A Mechanistic Computational Model
Reveals That Plasticity Of Cd4+
T Cell Differentiation Is A Function Of
Cytokine Composition And Dosage,
2018
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A Mechanistic Computational Model Reveals That Plasticity Of Cd4+ T Cell Differentiation Is A Function Of Cytokine Composition And Dosage, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Robert G. Todd, Akram Mohammed, Deborah M. Brown, Matteo Barberis, Tomáš Helikar
Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications
CD4+ T cells provide cell-mediated immunity in response to various antigens. During an immune response, naïve CD4+ T cells differentiate into specialized effector T helper (Th1, Th2, and Th17) cells and induced regulatory (iTreg) cells based on a cytokine milieu. In recent studies, complex phenotypes resembling more than one classical T cell lineage have been experimentally observed. Herein, we sought to characterize the capacity of T cell differentiation in response to the complex extracellular environment. We constructed a comprehensive mechanistic (logical) computational model of the signal transduction that regulates T cell differentiation. The model’s dynamics were characterized and analyzed under …
Investigating Phosphorylation Patterns And Their Effect On The Activity Of Transcription Factor Taabf1 In Imbibing Cereal Grains,
2018
Colby College
Investigating Phosphorylation Patterns And Their Effect On The Activity Of Transcription Factor Taabf1 In Imbibing Cereal Grains, Grace Uwase
Honors Theses
The wheat transcription factor TaABF1 plays an important role in hormone-mediated regulation of seed dormancy and germination of cereal grains. Evidence shows that TaABF1 activity is regulated by phosphorylation, and previous work in our lab showed that when serine residues in its conserved regions; S36, S37, S113, S115 were altered to phosphomimetic aspartate, the 4xD TaABF1 mutant had increased activity as a transcription factor. However, when only S113 was altered, TaABF1’s activity was greatly reduced. The work presented here explored whether the S36D/S37D/S115D mutant would have stronger activity than the 4xD mutant. Using the particle bombardment technique to introduce the …
Haloferax Volcanii For Carotenoid Production,
2018
Colby College
Haloferax Volcanii For Carotenoid Production, Erika Smith
Honors Theses
Carotenoids are used as natural colorants and have been shown to have numerous health benefits, making these molecules highly desirable in the aquaculture, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical markets. There is increasing consumer demand for the natural synthesis of carotenoids, but current methods are limited by the cost and difficulty of extraction from organisms. The halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii is amenable to extraction and has an endogenous carotenoid biosynthetic pathway that culminates in the accumulation of the carotenoid bacterioruberin; however, H. volcanii also synthesizes important precursors that can be converted into more highly-desired carotenoids, such as β-carotene and astaxanthin, in the presence …
Zebrafish Model Of Mll-Rearranged Acute Myeloid Leukemia,
2018
Virginia Commonwealth University
Zebrafish Model Of Mll-Rearranged Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Alex J. Belt
Theses and Dissertations
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second most common type of leukemia and accounts for 80% of adult acute leukemia cases and is characterized by the accumulation of poorly or undifferentiated myeloid blast cells. Standard treatment includes chemotherapy, which if unsuccessful, is followed by more rigorous chemotherapy as well as stem cell transplantation. Considering most patients are over the age of 45, these more rigorous therapies are not always possible, and as such, new therapies must be developed. Furthermore, AML patients harboring a chromosomal rearrangement involving Multiple Lineage Leukemia (MLL) that results in the expression of an MLL fusion protein …
Quantitation Without Calibration: Response Profile As An Indicator Of Target Amount,
2018
Northern Illinois University
Quantitation Without Calibration: Response Profile As An Indicator Of Target Amount, Mrittika Debnath
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Quantitative assessment of biomarkers is essential in numerous contexts from decision-making in clinical situations to food quality monitoring to the interpretation of life-science research findings. However, appropriate quantitation techniques are not as widely addressed as detection methods. One of the major challenges in biomarker’s quantitation is the need to have a calibration for correlating a measured signal to a target amount. The step complicates the methodologies and makes them less sustainable. In this work, we addressed the issue via a new strategy: relying on the position of response profile rather than absolute signal for assessment of a target nucleic acid’s …
Quantifying The Differences In Binding Affinity Of Reduced Glutathione For Glutathione S-Transferase At Ph 6.5 And 8.5 Using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry,
2018
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Quantifying The Differences In Binding Affinity Of Reduced Glutathione For Glutathione S-Transferase At Ph 6.5 And 8.5 Using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, Clay P. Renshaw Jr., Ronald K. Gary
McNair Poster Presentations
The binding affinity between an enzyme and its substrate is often dependent on the pH of the local environment. Knowing the pH at which reduced glutathione (GSH) binds with the highest affinity to the enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) is useful for determining the optimal pH for purification of GST-fusion proteins during GST-affinity chromatography. In this study, GST of the species Schistosoma japonicum was purified, quantified, and utilized to study its binding interaction with GSH at pH 6.5 and 8.5 via isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). After protein expression, extraction, and purification, the GST concentration was quantified using QubitTM fluorometry. …
Synthesis, Characterisation And Dna Intercalation Studies Of Regioisomers Of Ruthenium (Ii) Polypyridyl Complexes,
2018
Technological University Dublin
Synthesis, Characterisation And Dna Intercalation Studies Of Regioisomers Of Ruthenium (Ii) Polypyridyl Complexes, Laura Perdisatt, Samar Moqadasi, Luke O'Neill, Gary Hessman, Alessandra Ghion, Muhammad Qasim Mushtaq Warraich, Alan Casey, Christine O'Connor
Articles
Regioisomers of the functional group of the main ligand (L) on a series of [Ru(phen)2L]2+and [Ru(bpy)2L]2+ complexes, where phen is 1,10 phenanthroline and bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine, were synthesised to investigate the interaction with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as potential therapeutics. UV–Vis binding titrations, thermal denaturation and circular dichroism were used to evaluate their interaction with DNA. The conclusions indicated the significance of the auxiliary ligand; especially 1,10-phenanthroline has on the binding constants (Kb). The systematic variation of auxiliary ligand(phen or bpy), and polypyridyl ligand (4-(1H-Imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)benzonitrile (CPIP), 2-(4-formylphenyl)imidazo[4,5-f] [1,10] phenanthroline (FPIP), 2-(4-bromophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (BPIP) and 2-(4-nitrophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f] [1,10] phenanthroline (NPIP), split in terms of …
Synergistic Effect Of Smac-Mimetic And Poly (I:C) On Apoptosis Of Cholangiocarcinoma Cells,
2018
Faculty of Allied Health Sciences
Synergistic Effect Of Smac-Mimetic And Poly (I:C) On Apoptosis Of Cholangiocarcinoma Cells, Thanpisit Lomphithak
Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a malignancy transformed from cholangiocytes in the bile ducts is more common in Asia and has the highest incidence rate in Thailand. CCA is an aggressive malignancy which has high mortality, high recurrence rate and poor prognosis due to late diagnosis and lack of effective treatment, therefore identification of novel therapeutic targets could lead to the development of more efficient therapy. CCA is associated with chronic inflammation that could upregulate Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in CCA cells. TLR3 agonist, poly(I:C) has been reported to directly induce apoptosis in selected cancers and also activates anti-tumor immunity. However, in some …
Engineering Of Two-Color Atp-Binding Cassette Biosensor Proteins For Discovery Of Novel Substrates And Modulators,
2018
South Dakota State University
Engineering Of Two-Color Atp-Binding Cassette Biosensor Proteins For Discovery Of Novel Substrates And Modulators, Bremansu Osa-Andrews
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins are a vast, ubiquitous superfamily of proteins most of which unlock the energy from ATP-binding and hydrolysis to influx or efflux a wide spectrum of structurally dissimilar substrates across cell membranes. All eukaryotic ABC transporters including P-gp and MRP1 only exist as efflux pumps whose prominent expression in cells is associated with multidrug resistance of antiretrovirals, antiepileptics, antimalarials and anticancer agents. P-gp and MRP1 reduce the bioavailability and efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs by actively pumping out these drugs, thereby, leading to poor clinical outcomes during chemotherapy. Due to their clinical importance, profiling of the interaction …
Structural Features And Domain Movements Controlling Substrate Binding And Cofactor Specificity In Class Ii Hmg-Coa Reductase,
2018
Bryn Mawr College
Structural Features And Domain Movements Controlling Substrate Binding And Cofactor Specificity In Class Ii Hmg-Coa Reductase, Bradley R. Miller, Yan Kung
Chemistry Faculty Research and Scholarship
The key mevalonate pathway enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase (HMGR) uses the cofactor NAD(P)H to reduce HMG-CoA to mevalonate in the production of countless metabolites and natural products. Although inhibition of HMGR by statin drugs is well-understood, several mechanistic details of HMGR catalysis remain unresolved, and the structural basis for the wide range of cofactor specificity for either NADH or NADPH among HMGRs from different organisms is also unknown. Here, we present crystal structures of HMGR from Streptococcus pneumoniae (SpHMGR) alongside kinetic data of the enzyme’s cofactor preferences. Our structure of SpHMGR bound with its kinetically preferred NADPH cofactor …
Coordination Of Different Ligands To Copper(Ii) And Cobalt(Iii) Metal Centers Enhances Zika Virus And Dengue Virus Loads In Both Arthropod Cells And Human Keratinocytes,
2018
Old Dominion University
Coordination Of Different Ligands To Copper(Ii) And Cobalt(Iii) Metal Centers Enhances Zika Virus And Dengue Virus Loads In Both Arthropod Cells And Human Keratinocytes, Shovan Dutta, Michael J. Celestine, Supreet Khanal, Alexis Huddleston, Colin Simms, Jessa Faye Arca, Amlam Mitra, Loree Heller, Piotr Kraj, Michael Ledizet, John F. Anderson, Girish Neelakanta, Alvin A. Holder, Hameeda Sultana
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Trace elements such as copper and cobalt have been associated with virus-host interactions. However, studies to show the effect of conjugation of copper(II) or cobalt(III) metal centers to thiosemicarbazone ligand(s) derived from either food additives or mosquito repellent such as 2-acetylethiazole or citral, respectively, on Zika virus (ZIKV) or dengue virus (serotype 2; DENV2) infections have not been explored. In this study, we show that four compounds comprising of thiosemicarbazone ligand derived from 2-acetylethiazole viz., (E)-N-ethyl-2-[1-(thiazol-2-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide (acetylethTSC) (compound 1), a copper(II) complex with acetylethTSC as a ligand (compound 2), a thiosemicarbazone ligand-derived from citral (compound 3) and a cobalt(III) complex …
Rack1 Is A Critical Component In Ires-Mediated Translation,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Rack1 Is A Critical Component In Ires-Mediated Translation, Ethan Asher Lafontaine
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Due to its sheer number of interacting partners, core ribosomal protein RACK1 is a key player in many cellular processes and has been shown to play a vital role of translation initiation of the Hepatitis C virus RNA. The HCV 5′ untranslated region contains an internal ribosome entry site. IRES-mediated translation is a process employed in eukaryotes by select viruses and some cellular mRNAs by which translation initiation bypasses the canonical mRNA cap-dependent pathway by means of an RNA secondary structure (the IRES). While cap-dependent translation requires the recruitment of a suite of initiation factors, IRES-mediated translation requires few to …
Technology Development For Detection Of Circulating Disease Biomarkers From Liquid Biopsies Using Multifunctional Nanomaterials,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Technology Development For Detection Of Circulating Disease Biomarkers From Liquid Biopsies Using Multifunctional Nanomaterials, Mustafa Balcioglu
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Despite the advance health care, devastating health conditions such as cancer and infectious diseases that affect populations worldwide are too often not diagnosed until morbid symptoms become apparent in the late phase. Obtaining an early and accurate diagnosis that reveal a hidden lethal threat before the disease becomes complicated may dramatically reduce the severity of its impact on the patient’s life and increase the probability of survival. For example, in the case of ovarian cancer, which is the fifth most common malignancy and the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality in women in the US, the 5-year relative survival is …
Dna Functionalized Nanoparticles In Nanobiosensor And Sensor Array Development For Molecular Diagnostics And In Vitro Identification Of Biomolecules,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Dna Functionalized Nanoparticles In Nanobiosensor And Sensor Array Development For Molecular Diagnostics And In Vitro Identification Of Biomolecules, Mustafa Salih Hizir
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Nucleic acid technology along with vast variety of nanomaterials has demonstrated a great potential in many applications from biosensing studies to molecular diagnostics, from biomedical and bioanalytical research to environmental analysis. Especially short single stranded (ss) DNA molecules, called oligonucleotides, are extraordinary biopolymers featuring diverse functionality on the nanoparticles thanks to their high degree of programmability, target-specific binding or cleavage, molecular recognition ability, structure-switching capability, and unique interactions at the bio-nano interfaces. Among those, there have been many biosensing applications utilizing ss DNAs and numerous nanomaterials through various detection techniques such as fluorometric, colorimetric or electrochemical methods. Although many groundbreaking …
The Dissemination, Regulatory Role, And Evolution Of Mycobacterial Inteins,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
The Dissemination, Regulatory Role, And Evolution Of Mycobacterial Inteins, Danielle Skye Kelley
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Inteins are intervening protein elements, capable of coordinating escape from a host protein through a self-catalyzed mechanism, called protein splicing. This results in free intein and a mature host protein product. Inteins are also mobile elements and many contain homing endonucleases that enable the targeting to ectopic sites and invasion of novel niches. Inteins have been found across all three domains of life and are often present in replication, recombination, and repair proteins. However, it is unclear if the observed distribution is simply a factor of endonuclease preference or if inteins have been selectively maintained due to an adaptation that …
Circular Rna : A Review Of History, Diseases, And Diagnostic Potential,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Circular Rna : A Review Of History, Diseases, And Diagnostic Potential, Daniel Conley
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Abstract
Heteromeric Assemblies Of Glua3 Flip And Flop Shows Differences In Their Channel Opening Kinetics,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Heteromeric Assemblies Of Glua3 Flip And Flop Shows Differences In Their Channel Opening Kinetics, Nicholas Karl
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Prior studies of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors, including that of GluA3 AMPA receptor subunit, have shown that alternative mRNA splicing, which generates flip and flop variants with different amino acid sequences, gives rise to functional differences between the two variants. The goal of this MS thesis is to investigate the basic gating properties of the heteromeric complex channels formed from GluA2R/GluA3 AMPA receptor subunits and the different variants between the two subunits. The hypothesis to be tested is whether different GluA3 variants affect the channel gating properties when each of the variants is in a complex with the Q/R-site edited …
Functional Modulation Of Ampa Receptors By R/G Editing And Auxiliary Subunits,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Functional Modulation Of Ampa Receptors By R/G Editing And Auxiliary Subunits, Wei Wen
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The propagation of information in the central nervous system is, in essence, the flow of ions. Neurons connect with each other to form neural circuits that perform distinct functions, and these connections are formed through synapses. Excitatory and inhibitory synapses determine the excitability of a neuron, which further dictates the firing of action potentials. The major ion channels that mediate the transmission at the excitatory synapses are ionotropic glutamate receptors, among which AMPA receptors are responsible for the fast excitatory transmission. Therefore, the functionalities of AMPA receptors substantially affect the information flow, and dysfunction of them could potentially cause many …
The Development Of Bioaffinity-Based Concepts For On-Site Forensic Analyses : Blood, Sweat, And ... Fingerprints?,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
The Development Of Bioaffinity-Based Concepts For On-Site Forensic Analyses : Blood, Sweat, And ... Fingerprints?, Crystal Huynh
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
There have been many advances in forensic science over the recent years, but a majority of the tests currently preformed are still heavily reliant upon laboratory-based processes. This means that valuable pieces of information are left unexamined until a crime scene has been completely processed and evidence is moved to a crime lab. In some cases, the evidence may even be left in a queue due to backlogs from previous cases. The delay resulting from the time necessary for crime scene processing and transportation, as well as additional time spent waiting on lab equipment availability, hinders an investigator’s ability to …
Genetically Engineered Polypeptides As Biomimetic Light Harvesting Optical Antenna,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Genetically Engineered Polypeptides As Biomimetic Light Harvesting Optical Antenna, Jason P. Seeley
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Natural resources useful for the generation of energy are limited. The development of efficient materials capable of utilizing the abundant free solar radiation is of considerable interest. Utilization of otherwise wasted energy sources, including solar radiation, is a progressive step in the quest for sustainable energy. Solar radiation incident upon the earth’s surface exceeds current energy requirements and motivates scientists to investigate and develop functional devices and nanomaterials including light harvesting complexes (LHC) capable of capturing solar radiation for energy conversion and storage.
