Genetics and Genomics Commons^™

Med13 Degradation Defines A New Receptor-Mediated Autophagy Pathway Activated By Nutrient Deprivation, Sara E. Hanley

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Cells are exposed to an enormous amount of diverse extracellular cues but have a limited arsenal of weapons for protecting and maintaining homeostasis. To overcome these restrictions, nature has engineered proteins that have multiple functions. The pleiotropy of using one protein to carry out a variety of functions allows cells to rapidly execute tailored responses to a diverse set of signals. The Cdk8 kinase module (CKM) is a conserved detachable unit of the Mediator complex predominantly known for its role in transcriptional regulation. The CKM is composed of four proteins, the scaffolding proteins Med13 and Med12, as well as the …

Elucidating Immune Signaling Of Influenza A Virus And Aspergillus Fumigatus Co-Infections Through Pioneered Model Development, Meagan Danyelle Rippee-Brooks

MSU Graduate Theses

Bacterial co-infections with influenza A virus (IAV) are extremely serious and life-threatening. However, there exists limited understanding about the importance of fungal infections with IAV. Clinical case reports indicate that fungal co-infections do occur and suggest the IAV pandemic of 2009 had a propensity to predispose patients to secondary fungal infections more than previous IAV strains. IAV-fungal co-infections are marked by high mortality rates of 47 to 61% in previously healthy individuals between the ages of 20 and 60. Yet, the variables involved in this co-infection remain undetermined. I achieved effective recapitulation of this co-infection using a C57Bl/6 murine (mouse) …

Targeted Knockout Of Beclin-1 Reveals An Essential Function In Ovary And Testis, Thomas R. Gawriluk

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

An estimated 12% of couples worldwide are infertile. The contributing factor is approximately equal between men and women with nearly 25% diagnosed as idiopathic. Despite the increasing numbers of couples seeking assistance from infertility clinics, few molecular mechanisms have been identified for treatment. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process for bulk degradation and recycling of cytosolic components through the lysosome to maintain homeostasis. Several studies have observed increased levels of autophagy during ovarian folliculogenesis and gonadal steroidogenesis; however, no genetic studies to determine the significance of autophagy exist.

To investigate the function of autophagy in the ovary and testis, …