Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2014

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 1441 - 1470 of 1587

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Autophagy And Cancer, Hacer Ezgi̇ Karakaş, Devri̇m Gözüaçik Jan 2014

Autophagy And Cancer, Hacer Ezgi̇ Karakaş, Devri̇m Gözüaçik

Turkish Journal of Biology

Autophagy is an evolutionary conserved intracellular degradation and stress response mechanism that is mainly responsible for the breakdown and recycling of cytoplasmic materials, including long-lived proteins, protein aggregates, and damaged organelles. In this way, autophagy provides the cell with building blocks and allows the maintenance of homeostasis under stress conditions such as growth factor deficiency, nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and toxins. Consequently, abnormalities of autophagy contribute to a number of pathologies ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to cancer. Autophagy was reported to have a dual role in cancer. Depending on cancer stage, autophagy seems to act as tumor suppressor or as a …

Go to article

Invadopodia: Proteolytic Feet Of Cancer Cells, Gi̇zem Bati, Devri̇m Pesen Okvur Jan 2014

Invadopodia: Proteolytic Feet Of Cancer Cells, Gi̇zem Bati, Devri̇m Pesen Okvur

Turkish Journal of Biology

The leading cause of death in cancer patients is metastasis. Invasion is an integral part of metastasis and is carried out by proteolytic structures called invadopodia at the cellular level. In this introductory review, we start by evaluating the definition of invadopodia. While presenting the upstream signaling events involved, we integrate current models on invadopodia. In addition, we discuss the significance of invadopodia in 2D and 3D and in vivo. We finally point out technical challenges and conclude with open questions in the field.

Go to article

It Takes 2 Antioxidants To Tango: The Interaction Between Manganese Superoxide Dismutase And Glutathione Peroxidase-1, Dede N. Ekoue, Alan M. Diamond Jan 2014

It Takes 2 Antioxidants To Tango: The Interaction Between Manganese Superoxide Dismutase And Glutathione Peroxidase-1, Dede N. Ekoue, Alan M. Diamond

Turkish Journal of Biology

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated during mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. Accumulation of ROS without an effective antioxidant response can lead to oxidative stress, resulting in macromolecular damage that is implicated in the etiology of various diseases including cancer. ROS detoxification is regulated by various antioxidant proteins, specifically manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), which catalyzes the conversion of superoxide into H_{2}O_{2}, and the subsequent conversion of H_{2}O_{2} into water is catalyzed by glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx-1). In vitro and in vivo evidence supports a conflicting role of MnSOD in tumor biology and indicates that an interaction between MnSOD and GPx-1 can modulate …

Go to article

Glycosylation Changes Leading To The Increase In Size On The Common Core Of N-Glycans, Required Enzymes, And Related Cancer-Associated Proteins, Sabi̇re Karaçali, Savaş İzzetoğlu, Remzi̇ye Deveci̇ Jan 2014

Glycosylation Changes Leading To The Increase In Size On The Common Core Of N-Glycans, Required Enzymes, And Related Cancer-Associated Proteins, Sabi̇re Karaçali, Savaş İzzetoğlu, Remzi̇ye Deveci̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

Glycan parts of glycoconjugates on the surfaces of cells regulate many kinds of interactions between the cells and their immediate environments. Alterations in glycosylation on the cancer-associated glycoproteins are responsible for changes in their molecular interactions and biological functions. Glycosylation changes occur in the core and/or at the nonreducing end of the oligosaccharide chains of N-glycans. In this review, we focus on the branching of the common core structure of N-glycans, the responsible enzyme, and the extensions of some of the branches causing size increases on the surface of tumor cells. Abnormal branching, elongation of the branches, and increasing size …

Go to article

Failure Of Immunological Cells To Eradicate Tumor And Cancer Cells: An Overview, Rohit Sharma, Daizee Talukdar, Parth Malik, Tapan K. Mukherjee Jan 2014

Failure Of Immunological Cells To Eradicate Tumor And Cancer Cells: An Overview, Rohit Sharma, Daizee Talukdar, Parth Malik, Tapan K. Mukherjee

Turkish Journal of Biology

Inflammation can be broadly understood as a successive immune response of an organism's immune system towards nonnative or foreign antigens. This is a protective mechanism of the immune system, mediated by diverse immunological cells, to ensure homeostasis of an individual. Once activated, these immunological cells release a number of cytokines, chemokines, reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, histamines, prostaglandins, and other materials leading to inflammation. Tumor cells express altered proteins due to mutations of their genes, DNA modifications such as histone modification, DNA methylation, or other mechanisms of altered protein expression. The body's immunological cells actively recognize these altered proteins, …

Go to article

The Role Of Abc Transporters In Anticancer Drug Transport, Serhan Karvar Jan 2014

The Role Of Abc Transporters In Anticancer Drug Transport, Serhan Karvar

Turkish Journal of Biology

The main clinical problem in cancer treatment is the development of multidrug resistance. Tumors can be intrinsically drug-resistant or develop resistance to chemotherapy. Multidrug resistance can develop by diverse mechanisms including decreased rate of drug uptake, increased drug efflux, alterations in drug metabolism, mutation of drug targets, activation of DNA repair mechanisms, and evasion of apoptosis. The use of modern genomic, proteomic, bioinformatic, and systems biology approaches has resulted in a substantial increase in our ability to identify molecular mechanisms that are involved in multidrug resistance in cancer and to find drugs that may block or reverse the development of …

Go to article

Multidrug Resistance In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Mi̇ray Ünlü, Yağmur Ki̇raz, Fatma Necmi̇ye Kaci, Mehmet Ali̇ Özcan, Yusuf Baran Jan 2014

Multidrug Resistance In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Mi̇ray Ünlü, Yağmur Ki̇raz, Fatma Necmi̇ye Kaci, Mehmet Ali̇ Özcan, Yusuf Baran

Turkish Journal of Biology

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by the accumulation of Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) myeloid cells. Ph+ cells occur via a reciprocal translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22 resulting in constitutively active Bcr-abl fusion protein. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used against the kinase activity of Bcr-abl fusion protein for the effective treatment of CML. However, the development of drug resistance, directed by different genetic mechanisms, is the major problem of clinical applications of TKIs. These mechanisms include mutations in the TKI binding site of Bcr-abl, overexpression of Bcr-abl, overexpression of ATP binding cassette transporters, aberrant ceramide …

Go to article

Noncoding Rnas And Cancer, Hesna Begüm Akman Tuncer, Ayşe Eli̇f Erson Bensan Jan 2014

Noncoding Rnas And Cancer, Hesna Begüm Akman Tuncer, Ayşe Eli̇f Erson Bensan

Turkish Journal of Biology

New and diverse groups of noncoding RNAs are beginning to be discovered. These noncoding RNAs are grouped based on their sizes, genomic positions, or distinctive functions ranging from the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression to genome stability maintenance. Among noncoding RNAs, microRNAs are the best studied and understood small RNAs with direct and indirect roles in normal and in cancer cells. Given the high rate of transcription from noncoding parts of the genome, other noncoding elements are also of great interest. It is also of interest to understand that there may be interesting cases of crosstalk and/or coregulation …

Go to article

Cancer Stem Cells: Emerging Actors In Both Basic And Clinical Cancer Research, Di̇dem Karakaş, Buse Cevatemre, Engi̇n Ulukaya Jan 2014

Cancer Stem Cells: Emerging Actors In Both Basic And Clinical Cancer Research, Di̇dem Karakaş, Buse Cevatemre, Engi̇n Ulukaya

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cancer cells within a tumor that are responsible for tumorigenesis and contribute to drug resistance. The CSC displays an anchorage-independent survival, active DNA-repair capacity, and relative quiescence and is capable of self-renewing and maintaining tumor growth and heterogeneity. At the molecular level, there are several signaling pathways (e.g., Wnt/Beta-catenin, Notch, and Hedgehog) to control CSC properties and alteration of these pathways has been recognized as an essential step for CSC transformation. Emerging evidence suggests that CSCs are clinically relevant. These cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Therefore, CSCs …

Go to article

Evaluation Of Muc1, Ck20, And Htert Expression In Peripheral Blood Of Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients In Search Of Diagnostic Criteria, Si̇bel Küçükyildirim Çeli̇k, Beri̇l Erdem, Emel Sağlar, Zülfi̇kar Polat, Hati̇ce Mergen Jan 2014

Evaluation Of Muc1, Ck20, And Htert Expression In Peripheral Blood Of Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients In Search Of Diagnostic Criteria, Si̇bel Küçükyildirim Çeli̇k, Beri̇l Erdem, Emel Sağlar, Zülfi̇kar Polat, Hati̇ce Mergen

Turkish Journal of Biology

The goal of this study was to identify the optimal marker or marker combinations for detection of gastrointestinal malignancies using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain (RT-PCR) reaction. To detect the presence of tumors, we analyzed mucin 1 (MUC1), cytokeratin 19 (CK19), cytokeratin 20 (CK20), and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA in the peripheral blood of 31 patients with gastrointestinal (esophagus, stomach, and colorectal) cancer and 30 healthy individuals. In RT-PCR analysis of the peripheral blood, 77.4% (24/31), 61.29% (19/31), and 45.16% (14/31) of cancer patients were positive for MUC1, CK20, and hTERT mRNA, respectively. According to our results, any one of …

Go to article

The Effect Of Survivin Gene Promoter Polymorphism On Breast Cancer, Mehmet Deni̇z Altiparmak, Celal İsmai̇l Bi̇lgi̇ç, Nüzhet Cenap Dener, Esra Gündüz, Si̇bel Yeni̇dünya, Muradi̇ye Acar, Meral Şen, Mehmet Gündüz Jan 2014

The Effect Of Survivin Gene Promoter Polymorphism On Breast Cancer, Mehmet Deni̇z Altiparmak, Celal İsmai̇l Bi̇lgi̇ç, Nüzhet Cenap Dener, Esra Gündüz, Si̇bel Yeni̇dünya, Muradi̇ye Acar, Meral Şen, Mehmet Gündüz

Turkish Journal of Biology

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women and accounts for about 25% of all cancer diagnoses. Survivin is a member of the apoptosis inhibitor protein family of antiapoptotic proteins. In our study, we investigated one of those, the survivin gene promoter 31G/C polymorphism. Included in this study were 111 breast cancer patients who were operated on in our hospital and 101 healthy female subjects. Blood samples from the healthy subjects and paraffin-embedded tissue samples from the patients were used for DNA extraction and subsequent genetic analysis. PCR-RFLP was used for genotype analysis. We established the clinicopathologic characteristics …

Go to article

Downregulation Of C-Myc Mediated Odc Expression After Purvalanol Treatment Is Under Control Of Upstream Mapk Signaling Axis In Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Pinar Obakan, Gi̇zem Alkurt, Betsi̇ Köse, Ajda Çoker Gürkan, Eli̇f Damla Arisan, Deni̇z Coşkun, Zeynep Narçi̇n Ünsal Jan 2014

Downregulation Of C-Myc Mediated Odc Expression After Purvalanol Treatment Is Under Control Of Upstream Mapk Signaling Axis In Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Pinar Obakan, Gi̇zem Alkurt, Betsi̇ Köse, Ajda Çoker Gürkan, Eli̇f Damla Arisan, Deni̇z Coşkun, Zeynep Narçi̇n Ünsal

Turkish Journal of Biology

Roscovitine and purvalanol are specific cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, which induce apoptosis by triggering cell cycle arrest in various cancer cells such as colon, prostate, and breast cancer cells. Although the apoptotic action of roscovitine was clarified at the molecular level, the exact mechanism of purvalanol-induced apoptosis is still under investigation. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade is activated by different inducers related to growth, proliferation, differentiation processes, or environmental stress factors. Recent reports showed that modulation of MAPKs might lead to regulation of c-Myc, which is a transcription factor for the polyamine (PA) biosynthesis enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). …

Go to article

Identification Of New Genes Required For The Maintenance Of Chromosome Integrity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Francesca Ceprani, Franco Spirito, Roberto Piergentili Jan 2014

Identification Of New Genes Required For The Maintenance Of Chromosome Integrity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Francesca Ceprani, Franco Spirito, Roberto Piergentili

Turkish Journal of Biology

Although genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screens for mitotic genes are not new in the literature, most of them lack the cytological characterization of the cell karyotype as for chromosome integrity. Here, the effects of RNAi on chromosome structure in S2 cultured cells of Drosophila melanogaster were analyzed. The cytological phenotype of 1132 genes selected by coexpression with known mitotic genes was scored. Cytological and statistical analysis of the treated cells allowed the identifying of 81 loci whose inactivation brings a level of chromosome breakage significantly higher than in the control. Many of the genes characterized in the present work had …

Go to article

Analysis Of “Bimbam”, A Novel Glucocorticoid-Induced Bh3-Only Transcript In Cell Lines And Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Muhammad Mansha, Muhammad Wasim, Ali Raza Awan, Asma Abdul Latif Jan 2014

Analysis Of “Bimbam”, A Novel Glucocorticoid-Induced Bh3-Only Transcript In Cell Lines And Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Muhammad Mansha, Muhammad Wasim, Ali Raza Awan, Asma Abdul Latif

Turkish Journal of Biology

Glucocorticoids (GCs) induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in lymphoid cells and are fundamental components of therapeutic regimens of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We previously identified a panel of GC-induced candidate genes in children with ALL and in other biological systems using whole genome expression profiling. Of those, a novel transcript from the BCL2L11/Bim locus, named \"Bimbam\", was functionally analyzed in the current study. The postulated Bimbam mRNA consists of the 5' portion of Bim including the BH3-containing exon 8 and the 3' portion of Bam, a small 2-exon gene embedded in the BCL2L11/Bim locus. The expression and GC induction …

Go to article

Cytotoxic And Apoptotic Effects Of Ceranib-2 Offering Potential For A New Antineoplastic Agent In The Treatment Of Cancer Cells, Djanan Vejselova, Hati̇ce Mehtap Kutlu, Gökhan Kuş, Selda Kabadere, Ruhi̇ Uyar Jan 2014

Cytotoxic And Apoptotic Effects Of Ceranib-2 Offering Potential For A New Antineoplastic Agent In The Treatment Of Cancer Cells, Djanan Vejselova, Hati̇ce Mehtap Kutlu, Gökhan Kuş, Selda Kabadere, Ruhi̇ Uyar

Turkish Journal of Biology

Fibrocarcinomas are malignant tumours that originate in mesenchymal cells. The tumours typically form in the presence of connective tissue and are of key consideration when assessing research priorities for future healthcare management. Ceramidase inhibitors, such as ceranib-2, have demonstrated capacity to interfere with cellular DNA functionality, initiating apoptosis in many cancer cell lines. The enzyme ceramidase can regulate cellular levels of sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate by controlling hydrolysis of ceramide. The present study investigates the antigrowth effects of ceranib-2 on mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH/3T3 normal cell line) and rat embryonic fibroblast cells (5RP7 cancer cell line). Research was conducted using …

Go to article

Induction Of Apoptosis In The Cervical Cancer Cell Line Hela By A Novel Metabolite Extracted From The Fungus Aspergillus Japonicus Saito, Apoorva Prabhu, Prerana Venkat, Bharath Gajaraj, Varalakshmi Kilingar Nadumane Jan 2014

Induction Of Apoptosis In The Cervical Cancer Cell Line Hela By A Novel Metabolite Extracted From The Fungus Aspergillus Japonicus Saito, Apoorva Prabhu, Prerana Venkat, Bharath Gajaraj, Varalakshmi Kilingar Nadumane

Turkish Journal of Biology

Natural bioactive compounds have been found superior to chemical compounds for use in pharmaceutical applications. Such natural compounds include biologically active compounds present as a part of fungal metabolism that originate through different biochemical pathways and contain different structural groups like benzopyranones, phenols, toxins, and steroids. One such novel compound is a secondary metabolite extracted from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus japonicus Saito. The compound exhibited anticancer properties and was found to be harmless to normal human lymphocytes. The metabolites were separated by thin layer chromatography and screened for their cytotoxic potential through 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay in the cervical cancer …

Go to article

Anticancer Activities And Mechanism Of Action Of 2 Novel Metal Complexes, C_{16}H_{34}N_{8}O_{5}Ag_{2}Cd And C_{11}H_{16}N_{7}O_{2}Ag_{3}Ni, Ali̇ Aydin, Nesri̇n Korkmaz, Şaban Teki̇n, Ahmet Karadağ Jan 2014

Anticancer Activities And Mechanism Of Action Of 2 Novel Metal Complexes, C_{16}H_{34}N_{8}O_{5}Ag_{2}Cd And C_{11}H_{16}N_{7}O_{2}Ag_{3}Ni, Ali̇ Aydin, Nesri̇n Korkmaz, Şaban Teki̇n, Ahmet Karadağ

Turkish Journal of Biology

The discovery of anticancer activity in cisplatin triggered the development of novel drugs containing metals such as platinum or ruthenium. Extremely diverse structural chemistry and the interaction of metal complexes with biomolecules resulted in the exploration of novel metal complexes with drug potential. In the present study, the anticancer and cytotoxic activities and the mechanisms of action were investigated for C_{16}H_{34}N_{8}O_{5}Ag_{2}Cd (AN1) and C_{11}H_{16}N_{7}O_{2}Ag_{3}Ni (AN7), 2 newly synthesized dicyanidoargentate(I) complexes. The anticancer and cytotoxic activities of AN1 and AN7 on several cancer cell lines were tested by cell proliferation and cytotoxic activity assays, respectively. The apoptotic and replication inhibitory potentials …

Go to article

Plzf Overexpression In T-All Cell Line Cem-C7h2-2c8 Downregulates Glucocorticoid Receptor (Gr) And Its Target Genes, Muhammad Wasim, Muhammad Mansha, Muhammad Tayyab, Ali Raza Awan, Sehrish Firyal, Christine Mantinger, Tahir Yaqub Jan 2014

Plzf Overexpression In T-All Cell Line Cem-C7h2-2c8 Downregulates Glucocorticoid Receptor (Gr) And Its Target Genes, Muhammad Wasim, Muhammad Mansha, Muhammad Tayyab, Ali Raza Awan, Sehrish Firyal, Christine Mantinger, Tahir Yaqub

Turkish Journal of Biology

Glucocorticoids (GCs) induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in lymphoid cells and constitute a central component in the treatment of lymphoid malignancies. The molecular basis of this clinically important phenomenon remains, however, poorly understood. Using whole genome expression profiling we have previously identified glucocorticoid response genes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) appeared as one of the most promising candidate genes, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several leukemia types. We have already established that transgenic PLZF reduced the sensitivity to GC-induced apoptosis in the CEM-C7H2-2C8 leukemic cell line and knockdown …

Go to article

Latitude And Environmental Pressure: Their Impact On Carapace Morphology In Three Species Of Fiddler Crabs (Genus Uca) Across The Atlantic Ocean, Katherine Susannah Mary Thomas Jan 2014

Latitude And Environmental Pressure: Their Impact On Carapace Morphology In Three Species Of Fiddler Crabs (Genus Uca) Across The Atlantic Ocean, Katherine Susannah Mary Thomas

Honors Program Theses

Among semi-terrestrial fiddler crabs, three species from the subgenus Uca (sensu stricto) appear to be basal in the phylogeny of the genus: Uca major (Herbst 1782-1804), Uca maracoani (Latreille 1802-1803) and Uca tangeri (Eydoux 1835). These species evolved vicariantly as tectonic plates separated to form the Atlantic Ocean. Currently, the three species, found in Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, exhibit a high affinity for their respective tectonic plates. Inter- and intra-specific variation in carapace shape was assessed using geometric morphometrics to analyze 12 surface landmarks in the three species. In 314 female specimens, surficial coordinates were superimposed, standardized, and …

Go to article

Meta-Analysis Of Male And Female Function In Plants With Contrasting Architecture And Mating Systems, Lisa Wyse Jan 2014

Meta-Analysis Of Male And Female Function In Plants With Contrasting Architecture And Mating Systems, Lisa Wyse

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A plant has limited resources to invest in growth and reproduction. A plant's inflorescence architecture and mating system are predicted to influence investment in sexual function. Investment in male and female function (pollen and ovules) represents one measure of such balance. However, few studies have considered architecture and mating system in combination. P:O ratio, as well as information regarding inflorescence structure and lifespan was assembled and analyzed to test the hypothesis that pollen: ovule ratio is contingent upon combined plant architecture and mating system. Across different mating systems, xenogamous species had significantly larger P:O ratios than autogamous and facultative species. …

Go to article

Chytrid Loads, Pathogen Prevalence, And Contemporary Host Source-Sink Dynamics In Dry Vs. Wet Forests; Evaluating Refugia From Disease In Australian Torrent Frogs., Barbara Rizzo Jan 2014

Chytrid Loads, Pathogen Prevalence, And Contemporary Host Source-Sink Dynamics In Dry Vs. Wet Forests; Evaluating Refugia From Disease In Australian Torrent Frogs., Barbara Rizzo

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Synaptic Physiology Of Glutamate Clearance In The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans, Jenny (Chan Ying) Wong Jan 2014

Synaptic Physiology Of Glutamate Clearance In The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans, Jenny (Chan Ying) Wong

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Caffeine's Attenuation Of Cocaine-Induced Deficiency In Acoustic Startle Response By Inhibition Of Adenosine In A Sex And Dose Dependent Manner, Lauren B. Malave Jan 2014

Caffeine's Attenuation Of Cocaine-Induced Deficiency In Acoustic Startle Response By Inhibition Of Adenosine In A Sex And Dose Dependent Manner, Lauren B. Malave

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Go to article

The Impact Of Saccadic Eye Movement Training On Saccade Accuracy And Latency, Stephanie Montenegro Jan 2014

The Impact Of Saccadic Eye Movement Training On Saccade Accuracy And Latency, Stephanie Montenegro

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Go to article

A Phylogeographic Study Of Two Neotropical Bird Species, The Red-Headed Manakin (Pipna Rubrocapilla) And The White-Crowned Manakin (Dixiphia Pipra)., Ivandy Castro-Astor Jan 2014

A Phylogeographic Study Of Two Neotropical Bird Species, The Red-Headed Manakin (Pipna Rubrocapilla) And The White-Crowned Manakin (Dixiphia Pipra)., Ivandy Castro-Astor

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Kos Modulation Of Mitochondrial Fission And Fusion, Herman Kucharavy Jan 2014

Kos Modulation Of Mitochondrial Fission And Fusion, Herman Kucharavy

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Investigating Innate Immune Signaling Cross-Talk In A Drosophila Tumor-Inflammation Model, Rebecca Moore Jan 2014

Investigating Innate Immune Signaling Cross-Talk In A Drosophila Tumor-Inflammation Model, Rebecca Moore

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Screen For Suppressors And Enhancers Of Excitotoxic Neurodegeneration, Anthony Omorodion Edokpolo Jan 2014

Screen For Suppressors And Enhancers Of Excitotoxic Neurodegeneration, Anthony Omorodion Edokpolo

Dissertations and Theses

Excitotoxicity is an important and frequently observed neurodegenerative process. Excitotoxicity mediates brain damage in a range of diseases and conditions including stroke, and is triggered by excessive stimulation of glutamatergic synapses. In spite of extensive studies, the molecular mechanisms involved in excitotoxicity following the over-activation of postsynaptic glutamate receptors are not well understood, and clinical trials based on our partial understanding of the process ended with disappointment. Genetic screens in simple animal models offer a powerful alternative approach, since screens are unbiased, analysis is facilitated by strong research tools, and cellular mechanisms are highly conserved through evolution. We produced a …

Go to article

Experimental Studies Of Rctb- Initiator Of Vibrio Cholerae Chromosome Ii Replication: Genetic Engineering, Protein Purification, And Protein Crystals, Olha Ivashkiv Jan 2014

Experimental Studies Of Rctb- Initiator Of Vibrio Cholerae Chromosome Ii Replication: Genetic Engineering, Protein Purification, And Protein Crystals, Olha Ivashkiv

Dissertations and Theses

Vibrio cholerae, a member of the Vibrionaceae family, is notorious as the causative agent of acute gastrointestinal disease known as cholera. Genetic information in members of the Vibrionaceae family is distributed between two chromosomes that are distinctively maintained. In V. cholerae, the initiation of DNA replication in each chromosome involves distinct processes. While the initiation of replication of chromosome I is carried by DnaA, the initiation of chromosome II replication is controlled by RctB, a DNA-binding protein that is an exclusive attribute of all Vibrio species. RctB has no homologs among other members of bacteria proteins and can serve as …

Go to article

Structure-Function Analysis Of Zapc, An Ftsz-Ring Stabilizer, In Escherichia Coli Cytokinesis, Lukasz Tchorzewski Jan 2014

Structure-Function Analysis Of Zapc, An Ftsz-Ring Stabilizer, In Escherichia Coli Cytokinesis, Lukasz Tchorzewski

Dissertations and Theses

In Escherichia coli, cell division is defined by the polymerization and constriction of a cytokinetic ring (Z ring) formed by FtsZ, a tubulin-like GTPase, at midcell. Division also involves the formation of a multi-protein complex at midcell known as the divisome. Several divisome proteins promote the assembly/disassembly processes of FtsZ, thereby exercising spatiotemporal control over division. Among FtsZ regulatory proteins are the FtsZ ringassociated proteins (Zap), which either directly or indirectly stabilize the Z-ring by increasing lateral interactions amongst FtsZ protofilaments in the Z-ring. ZapA-D are recruited during early cytokinesis and have overlapping functions in stabilizing FtsZ at midcell, but …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last