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Articles 361 - 390 of 694

Full-Text Articles in Cellular and Molecular Physiology

Impact Of Aerobic Exercise On Monocyte Subset Receptor Expression And Macrophage Polarization, Anson M. Blanks Jan 2018

Impact Of Aerobic Exercise On Monocyte Subset Receptor Expression And Macrophage Polarization, Anson M. Blanks

Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is hallmarked by inflammatory immune activation, particularly by the induction of a response by monocytes. Classical (CD14++CD16-) are anti-inflammatory mediators under homeostatic conditions, while intermediate (CD14++CD16+) and non-classical (CD14LowCD16++) monocytes promote inflammation following activation. Monocyte activation and functionality is dependent upon receptor expression and ligand production by a variety of cells, including monocytes. Alterations in the expression of surface receptors often have a direct impact upon monocyte function, such as the increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production in response to activation that accompanies elevated CD14 expression …


Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Dependent Effects Of Nicotine On Hek293t And Hbo Cells, James D. Larsen Jan 2018

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Dependent Effects Of Nicotine On Hek293t And Hbo Cells, James D. Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

T2R receptors are the classical bitter taste receptors which detect and transduce bitter taste in a subset of taste receptor cells (TRCs). The TRPM5-dependent T2Rs are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and are linked to G protein, gustducin to initiate an intracellular signaling cascade for the transduction of bitter tastants. Nicotine is bitter. However, at present the transduction mechanisms for the detection of nicotine in are poorly understood. Previous studies from our laboratory using TRPM5 knockout (KO) mice demonstrated that the T2R pathway is insufficient in explaining the taste perception of nicotine. TRPM5 KO mice elicited chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve …


Chronic Clozapine Treatment Impairs Functional Activation Of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 2 Via An Hdac2-Depedent Mechanism, Travis M. Cuddy Jan 2018

Chronic Clozapine Treatment Impairs Functional Activation Of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 2 Via An Hdac2-Depedent Mechanism, Travis M. Cuddy

Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder affecting millions worldwide. It has no known cure. Current pharmaceutical treatments have shown efficacy in only one of the three symptom clusters of schizophrenia, providing little or no benefit in the other two. Furthermore, the current standard-of-care drugs, known as atypical antipsychotics, carry risks of severe side effects affecting multiple body systems. Most patients opt to discontinue drug therapy within two years of initiation due to lack of efficacy and/or preponderance of adverse effects. Previous findings have shown that chronic usage of atypical antipsychotics causes a 5-HT2A-dependent upregulation of histone deacetylase 2 …


New Bone Cell Type Identified As Driver Of Drug Resistance In Multiple Myeloma: The Bone Marrow Adipocyte, Carolyne Falank, Heather Fairfield, Mariah Farrell, Michaela Reagan Jan 2018

New Bone Cell Type Identified As Driver Of Drug Resistance In Multiple Myeloma: The Bone Marrow Adipocyte, Carolyne Falank, Heather Fairfield, Mariah Farrell, Michaela Reagan

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy that is characterized by clonal proliferation of transformed plasma cells within the bone marrow (BM) and severe bone disease. Although MM cells are initially sensitive to many therapies, patients eventually relapse with refractory disease. Because MM cells show a dependency on the BM microenvironment for survival and proliferation, and BM adipocytes (BMAs) demonstrate a unique, endocrine signaling capacity and lipid composition, it is likely that there is cross-talk between MM cells and BMAs that leads to tumor support. Unlike the influences of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, the effect of BMAs on MM cells is …


Molecular Characterization Of The Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus) Ovarian Steroidogenic Pathway And Implications For Exogenous Estrogen Effects During Follicular Development, Thiviya Kanagasabesan Jan 2018

Molecular Characterization Of The Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus) Ovarian Steroidogenic Pathway And Implications For Exogenous Estrogen Effects During Follicular Development, Thiviya Kanagasabesan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study investigated ovarian development in Fundulus heteroclitus (mummichog), through molecular characterization of key mediators in the ovarian steroidogenic pathway; these included ovarian StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein), cytochrome P450 enzymes, estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ1 and ERβ2), and gonadotropin receptors (FSHr and LHr); additionally, hepatic vitellogenin (VTG1) and ERs, and brain P450 aromatase (P450arom; CYP19b) were studied. Fish were staged into cortical alveolus, vitellogenic, early mature, late mature, and ovulating stages of maturation; blood (plasma), ovary (tissue and isolated ovarian follicles per stage), liver, and brains were collected. Testosterone (T), 17β-estradiol (E2) and maturation inducing steroid (MIS), measured …


Estimating The Heritability Of Thermal Tolerance In Acropora Cervicornis And The Physiological Basis Of Adaptation That Correlates To Survival At Elevated Temperatures, Kelsey L. Yetsko Jan 2018

Estimating The Heritability Of Thermal Tolerance In Acropora Cervicornis And The Physiological Basis Of Adaptation That Correlates To Survival At Elevated Temperatures, Kelsey L. Yetsko

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human activities have substantially increased the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, resulting in warmer ocean temperatures that are having a negative impact on reef corals, which are highly susceptible to changes in temperature. Understanding the degree to which species vary in their tolerance to elevated temperatures and whether this variation is heritable is important in determining their ability to adapt to climate change. In order to address this, Acropora cervicornis fragments from 20 genetically distinct colonies were kept at either ambient or elevated temperatures, and mortality was monitored for 26 days. Heritability of thermal tolerance was estimated using a clonal …


Serine-Dependent Sphingolipid Synthesis Is A Metabolic Liability Of Aneuploid Cells, Sunyoung Hwang, H. Tobias Gustafsson, Ciara O’Sullivan, Gianna Bisceglia, Xinhe Huang, Christian Klose, Andrej Schevchenko, Robert C. Dickson, Paola Cavaliere, Noah Dephoure, Eduardo M. Torres Dec 2017

Serine-Dependent Sphingolipid Synthesis Is A Metabolic Liability Of Aneuploid Cells, Sunyoung Hwang, H. Tobias Gustafsson, Ciara O’Sullivan, Gianna Bisceglia, Xinhe Huang, Christian Klose, Andrej Schevchenko, Robert C. Dickson, Paola Cavaliere, Noah Dephoure, Eduardo M. Torres

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Aneuploidy disrupts cellular homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological responses and adaptation to aneuploidy are not well understood. Deciphering these mechanisms is important because aneuploidy is associated with diseases, including intellectual disability and cancer. Although tumors and mammalian aneuploid cells, including several cancer cell lines, show altered levels of sphingolipids, the role of sphingolipids in aneuploidy remains unknown. Here, we show that ceramides and long-chain bases, sphingolipid molecules that slow proliferation and promote survival, are increased by aneuploidy. Sphingolipid levels are tightly linked to serine synthesis, and inhibiting either serine or sphingolipid synthesis can specifically impair the fitness …


Cholesterol Regulation Of Pulmonary Endothelial Calcium Entry Following Chronic Hypoxia, Bojun Zhang Dec 2017

Cholesterol Regulation Of Pulmonary Endothelial Calcium Entry Following Chronic Hypoxia, Bojun Zhang

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Chronic hypoxia (CH)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with diminished ATP-induced endothelial Ca2+ entry as well as membrane cholesterol in pulmonary arteries. Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry are major components of the response to ATP and are similarly decreased after CH. Because endothelium-dependent vasodilation is closely associated with pulmonary endothelial [Ca2+]i, the blunted agonist-induced Ca2+ influx in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) may contribute to the development of CH-induced PH. Interestingly, impaired agonist-induced Ca2+ influx in PAEC following CH can be restored by membrane cholesterol supplementation. In the current studies, we hypothesized that impaired Ca2+ entry in …


Insights Into The Therapeutic Potential Of Salt Inducible Kinase 1: A Novel Mechanism Of Metabolic Control, Randi Fitzgibbon Dec 2017

Insights Into The Therapeutic Potential Of Salt Inducible Kinase 1: A Novel Mechanism Of Metabolic Control, Randi Fitzgibbon

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Salt inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) has been considered a stress-inducible kinase since it was first cloned in 1999. Continued efforts since this time have been dedicated to characterizing the structure and function of SIK1. Such research has laid the ground work for our understanding of SIK1 action and regulation in tissue and stimuli dependent manners. The fundamental findings of this dissertation continue in this tradition and include investigations of SIK1 regulatory mechanisms in skeletal muscle cells, the cellular and physiological effects of SIK1 loss of function in vitro and in vivo, and intracellular metabolic and mitochondrial regulation by this …


Exogenous Ubiquitin: Role In Myocardial Inflammation And Remodeling Post- Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Stephanie Scofield Dec 2017

Exogenous Ubiquitin: Role In Myocardial Inflammation And Remodeling Post- Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Stephanie Scofield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sympathetic stimulation occurs in the heart after injuries such as ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and myocardial infarction and affects myocardial remodeling. Prolonged sympathetic stimulation can result in myocardial dysfunction through its effects on cardiac myocyte apoptosis and myocardial fibrosis. Ubiquitin (UB) is well known for its role of tagging old or damaged proteins for degradation via the UB-proteosome pathway. The role of exogenous UB however, is not fully understood. Previously, our lab showed that β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) stimulation increased levels of extracellular UB in the conditioned media of adult rat ventricular myocytes and that UB inhibits β-AR-stimulated apoptosis. This study investigates the …


Examining The Electrical Excitation, Calcium Signaling, And Mechanical Contraction Cycle In A Heart Cell, Kristen Deetz, Nygel Foster, Darius Leftwich, Chad Meyer, Shalin Patel, Carlos Barajas, Matthias K. Gobbert, Zana Coulibaly Nov 2017

Examining The Electrical Excitation, Calcium Signaling, And Mechanical Contraction Cycle In A Heart Cell, Kristen Deetz, Nygel Foster, Darius Leftwich, Chad Meyer, Shalin Patel, Carlos Barajas, Matthias K. Gobbert, Zana Coulibaly

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

As the leading cause of death in the United States, heart disease has become a principal concern in modern society. Cardiac arrhythmias can be caused by a dysregulation of calcium dynamics in cardiomyocytes. Calcium dysregulation, however, is not yet fully understood and is not easily predicted; this provides motivation for the subsequent research. Excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) is the process through which cardiomyocytes undergo contraction from an action potential. Calcium induced calcium release (CICR) is the mechanism through which electrical excitation is coupled with mechanical contraction through calcium signaling. The study of the interplay between electrical excitation, calcium signaling, and mechanical …


Neuronal Degeneration And Short-Term Memory Impairment After Tbi, Obiamaraije Igwe Nov 2017

Neuronal Degeneration And Short-Term Memory Impairment After Tbi, Obiamaraije Igwe

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was associated with impaired short-term memory with causes of vehicle accidents and falls. Protein plaques containing fibrinogen (Fg), are associated with memory loss. After TBI, Fg in blood was higher than normal (>~2 mg/ml), which resulted in increased Fg in extravascular space. Therefore, Fg bonded to its endothelial receptor intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Fg then interacted with cellular prion protein (PrPC), which had a strong effect on the loss of memory and cognition. Mechanisms of Fg and PrPC complex formation and its functional implication are not known. This present study tested the level of Fg-PrPC …


No Difference In Myosin Kinetics And Spatial Distribution Of The Lever Arm In The Left And Right Ventricles Of Human Hearts, Divya Duggal, S. Requena, Janhavi Nagwekar, Sangram Raut, Ryan Rich, Hriday Das, Vipul Patel, Ignacy Gryczynski, Rafal Fudala, Zygmunt Gryczynski, Cheavar Blair, Kenneth S. Campbell, Julian Borejdo Oct 2017

No Difference In Myosin Kinetics And Spatial Distribution Of The Lever Arm In The Left And Right Ventricles Of Human Hearts, Divya Duggal, S. Requena, Janhavi Nagwekar, Sangram Raut, Ryan Rich, Hriday Das, Vipul Patel, Ignacy Gryczynski, Rafal Fudala, Zygmunt Gryczynski, Cheavar Blair, Kenneth S. Campbell, Julian Borejdo

Physiology Faculty Publications

The systemic circulation offers larger resistance to the blood flow than the pulmonary system. Consequently, the left ventricle (LV) must pump blood with more force than the right ventricle (RV). The question arises whether the stronger pumping action of the LV is due to a more efficient action of left ventricular myosin, or whether it is due to the morphological differences between ventricles. Such a question cannot be answered by studying the entire ventricles or myocytes because any observed differences would be wiped out by averaging the information obtained from trillions of myosin molecules present in a ventricle or myocyte. …


Heads And Tails, Julie Simons Oct 2017

Heads And Tails, Julie Simons

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.


Direct Antioxidant Properties Of Methotrexate: Inhibition Of Malondialdehyde-Acetaldehyde-Protein Adduct Formation And Superoxide Scavenging., Matthew C. Zimmerman, Dahn L. Clemens, Michael J. Duryee, Cleofes Sarmiento, Andrew Chiou, Carlos D. Hunter, Jun Tian, Lynell W. Klassen, James R. O'Dell, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Ted R. Mikuls, Daniel R. Anderson Oct 2017

Direct Antioxidant Properties Of Methotrexate: Inhibition Of Malondialdehyde-Acetaldehyde-Protein Adduct Formation And Superoxide Scavenging., Matthew C. Zimmerman, Dahn L. Clemens, Michael J. Duryee, Cleofes Sarmiento, Andrew Chiou, Carlos D. Hunter, Jun Tian, Lynell W. Klassen, James R. O'Dell, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Ted R. Mikuls, Daniel R. Anderson

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Methotrexate (MTX) is an immunosuppressant commonly used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Recent observations have shown that patients treated with MTX also exhibit a reduced risk for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although MTX reduces systemic inflammation and tissue damage, the mechanisms by which MTX exerts these beneficial effects are not entirely known. We have previously demonstrated that protein adducts formed by the interaction of malondialdehyde (MDA) and acetaldehyde (AA), known as MAA-protein adducts, are present in diseased tissues of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or CVD. In previously reported studies, MAA-adducts were shown to be highly immunogenic, …


Prevention Of Renal Apob Retention Is Protective Against Diabetic Nephropathy: Role Of Tgf-Β Inhibition, Patricia G. Wilson, Joel C. Thompson, Meghan S. Yoder, Richard Charnigo, Lisa R. Tannock Sep 2017

Prevention Of Renal Apob Retention Is Protective Against Diabetic Nephropathy: Role Of Tgf-Β Inhibition, Patricia G. Wilson, Joel C. Thompson, Meghan S. Yoder, Richard Charnigo, Lisa R. Tannock

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Animal studies demonstrate that hyperlipidemia and renal lipid accumulation contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). We previously demonstrated that renal lipoproteins colocalize with biglycan, a renal proteoglycan. The purpose of this study was to determine whether prevention of renal lipid (apoB) accumulation attenuates DN. Biglycan-deficient and biglycan wild-type Ldlr−/− mice were made diabetic via streptozotocin and fed a high cholesterol diet. As biglycan deficiency is associated with elevated transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), in some experiments mice were injected with either the TGF-β-neutralizing antibody, 1D11, or with 13C4, an irrelevant control antibody. Biglycan deficiency had no significant effect …


The Role Of T-Box Proteins In Vertebrate Germ Layer Formation And Patterning, Sushma Teegala Sep 2017

The Role Of T-Box Proteins In Vertebrate Germ Layer Formation And Patterning, Sushma Teegala

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

All of the tissues in triploblastic organisms, with the exception of the germ cells, arise from the three germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and the endoderm. The identification of the genes that underlie the differentiation of these layers is crucial to our understanding of development. T-box family proteins are DNA-binding transcriptional regulators that play important roles during germ layer formation in the early vertebrate embryo. Well-characterized members of this family, including the transcriptional activators Brachyury and VegT, are essential for the proper formation of mesoderm and endoderm, respectively. To date, T-box proteins have not been shown to play a role in …


Proteomic Analysis Of The Crustacean Molting Gland (Y-Organ) Over The Course Of The Molt Cycle, Talia B. Head Sep 2017

Proteomic Analysis Of The Crustacean Molting Gland (Y-Organ) Over The Course Of The Molt Cycle, Talia B. Head

Master's Theses

Molting in crustaceans is a highly complex physiological process involving negative regulation by two paired endocrine glands, the X-organ/sinus gland complex (XO/SG) and the Y-organ (YO). The XO/SG complex is responsible for making molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH) which negatively regulates synthesis of the molting hormones, ecdysteroids, by the YO. Analysis of gene expression in the XOs and YOs has led to the development of a proposed molecular signaling pathway which regulates ecdysteroidogenesis and subsequent molting in crustaceans. In this study, changes in protein abundance in the YO were characterized over the course of a molt cycle (intermolt, early premolt, mid premolt, …


Translational Fidelity, Mistranslation, And The Cellular Responses To Stress, Kyle Mohler, Michael Ibba Aug 2017

Translational Fidelity, Mistranslation, And The Cellular Responses To Stress, Kyle Mohler, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Faithful translation of mRNA into the corresponding polypeptide is a complex multistep process, requiring accurate amino acid selection, transfer RNA (tRNA) charging and mRNA decoding on the ribosome. Key players in this process are aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), which not only catalyse the attachment of cognate amino acids to their respective tRNAs, but also selectively hydrolyse incorrectly activated non-cognate amino acids and/or misaminoacylated tRNAs. This aaRS proofreading provides quality control checkpoints that exclude non-cognate amino acids during translation, and in so doing helps to prevent the formation of an aberrant proteome. However, despite the intrinsic need for high accuracy during translation, …


Inhibition Of Post-Transcriptional Steps In Ribosome Biogenesis Confers Cytoprotection Against Chemotherapeutic Agents In A P53-Dependent Manner, Russell T Sapio, Anastasiya N Nezdyur, Matthew Krevetski, Leonid Anikin, Vincent J Manna, Natalie Minkovsky, Dimitri G Pestov Aug 2017

Inhibition Of Post-Transcriptional Steps In Ribosome Biogenesis Confers Cytoprotection Against Chemotherapeutic Agents In A P53-Dependent Manner, Russell T Sapio, Anastasiya N Nezdyur, Matthew Krevetski, Leonid Anikin, Vincent J Manna, Natalie Minkovsky, Dimitri G Pestov

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The p53-mediated nucleolar stress response associated with inhibition of ribosomal RNA transcription was previously shown to potentiate killing of tumor cells. Here, we asked whether targeting of ribosome biogenesis can be used as the basis for selective p53-dependent cytoprotection of nonmalignant cells. Temporary functional inactivation of the 60S ribosome assembly factor Bop1 in a 3T3 cell model markedly increased cell recovery after exposure to camptothecin or methotrexate. This was due, at least in part, to reversible pausing of the cell cycle preventing S phase associated DNA damage. Similar cytoprotective effects were observed after transient shRNA-mediated silencing of Rps19, but not …


Carotid Body-Mediated Chemoreflex Drive In The Setting Of Low And High Output Heart Failure., Rodrigo Del Rio, David C. Andrade, Camilo Toledo, Hugo S. Diaz, Claudia Lucero, Alexis Arce-Alvarez, Noah J. Marcus, Harold D. Schultz Aug 2017

Carotid Body-Mediated Chemoreflex Drive In The Setting Of Low And High Output Heart Failure., Rodrigo Del Rio, David C. Andrade, Camilo Toledo, Hugo S. Diaz, Claudia Lucero, Alexis Arce-Alvarez, Noah J. Marcus, Harold D. Schultz

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Enhanced carotid body (CB) chemoreflex function is strongly related to cardiorespiratory disorders and disease progression in heart failure (HF). The mechanisms underlying CB sensitization during HF are not fully understood, however previous work indicates blood flow per se can affect CB function. Then, we hypothesized that the CB-mediated chemoreflex drive will be enhanced only in low output HF but not in high output HF. Myocardial infarcted rats and aorto-caval fistulated rats were used as a low output HF model (MI-CHF) and as a high output HF model (AV-CHF), respectively. Blood flow supply to the CB region was decreased only in …


Carbonyl Reduction By Ymfi Completes The Modification Of Ef-P In Bacillus Subtilis To Prevent Accumulation Of An Inhibitory Modification State, Katherine R. Hummels, Anne Witzky, Andrei Rajkovic, Rodney Tollerson Ii, Lisa A. Jones, Michael Ibba, Daniel B. Kearns Aug 2017

Carbonyl Reduction By Ymfi Completes The Modification Of Ef-P In Bacillus Subtilis To Prevent Accumulation Of An Inhibitory Modification State, Katherine R. Hummels, Anne Witzky, Andrei Rajkovic, Rodney Tollerson Ii, Lisa A. Jones, Michael Ibba, Daniel B. Kearns

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Translation elongation factor P (EF‐P) in Bacillus subtilis is required for a form of surface migration called swarming motility. Furthermore, B. subtilis EF‐P is post‐translationally modified with a 5‐aminopentanol group but the pathway necessary for the synthesis and ligation of the modification is unknown. Here we determine that the protein YmfI catalyzes the reduction of EF‐P‐5 aminopentanone to EF‐P‐5 aminopentanol. In the absence of YmfI, accumulation of 5‐aminopentanonated EF‐P is inhibitory to swarming motility. Suppressor mutations that enhanced swarming in the absence of YmfI were found at two positions on EF‐P, including one that changed the conserved modification site (Lys …


Molecular Mechanisms Of Dna Replication Initiation In Hpvs With Genetic Variations Leading To Cellular Carcinogenesis, Gulden Yilmaz Aug 2017

Molecular Mechanisms Of Dna Replication Initiation In Hpvs With Genetic Variations Leading To Cellular Carcinogenesis, Gulden Yilmaz

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Human papillomaviruses are a vast family of double-stranded DNA viruses containing non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic types, whose crucial differences remain unknown, except for the difference in the frequency of DNA replication. The human papillomavirus (HPV) E2 protein regulates the initiation of viral DNA replication and transcription. Its recognition and binding to four 12 bp palindromic sequences in the viral origin is essential for its function. Little is known about the DNA binding mechanism of the E2 protein found in HPV types that have low risk for oncogenicity (low-risk) as well as the roles of various elements of the individual binding sites. …


Chaperoning Ef Hands That Shape Calcium Response: Ncald, Hpca And S100b, Jingyi Zhang Aug 2017

Chaperoning Ef Hands That Shape Calcium Response: Ncald, Hpca And S100b, Jingyi Zhang

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

All organisms have an internal clock with a defined period between repetitions of activities. The period for circadian clock in human is 24.5 hours, while in mouse and rat, it is 23.5 hours. However, all organisms are forced to be in synchronization with their environment. A major environmental force that resets the internal clock to 24 hours is light. This phenomenon is defined as “light entrainment” or “phase-setting”. It is unclear how this entrainment process occurs. Studies from this laboratory indicate a role for two neuronal calcium sensor proteins: Neurocalcin  (NCALD) and S100B. For these two genes, mRNA as …


Elongation Factor P Interactions With The Ribosome Are Independent Of Pausing, Rodney Tollerson Ii, Anne Witzky, Michael Ibba Aug 2017

Elongation Factor P Interactions With The Ribosome Are Independent Of Pausing, Rodney Tollerson Ii, Anne Witzky, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Bacterial elongation factor P (EF-P) plays a pivotal role in the translation of polyproline motifs. To stimulate peptide bond formation, EF-P must enter the ribosome via an empty E-site. Using fluorescence-based single-molecule tracking, Mohapatra et al. (S. Mohapatra, H. Choi, X. Ge, S. Sanyal, and J. C. Weisshaar, mBio 8:e00300-17, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00300-17 ) monitored the cellular distribution of EF-P and quantified the frequency of association between EF-P and the ribosome under various conditions. Findings from the study showed that EF-P has a localization pattern that is strikingly similar to that of ribosomes. Intriguingly, EF-P was seen to bind ribosomes more …


Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A'S Role In Heart Failure., George H. Kunkel Aug 2017

Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A'S Role In Heart Failure., George H. Kunkel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: An essential mitochondrial component, Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A (TFAM) is reduced within the failing heart. TFAM maintains regulatory functions of cardiomyocyte physiology and stability. Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A forms a mitochondrial nucleoid anti-oxidant structure and reduces pathophysiological abnormalities to structural and contractile proteins. Overall, this functions to physically stabilize mtDNA. Significant molecular changes such as a loss of TFAM drive pathophysiological concentrations of cytoplasmic Ca2+ and reactive oxygen species. Both of these factors induce proteolytic enzymes to degrade the physiological cardiomyocyte. In TFAMs absence, heart function deteriorates and hypertrophic expansion ensues: thereby changing the physiological myocardium to a pathological …


Preclinical Development Of Therapeutic Strategies Against Triple-Negative And Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Angie M. Torres-Adorno Aug 2017

Preclinical Development Of Therapeutic Strategies Against Triple-Negative And Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Angie M. Torres-Adorno

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Triple-negative (TNBC) and inflammatory (IBC) breast cancer are the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, accounting for 20% and 10% of cancer-related deaths, respectively. Among IBC cases, 30% are additionally classified with TNBC molecular pathology, a diagnosis that significantly worsens patient’s prognosis. The current lack of TNBC and IBC molecular understanding prevents the development of effective therapeutic strategies. To identify effective treatments, we explored aberrant apoptosis pathways and cell membrane fluidity as novel therapeutic targets.

We first identified an effective therapeutic strategy against TNBC and IBC by pro-apoptotic protein NOXA-mediated inhibition of the anti-apoptotic protein MCL1 following inhibition of histone …


Noninvasive Measures Of Stress And Lameness In Broilers, Shawna L. Weimer Aug 2017

Noninvasive Measures Of Stress And Lameness In Broilers, Shawna L. Weimer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of broiler chicken welfare has evolved from a component of animal husbandry to a label on a chicken product package. Recent attention from the public has led to the need for higher welfare standards for animal production. A primary concern of broiler production is low activity/locomotion attributed to fast growth rates leading to poor leg health. To collect the scientific data necessary to determine conditions providing the best welfare for the bird, multiple methods of assessment are required. Stress is influenced by external (temperature, humidity, lighting, stocking density) and internal (metabolism, thermoregulation, hormonal balance) factors. This series of …


Girk2 And Gababr1 Downregulate In Response To Ttx As Girk2, Gababr1, And Gababr2 Are Not Affected By Bc Treatment, Staci E. Hammer, Amanda Weiss, Hee Jung Chung Jul 2017

Girk2 And Gababr1 Downregulate In Response To Ttx As Girk2, Gababr1, And Gababr2 Are Not Affected By Bc Treatment, Staci E. Hammer, Amanda Weiss, Hee Jung Chung

PRECS student projects

Homeostatic plasticity is the response neurons undergo to regulate changes in excitability levels and bring the cells back to homeostasis. Research on homeostatic plasticity at the molecular level can lead to improved treatments for neurological diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia. The research featured in this poster looks at the response of GIRK (G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium) channels and GABAb (gamma-amniobutyric acid) receptors to neurotoxins, tetrodotoxin (TTX) or bicuculline (BC).

Prolonged activity blockade of 48 hour TTX treatment significantly reduced GABABR1 and GIRK2 expression. This supports the idea that because these two proteins inhibit action potentials, there will …


H2s And Homocysteine Control A Novel Feedback Regulation Of Cystathionine Beta Synthase And Cystathionine Gamma Lyase In Cardiomyocytes., Shyam Sundar Nandi, Paras K. Mishra Jun 2017

H2s And Homocysteine Control A Novel Feedback Regulation Of Cystathionine Beta Synthase And Cystathionine Gamma Lyase In Cardiomyocytes., Shyam Sundar Nandi, Paras K. Mishra

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a cardioprotective gas, is endogenously produced from homocysteine by cystathionine beta synthase (CBS) and cystathionine gamma lyase (CSE) enzymes. However, effect of H2S or homocysteine on CBS and CSE expression, and cross-talk between CBS and CSE are unclear. We hypothesize that homocysteine and H2S regulate CBS and CSE expressions in a dose dependent manner in cardiomyocytes, and CBS deficiency induces cardiac CSE expression. To test the hypothesis, we treated murine atrial HL1 cardiomyocytes with increasing doses of homocysteine or Na2S/GYY4137, a H2S donor, and measured the levels of CBS and CSE. We found that homocysteine upregulates CSE …