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Articles 1 - 30 of 157
Full-Text Articles in Biology
Nadh Flim Reveals Cellular Bioenergetics And Mitochondrial Morphology During Drosophila Convergent Extension, Maria Espana Pena
Nadh Flim Reveals Cellular Bioenergetics And Mitochondrial Morphology During Drosophila Convergent Extension, Maria Espana Pena
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that can fragment or fuse to support different bioenergetic demands and cellular processes, although the role of mitochondrial fission and fusion during embryonic development is not well understood. Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) of the mitochondrial cofactor NADH can be used to visualize mitochondrial networks and infer aspects of cellular bioenergetics in a label-free manner. We used NADH FLIM to test whether germband cells undergo changes in cellular metabolism during Drosophila convergent extension (CE)––a process in which hundreds of epithelial cells undergo coordinated intercalation to elongate the embryo. Contrary to our expectations, we did not observe significant …
Mechanisms Of Sleep Regulation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Anfal A. Abuhilal
Mechanisms Of Sleep Regulation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Anfal A. Abuhilal
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Sleep is a fundamental biological need, and sufficient sleep is required for physical and mental well-being. Sleep is regulated by two biological mechanisms: sleep-wake homeostasis and circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are near 24-h rhythms in behavior and physiology that are generated by endogenous mechanisms. In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the central circadian pacemaker, which is known to receive a significant amount of serotonergic input that likely modulates sleep rhythms. In addition to circadian modulation, sleep is subject to homeostatic regulation. Several neuromodulators have been proposed as mediators of sleep homeostasis. Serotonin has been implicated in sleep drive and …
Identification Of Novel Components Of The Retinal Determination Gene Network In Drosophila Cell Lines, Robert Drewell, Jacqueline Dresch
Identification Of Novel Components Of The Retinal Determination Gene Network In Drosophila Cell Lines, Robert Drewell, Jacqueline Dresch
Biology
The retinal determination genetic network controls the development of the visual system in all seeing animals through the molecular regulation of cells to adopt an eye tissue fate. The compound eye of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an excellent model system to study the complex mechanisms within the network that regulate specification of cellular identity during embryogenesis. In Drosophila, the two Pax6 paralogues, eyeless and twin of eyeless, sit at the very pinnacle of the network and their expression early in development activates critical downstream components of the retinal determination pathway. In this study, we investigate the expression of …
Adipocyte-Derived Cchamide-1, Eiger, Growth-Blocking Peptide 3, And Unpaired 2 Regulate Drosophila Melanogaster Oogenesis, Chad Simmons, Isaiah Williams, Tancia Bradshaw, Alissa R. Armstrong
Adipocyte-Derived Cchamide-1, Eiger, Growth-Blocking Peptide 3, And Unpaired 2 Regulate Drosophila Melanogaster Oogenesis, Chad Simmons, Isaiah Williams, Tancia Bradshaw, Alissa R. Armstrong
Faculty Publications
In addition to energy storage, adipose tissue communication to other organs plays a key role in regulating organismal physiology. While the link between adipose tissue dysfunction and pathophysiology, including diabetes, chronic inflammation, and infertility, is clear, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these associations have not been fully described. We use Drosophila melanogaster as a model to better understand how adipose tissue communicates to the ovary. In this study, we utilized D. melanogaster’s robust genetic toolkit to examine the role of five adipokines known to control larval growth during development, CCHamide-1, CCHamide-2, eiger, Growth-blocking peptide 3, and unpaired 2 in regulating …
Adipocyte-Derived Cchamide-1, Eiger, Growth-Blocking Peptide 3, And Unpaired 2 Regulate Drosophila Melanogaster Oogenesis, Chad Simmons, Isaiah H. Williams, Tancia W. Bradshaw, Alissa R. Armstrong
Adipocyte-Derived Cchamide-1, Eiger, Growth-Blocking Peptide 3, And Unpaired 2 Regulate Drosophila Melanogaster Oogenesis, Chad Simmons, Isaiah H. Williams, Tancia W. Bradshaw, Alissa R. Armstrong
Faculty Publications
In addition to energy storage, adipose tissue communication to other organs plays a key role in regulating organismal physiology. While the link between adipose tissue dysfunction and pathophysiology, including diabetes, chronic inflammation, and infertility, is clear, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these associations have not been fully described. We use Drosophila melanogaster as a model to better understand how adipose tissue communicates to the ovary. In this study, we utilized D. melanogaster’s robust genetic toolkit to examine the role of five adipokines known to control larval growth during development, CCHamide-1, CCHamide-2, eiger, Growth-blocking peptide 3, and unpaired 2 in regulating …
Experimental Approaches To Investigate Biophysical Interactions Between Homeodomain Transcription Factors And Dna, Fadwa Mekkaoui, Robert A. Drewell, Jacqueline M. Dresch, Donald E. Spratt
Experimental Approaches To Investigate Biophysical Interactions Between Homeodomain Transcription Factors And Dna, Fadwa Mekkaoui, Robert A. Drewell, Jacqueline M. Dresch, Donald E. Spratt
Chemistry
Homeodomain transcription factors (TFs) bind to specific DNA sequences to regulate the expression of target genes. Structural work has provided insight into molecular identities and aided in unraveling structural features of these TFs. However, the detailed affinity and specificity by which these TFs bind to DNA sequences is still largely unknown. Qualitative methods, such as DNA footprinting, Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assays (EMSAs), Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX), Bacterial One Hybrid (B1H) systems, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), and Protein Binding Microarrays (PBMs) have been widely used to investigate the biochemical characteristics of TF-DNA binding events. In addition to …
Toxin-Like Proteins In The Venom Of Drosophila Parasitoids, Lady V. Cardenas
Toxin-Like Proteins In The Venom Of Drosophila Parasitoids, Lady V. Cardenas
Dissertations and Theses
The figitid parasitoid wasps of Drosophila are gaining importance in agriculture due to their ability to kill the resilient soft-fruit pest Drosophila suzukii. Their success and infection strategies vary, and the mechanisms underlying these differences are largely unknown. Some of their venom proteins have been shown to be important in suppressing host defense. Here, we report that Ganaspis brasiliensis, a parasitoid of D. suzukii survives well on Drosophila yakuba, a host species with a strong cellular immunity, and infected flies are unable to mount a strong immune response. To predict possible toxin-like proteins in Ganaspis venoms that might suppress cellular …
Two Coacting Shadow Enhancers Regulate Twin Of Eyeless Expression During Early Drosophila Development, Jacqueline Dresch, Luke L. Nourie, Regan D. Conrad, Lindsay T. Carlson, Elizabeth I. Tchantouridze, Biruck Tesfaye, Eleanor Verhagen, Mahima Gupta, Diego Borges-Rivera, Rob Drewell
Two Coacting Shadow Enhancers Regulate Twin Of Eyeless Expression During Early Drosophila Development, Jacqueline Dresch, Luke L. Nourie, Regan D. Conrad, Lindsay T. Carlson, Elizabeth I. Tchantouridze, Biruck Tesfaye, Eleanor Verhagen, Mahima Gupta, Diego Borges-Rivera, Rob Drewell
Biology
The Drosophila PAX6 homolog twin of eyeless (toy) sits at the pinnacle of the genetic pathway controlling eye development, the retinal determination network. Expression of toy in the embryo is first detectable at cellular blastoderm stage 5 in an anterior–dorsal band in the presumptive procephalic neuroectoderm, which gives rise to the primordia of the visual system and brain. Although several maternal and gap transcription factors that generate positional information in the embryo have been implicated in controlling toy, the regulation of toy expression in the early embryo is currently not well characterized. In this study, we adopt an integrated experimental …
Feeling Blue: The Effects Of Blue Light Exposure On Reproduction And Physiology In Drosophila Melanogaster, Laura Hampel
Feeling Blue: The Effects Of Blue Light Exposure On Reproduction And Physiology In Drosophila Melanogaster, Laura Hampel
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Blue light, the wavelengths ranging from ~400-500 nm, is emitted from the sun and more recently, by artificial lights including those in technology. In humans, prolonged exposure to blue light has been consistently linked to circadian rhythm disruption and retinal damage, and has also been associated with changes in neurodegeneration, aging, mortality, and oxidative stress in model organisms. This thesis explores the multifaceted effects of blue light exposure through two independent but complementary approaches. An initial rapid review of the current state of knowledge on blue light induced oxidative stress in humans was conducted. This revealed that the most studied …
Improved Whole-Mount Immunofluorescence Protocol For Consistent And Robust Labeling Of Adult Drosophilamelanogaster Adipose Tissue, Rachael K. Ott, Isaiah H. Williams, Alissa R. Armstrong
Improved Whole-Mount Immunofluorescence Protocol For Consistent And Robust Labeling Of Adult Drosophilamelanogaster Adipose Tissue, Rachael K. Ott, Isaiah H. Williams, Alissa R. Armstrong
Faculty Publications
Energy storage and endocrine functions of the Drosophila fat body make it an excellent model for elucidating mechanisms that underlie physiological and pathophysiological organismal metabolism. Combined with Drosophila's robust genetic and immunofluorescence microscopy toolkits, studies of Drosophila fat body function are ripe for cell biological analysis. Unlike the larval fat body, which is easily removed as a single, cohesive sheet of tissue, isolating intact adult fat body proves to be more challenging, thus hindering consistent immunofluorescence labeling even within a single piece of adipose tissue. Here, we describe an improved approach to handling Drosophila abdomens that ensures full access of …
Screen For Beneficial Genetic And Chemical Modifiers In Drosophila Models Of Als And Traumatic Brain Injury, Will Bonderer
Screen For Beneficial Genetic And Chemical Modifiers In Drosophila Models Of Als And Traumatic Brain Injury, Will Bonderer
Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations
The underlying molecular processes of aberrant protein expression in neurodegeneration are intricate and multifaceted, with ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) emerging as a promising avenue of exploration. Ribosome-associated quality control is integral to cellular function. Its evolutionarily conserved pathway encompasses a network of mechanisms designed to ensure the fidelity of protein synthesis, folding, and degradation within the cells of all eukaryotes. The ribosome, central to protein synthesis, plays a pivotal role in this quality control network, and its malfunction can lead to the accumulation of misfolded or aberrant proteins. In the context of neurodegenerative disorders, this dysfunction can have dire consequences. …
Regulation Of Intracellular Sorting Of The Bruno Protein In Drosophila Flight Muscles, Travis Main
Regulation Of Intracellular Sorting Of The Bruno Protein In Drosophila Flight Muscles, Travis Main
Master's Theses
Understanding mechanisms of intracellular sorting is a fundamental inquiry of cell biology. We used the B-body and protein Bruno (Bru) as a model to study the formation of nuclear domains that are membraneless organelles inside the cell nucleus. Specifically, we sought to identify protein sequences that regulate Bru's affinity to B-bodies and protein aggregation. We generated various Bru mutants and subsequently tested them in vivo using fluorescence microscopy. We found that the protein solubility of Bru is determined through an interplay of RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). Using truncation analysis, we identified a 31-amino acid region …
The Anti-Diabetic Drug Metformin Disrupts Feeding And Sleeping Behaviors In Drosophila Melanogaster., Lucas Fitzgerald
The Anti-Diabetic Drug Metformin Disrupts Feeding And Sleeping Behaviors In Drosophila Melanogaster., Lucas Fitzgerald
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses
Dimethylbiguanide, also known as metformin, is the single most prescribed oral treatment for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, or type 2 diabetes, in Western countries. The primary mechanism of action that metformin acts through is the activation of AMP kinase, an important regulator of energy homeostasis. While the anti-diabetic effects of metformin are well documented, its effects on feeding and sleeping behaviors are not well characterized. Using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, the mean daily quantity of food consumed was measured and compared between groups treated with several dosages of metformin. Feeding interactions such as meal frequency and length were …
Dihydroceramide Desaturase Governs Endoplasmic Reticulum And Lipid Droplet Homeostasis To Promote Glial Function In The Nervous System, Yuqing Zhu
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Dihydroceramide desaturase converts dihydroceramides to ceramides in the final step of de novo ceramide biosynthesis. Reduction of dihydroceramide desaturase DEGS1 function in humans leads to hypomyelinating leukodystrophy-18, but the etiology of this disease remains unclear. Using mutants from a forward genetic screen, we discovered that infertile crescent (ifc), the sole Drosophila dihydroceramide desaturase, governs central nervous system development and morphology. ifc is primarily expressed in glia and acts cell-autonomously in glia to control glial morphology and function during nervous system development. Loss of ifc leads to severe glial defects, particularly in cortex glia, including endoplasmic reticulum expansion, glial swelling, compromised …
Impairment Of The Glial Phagolysosomal System Drives Prion-Like Propagation Of Huntington’S Disease, Graham Davis
Impairment Of The Glial Phagolysosomal System Drives Prion-Like Propagation Of Huntington’S Disease, Graham Davis
Theses and Dissertations
The ability of glia to tightly regulate neuronal health and homeostasis in the CNS is conserved across species. Yet, despite the ability to degrade protein aggregates, glia are vulnerable to the accumulation of neurotoxic amyloid aggregates during neurodegenerative disease progress, and even exacerbate their spread. A developing narrative highlights glia as a double-edged sword in neurodegenerative diseases: initially capable of dynamically responding to amyloid aggregate-ladened dying neurons but also capable of inducing chronic inflammation and creating seeding-competent amyloid oligomers. Thus, uncovering the mechanisms that allow glia to control aggregate deposition while preventing the neurotoxic effects and seed generation is vital …
An Inhibitory Recurrent Network In The Olfactory System, Farzaan Salman
An Inhibitory Recurrent Network In The Olfactory System, Farzaan Salman
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Neuromodulatory circuits are a necessary component of neural flexibility as they are able to act differentially depending on the receptors expressed by their downstream targets. Identifying the synaptic partners of modulatory neurons and determining the neurotransmitter and receptor content of these partners is necessary to identify the rules governing neuromodulatory circuits. In this study, I characterized the circuit of the contralaterally projecting, serotonin-immunoreactive deutocerebral neurons (CSDns), the sole synaptic source of the neuromodulator serotonin in the olfactory circuit of Drosophila melanogaster, by identifying the strongest synaptic partners of the CSDns, and the expression of genes encoding neurotransmitters and receptors of …
Characterization Of The Immune Deficiency Pathway During Female Meiosis In Drosophila Melanogaster, Sarah Mashburn
Characterization Of The Immune Deficiency Pathway During Female Meiosis In Drosophila Melanogaster, Sarah Mashburn
College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations
Organisms can defend against pathogens by significantly increasing the diversity of their progeny, so that some progeny are more likely to survive infection. This led to the prediction that infection should cause an increase in recombination rates which was seen in a previous study. However, the mechanism that regulates recombination rates in response to infection is not understood and in that study they did not provide a mechanism for how that can occur. In an RNAi screen, our lab found the gene mustard (mtd) is required for normal recombination rates. This gene was previously shown to be part of the …
Transcriptome Profile In Drosophila Kc And S2 Embryonic Cell Lines, Daniel Klonaros, Jacqueline M. Dresch, Robert A. Drewell
Transcriptome Profile In Drosophila Kc And S2 Embryonic Cell Lines, Daniel Klonaros, Jacqueline M. Dresch, Robert A. Drewell
Biology
Drosophila melanogaster cell lines are an important resource for a range of studies spanning genomics, molecular genetics, and cell biology. Amongst these valuable lines are Kc167 (Kc) and Schneider 2 (S2) cells, which were originally isolated in the late 1960s from embryonic sources and have been used extensively to investigate a broad spectrum of biological activities including cell-cell signaling and immune system function. Whole-genome tiling microarray analysis of total RNA from these two cell types was performed as part of the modENCODE project over a decade ago and revealed that they share a number of gene expression features. Here, we …
Svip Dependent Tubular Lysosomal Restoration: A New Direction In Vcp Diseases, Ankita Basu
Svip Dependent Tubular Lysosomal Restoration: A New Direction In Vcp Diseases, Ankita Basu
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Multisystem Proteinopathy-1 (MSP-1) is a rare, autosomal dominant, degenerative disease resulting from single amino acid mis-sense mutations in the AAA+ ATPase, Valosin containing protein (VCP). Patients with VCP mutations vary widely in their pathology and clinical penetrance, making it difficult to devise effective treatment strategies. To investigate the pathology of VCP- related disease, we engineered CRISPR knock-in Drosophila models for nine MSP-1 associated VCP mutations. These mutant animals mimic human MSP-1 disease phenotypes, including progressive mobility decline and accumulation of protein aggregates, making them excellent models to study the pathology of VCP associated mutations and test potential treatment strategies. At …
Effects Of Actin-Destabilizing Drugs On Motor Function In Drosophila Melanogaster, Caden Sullivan
Effects Of Actin-Destabilizing Drugs On Motor Function In Drosophila Melanogaster, Caden Sullivan
Honors Theses
Actin dynamics influence many cellular processes including neural connectivity and function. One way to better understand and study the regulation of these dynamics is to manipulate actin dynamics and observe the effects in motor function as a proxy to changes on the neuromuscular junctions in developing neural tissue. On that line, this investigation hypothesized that changing the actin dynamics during development via drug manipulation results in observable effects in locomotion. One of the common actin regulatory drugs used throughout the literature includes Latrunculin A, which was used in this study. Methods included applying this actin destabilizing drug on developing wildtype …
Regulatory Mechanisms In The Drosophila Germline, Shane Breznak
Regulatory Mechanisms In The Drosophila Germline, Shane Breznak
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
To launch the next generation, all sexually reproducing animals must undergo the process of producing mature eggs and sperm. This process is known as gametogenesis. During gametogenesis key developmental checkpoints are met to ensure proper egg and sperm production. Model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster, have been used to study gametogenesis to gain insight into the conserved mechanisms that can be attributed to human infertility and disease due to the availability of genetic tools, quick life cycle and the conservation of regulatory mechanisms. During Drosophila oogenesis there are many key developmental transitions that must be completed to produce a fully …
Unraveling The Pathways Involved In Intestinal Repair After Ionizing Radiation Damage, Blaine Pattavina
Unraveling The Pathways Involved In Intestinal Repair After Ionizing Radiation Damage, Blaine Pattavina
Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Biological Sciences Master's Theses
Exposure to genotoxic environmental agents has detrimental effects on health span and aging. Macromolecular damage caused by these factors is also known to lead to diseases like cancer. Radiation therapy is the treatment of choice for malignant tumors and several non-malignant diseases. Despite its effectiveness, it often leads to unintended complications. Radio-sensitivity of healthy ‘bystander’ cells is an important factor in mediating these complications, which often result in several long-term and debilitating side effects. This incurs huge costs in patient care to maintain the well-being of survivors. Current efforts to understand the underlying molecular patho-physiology of radiation damage involve the …
Drosophila Melanogaster As A Model For Male Reproductive System Ethanol Toxicity, Gbemisola Ilelaboye
Drosophila Melanogaster As A Model For Male Reproductive System Ethanol Toxicity, Gbemisola Ilelaboye
Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)
Drosophila melanogaster has been extensively used in different types of research as a model organism due to its high reproductivity, short life span, and easy maintenance. In this paper, we examined drosophila as a model for ethanol toxicity in the male reproductive system. We developed three assays: The DAPI assay, sperm viability assay, and tubulin staining assay. The DAPI assay is a nuclear staining assay that assesses the effects of various ethanol concentrations in late spermiogenesis in which increased detrimental effects to the sperm bundles were observed. The second assay consisted of the sperm viability assay which showed an increase …
The Insulin Receptor Regulates The Persistence Of Mechanical Nociceptive Sensitization In Flies And Mice, Tatiana V Karpinets, Xiaogang Wu, Travis Solley, Molly B El Alam, Travis T Sims, Kyoko Yoshida-Court, Erica Lynn, Mustapha Ahmed-Kaddar, Greyson Biegert, Jingyan Yue, Xingzhi Song, Huandong Sun, Joseph F Petrosino, Melissa P Mezzari, Pablo Okhuysen, Patricia J Eifel, Anuja Jhingran, Lilie L Lin, Kathleen M Schmeler, Lois Ramondetta, Nadim Ajami, Robert R Jenq, Andrew Futreal, Jianhua Zhang, Ann H Klopp, Lauren E Colbert
The Insulin Receptor Regulates The Persistence Of Mechanical Nociceptive Sensitization In Flies And Mice, Tatiana V Karpinets, Xiaogang Wu, Travis Solley, Molly B El Alam, Travis T Sims, Kyoko Yoshida-Court, Erica Lynn, Mustapha Ahmed-Kaddar, Greyson Biegert, Jingyan Yue, Xingzhi Song, Huandong Sun, Joseph F Petrosino, Melissa P Mezzari, Pablo Okhuysen, Patricia J Eifel, Anuja Jhingran, Lilie L Lin, Kathleen M Schmeler, Lois Ramondetta, Nadim Ajami, Robert R Jenq, Andrew Futreal, Jianhua Zhang, Ann H Klopp, Lauren E Colbert
Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Early phase diabetes is often accompanied by pain sensitization. In Drosophila, the insulin receptor (InR) regulates the persistence of injury-induced thermal nociceptive sensitization. Whether Drosophila InR also regulates the persistence of mechanical nociceptive sensitization remains unclear. Mice with a sensory neuron deletion of the insulin receptor (Insr) show normal nociceptive baselines; however, it is uncertain whether deletion of Insr in nociceptive sensory neurons leads to persistent nociceptive hypersensitivity. In this study, we used fly and mouse nociceptive sensitization models to address these questions. In flies, InR mutants and larvae with sensory neuron-specific expression of RNAi …
A Tale Of Two Genomes: The Complex Interplay Between The Mitochondrial And The Nuclear Genomes, Abhilesh S. Dhawanjewar
A Tale Of Two Genomes: The Complex Interplay Between The Mitochondrial And The Nuclear Genomes, Abhilesh S. Dhawanjewar
School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Mitochondria, the product of an ancient endosymbiotic event are pivotal to eukaryotic cells by synthesizing the majority of the cell’s ATP output. However, modern- day mitochondria are completely dependent on more than one thousand nuclear-encoded products for their function and the maintenance of their genomes. The fundamentally different ways in which the mitochondrial (mtDNA) and the nuclear (nucDNA) genomes are replicated and inherited lead to captivating coevolutionary dynamics between them. The aims of this dissertation are to investigate the coevolutionary dynamics between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes at three distinct biological scales. At the organismal level, we use a Drosophila …
Developing A Novel Place Preference Assay To Compare Drosophila Species Over Time, Martha M. Brinson
Developing A Novel Place Preference Assay To Compare Drosophila Species Over Time, Martha M. Brinson
Honors Theses
Across phylogeny, integration of external factors, memory, and internal states of the organism dictate organismal behavior and mechanisms. The underlying genetic components can affect these behaviors such as in genomic changes arising from speciation. In this thesis, a new place preference assay was evaluated in the analysis and investigation of two species of Drosophila flies (D. melanogaster and D. simulans) to measure similarities and differences and their attraction to two different food substrates. Sleep and circadian measurements were also recorded during experimentation. The Drosophila Activity Monitor 5M (DAM5M) System and Sleep Circadian Analysis MATLAB Program (SCAMP) analysis were …
Translation Control Tunes Drosophila Oogenesis, Elliot T. Martin
Translation Control Tunes Drosophila Oogenesis, Elliot T. Martin
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The decision of a stem cell to either self-renew or differentiate is controlled by specific cellularpathways that can act at the level of transcription, translation, or post-translation. To study the regulation of these pathways in-vivo, I have used the female Drosophila germline as a model system. Each of the steps from germline stem cell (GSC) to egg require changes in cellular pathways. These changes can occur at the level of transcription, post-transciption, translation, or post-translation . Decades of research has elucidated many of the changes to gene that occur during oogenesis, however, many players in this process still remain mysterious. …
Glia Excitation In The Cns Modulates Intact Behaviors And Sensory-Cns-Motor Circuitry, Shelby Mccubbin, Douglas A. Harrison, Robin L. Cooper
Glia Excitation In The Cns Modulates Intact Behaviors And Sensory-Cns-Motor Circuitry, Shelby Mccubbin, Douglas A. Harrison, Robin L. Cooper
Biology Faculty Publications
Glial cells play a role in many important processes, though the mechanisms through which they affect neighboring cells are not fully known. Insights may be gained by selectively activating glial cell populations in intact organisms utilizing the activatable channel proteins channel rhodopsin (ChR2XXL) and TRPA1. Here, the impacts of the glial-specific expression of these channels were examined in both larval and adult Drosophila. The Glia > ChR2XXL adults and larvae became immobile when exposed to blue light and TRPA1-expressed Drosophila upon heat exposure. The chloride pump expression in glia > eNpHR animals showed no observable differences in adults or larvae. In …
Cytoplasmically Localized Trna-Derived Fragments Inhibit Translationin Drosophila S2 Cells, Syed Muhammad Hamid, Bünyami̇n Akgül
Cytoplasmically Localized Trna-Derived Fragments Inhibit Translationin Drosophila S2 Cells, Syed Muhammad Hamid, Bünyami̇n Akgül
Turkish Journal of Biology
Transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs) serve not only as amino acid carriers during translation but also as a template for the biogenesis of short fragments that can regulate gene expression. Despite recent progress in the function of tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), their intracellular localization, protein partners, and role in regulating translation are not well understood. We used synthetic tRFs to investigate their localization and function in Drosophila S2 cells. Under our experimental setting, all synthetic tRFs tested were localized at distinct sites within the cytoplasm in a similar manner in Drosophila S2 cells. Cytoplasmically-localized tRFs were positioned in close proximity to GW182 …
The Importance Of Protein Context In Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3, Sean Luis Johnson
The Importance Of Protein Context In Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3, Sean Luis Johnson
Wayne State University Dissertations
Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3) is a member of the family of polyglutamine (polyQ) neurodegenerative disorders that includes Huntington's Disease and several other SCAs. SCA3, the most common dominant ataxia in the world, is caused by polyQ tract expansion in the protein, ataxin-3. How SCA3 occurs and how to treat it remain unresolved issues. The primary culprit of toxicity in all polyQ diseases is the glutamine repeat: its abnormal expansion leads to neuronal dysfunction and death. With that said, there is indisputable evidence that the way polyQ-dependent toxicity presents—areas impacted, cellular processes perturbed—is predicated in large part on regions outside …