Other Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Analysis Of The Effects Of Astaxanthin On Human Colorectal Cancer Cells, Kara A. Walters

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Astaxanthin (AXT) is an antioxidant carotenoid that is produced by the microalgae Haemococcus pluvialis. This supplement is best known for its potential health benefits including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, immunomodulatory, anticancer and antidiabetic activities. Astaxanthin is marketed as an oral dietary supplement and is widely used in the nutraceutical industry as well as a coloring agent in the food industry. Since Astaxanthin has been increasingly popular as a dietary supplement, cytotoxicity is relevant to consumer exposure. Obtaining the IC50, the concentration that inhibits 50% of cell growth, is important to find how Astaxanthin may interact with cancer, and this can be found …

Developing A Protocol For Non-Cellular Transplantation Of Donor Mitochondria Into Recipient Cells, Andrew Parton

Honors Theses

Tumor innervation has emerged as a critical feature of cancer progression, with increased nerve density correlating with enhanced aggressiveness, metastatic dissemination, and poor clinical outcome. However, the functional contribution of neurons to tumor biology remains incompletely defined. We recently identified the intercellular transfer of mitochondria from neurons to cancer cells as a mechanism that promotes tumor progression. We therefore hypothesized that disruption of this transfer could attenuate tumor aggressivity. To directly investigate this process, we developed an approach to isolate mitochondria from donor cells and transplant them into recipient cancer cells independently of canonical cell-cell interactions. Transferred mitochondria were tracked …

Optimizing Itpa R178c Assays Via Hplc, Jared J. Reisnouer, Wally D. Pines

2026 Symposium

Two of the major nucleotide bases in DNA and RNA (Adenine and Guanine) are derived from the purine Inosine Monophosphate (IMP). IMP may occasionally form the noncanonical nucleotide Inosine Triphosphate (ITP) within the cell and become incorporated into DNA during replication, leading to potentially lethal errors. To combat this, human cells produce the “housekeeping” enzyme Inosine Triphosphatase (ITPA) to revert ITP to IMP. A mutation of this protein that replaces the 178th amino acid Arginine with Cysteine (R178C) is associated with a fatal infantile encephalopathy. Previous assessments of enzyme-substrate binding and catalysis for ITPA variants have been run at a …

Sustainable Mitigation Of Microplastic Pollutants Using Native Plant Species, Antonio Martinez

Posters - 2026

Microplastics (MPs) are defined as small plastic particles that come from the degradation of plastics [Ziani et al. 2023], that hold a regular or irregular shape, ranging from 1μm to 5 mm [Campanale et al. 2025]. This diminutive size makes them virtually impossible to remove once released into the environment[Lee et al. 2023]. Furthermore, biological, chemical, and physical processes break MP's further down in the environment, causing them to exist in nano-level sizes (1nm-1μm) [Lee et al. 2023], further exacerbating their threat to critical habitats. However, recent studies have shown MP contamination expands beyond the natural environment as recent studies …

Comparing The Differences Of Hsp90Α And Hsp90Β In Native Protein Complex Incorporation, Daryna Serediuk

Honors Theses and Capstones

Epichaperomes are long-lasting, stable assemblies of chaperones, co-chaperones, and associated factors that facilitate cell survival in maladaptive cellular states. Their inhibition has emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases (Rodina et al., 2016). Epichaperomes are hallmarks of robust proliferation in cancer cell populations across many cancer types and are abundantly present in several stem cell varieties, including induced pluripotent stem cells, human embryonic kidney cells, and cancer stem cells (Kishinevsky et al., 2018).

The core protein of the eukaryotic heat shock protein machinery, Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90), is a central chaperone that …

Metabolic Transitions In Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana: Regulation And Consequences For Oxidative Stress, Daniel Anthony Arabie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Embryos of Artemia franciscana survive harsh conditions in diapause and anoxia-induced quiescence for years by undergoing deep metabolic transitions. I investigated the relationship between phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and carbon flux to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle during metabolic depression. The difference in catalytic activity of the PDH complex (PDC) in maximally phosphorylated and dephosphorylated samples was 16.5-fold. Western blot analysis confirmed the changes in phosphorylation of PDH. Analysis of PDH expression in diapause and post-diapause embryos via phospho-PDH showed no significant differences. Investigation of post-diapause embryos under anoxia showed that phosphorylation of PDH decreased and activated the enzyme. …

Tdp43 Autoregulation Gives Rise To Dominant Negative Isoforms That Are Tightly Controlled By Transcriptional And Post-Translational Mechanisms, Megan M. Dykstra, Kaitlin Weskamp, Nicolás B. Gómez, Jacob Waksmacki, Elizabeth Tank, M. Rebecca Glineburg, Allison Snyder, Emile Pinarbasi, Michael Bekier, Xingli Li, Morgan R. Miller, Jen Bai, Shameena Shahzad, Neha Nedumaran, Clare Wieland, Corey Stewart, Sydney Willey, Nikolas Grotewold, Jonathon Mcbride, John J. Moran, Aditya V. Suryakumar, Michael Lucas, Peter M. Tessier, Michael Ward, Peter K. Todd, Sami J. Barmada

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The nuclear RNA-binding protein TDP43 is integrally involved in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Previous studies uncovered N-terminal TDP43 isoforms that are predominantly cytosolic in localization, prone to aggregation, and enriched in susceptible spinal motor neurons. In healthy cells, however, these shortened (s)TDP43 isoforms are difficult to detect in comparison to full-length (fl)TDP43, raising questions regarding their origin and selective regulation. Here, we show that sTDP43 is created as a by-product of TDP43 autoregulation and cleared by nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD). sTDP43-encoding transcripts that escape NMD are rapidly degraded post-translationally via the proteasome …

Omani Camels From A Cultural And Genomics Perspective, Al Muatasim Al Zadjali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Dromedarian camel, Camelus dromedarius, is native to the Arabian Peninsula, including the Sultanate of Oman. These camels are used for food, milk, as well as show and racing competitions. Despite their economic and cultural importance research on camels in Oman is limited. The goal of this study was to examine their genomic variation, relationship with camels in other parts of the Arabian Peninsula, and to determine if selective breeding has led to the establishment of distinct breeds in Oman. Information was compiled from multiple sources to produce a comprehensive review on the breeding, management, economic and cultural use, …

The Biobehavioral Effects Of Embryonic Exposure To Neural Inflammation And Oxidative Stress In Zebrafish, Dalton J. Anderson

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this research is to improve understanding of the neurodevelopmental effects of embryonic exposure to elevated inflammation and oxidative stress induced by the antipyretic drug acetaminophen (APAP). Our study was the first to examine the interactive effects of APAP and inflammation in zebrafish embryos and how the treatments affect brain development and larval behavior. Experimental groups of zebrafish larvae were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation, APAP, or LPS + APAP and larval behavior was analyzed using Ethovision automated behavioral tracking software. We also measured changes in whole-brain Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (GSK3B) and GSK3B phosphorylation, …

Characterizing Cellular Injury And Inflammation With Aldob-/-Mouse Model Of Mafld, Andy Rashid

All Master's Theses

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) affects 1 in 3 people in the US and is a healthcare burden on the order of billions of dollars. MAFLD is characterized by pathological lipid accumulation in the liver, excess production of triglycerides and cholesterol, and export of LDL particles that raise serum lipid levels. These metabolic perturbations can lead to the development of liver fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance. Diagnosing MAFLD prior to fibrosis is crucial for successful intervention and prevention of advanced liver disease and other metabolic complications. Fructose-1Phospahte (F1P) accumulation from fructose overconsumption can drive hepatic lipogenesis and MAFLD progression. …

Therapies For Mitochondrial Disorders, Kayli Sousa Smyth, Anne Mulvihill

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Mitochondria are cytoplasmic, double-membrane organelles that synthesise adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondria contain their own genome, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is maternally inherited from the oocyte. Mitochondrial proteins are encoded by either nuclear DNA (nDNA) or mtDNA, and both code for proteins forming the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes of the respiratory chain. These complexes form a chain that allows the passage of electrons down the electron transport chain (ETC) through a proton motive force, creating ATP from adenosine diphosphate (ADP). This study aims to explore current and prospective therapies for mitochondrial disorders (MTDS). MTDS are clinical syndromes coupled with abnormalities …

Feasibility Of Tubulin As A Control For Gene Expression Following Transfection In Mouse Monocyte/Macrophage-Like Cells, Ankita Chabra

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Transfection, which is the ability to modify host cells’ genetic content, has broad application in studying normal cellular processes, molecular mechanism of disease and gene therapy. There are several transfection techniques, and all require either a control or a reference gene. Commonly used controls for transfection experiments are housekeeping genes, which maintain expression for a given cell/tissue, experimental conditions, and treatment. However, recent research has uncovered that expression levels of housekeeping genes may vary depending on the gene, cell type and experimental conditions. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that housekeeping genes are inadequate internal standards for measuring gene expression …

Exosomal-Long Non-Coding Rnas Journey In Colorectal Cancer: Evil And Goodness Faces Of Key Players, Nehal I. Rizk, Ahmed I. Abulsoud, Mohamed M. Kamal, Dina H. Kassem, Nadia M. Hamdy

Pharmacy

Exosomes are nano-vesicles (NVs) secreted by cells and take part in cell-cell communications. Lately, these exosomes were proved to have dual faces in cancer. Actually, they can contribute to carcinogenesis through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, metastasis and tumor microenvironment (TME) of various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). On the other hand, they can be potential targets for cancer treatment. CRC is one of the most frequent tumors worldwide, with incidence rates rising in the recent decades. In its early stage, CRC is asymptomatic with poor treatment outcomes. Therefore, finding a non-invasive, early diagnostic biomarker tool and/or suitable defender to combat …

Fine-Tuning Of Alanyl-Trna Synthetase Quality Control Alleviates Global Dysregulation Of The Proteome, Paul Kelly, Arundhati Kavoor, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

One integral step in the transition from a nucleic acid encoded-genome to functional proteins is the aminoacylation of tRNA molecules. To perform this activity, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) activate free amino acids in the cell forming an aminoacyl-adenylate before transferring the amino acid on to its cognate tRNA. These newly formed aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) can then be used by the ribosome during mRNA decoding. In Escherichia coli, there are twenty aaRSs encoded in the genome, each of which corresponds to one of the twenty proteinogenic amino acids used in translation. Given the shared chemicophysical properties of many amino acids, aaRSs have …

Two And Three-Dimensional Radiographic Imaging Of Contrast Agents In Heterogeneous Live Cell Media To Understand Contrast-Induced Toxicity, Fahaneda Hassan, Aldona Gjoni, Subhendra Sarkar

Publications and Research

Radiographic imaging was done using low and high energy radiography equipment. The test hypothesis that macromolecular aggregation changes sample noise in imaging samples for optical imaging methods. Inorganic complexes scatter radiation at the molecular level and may increase the sample noise locally. At high and low photon energies in various x-ray machines, sample and background noise were gathered and compared with those from mammography systems from mammography researchers. The samples with high macromolecular aggregates were prepared using various animal cell compositions and imaged under different conditions that produced different macromolecular dynamics within the samples and thus different image-based sample noise. …

Artificial Intron Technology To Generate Conditional Knock-Out Mice, Amber N. Thomas-Gordon

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Genetic engineering has been re-shaped by the invention of new tools in modern biotechnology in a way that offers precision and efficiency in modifying the genome at a single nucleotide level and/or allowing precise control of gene expression. Such gene manipulation brings about significant findings and revelations in comprehending more about embryonic development, cellular and physiological functions, and disease pathology. Current methods used to produce conditional knockouts have limitations on conditional allele placement and modification varies among genes in different organisms. Thus, a system for generating conditional alleles with fidelity remains a challenge. My goal was to examine an approach …

Mitochondrial Deletions And Their Disease-Causing Effects, Austin Bell

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The mitochondria perform a plethora of important functions within the cell, with one of the most paramount being ATP production. Deregulation of its function can have dire consequences on cellular functions. Mutations such as deletions within the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can cause disease within the patients affected. These diseases often affect children, causing symptoms such as gradual loss of eyesight and hearing, diabetes, and other problems that lower the quality of life. The mitochondria are also very dynamic organelles that undergo rounds of fission and fusion to keep up with the metabolic needs of cells, necessitating a homeostatic balance between …

Serpinb1 Effects On Human Pancreatic Ductal Cells, Praneeth Goli

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Rebuilding or expanding the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose levels by restoring or increasing the body’s ability to produce insulin, long-term, would be a major advancement in diabetes (type-1 and type-2) treatment and could serve as a potential cure [1]. Therefore, the holy grail of diabetes treatment and cure research is to regenerate or increase the insulin producing cells in diabetic individuals (type-1 and type-2) [1, 2]. SerpinB1 has been implicated as a biomolecular signal that stimulates an increase in insulin cell mass in murine and zebrafish models that exhibit physiologically normal compensatory islet hyperplasia. In humans, SerpinB1 is …

How Cellular Metabolic State And The Chaperone Protein Hsp104 Interact To Affect The Spontaneous Formation Of The Yeast Prion [Ure3], Demyia Graham

Merge

No abstract provided.

Peroxiredoxin 6 And Inflammation In Alzheimer's Disease, Jared Ferrell-Penniman

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is known for its debilitating symptoms and poor prognosis. However, despite intense research into neurodegenerative diseases, there are few therapies targeted at the underlying mechanisms of the disease. Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation are cellular phenomena thought to be key to the progression of the disease. Critically, peroxiredoxin 6 (Prx6), an antioxidant protein with multiple functions, has been identified from mammalian studies as a potential regulator of both OS and inflammation that may have a specific effect on AD. This project seeks to elucidate the role of Prx6 in AD as well as the underlying mechanisms. Drosophila …

Towards A Mathematical Model Of Motility Using Dictyostelium Discoideum: Proteins And Geometric Features That Regulate Bleb-Based Motility, Zully Santiago

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A variety of biological functions depend on actin organization. The organization of actin is tightly regulated by a plethora of extracellular and intracellular signaling, scaffolding, and actin-binding proteins. Dysfunctions in this regulation lead to immune diseases, increased susceptibility to pathogens, neurodegenerative diseases, developmental disorders, and cancer metastasis. A variety of actin-dependent processes, including cell motility, are regulated by several proteins of interest: Paxillin, a scaffolding protein; WASP, an actin nucleating protein; SCAR/WAVE, another WASP family actin nucleating protein; Talin, a cortex-to-membrane binding protein; Myosin II, an F-actin contracting motor protein; and Protein Kinase C, a protein kinase. D. discoideum cells …

The Functions Of Setd5 And Mir-221 In Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation, Tsai-Yu Chen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are a widely used model system to study cellular differentiation because of their pluripotent characteristics, and ESC differentiation is an epigenetic process. In an effort to identify a new epigenetic factor that is required for ESC differentiation, the function of SETD5 in ESCs was studied for this thesis. Results show that SETD5 is essential for retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiation of mouse ESCs and for RA-induced expression of critical developmental genes (e.g., Hoxa1 and Hoxa2) and neuron-related genes (e.g., Nestin and Pax6). SETD5 was upregulated during ESC differentiation. Additional results demonstrated that SETD5 bound to …

The Role Of Daf-19 In Non-Ciliated Neurons: How Is Neural Development Regulated By Different Daf-19 Isoforms?, Zabdiel Ek Vazquez

Lawrence University Honors Projects

A degenerative disease-like phenotype, specifically reduction in synaptic protein levels in adult worms, is correlated with loss-of-function of the only RFX transcription factor gene, daf-19, in C. elegans. This gene encodes four known transcription factor isoforms, two of which are correlated with particular functions. The DAF-19C isoform activates genes responsible for cilia development, while DAF-19M is needed for cilia specification in males. A comparison of the transcriptome of daf-19 null and isogenic wild type adult worms suggests both positive and negative regulation of gene expression is correlated with the presence of DAF-19 proteins. We have assessed DAF-19 regulation …

Direct Analysis In Real Time (Dart) Of An Organothiophosphate At Ultrahigh Resolution By Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry And Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Laszlo Prokai, Stanley M. Stevens Jr.

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Direct analysis in real time (DART) is a recently developed ambient ionization technique for mass spectrometry to enable rapid and sensitive analyses with little or no sample preparation. After swab-based field sampling, the organothiophosphate malathion was analyzed using DART-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Mass resolution was documented to be over 800,000 in full-scan MS mode and over 1,000,000 for an MS/MS product ion produced by collision-induced dissociation of the protonated analyte. Mass measurement accuracy below 1 ppm was obtained for all DART-generated ions that belonged to the test compound in the …

The Significance Of Crispr/Cas9-Directed Cul3 Knockout On Human Colorectal Cancer Cells, Zoe A. Lautz

Departmental Honors Projects

Cancer, the second leading cause of death in the US, is caused by mutations in select genes that alter cellular function leading to uncontrolled proliferation. Understanding the specific genes that drive cancer can lead to the generation of novel cancer therapies. To identify novel genes that drive cancer in the colon (CRC), lungs, and ovaries in mice, Starr et al. employed a transposon-based insertional mutagenesis system. One of the genes identified, APC, is mutated in 70-80% of human CRCs. CUL3, suspected to be a general driver gene, was discovered in the lung cancer screen. CUL3 was analyzed for its role …

Analysis Of The Chondroitinase Operon Of Flavobacterium Columnare, Erin L. Sorlien

Senior Honors Projects

Analysis of the chondroitinase operon of Flavobacterium columnare

Erin Sorlien

Major

Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry

Advisor

Dr. David R. Nelson

Date

May 2, 2013

Keywords

Flavobacterium columnare, columnaris disease, chondroitin AC lyase, complementation, csl operon

Abstract
Flavobacterium columnare, an opportunistic bacterial pathogen of fish, is the causative agent of columnaris disease (CD). The bacterium is a Gram-negative rod that exhibits gliding motility and avidly forms biofilms. CD affects both wild and cultured freshwater fish, and continues to cause large economic losses to the fish farming industry. According to an investigation conducted by the National Animal Health Monitoring System, CD …

Gata-Family Transcription Factors In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Cristian F. Quispe

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The filamentous fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, responsible for blast rice disease, destroys around 10-30% of the rice crop annually. Infection begins when the specialized infection structure, the appressorium, generates enormous internal turgor pressure through the accumulation of glycerol. This turgor acts on a penetration peg emerging at the base of the cell, causing it to breach the leaf surface allowing its infection.

The enzyme trehalose-6- phosphate synthase (Tps1) is a central regulator of the transition from appressorium development to infectious hyphal growth. In the first chapter we show that initiation of rice blast disease requires a regulatory mechanism involving an …