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2024

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Articles 121 - 150 of 345

Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry

Defining A Dynamic Architecture Of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Colin L. Welsh Jul 2024

Defining A Dynamic Architecture Of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Colin L. Welsh

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), a critical class of signaling enzymes, are principally responsible for balancing the actions of kinases through the dephosphorylation of tyrosine residues on substrate proteins. As such, this family is involved in myriad pathways and individual members are able to perform both oncogenic and tumor-suppressing roles. However, while clinical success has been achieved in targeting kinases, PTPs have remained therapeutically challenging. Orthosteric inhibition is limited in PTPs due to their highly conserved fold, leading to off-target effects, and their highly charged active site, requiring highly polar molecules with poor bioavailability. These challenges posit the allosteric inhibition of …


Exploring Chilling Stress And Recovery Dynamics In C4 Perennial Grass Of Miscanthus Sinensis, Karolina Sobańska, Monika Mokrzycka, Martyna Przewoźnik, Tomasz Pniewski, Katarzyna Glowacka Jul 2024

Exploring Chilling Stress And Recovery Dynamics In C4 Perennial Grass Of Miscanthus Sinensis, Karolina Sobańska, Monika Mokrzycka, Martyna Przewoźnik, Tomasz Pniewski, Katarzyna Glowacka

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The increasing cultivation of perennial C4 grass known as Miscanthus spp. for biomass production holds promise as a sustainable source of renewable energy. Unlike the sterile triploid hybrid of M. × giganteus, which cannot reproduce through seeds, M. sinensis possesses attributes that could potentially address these limitations by effectively establishing itself through seed propagation. This study aimed to investigate how 18 genotypes of M. sinensis respond to chilling stress and subsequent recovery. Various traits were measured, including growth and biomass yield, the rate of leaf elongation, and a variety of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, as well as chlorophyll …


Mutant Androgen Receptor Induces Neurite Loss And Senescence Independently Of Are Binding In A Neuronal Model Of Sbma, Jordyn Karliner, Y Liu, Diane Merry Jul 2024

Mutant Androgen Receptor Induces Neurite Loss And Senescence Independently Of Are Binding In A Neuronal Model Of Sbma, Jordyn Karliner, Y Liu, Diane Merry

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a slowly progressing neuromuscular disease caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ)-encoding CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) gene, leading to AR aggregation, lower motor neuron death, and muscle atrophy. AR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates neuronal architecture and promotes axon regeneration; however, whether AR transcriptional functions contribute to disease pathogenesis is not fully understood. Using a differentiated PC12 cell model of SBMA, we identified dysfunction of polyQ-expanded AR in its regulation of neurite growth and maintenance. Specifically, we found that in the presence of androgens, polyQ-expanded AR inhibited neurite …


Functional And Structural Analysis Of The Neimann-Pick Disease Type C Pathway To Include Caveolin-1, Anthony Michael Seat Jul 2024

Functional And Structural Analysis Of The Neimann-Pick Disease Type C Pathway To Include Caveolin-1, Anthony Michael Seat

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Human disease is often thought of as an all or nothing prospect, either one has the disease or one does not. This does not bear out in clinical or personal experiences, instead demonstrating that disease occurs within a spectrum ranging from presumed unaffected to demonstrably and detrimentally affected.Neimann-Pick disease is one example of this spectrum look into diseased states, with multiple named versions of a phenotypically similar disease. We focus on Neimann-Picktype C (NPC), which is the result of a disruption in the efflux of cholesterol and sphingolipids from the endocytic pathway. NPC demonstrates this concept of a spectrum of …


Role Of Sds-22/Pp1 Phosphatase In Polarizing The Germplasm Of Caenorhabditis Elegans Embryo, Aparna Nurni Ravi Jul 2024

Role Of Sds-22/Pp1 Phosphatase In Polarizing The Germplasm Of Caenorhabditis Elegans Embryo, Aparna Nurni Ravi

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

During asymmetric cell division, cell polarity and cell cycle are tightly coupled to ensure robust segregation of cell fate determinants and generation of cellular diversity. In the one-cell C. elegans embryo, multiple cell cycle kinases regulate cell polarization and posterior segregation of germline fate determinants (germplasm). For example, PLK-1 kinase inhibits the retention of its germplasm substrate POS-1 in the anterior, driving POS-1 segregation to the posterior (Han et al., 2018). Additionally, MBK-2 kinase disassembles P granules in the anterior through phosphorylation of the P granule scaffold MEG-3, helping to drive P granule segregation to the posterior (Wang et al., …


Use Of Cobalt(Iii) And Copper(Ii) Complexes With Thiosemicarbazone Ligands And Berberine Chloride As Anti-Cancer Agents Against Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Duaa Rashad Alajroush Jul 2024

Use Of Cobalt(Iii) And Copper(Ii) Complexes With Thiosemicarbazone Ligands And Berberine Chloride As Anti-Cancer Agents Against Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Duaa Rashad Alajroush

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

It is a worrying fact that chemotherapeutic options for treating triple negative breast cancer are limited in nature, including the use of inorganic pharmaceuticals such as cisplatin and its analogues. It has been reported that cisplatin has undesirable side effects when used as a chemotherapeutic drug. As such, there is a need to use non-platinum-containing complexes as chemotherapeutic agents. Based on that issue, it has been reported by our research group and others that cobalt- and copper-containing complexes have shown great potential in anti-cancer properties when compared to cisplatin. In this research project, the cytotoxic effects of the following complexes: …


Study Of Atypical Alarmone Synthesis In Clostridioides Difficile, Declan Nathaniel Butler Jul 2024

Study Of Atypical Alarmone Synthesis In Clostridioides Difficile, Declan Nathaniel Butler

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium that causes infections in humans that costs healthcare systems billions per year. C. difficile infection has high rates of recurrence due to multiple antibiotic resistance. When bacteria are in stressful environments, they produce hyperphosphorylated guanosine ribonucleotide signaling molecules called alarmones. The accumulation of alarmones activates the stringent response (SR), in which bacterial cells induce transcription of stress survival genes to delay growth and replication. The C. difficile SR is regulated by enzymatic activity of a bifunctional synthetase/hydrolase, RelA/SpoT homolog (RSH), and a monofunctional small alarmone synthetase (RelQ). Additionally, the SR is potentially regulated …


Exploring The Effects Of An Alfalfa Leaf-Derived Adsorbent On Microbial Community, Ileal Morphology, Barrier Function, And Immunity In Turkey Poults During Chronic Aflatoxin B1 Exposure, Maria De Jesus Nava-Ramirez, Jing Liu, Juan Omar Hernandez-Ramirez, Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco, Juan D. Latorre, Alma Vazquez-Duran, Guolong Zhang, Roberto Señas-Cuesta, Sergio Gomez-Rosales, Andressa Stein, Billy M. Hargis, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Abraham Mendez-Albores, Jesus A. Maguey-Gonzalez Jul 2024

Exploring The Effects Of An Alfalfa Leaf-Derived Adsorbent On Microbial Community, Ileal Morphology, Barrier Function, And Immunity In Turkey Poults During Chronic Aflatoxin B1 Exposure, Maria De Jesus Nava-Ramirez, Jing Liu, Juan Omar Hernandez-Ramirez, Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco, Juan D. Latorre, Alma Vazquez-Duran, Guolong Zhang, Roberto Señas-Cuesta, Sergio Gomez-Rosales, Andressa Stein, Billy M. Hargis, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Abraham Mendez-Albores, Jesus A. Maguey-Gonzalez

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article follows-up on our recently published work, which evaluated the impact of the addition of an alfalfa leaf-derived adsorbent in the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated diet in regard to the production parameters, blood cell count, serum biochemistry, liver enzymes, and liver histology of turkey poults. This paper presents complementary results on microbial community, ileal morphology, barrier function, and immunity. For this purpose, 350 1-day-old female turkey poults were randomly distributed into five groups: (1) Control, AFB1-free diet; (2) AF, AFB1-contaminated diet at 250 ng/g; (3) alfalfa, AFB1-free diet + 0.5% ( …


Structural Analysis Of Dj-1 Glyoxalase Activity By Mix-And-Inject Serial Synchrotron Crystallography, Coleman Dolamore Jul 2024

Structural Analysis Of Dj-1 Glyoxalase Activity By Mix-And-Inject Serial Synchrotron Crystallography, Coleman Dolamore

Department of Biochemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Observing enzyme structures while they are catalyzing a reaction has been a major goal of both enzymology and structural biology for decades. With the advent of time-resolved serial X-ray crystallography using X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) and synchrotron sources, enzyme reactions can be monitored in real time in crystallo. Here, we use two different approaches to study related enzymes involved in methylglyoxal detoxification. For human DJ-1, we used pink beam mix-and-inject serial crystallography (MISC) at the Advanced Photon Source (BioCARS 14-ID) to probe the controversial mechanism of DJ-1’s action on methylglyoxal by using serial Laue diffraction. The high flux …


Identifying The Relative Abundance Of Cell-Cell Signaling Peptides During Mammalian Hibernation And Anesthetic Administration By Label-Free Peptidomics Analysis, Somayeh Mousavi Jul 2024

Identifying The Relative Abundance Of Cell-Cell Signaling Peptides During Mammalian Hibernation And Anesthetic Administration By Label-Free Peptidomics Analysis, Somayeh Mousavi

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Cell-cell signaling molecules known as neuropeptide and peptide hormones, distributed in both the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), regulate a variety of physiological processes including body temperature, feeding, circadian rhythm, reproduction, energy homeostasis, and more. While a number of active neuropeptides structures with physiological functions have been discovered, advances in peptidomic mass spectrometry are enabling researchers to uncover novel, previously unknown, active neuropeptide structures with potential for bioactivities. Using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), it is possible to identify a wide range of neuropeptides in single experiments without preselecting specific peptides. Mass …


Wee1 And Cell Size Control In Fission Yeast By The Protein Kinase Cdr2, Rachel Berg-Murante Jul 2024

Wee1 And Cell Size Control In Fission Yeast By The Protein Kinase Cdr2, Rachel Berg-Murante

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The mechanisms that govern cell size have long been topics of study in the field of cell biology. In eukaryotic cells this size control is tied to checkpoints, a set threshold of minimum necessary growth linked to cyclin dependent kinase activity regulation. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the Cdk1 regulatory network is conserved, and G2/M represents the major size checkpoint. Prior to mitosis, Cdk1 is inhibited by phosphorylation applied by Wee1 during G2 phase. Once S. pombe cells have satisfied the size checkpoint, Cdk1 is activated through dephosphorylation by Cdc25. Wee1 is a dose-dependent regulator of mitotic entry …


Development And Characterization Of Β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes With Enzalutamide For Easing Administration And Efficacy Of The Drug In Crpc, Meghana Kolli Jul 2024

Development And Characterization Of Β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes With Enzalutamide For Easing Administration And Efficacy Of The Drug In Crpc, Meghana Kolli

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PC) is prevalent among men in the US, often leading to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with therapy. This is marked by androgen receptor (AR) overexpression, resistance, mutations, and splice variants. Enzalutamide (ENZ), a nonsteroidal antiandrogen, surpasses first-gen AR inhibitors like Bicalutamide. It's the go-to drug for CRPC. We explore ENZ for self-assembly complex formation, crucial for CRPC treatment. Using the solvent evaporation method, we developed β-cyclodextrin and ENZ self-assembly complexes (β-CD-ENZ). β-CD acts as both agent and solubilizer, FDA-approved and safe. Efficacy was tested on PC cell lines (C4-2B) and (22Rv1), including 3D cultures for cytotoxicity and a …


Carbon-Based Nanocomposite Membranes For Membrane Distillation: Progress, Problems And Future Prospects, Chhabilal Regmi, Yuwaraj K. Kshetri, S. Ranil Wickramasinghe Jul 2024

Carbon-Based Nanocomposite Membranes For Membrane Distillation: Progress, Problems And Future Prospects, Chhabilal Regmi, Yuwaraj K. Kshetri, S. Ranil Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The development of an ideal membrane for membrane distillation (MD) is of the utmost importance. Enhancing the efficiency of MD by adding nanoparticles to or onto a membrane’s surface has drawn considerable attention from the scientific community. It is crucial to thoroughly examine state-of-the-art nanomaterials-enabled MD membranes with desirable properties, as they greatly enhance the efficiency and reliability of the MD process. This, in turn, opens up opportunities for achieving a sustainable water–energy–environment nexus. By introducing carbon-based nanomaterials into the membrane’s structure, the membrane gains excellent separation abilities, resistance to various feed waters, and a longer lifespan. Additionally, the use …


Identifying And Training Deep Learning Neural Networks On Biomedical-Related Datasets, Alan E. Woessner, Usman Anjum, Hadi Salman, Jacob Lear, Jeffrey T. Turner, Ross Campbell, Laura Beaudry, Justin Zhan, Lawrence E. Cornett, Susan Gauch, Kyle P. Quinn Jul 2024

Identifying And Training Deep Learning Neural Networks On Biomedical-Related Datasets, Alan E. Woessner, Usman Anjum, Hadi Salman, Jacob Lear, Jeffrey T. Turner, Ross Campbell, Laura Beaudry, Justin Zhan, Lawrence E. Cornett, Susan Gauch, Kyle P. Quinn

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This manuscript describes the development of a resources module that is part of a learning platform named 'NIGMS Sandbox for Cloud-based Learning' https://github.com/NIGMS/NIGMS-Sandbox. The overall genesis of the Sandbox is described in the editorial NIGMS Sandbox at the beginning of this Supplement. This module delivers learning materials on implementing deep learning algorithms for biomedical image data in an interactive format that uses appropriate cloud resources for data access and analyses. Biomedical-related datasets are widely used in both research and clinical settings, but the ability for professionally trained clinicians and researchers to interpret datasets becomes difficult as the size and …


Comparative Performance Of Modern Jumbo Maize Variety And Local Varieties In Fodder Production Under Different Nitrogen Levels, Haseeb Ahmad, Muhammad Arif, Zubair Ahmed Khan, Saifur Rehman, Ikram Ullah, Raja Akram Khan, Uzair Ahmed, Waleed Iqbal Jun 2024

Comparative Performance Of Modern Jumbo Maize Variety And Local Varieties In Fodder Production Under Different Nitrogen Levels, Haseeb Ahmad, Muhammad Arif, Zubair Ahmed Khan, Saifur Rehman, Ikram Ullah, Raja Akram Khan, Uzair Ahmed, Waleed Iqbal

Journal of Bioresource Management

A trial was carried out at Cereal Crop Research Institute Pirsabak, Pakistan by employing a Randomized Complete Block design that was repeated thrice to investigate the performance of different varieties of maize (Jalal, Kaptan and Jumbo) under four nitrogen levels (N1= 0, N2= 100, N3= 150, and N4= 200 kg ha−1). Variation was observed among maize varieties that affected silking and milking days with variety Jumbo recording the longest duration (62 and 80, respectively). Variety Jumbo also had higher leaf number (11.5), SPAD value (47), leaf area index (LAI) (3.4), Plant height (221 cm) and stem diameter (3.22 …


A Structural Role For Tryptophan In Proteins, And The Ubiquitous Trp CΔ1—H&Centerdot;&Centerdot;&Centerdot;O=C (Backbone) Hydrogen Bond, Michal Szczygiel, Urszula Derewenda, Steve Scheiner, Wladek Minor, Zygmunt S. Derewenda Jun 2024

A Structural Role For Tryptophan In Proteins, And The Ubiquitous Trp CΔ1—H&Centerdot;&Centerdot;&Centerdot;O=C (Backbone) Hydrogen Bond, Michal Szczygiel, Urszula Derewenda, Steve Scheiner, Wladek Minor, Zygmunt S. Derewenda

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Tryptophan is the most prominent amino acid found in proteins, with multiple functional roles. Its side chain is made up of the hydrophobic indole moiety, with two groups that act as donors in hydrogen bonds: the Nε—H group, which is a potent donor in canonical hydrogen bonds, and a polarized Cδ1—H group, which is capable of forming weaker, noncanonical bonds. Due to adjacent electron-withdrawing moieties, C—H···O hydrogen bonds are ubiquitous in macromolecules, albeit contingent on the polarization of the donor C—H group. Consequently, Cα groups (adjacent to the carbonyl and amino groups of flanking peptide …


Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Their Derived Epidermal Progenitor Cells Conditioned Media Ameliorate Skin Aging In Rats, Mohamed M. Kamal, Omar Ibrahim Badr, Tasnim Mahmoud Jun 2024

Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Their Derived Epidermal Progenitor Cells Conditioned Media Ameliorate Skin Aging In Rats, Mohamed M. Kamal, Omar Ibrahim Badr, Tasnim Mahmoud

Pharmacy

BACKGROUND: Skin alterations are among the most prominent signs of aging, and they arise from both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that interact and mutually influence one another. The use of D-galactose as an aging model in animals has been widely employed in anti-aging research. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) are particularly promising for skin anti-aging therapy due to their capacity for effective re-epithelization and secretion of various growth factors essential for skin regeneration. Accordingly, we aimed to examine the potential utility of Ad-MSCs as a therapy for skin anti-aging. METHODS: In this study, we isolated and characterized adipose-derived mesenchymal …


Enzymological Revisionism: Employing Transient State Approaches To Define The Catalytic Sequences Of Poorly Understood Systems, Madison M. Smith Jun 2024

Enzymological Revisionism: Employing Transient State Approaches To Define The Catalytic Sequences Of Poorly Understood Systems, Madison M. Smith

Dissertations

Flavin is a molecule composed of a tricyclic isoalloxazine ring linked to a ribityl. Flavins are utilized as a cofactor by many enzymes to facilitate a myriad of chemistries. Flavoproteins were first discovered in the late 1800 s and have since been an interest to researchers, largely due to the unique spectrophotometric characteristics that make it a valuable reporter molecule. Flavin cofactors (typically either flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) or flavin mononucleotide (FMN)) are chemically versatile as the isoalloxazine ring can form one and two-electron reduced states. The reduced states are prone to react with molecular oxygen and numerous observations have …


Structural And Biophysical Insights Into Targeting Of Claudin-4 By A Synthetic Antibody Fragment, Satchal K. Erramilli, Pawel K. Dominik, Chinemerem P. Ogbu, Anthony A. Kossiakoff, Alex J. J. Jun 2024

Structural And Biophysical Insights Into Targeting Of Claudin-4 By A Synthetic Antibody Fragment, Satchal K. Erramilli, Pawel K. Dominik, Chinemerem P. Ogbu, Anthony A. Kossiakoff, Alex J. J.

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Claudins are a 27-member family of ~25 kDa membrane proteins that integrate into tight junctions to form molecular barriers at the paracellular spaces between endothelial and epithelial cells. As the backbone of tight junction structure and function, claudins are attractive targets for modulating tissue permeability to deliver drugs or treat disease. However, structures of claudins are limited due to their small sizes and physicochemical properties—these traits also make therapy development a challenge. Here we report the development of a synthetic antibody fragment (sFab) that binds human claudin-4 and the determination of a high-resolution structure of it bound to claudin-4/enterotoxin complexes …


Characterization Of Oxidized Tau Protein Aggregation And Inhibition Of Tau Aggregation Via Map2, Brad Krzesinski Jun 2024

Characterization Of Oxidized Tau Protein Aggregation And Inhibition Of Tau Aggregation Via Map2, Brad Krzesinski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) composed of the microtubule stabilizing protein Tau are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and many other dementia related diseases specified as Tauopathies. Due to alternative mRNA splicing, intrinsically disordered Tau exists as six separate isoforms in the adult human brain where they are categorized by the lack or inclusion of the second repeat in the microtubule binding domain (3R or 4R respectively). Isoforms are subcategorized by the inclusion or lack thereof, one or two N-terminal inserts. Many studies show that Tau aggregates into amyloid fibrils and these fibrils can break into small oligomeric units known …


Perspectives On Computational Modeling Of Biological Systems And The Significance Of The Sysmod Community, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Meghna Verma, Chiara Damiani, Shaimaa Bakr, Andreas Dräger Jun 2024

Perspectives On Computational Modeling Of Biological Systems And The Significance Of The Sysmod Community, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Meghna Verma, Chiara Damiani, Shaimaa Bakr, Andreas Dräger

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Motivation: In recent years, applying computational modeling to systems biology has caused a substantial surge in both discovery and practical applications and a significant shift in our understanding of the complexity inherent in biological systems.

Results: In this perspective article, we briefly overview computational modeling in biology, highlighting recent advancements such as multiscale modeling due to the omics revolution, single-cell technology, and integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches. We also discuss the primary challenges faced: integration, standardization, model complexity, scalability, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Lastly, we highlight the contribution made by the Computational Modeling of Biological Systems …


Ancient Nitrogenases Are Atp Dependent, Derek F. Harris, Holly R. Rucker, Amanda K. Garcia, Zhi-Yong Yang, Scott D. Chang, Hannah Feinsilber, Betül Kaçar, Lance C. Seefeldt Jun 2024

Ancient Nitrogenases Are Atp Dependent, Derek F. Harris, Holly R. Rucker, Amanda K. Garcia, Zhi-Yong Yang, Scott D. Chang, Hannah Feinsilber, Betül Kaçar, Lance C. Seefeldt

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Life depends on a conserved set of chemical energy currencies that are relics of early biochemistry. One of these is ATP, a molecule that, when paired with a divalent metal ion such as Mg2+, can be hydrolyzed to support numerous cellular and molecular processes. Despite its centrality to extant biochemistry, it is unclear whether ATP supported the function of ancient enzymes. We investigate the evolutionary necessity of ATP by experimentally reconstructing an ancestral variant of the N2-reducing enzyme nitrogenase. The Proterozoic ancestor is predicted to be ~540–2,300 million years old, post-dating the Great Oxidation Event. Growth …


Incorporating Oxygen Isotopes Of Oxidized Reactive Nitrogen In The Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism, Version 2 (Icoin-Racm2), Wendell W. Walter, Masayuki Takeuchi, Nga L. Ng, Meredith G. Hastings Jun 2024

Incorporating Oxygen Isotopes Of Oxidized Reactive Nitrogen In The Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism, Version 2 (Icoin-Racm2), Wendell W. Walter, Masayuki Takeuchi, Nga L. Ng, Meredith G. Hastings

Faculty Publications

The oxygen isotope anomaly (Δ17O = δ17O − 0.52 × δ18O > 0) has proven to be a robust tool for probing photochemical cycling and atmospheric formation pathways of oxidized reactive nitrogen (NOy). Several studies have developed modeling techniques to implicitly model Δ17O of NOy molecules based on numerous assumptions that may not always be valid. Thus, these models may be oversimplified and limit our ability to compare model Δ17O values of NOy with observations. In this work, we introduce a novel method for explicitly tracking Δ …


Frontotemporal Dementia-Like Disease Progression Elicited By Seeded Aggregation And Spread Of Fus, Sonia Vazquez-Sanchez, Britt Tilkin, Fatima Gasset-Rosa, Sitao Zhang, Diana Piol, Melissa Mcalonis-Downes, Jonathan Artates, Noe Govea-Perez, Yana Verresen, Lin Guo, Don Cleveland, James Shorter, Sandrine Da Cruz Jun 2024

Frontotemporal Dementia-Like Disease Progression Elicited By Seeded Aggregation And Spread Of Fus, Sonia Vazquez-Sanchez, Britt Tilkin, Fatima Gasset-Rosa, Sitao Zhang, Diana Piol, Melissa Mcalonis-Downes, Jonathan Artates, Noe Govea-Perez, Yana Verresen, Lin Guo, Don Cleveland, James Shorter, Sandrine Da Cruz

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

RNA binding proteins have emerged as central players in the mechanisms of many neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, a proteinopathy of fused in sarcoma (FUS) is present in some instances of familial Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and about 10% of sporadic Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Here we establish that focal injection of sonicated human FUS fibrils into brains of mice in which ALS-linked mutant or wild-type human FUS replaces endogenous mouse FUS is sufficient to induce focal cytoplasmic mislocalization and aggregation of mutant and wild-type FUS which with time spreads to distal regions of the brain. Human FUS fibril-induced FUS aggregation …


A Library Of 39 Plant Peroxidases: Plants From The Families Cucurbitaceae And Brassicaceae Show Promising Peroxidase And Peroxygenase Activity, Sally Hess Jun 2024

A Library Of 39 Plant Peroxidases: Plants From The Families Cucurbitaceae And Brassicaceae Show Promising Peroxidase And Peroxygenase Activity, Sally Hess

Senior Honors Theses

Peroxidases are enzymes that reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidize organic substances in living cells. The textile industry, wastewater treatment plants, immunological laboratories, and diagnostic laboratories have extensively used horseradish peroxidase for their oxidating needs. This research aims to provide a tool for identifying potentially useful sources of peroxidases in addition to specifically pinpointing a novel peroxygenase in jalapeño seeds. By using two widely accepted peroxidase assays, the guaiacol assay and the fluorophenol assay, fruits of the genus Cucurbita and roots or leaves of the family Brassicaceae were seen to have high peroxidase activity. Additionally, novel peroxygenase activity was …


Computational Analysis Of O6-Methylated Guanine And Thioguanine Complexes, Kirsten Stinson, Michael Bowman Jun 2024

Computational Analysis Of O6-Methylated Guanine And Thioguanine Complexes, Kirsten Stinson, Michael Bowman

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

DNA methylation occurring on the O6 position of guanine has been linked to the formation of cancer. DNA complexes with O6-methylated guanine have been studied experimentally, yet questions remain concerning the carcinogenic properties of O6-methylguanine. This present research explored the interaction between O6-methylguanine and its potential nucleobase pairs of cytosine and adenine in hopes of elucidating the mutagenic characteristics of O6-methylguanine. A variety of computational methods including Density Functional Theory (DFT), Symmetry Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT), Noncovalent Interaction (NCI) analysis, and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis were employed to comprehensively probe …


Single-Molecule Orientation Imaging Reveals The Nano-Architecture Of Amyloid Fibrils Undergoing Growth And Decay, Brian Sun, Tianben Ding, Weiyan Zhou, Tara S. Porter, Matthew D. Lew Jun 2024

Single-Molecule Orientation Imaging Reveals The Nano-Architecture Of Amyloid Fibrils Undergoing Growth And Decay, Brian Sun, Tianben Ding, Weiyan Zhou, Tara S. Porter, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Amyloid-beta (Aβ42) aggregates are characteristic Alzheimer’s disease signatures, but probing how their nanoscale architectures influence their growth and decay remains challenging using current technologies. Here, we apply time-lapse single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy (SMOLM) to measure the orientations and rotational “wobble” of Nile blue (NB) molecules transiently binding to Aβ42 fibrils. We correlate fibril architectures measured by SMOLM with their growth and decay over the course of 5 to 20 min visualized by single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM). We discover that stable Aβ42 fibrils tend to be well-ordered and signified by well-aligned NB orientations and small wobble. SMOLM also shows that increasing order …


Nanoparticles As Antioxidant Agents: A Comprehensive Review, Sulyman Olalekan Ibrahim, Halimat Yusuf Lukman, Fatimat Ronke Abdulkadir, Monsurat Yemisi Bello, Yusuf Oloruntoyin Ayipo, Halimah Funmilayo Babamale, Marili Funmilayo Zubair, Olubunmi Atolani Jun 2024

Nanoparticles As Antioxidant Agents: A Comprehensive Review, Sulyman Olalekan Ibrahim, Halimat Yusuf Lukman, Fatimat Ronke Abdulkadir, Monsurat Yemisi Bello, Yusuf Oloruntoyin Ayipo, Halimah Funmilayo Babamale, Marili Funmilayo Zubair, Olubunmi Atolani

Al-Bahir

This study seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest progress in the antioxidant properties of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a promising tool in several domains of science and industry, including their application as antioxidant agents. The main knowledge gaps seem to be in correctly identifying the make-up of the naturally occurring phytochemicals that give these nano-antioxidants their extraordinary pharmacology and drug-like properties. In many instances, that characterization is done using spectroscopy instrumentation such as fourier-transform Infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). From literature appraisals, it was discovered that a lot of …


Snpaimer: R Package For Evaluating Ancestry Informative Marker Contributions In Non-Model Population Diagnostics, Kim L. Vertacnik, Oksana V. Vernygora, Julian R. Dupuis Jun 2024

Snpaimer: R Package For Evaluating Ancestry Informative Marker Contributions In Non-Model Population Diagnostics, Kim L. Vertacnik, Oksana V. Vernygora, Julian R. Dupuis

Entomology Faculty Publications

Motivation: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers are increasingly popular for population genomics and inferring ancestry for individuals of unknown origin. Because large SNP datasets are impractical for rapid and routine analysis, diagnostics rely on panels of highly informative markers. Strategies exist for selecting these markers, however, resources for efficiently evaluating their performance are limited for non-model systems.

Results: snpAIMeR is a user-friendly R package that evaluates the efficacy of genomic markers for the cluster assignment of unknown individuals. It is intended to help minimize panel size and genotyping effort by determining the informativeness of candidate diagnostic markers. Provided genotype data …


Development Of Platinum(Iv)-Gold(I)-Based Anticancer Agents, Javier E. Lopez-Hernandez Jun 2024

Development Of Platinum(Iv)-Gold(I)-Based Anticancer Agents, Javier E. Lopez-Hernandez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Heterometallic compounds have emerged as prospective multitarget anticancer drugs. These species may display improved efficacy and physicochemical properties compared to the individual metallic fragments, while helping combat drug resistance by exerting effects on multiple pathways. In this thesis we describe the synthesis of new bi- and tri-metallic compounds based on platinum(IV) compounds containing FDA-approved platinum agents, and gold(I) derivatives with known anticancer properties. We demonstrate their toxicity and selectivity against a small panel of renal, bladder, ovarian, and breast cancer cell lines, as well as their synergistic effects. We have selected a trinuclear PtAu2compound containing the Pt(IV) core …