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Full-Text Articles in Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins

Investigating The Cytotoxic Effects Of Amino Acid-Based Ionic Liquids And Peg-Pla Nanoparticles On Mcf10a Human Breast Epithelial Cells For Drug Delivery Applications, Ella C. Mertins May 2025

Investigating The Cytotoxic Effects Of Amino Acid-Based Ionic Liquids And Peg-Pla Nanoparticles On Mcf10a Human Breast Epithelial Cells For Drug Delivery Applications, Ella C. Mertins

Honors Theses

This study investigates the cytotoxic effects of polyethylene glycol-polylactic acid (PEG-PLA) nanoparticles (NPs) both bare and coated with choline-based ionic liquids (ILs) on MCF10A human breast epithelial cells. The goal was to evaluate how IL-modified NPs influence cell viability at varying concentrations and to assess their potential as drug delivery systems. Three choline-based ILs, Choline-L-Asparagine 1:1, Choline-DL-Isoleucinate 1:1, and Choline-L-Leucinate 1:1, were used as surface coatings for PEG-PLA NPs. Additionally, the ILs were tested independently to establish a baseline for their cytotoxicity. Using a luminescent ATP-based viability assay following the treatment of MCF10A cells, the ILs were found to be …


Fe(Iii) And Mn(Ii) Binding De Novo Designed Peptides And Their Oxidation With H2o2, Hannah Randall, Russ Upton May 2024

Fe(Iii) And Mn(Ii) Binding De Novo Designed Peptides And Their Oxidation With H2o2, Hannah Randall, Russ Upton

Honors Theses

Metalloenzymes perform a wide variety of reactions that are instrumental to the basic functions of life. Learning more about those enzymes–their structure, folding, active sites, and co-factors–can help to not only better understand the finer details of the chemical world, but also help provide answers and possible solutions to questions pertaining to alternative energy. Particulate Methane Monooxygenase (pMMO) is a metalloenzyme that oxidizes methane into methanol in the biological processes of some methanogenic bacteria, a valuable part of their process to obtain energy. One of its active sites, CuB, has a relatively unknown function. Heptad repeats of model enzymes have …


Diffusion Of Ionic Liquid-Modified Polymer Nanoparticles Through Nasal Mucus, Mary Vanlandingham May 2023

Diffusion Of Ionic Liquid-Modified Polymer Nanoparticles Through Nasal Mucus, Mary Vanlandingham

Honors Theses

Mucosal barriers are a natural defense system for preventing the entry of foreign objects into the body; however, they pose as obstacles for effective drug delivery. Coated polymer nanoparticles have been proven to possess improved rates of diffusion across mucus compared to their uncoated, or bare, counterparts. When choline-based ionic liquids (ILs) are introduced to an aqueous system, their dissociation leads to an increase in solution conductivity which ultimately reduces the viscosity of mucus without significantly affecting its structure. Additionally, ILs are highly tunable, so they work well in a range of pHs and conductivities, making ILs an ideal choice …


Expression And Purification Of The Bacterial Protein Curli Csga And Its Cross-Interactions With Amyloid-B, Leah Grace Cantrell Jun 2022

Expression And Purification Of The Bacterial Protein Curli Csga And Its Cross-Interactions With Amyloid-B, Leah Grace Cantrell

Honors Theses

One of the main causes of neurodegenerative diseases is aggregation of amyloid proteins that are toxic to the neurons. Proteins like amyloid-β (Aβ) and α-syneuclein (α-syn) form hallmark aggregate lesions that contribute to pathological processes in the brain in Alzheimer and Parkinson’s patients, respectively. Recent ground-breaking studies have suggested a link between the microbiota of the gut and neurodegenerative diseases, called the “gut-brain axis.” It has been long known that the protein, CsgA found in many enteric bacteria, forms amyloid fibers of its own called Curli. Curli fibrils are a structural component of bacterial colonies and maintain the integrity of …


Applying Mci-062, A Novel Pan-Ras Inhibitor, To Treat Kras-Mutant Lung Cancer, Richard Fu May 2022

Applying Mci-062, A Novel Pan-Ras Inhibitor, To Treat Kras-Mutant Lung Cancer, Richard Fu

Honors Theses

RAS is a prevalent oncogene that is mutated in 27% of human cancers. Gain-of-function RAS mutations activate multiple downstream pathways, including the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways, which are critical in tumorigenesis and cancer cell proliferation. RAS proteins such as KRAS, a member of the RAS protein family, and their downstream effectors are attractive targets for cancer therapy since their mutations act as frequent drivers in lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. However, RAS proteins have relatively smooth surfaces that lack traditional binding pockets, making inhibitors specific to RAS difficult to create. Recently, a novel small molecule pan-RAS inhibitor named MCI-062 was …


Recombinant Expression And Purification Of Amyloid-Β In E. Coli, Wisam M. Beauti May 2017

Recombinant Expression And Purification Of Amyloid-Β In E. Coli, Wisam M. Beauti

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that affects people older than 65 years 1,2,5. It is characterized by the presence of extracellular plaque deposits that are seen specifically in the brains of AD patients 4,5. These plaques are mainly comprised of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide aggregates. Aβ plaque production and deposition is believed to drive AD pathogenesis. Studying these proteins is crucial to understanding aspects of AD in order to develop possible therapeutic treatments. Recombinant expression of Aβ can also provide a handle to introduce mutations in the protein to further study their structure-function relationships. However, synthetic Aβ monomer …


Analysis Of Mammalian Carboxypeptidase O Expression Patterns, Christian Bardan Mar 2016

Analysis Of Mammalian Carboxypeptidase O Expression Patterns, Christian Bardan

Honors Theses

Carboxypeptidase 0 (CPO) is a protease that cuts acidic amino acids from the carboxy termini of substrate proteins. This study aims to describe the expression patterns of CPO in small mammals. We have sampled tissue from four different species: thirteen-lined ground squirrel, eastern chipmunk, eastern mole, and northern short-tailed shrew. Samples were analyzed via Western blot using two CPO antibodies. Immunoreactive bands likely to be CPO, with molecular weights approximately 42 kDa, were seen predominantly in kidney, liver, and intestinal tissue samples. This suggests CPO could play a specific physiological function in these organs.


Stability Of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor One Alpha Protein In The Cell, Jennifer Watry Apr 2007

Stability Of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor One Alpha Protein In The Cell, Jennifer Watry

Honors Theses

Eukaryotic Elongation Factor One Alpha (eEF1A) is an abundant protein found in every cell of every organism and is involved in functions concerning protein synthesis and degradation, the cytoskeleton, and signaling. How these functions are regulated is not yet understood for this protein. Regulation of the protein may be controlled by transcription of the genes encoding the protein or the stability and modification of the protein. The goal of this project was to determine the stability of eEf1A proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Protein stability was determined by treating tissues with cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Gel electrophoresis and …


The Effects Of Strain Differences On The Binding Of Concavalian A To Mouse Sperm, Lisa A. Mckay Jun 1986

The Effects Of Strain Differences On The Binding Of Concavalian A To Mouse Sperm, Lisa A. Mckay

Honors Theses

The current study, lectins were used as genetic probes to determine the phenotype of the sperm from different strains of mice. Lectins are proteins of non-immune origin, which bind to specific carbohydrates (McCoy, 1986). Being that virtually all cell membranes contain carbohydrate components, lectins have been used to identify all types of cells. In this study, a biotinylated lectin Concavalian A (Con A) derived from Canavalia ensiformis, was used and binding was detected using an avidin-biotin peroxidase (ABP) complex technique. The object of the current research was to 1) determine if mouse strain differences have an effect on lectin binding, …


A Quantitative Study Of The Distinctive Proteins Of The Eosinophil: A Comparison Of Normals And Eosinophilic Patients, James M. Olson Dec 1984

A Quantitative Study Of The Distinctive Proteins Of The Eosinophil: A Comparison Of Normals And Eosinophilic Patients, James M. Olson

Honors Theses

Eosinophils have long been associated with parasitic and allergic diseases. Methods of procurement and purification of eosinophils in the last ten years have allowed intensive investigation into their components, properties, functions, and mechanisms (Gleich et al, 1982). The goals of this project are to separate eosinophils in blood samples taken from patients with eosinophilia and from normals based on density over distontinuous Metrizamide gradients; to determine quantitatively the levels of the three distinctive proteins of the eosinophil, specifically MBP, EDN, and ECP; and to compare the levels of these proteins found in eosinophils of patients with eosinophilia to the amounts …


A Comparative Consideration Of Lipoprotein Distribution And Stress Response In The Mallard Duck And Man, Janice Mackay Apr 1972

A Comparative Consideration Of Lipoprotein Distribution And Stress Response In The Mallard Duck And Man, Janice Mackay

Honors Theses

Lipid is associated with all of the major serum protein fractions of both the mallard duck and man. however, whereas the ρ lipoproteins predominate in man with little lipo-albumin evident, according to available literature, in ducks the lipo-albumin constitutes more than half of the serum lipoproteins, and a substantial lipo-prealbumin fraction is evident. Most studies of lipo-proteins are carried out on human serum primarily for the purpose of diagnosis of abnormalities. The stress response in many animals includes a rise in serum α-globulin levels, but its physiological basis is still speculative. While a consideration of the changes in lipoprotein distribution …