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Full-Text Articles in Medical Sciences
Role Of Vimf In Gingipain Maturation In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Arun S. Muthiah
Role Of Vimf In Gingipain Maturation In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Arun S. Muthiah
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Gingipain activity in Porphyromonas gingivalis, the major etiological agent in adult periodontitis, is post-translationally regulated by unique Vim proteins including VimF, a putative glycosyltransferase. To ascertain the VimF mediated phenotype we first inactivated the vimF gene in P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 (FLL476), a less virulent fimbriated strain. We observed that the vimF-defective mutant (FLL476) showed a phenotype similar to that of the vimF-defective mutant (FLL95) in the P. gingivalis W83 background. While hemagglutination was not detected and autoaggregationn was reduced, biofilm formation was increased in FLL476. Also, invasive capacity decreased for this mutant. Furthermore, fimbrial structures were missing in FLL476, …
Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Hpv16 E6, Chung-Hsiang Yuan
Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Hpv16 E6, Chung-Hsiang Yuan
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) cause nearly all cases of cervical cancer. HPV 16 E6, one of two viral oncogenes, protects cells from apoptosis by binding to and accelerating the degradation of several apoptotic proteins, including caspase 8 and p53. We proposed that blocking the interactions between HPV E6 and its partners using small molecules had the potential to re-sensitize HPV+ cells to apoptosis. To test this prediction, we screened libraries of small molecules for candidates that could block E6/caspase 8 binding, and identified several candidates from different chemical classes. Testing hits for dose-dependency and specificity in vitro and for toxicity …
Regulation Of Igfbp-5 And Osteoblast Functions By Nuclear Factor I, Laura A. Perez-Casellas
Regulation Of Igfbp-5 And Osteoblast Functions By Nuclear Factor I, Laura A. Perez-Casellas
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
The Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) system is a major target of GC inhibition in bone. We found that GCs inhibit expression of IGF binding protein-5 (IGFBP5) which binds IGFs and stimulates osteoblast activity by IGF dependent and independent mechanisms. GC-induced inhibition of IGFPB5 promoter activity was mediated by a composite response element that has binding sites for transcription factor activator protein 2 (AP-2) and nuclear factor I (NFI). The work in this dissertation identifies the NFI gene family as an important regulator of IGFBP-5 transcription primarily in human, as well as murine osteoblasts. The mechanism of IGFBP5 gene regulation involves …