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Full-Text Articles in Organisms
Investigating The Antibacterial And Immunomodulatory Properties Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus Postbiotics, Rachael M. Wilson
Investigating The Antibacterial And Immunomodulatory Properties Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus Postbiotics, Rachael M. Wilson
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Probiotics are nonpathogenic microorganisms that have been extensively studied for their ability to prevent various infectious, gastrointestinal, and autoimmune diseases. The mechanisms underlying these probiotic effects have not been elucidated. However, we and other researchers have evidence suggesting that probiotic bacteria secrete metabolites that are antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. As such, we developed a methodology to collect the secreted metabolites from a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and tested this cell free filtrate (CFF) both in vitro and in vivo. Using this CFF, we have demonstrated that L. acidophilus secretes a molecule(s) that has specific bactericidal activity against the opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas …
Modeling The Tripartite Role Of Cyclin C In Cellular Stress Response Coordination, Steven J. Doyle
Modeling The Tripartite Role Of Cyclin C In Cellular Stress Response Coordination, Steven J. Doyle
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
For normal cellular function, exogenous signals must be interpreted and careful coordination must take place to ensure desired fates are achieved. Mitochondria are key regulatory nodes of cellular fate, undergoing fission/fusion cycles depending on the needs of the cell, and help mediate cell death fates. The CKM or Cdk8 kinase module, is composed of cyclin C (CC), Cdk8, Med12/12L, and Med13/13L. The CKM controls RNA polymerase II, acting as a regulator of stress-response and growth-control genes. Following stress, CC translocates to the mitochondria and interacts with both fission and iRCD apoptotic mediators. We hypothesize that CC represents a key mediator, …
Dpc29 Promotes Mitochondrial Translation Post-Initation In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Kyle Andrew Hubble
Dpc29 Promotes Mitochondrial Translation Post-Initation In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Kyle Andrew Hubble
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Although the cytosolic and bacterial translation systems are well studied, much less is known about translation in mitochondria. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mitochondrial gene expression is predominately regulated by translational activators. These regulators are thought to promote translation by binding the elongated 5’-UTRs on their target mRNAs. Since mammalian mitochondrial mRNAs generally lack 5’-UTRs, they must regulate translation by other mechanisms. As expected, most yeast translational activators lack orthologues in mammals. Recently, a mitochondrial gene-specific translational activator, TACO1, was reported in mice and humans. To better define its role in mitochondrial translation I examined the yeast TACO1 orthologue, DPC29. …
Effects Of Trans-Acting Factors On The Translational Machinery In Yeast, Brandon M. Trainor
Effects Of Trans-Acting Factors On The Translational Machinery In Yeast, Brandon M. Trainor
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Synthesis of proteins, or translation, is a complex biological process requiring the coordinated effort of numerous protein and RNA factors. Central to translation is the ribosome, a complex macromolecular complex consisting of both ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and ribosomal protein (r-protein). Ribosomes are essential and are one of the oldest and most abundant biomolecules across all forms of life. In addition to the ribosome, translation requires messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer-RNA conjugated to an amino acid (aa-tRNA), translation factors, and energy in the form of ATP and GTP. Translation universally occurs in four major stages, initiation, elongation, termination, and recycling, with initiation …
Structural And Functional Interactions Between Bro1 Domain Of Human Alix Protein And Nucleocapsid Packaging Rna Complex From Hiv, Scott Gross
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
A virus is only as powerful as its ability to spread. Enveloped retroviruses, namely HIV-1, use exocytosis pathways that normal host cells use to release particles from the plasma membrane. The main pathways of interest in this study are the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) and adjacent ALIX pathways. The ESCRT pathway is especially important for degradation of receptor/cargo complexes that form Multi-Vesicular Bodies (MVBs). Currently, there is no known therapy that targets this endosomal pathway, which would prevent the spread of the virus to other cells. The virus has adapted to jump from pathway to pathway when …