the left-hand ring, and a τ-N connection of the imidazole to the C2 of the indole constructing the right-hand ring. This right-hand ring connection was solved via a novel oxidative coupling procedure developed in our group and the left-hand ring was initially constructed via a radical conjugated …


Redox Status Affects The Catalytic Activity Of Glutamyl-Trna Synthetase, Assaf Katz, Ranat Banerjee, Merly De Armas, Michael Ibba, Omar Orellana Jun 2010

Redox Status Affects The Catalytic Activity Of Glutamyl-Trna Synthetase, Assaf Katz, Ranat Banerjee, Merly De Armas, Michael Ibba, Omar Orellana

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Glutamyl-tRNA synthetases (GluRS) provide Glu-tRNA for different processes including protein synthesis, glutamine transamidation and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. Many organisms contain multiple GluRSs, but whether these duplications solely broaden tRNA specificity or also play additional roles in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis is not known. Previous studies have shown that GluRS1, one of two GluRSs from the extremophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, is inactivated when intracellular heme is elevated suggesting a specific role for GluRS1 in the regulation of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. We now show that, in vitro, GluRS1 activity is reversibly inactivated upon oxidation by hemin and hydrogen peroxide. The targets for oxidation-based inhibition were …


Celogentin C And Thioviridamide: Synthetic And Structural Studies, Dmitry Nikolayevich Litvinov Jun 2010

Celogentin C And Thioviridamide: Synthetic And Structural Studies, Dmitry Nikolayevich Litvinov

Theses and Dissertations

Project I Celogentin C, isolated by Kobayashi from the seeds of Celosia argentea in 2001 exhibits strong inhibitory behavior towards polymerization of tubulin – globular protein, which plays crucial role during the cell division cycle. We have attempted synthesis of the left-hand ring of celogentin C via the intramolecular alkylation and the Knoevenagel condensation strategies. Utilizing synthetic methodologies in the field of nitroacetyl chemistry, developed by Kornblum and Rajappa we have successfully prepared the intermolecular Knoevenagel condensation product – the late-stage precursor to the left-hand ring of celogentin C. Synthesis of this key intermediate subsequently led to the preparation of …


Ricin B Chain-Insulin Fusion Protein Immunomodulation Of Type 1 Diabetes, James Edward Carter Iii Jun 2010

Ricin B Chain-Insulin Fusion Protein Immunomodulation Of Type 1 Diabetes, James Edward Carter Iii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a debilitating chronic inflammatory disease of the insulin-producing pancreatic islet β-cells that results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Attempts to suppress Th1-mediated autoimmune diseases such as T1D by mucosal delivery of autoantigens for immunotolerization have yielded only partial success. Attainment of satisfactory levels of sustained immunological tolerance remains to be accomplished. To restore self-tolerance requires delivery of sufficient amounts of autoantigen to stimulate regulatory T helper cells that function to survey the gut and induce tolerance to consumed antigens such as food. Oral delivery of autoantigens has previously been shown to …


Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou Jun 2010

Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou

Animal Science

Poisonous Rangeland Plants in San Luis Obispo County is a comprehensive educational guide to rangeland plants that are toxic to domestic livestock. This guide begins with an exploration of how the biological systems are affected by the poisonous plant toxins. The biochemistry behind these toxins is included in the discussion. Next, reference material for fourteen plants that inhabit San Luis Obispo County is provided. This information includes specific toxins found in poisonous plants, affected animals, symptoms of poisoning, stages of growth, lethal dose, and distribution of the plant in California. This section of the guide is filled with helpful photos …