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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Qualitative Assay To Detect Dopamine Release By Ligand Action On Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, Leanna A. Marquart, Matthew W. Turner, Owen M. Mcdougal
Qualitative Assay To Detect Dopamine Release By Ligand Action On Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, Leanna A. Marquart, Matthew W. Turner, Owen M. Mcdougal
Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations
A pheochromocytoma of the rat adrenal medulla derived (a.k.a. PC12) cell-based assay for dopamine measurement by luminescence detection was customized for the qualitative evaluation of agonists and antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The assay mechanism begins with ligand binding to transmembrane nAChRs, altering ion flow into the cell and inducing dopamine release from the cell. Following release, dopamine is oxidized by monoamine oxidase generating hydrogen peroxide that catalyzes a chemiluminescence reaction involving luminol and horseradish peroxidase, thus producing a detectable response. Results are presented for the action of nAChR agonists (acetylcholine, nicotine, and cytisine), and antagonists (α-conotoxins (α-CTxs) MII, …
Steroidal Alkaloid Variation In Veratrum Californicum As Determined By Modern Methods Of Analytical Analysis, Matthew W. Turner, Meagan Rossi, Vannessa Campfield, John French, Ellie Hunt, Emily Wade, Owen M. Mcdougal
Steroidal Alkaloid Variation In Veratrum Californicum As Determined By Modern Methods Of Analytical Analysis, Matthew W. Turner, Meagan Rossi, Vannessa Campfield, John French, Ellie Hunt, Emily Wade, Owen M. Mcdougal
Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations
Veratrum californicum is a rich source of steroidal alkaloids, many of which have proven to be antagonists of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway that becomes aberrant in over twenty types of cancer. These alkaloids first became known in the 1950's due to their teratogenic properties, which resulted in newborn and fetal lambs developing cyclopia as a result of pregnant ewes consuming Veratrum californicum. It was discovered that the alkaloids in V. californicum were concentrated in the root and rhizome of the plant with much lower amounts of the most active alkaloid, cyclopamine, present in the aerial plant, especially in …
Nitrogen Heterocycles Form Peptide Nucleic Acid Precursors In Complex Prebiotic Mixtures, Laura E. Rodriguez, Christopher H. House, Karen E. Smith, Melissa R. Roberts, Michael P. Callahan
Nitrogen Heterocycles Form Peptide Nucleic Acid Precursors In Complex Prebiotic Mixtures, Laura E. Rodriguez, Christopher H. House, Karen E. Smith, Melissa R. Roberts, Michael P. Callahan
Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations
The ability to store information is believed to have been crucial for the origin and evolution of life; however, little is known about the genetic polymers relevant to abiogenesis. Nitrogen heterocycles (N-heterocycles) are plausible components of such polymers as they may have been readily available on early Earth and are the means by which the extant genetic macromolecules RNA and DNA store information. Here, we report the reactivity of numerous N-heterocycles in highly complex mixtures, which were generated using a Miller-Urey spark discharge apparatus with either a reducing or neutral atmosphere, to investigate how N-heterocycles are modified under plausible prebiotic …
Mutagenesis Of Α-Conotoxins For Enhancing Activity And Selectivity For Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, Matthew W. Turner, Leanna A. Marquart, Paul D. Phillips, Owen M. Mcdougal
Mutagenesis Of Α-Conotoxins For Enhancing Activity And Selectivity For Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, Matthew W. Turner, Leanna A. Marquart, Paul D. Phillips, Owen M. Mcdougal
Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are found throughout the mammalian body and have been studied extensively because of their implication in a myriad of diseases. α-Conotoxins (α-CTxs) are peptide neurotoxins found in the venom of marine snails of genus Conus. -CTxs are potent and selective antagonists for a variety of nAChR isoforms. Over the past 40 years, α-CTxs have proven to be valuable molecular probes capable of differentiating between closely related nAChR subtypes and have contributed greatly to understanding the physiological role of nAChRs in the mammalian nervous system. Here, we review the amino acid composition and structure of several α-CTxs …