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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Translocation And Function Of Akt In The Mitochondria, Keri A. Mans
Translocation And Function Of Akt In The Mitochondria, Keri A. Mans
All ETDs from UAB
The ubiquitously expressed kinase Akt is a known survival protein, and is involved in multiple cell signaling cascades, notably the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Active Akt translocates from the plasma membrane to different subcellular compartments, including mitochondria, where it phosphorylates compartment-specific substrates. The mechanism of this translocation and the specific function of Akt within the mitochondria remains a mystery. The goals of this study were to elucidate the mechanism by which Akt enters the mitochondria and examine the role of Akt in mitochondrial function. Finally, the possibilities of using post-mortem human brain tissue to study mitochondrial function in normal and …
Regulation Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Signaling And Metabolism By Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, Jessica Perez
Regulation Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Signaling And Metabolism By Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, Jessica Perez
All ETDs from UAB
Growth factors are important inducers of vascular cell growth whose regulation is altered during the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. An increase in growth factor and cytokine production, as well as lipid oxidation is observed in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and contributes to altered vascular cell signaling, exacerbated atherosclerotic lesions and heart failure. A change in cellular bioenergetic status due to mitochondrial dysfunction or damage has also been noted in CVD. In this thesis, we first examine cell signaling pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) which are activated in response to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and regulate the cell cycle protein changes …