Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Microrna Regulation Of Epigenetic Modifiers In Breast Cancer, Brock Humphries, Zhishan Wang, Chengfeng Yang

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Epigenetics refers to the heritable changes in gene expression without a change in the DNA sequence itself. Two of these major changes include aberrant DNA methylation as well as changes to histone modification patterns. Alterations to the epigenome can drive expression of oncogenes and suppression of tumor suppressors, resulting in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. In addition to modifications of the epigenome, microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation is also a hallmark for cancer initiation and metastasis. Advances in our understanding of cancer biology demonstrate that alterations in the epigenome are not only a major cause of miRNA dysregulation in cancer, but that miRNAs …

Environmental Regulation Of The Heart: The Role Of Non-Coding Rna And Epigenetics In Influencing Mitochondrial And Cellular Health, Quincy Alexander Hathaway

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The mitochondrion, a small but ubiquitously distributed organelle in the cell, continues to be the focus of many disease pathogeneses, tissue and organ dysfunctions, and other morbidities that occur throughout the body. The purpose of this work was to understand how cardiac mitochondrion are altered in disease and pathological states, specifically in their adaptation to environmentally stimulated regulatory networks, such as epigenetic modifications and promotion/inhibition of non-coding RNAs. Acute stress to mitochondrial regulation (inhalation toxicology) as well as chronic (type 2 diabetes mellitus) was examined. Using a FVB transgenic microRNA-378a mouse knockout model, the cardiovascular impact derived from altering the …

Baf Chromatin Landscaping During Bone Formation And Maintenance, Tanner Cole Godfrey

All ETDs from UAB

Bone loss is a worldwide problem resulting in increased risk of fracture. Osteoblasts are responsible for bone synthesis; therefore, treatments promoting osteoblast differentiation and/or activity would result in increased bone formation. The regulation of DNA accessibility is a key mechanism controlling gene expression and cellular differentiation. BAF (BRG1 Associated Factor) mediated chromatin remodeling increases DNA accessibility by sliding or ejecting nucleosomes. This process can occur in a cell type specific manner based on the composition of BAF. In many tissue types, a unique combination of BAF subunits has been identified to be responsible for the maintenance or differentiation of that …

Context Fear Memory Formation Is Regulated By Hippocampal Lncrna-Mediated Histone Methylation Changes, Anderson Alan Butler

All ETDs from UAB

The post-translational modification of histones regulates gene expression and is critical for the formation and maintenance of hippocampus-dependent long-term memories. Changes in gene-specific expression of various epigenetic marks during the aging pro-cess are sufficiently consistent as to be used as an aging landmark or epigenetic clock in both humans and other species; however, the molecular mechanisms which govern the application of these marks aging are poorly explored. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated as regulators of histone methyltransferases and other chromatin-modifying enzymes (CMEs). Despite the relevance of such mechanisms to both aging and memory formation, the behavioral relevance …

Dna Methylation Of The Clusterin Promoter: Associations With Alzheimer’S Disease Risk And Related Phenotypes, Madeline Peretti

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background

In 2017 approximately 50 million people worldwide were living with dementia. With Alzheimer’s disease (AD), accounting for 50-70% of dementia cases making this debilitating disease, with no current effective prevention, treatment or cure, a critical healthcare concern. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a number of risk genes for late onset AD (LOAD); Apolipoprotein E (APOE), a gene involved in the cholesterol/lipid pathway is considered the gene with the greatest risk. The third most associated AD risk gene is Clusterin (CLU), is also involved in the cholesterol/lipid pathway. CLU has been implicated in both …