Detection Of Local Steroidogenic Enzyme Gene Expression In Brown Anoles,
2018
Rollins College
Detection Of Local Steroidogenic Enzyme Gene Expression In Brown Anoles, Ada Spahija
Honors Program Theses
The endocrine system in vertebrates responds to stress by releasing steroid hormones, mainly glucocorticoids (GC), which increase blood glucose levels to supply key organs and muscles with energy needed for survival. Steroid hormones are synthesized via an enzymatic pathway that converts cholesterol into either GCs, androgens, or estrogens in a step-wise manner. The adrenal cortex is known to produce GCs, but evidence suggests that individual organs can also produce steroid hormones de novo in response to stress. This study aims to quantify gene expression of four steroidogenic enzymes, encoded by CYP19A1, CYP17A1, StAR, and HSD17ß3 genes, via qRT-PCR to determine …
Optimisation Of Ion Exchange Chromatography Purification Protocols For A Staphylococcal Peptidoglycan Degrading Hydrolase Enzyme,
2018
Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
Optimisation Of Ion Exchange Chromatography Purification Protocols For A Staphylococcal Peptidoglycan Degrading Hydrolase Enzyme, Fiona Maher
Theses
Bacteriophage (phage) are the most abundant biological entities on earth and were first discovered by d’Herelle in 1917. They are found wherever their hosts live and, like all viruses they do not have the ability to make their own protein. Therefore, in order to reproduce, phage must invade and infect bacterial cells. This project focused on the optimisation of Ion Exchange Chromatography purification protocols for a staphylococcal peptidoglycan degrading hydrolase enzyme (CHAPk). The project objective was to obtain the greatest yield of enzyme from the growth of the E.coU XL 1-Blue expression system into which the vector pQE60 was previously …
Proteogenomic Study Of Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacterium Anabaena Cylindrica,
2018
South Dakota State University
Proteogenomic Study Of Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacterium Anabaena Cylindrica, Yeyan Qiu
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cyanobacteria are gram-negative photosynthetic bacteria. In some filamentous cyanobacteria such as Anabaena cylindrica, every 10th to 20th vegetative cells can differentiate into nitrogen fixing heterocysts. Heterocyst can induce the neighboring cells developing into spore-like akinetes. The specialized cell functions and resourceful networks have contributed to the prosperity of cyanobacteria for over 2 billion years, but the genetic mechanisms for multi-cellular differentiation are barely known, especially for akinete formation. The heterocysts, akinetes and vegetative cells of Anabaena cylindrica were isolated for proteomic study. This study identified a total of 1395 proteins, including 664 proteins from akinetes, 751 proteins from …
Wild-Type P53 Enhances Endothelial Barrier Function By Mediating Rac1 Signalling And Rhoa Inhibition,
2018
Old Dominion University
Wild-Type P53 Enhances Endothelial Barrier Function By Mediating Rac1 Signalling And Rhoa Inhibition, Nektarios Barabutis, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Betsy Gregory, John D. Catravas
Bioelectrics Publications
Inflammation is the major cause of endothelial barrier hyper-permeability, associated with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. This study reports that p53 "orchestrates" the defence of vascular endothelium against LPS, by mediating the opposing actions of Rac1 and RhoA in pulmonary tissues. Human lung microvascular endothelial cells treated with HSP90 inhibitors activated both Rac1- and P21-activated kinase, which is an essential element of vascular barrier function. 17AAG increased the phosphorylation of both LIMK and cofilin, in contrast to LPS which counteracted those effects. Mouse lung microvascular endothelial cells exposed to LPS exhibited decreased expression of phospho-cofilin. 17AAG treatment …
Cold Atmospheric Plasma As A Potential Tool For Multiple Myeloma Treatment,
2018
Old Dominion University
Cold Atmospheric Plasma As A Potential Tool For Multiple Myeloma Treatment, Dehui Xu, Yujing Xu, Qingjie Cui, Dingxin Liu, Zhijie Liu, Xiaohua Wang, Yanjie Yang, Niaojuan Feng, Rong Liang, Hailan Chen, Kai Ye, Michael G. Kong
Bioelectrics Publications
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a fatal and incurable hematological malignancy thus new therapy need to be developed. Cold atmospheric plasma, a new technology that could generate various active species, could efficiently induce various tumor cells apoptosis. More details about the interaction of plasma and tumor cells need to be addressed before the application of gas plasma in clinical cancer treatment. In this study, we demonstrate that He+O2 plasma could efficiently induce myeloma cell apoptosis through the activation of CD95 and downstream caspase cascades. Extracellular and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation is essential for CD95-mediated cell apoptosis in response …
Dielectric Properties Of Isolated Adrenal Chromaffin Cells Determined By Microfluidic Impedance Spectroscopy,
2018
Old Dominion University
Dielectric Properties Of Isolated Adrenal Chromaffin Cells Determined By Microfluidic Impedance Spectroscopy, A. C. Sabuncu, M. Stacey, G. L. Graviso, N. Semenova, P. T. Vernier, N. Leblanc, I. Chatterjee, J. Zaklit
Bioelectrics Publications
Knowledge of the dielectric properties of biological cells plays an important role in numerical models aimed at understanding how high intensity ultrashort nanosecond electric pulses affect the plasma membrane and the membranes of intracellular organelles. To this end, using electrical impedance spectroscopy, the dielectric properties of isolated, neuroendocrine adrenal chromaffin cells were obtained. Measured impedance data of the cell suspension, acquired between 1 kHz and 20 MHz, were fit into a combination of constant phase element and Cole-Cole models from which the effect of electrode polarization was extracted. The dielectric spectrum of each cell suspension was fit into a Maxwell-Wagner …
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 …
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 …
Steroid-Coa Ligases, Fadd17a1 And Fadd19a1, And Their Role In Cholesterol Side-Chain Degradation In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis,
2018
University of Texas at El Paso
Steroid-Coa Ligases, Fadd17a1 And Fadd19a1, And Their Role In Cholesterol Side-Chain Degradation In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Johnathan Salim Abou-Fadel
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a serious health issue arising from the increasing incidence of multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) strains that are becoming more prevalent in high-risk countries, especially here in the Texas/Mexico border. Confirmed cases and outbreaks in schools and hospitals are more frequent in this region due to the high-volume pedestrian traffic between the two cities, and the lack of a modernized health system in Mexico. Identification of new Mtb metabolic pathways for development of novel antitubercular drugs is urgently needed. The goal of this current work investigates two Mtb fatty acyl-CoA ligase enzymes' (FadD17A1 and FadD19A1) to explore whether …
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 …
Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Signaling In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis : New Insights Into A Universal Second Messenger,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Signaling In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis : New Insights Into A Universal Second Messenger, Richard Mcpherson Johnson
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Despite being the focus of intense research for many years Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), remains the deadliest bacterial pathogen plaguing mankind today. Humans are the sole host and reservoir for Mtb, and Mtb has coevolved closely with its human host for thousands of years. Mtb currently infects over two billion people worldwide and over 1.5 million people die from TB each year, arguably making Mtb the most successful bacterial pathogen on the planet.
Regulated Transcriptional Silencing Promotes Germline Stem Cell Differentiation In Drosophila Melanogaster,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Regulated Transcriptional Silencing Promotes Germline Stem Cell Differentiation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Pooja Flora
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Germ cells are the only cell in an organism that have the capacity to give rise to a new organism and are passed from one generation to the next. Therefore, to maintain this unique ability of totipotency and immortality, germ cells execute specific functions, such as, repression of a somatic program and contour a germ line-specific pre- and post-transcriptional gene regulatory landscape. In many sexually reproducing organisms, germ cells are formed during the earliest stages of embryogenesis and undergoes several stages of development to eventually get encapsulated by the somatic cells of the gonad. Once, in the gonad, the germ …
Chromatin-Signaling Axis Orchestrates The Formation Of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation Niche In Drosophila,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Chromatin-Signaling Axis Orchestrates The Formation Of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation Niche In Drosophila, Maitreyi Upadhyay
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Stem cells have the unique capability of self-renewing into stem cells and differentiating into several terminal cell types. Loss of either of these processes can lead to aging, progression towards degenerative diseases and cancers. Insight into how self-renewal and differentiation are regulated will have tremendous therapeutic impact. Drosophila is an excellent model system for stem cell study due to the availability of various mutants, markers and RNAi technology. In order to study stem cell biology, we use female Drosophila gonads, whose stem cell population – the germline stem cells (GSCs) gives rise to gametes.
Evaluating The Effects Of Vitamin D And Hyaluronic Acid On The Radiation Response Of Normal Mammary Epithelial Cells And Breast Cancer Cells,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Evaluating The Effects Of Vitamin D And Hyaluronic Acid On The Radiation Response Of Normal Mammary Epithelial Cells And Breast Cancer Cells, Lauren Rose-Boehnlein
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Each year over 200,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Nearly 25% of them are told they have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive and lethal form, with few targeted treatment options beyond the standard regimen of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Over 40% of TNBC cases overexpress hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2), a cell membrane enzyme that synthesizes the extracellular matrix (ECM) polysaccharide hyaluronic acid (HA). HA binds to and activates the cell surface receptor CD44, which is highly enriched on the cell surface of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and has been associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition …
Retinoic Acid Receptor Isoform-Specific Control Of Mouse Salivary Gland Development And Regeneration,
2018
University at Albany, State University of New York
Retinoic Acid Receptor Isoform-Specific Control Of Mouse Salivary Gland Development And Regeneration, Kara Desantis
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Controlled expansion and differentiation of progenitor cell populations is essential for organogenesis followed by continued maintenance of the population into and through adulthood. As the K5+ basal cell population is regulated by retinoic acid signaling, we interrogated the contribution of specific RAR isoforms to the regulation of these cells during submandibular salivary gland (SMG) organogenesis and regeneration. Retinoic acid has previously been shown to be involved in the development of the salivary gland, and recently, lack of retinoid signaling has been shown to impact the K5+ population of basal progenitor cells. Since retinoic acid is known to exert stimulatory effects …
Crispr/Cas9-Induced Genetic Disruption And Characterization Of Udp-Galactopyranose Mutase In Trypanosoma Cruzi,
2018
University of Texas at El Paso
Crispr/Cas9-Induced Genetic Disruption And Characterization Of Udp-Galactopyranose Mutase In Trypanosoma Cruzi, Claudia Manriquez
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, is the causative agent of Chagas disease (ChD), or American trypanosomiasis, which affects 6-8 million people in Latin America. It is estimated that 2-3 million people will develop severe lifelong cardiac and/or digestive disorders. ChD has become a life threat not only to endemic regions but most recently also to nonendemic regions, including the United States, owing to extensive worldwide migration in recent years. The lack of a vaccine and the limited efficacy of the two drug treatments available make it urgent to develop novel therapies to treat such a threatening disease. UDP-Galactopyranose mutase (UGM) …
Studies On E2 Conjugation Enzyme Partners Of Mulan E3 Ubiquitin Ligase,
2018
University of Central Florida
Studies On E2 Conjugation Enzyme Partners Of Mulan E3 Ubiquitin Ligase, Rebekah J. Fitzpatrick
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Mulan is an E3 ubiquitin ligase embedded in the outer mitochondria membrane. Mulan’s participation in the ubiquitination process is conducted through its cytosol exposed RING finger domain, and its ability to modulate protein ubiquitination makes it a key player in mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis. Mulan is known to be involved in mitochondrial fission, fusion, mitochondrial stress, apoptosis, and Parkin-independent mitophagy. Dysregulation of Mulan in mice has been shown to correlate with human neurodegenerative disorders and heart disease. Accumulation of Mulan is predicted to be responsible for the motor neuron degeneration 2 (mnd2) phenotype in mutant mice through the deregulation of …
Determination Of The Sivmac Vif-Human Apobec3b Interaction,
2018
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Determination Of The Sivmac Vif-Human Apobec3b Interaction, Oumar Sanogo
All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects
The APOBEC3 family of enzymes are DNA cytosine deaminases, some of which restrict replication of HIV-‐1. This viral restriction is caused by deamination of cytosines to uracils in the viral cDNA, resulting in lethal mutation. HIV-‐1 counteracts this deamination by producing the protein Vif, which targets the restricting APOBEC3 enzymes for proteosomal degradation. Previous studies have demonstrated that HIV-‐1 Vif mediates degradation of APOBEC3D (A3D), APOBEC3F (A3F), APOBEC3G (A3G), and APOBEC3H (A3H). Other lentiviruses may also encode a Vif protein, however not all Vif proteins can degrade the same APOBEC3 proteins. For example, SIVmac (simian immunodeficiency virus that infects rhesus …
Targeting Ovarian Cancer And Endothelium With An Allosteric Ptp4a3 Phosphatase Inhibitor,
2018
Old Dominion University
Targeting Ovarian Cancer And Endothelium With An Allosteric Ptp4a3 Phosphatase Inhibitor, Kelley E. Mcqueeney, Joseph M. Salamoun, James C. Burnett, Nektarios Barabutis, Paula Pekic, Sophie L. Lewandowski, Danielle C. Llaneza, Robert Cornelison, Yunpeng Bai, Zhong-Yin Zhang, John D. Catravas
Bioelectrics Publications
Overexpression of protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP4A oncoproteins is common in many human cancers and is associated with poor patient prognosis and survival. We observed elevated levels of PTP4A3 phosphatase in 79% of human ovarian tumor samples, with significant overexpression in tumor endothelium and pericytes. Furthermore, PTP4A phosphatases appear to regulate several key malignant processes, such as invasion, migration, and angiogenesis, suggesting a pivotal regulatory role in cancer and endothelial signaling pathways. While phosphatases are attractive therapeutic targets, they have been poorly investigated because of a lack of potent and selective chemical probes. In this study, we disclose that a potent, …
