Energy-Saving Hypothermia Reduces Flight Ability In Mourning Doves,
2012
Indiana State University
Energy-Saving Hypothermia Reduces Flight Ability In Mourning Doves, Jennie M. Carr, Steven L. Lima
Symposium 2012
Overwintering birds are frequently exposed to thermal challenges that can quickly decrease energy reserves, thus leading to an increase in the risk of starvation. During these periods of energetic hardship, many avian species use nocturnal hypothermia to conserve energy that would otherwise be lost remaining warm throughout the night (McKechnie & Lovegrove 2002). However, a cool body temperature (Tb) may limit a bird’s ability to monitor the environment and may slow their response to a potential threat. Thus, birds likely trade-off between the benefits of energy-saving hypothermia and the potential costs of reduced behavioral responsiveness to predators (Welton et al. …
Synthesis Of S-Ribosyl-L-Homocysteine And Analogs Modified At The Homocysteine-C3 Position,
2012
The University of San Francisco
Synthesis Of S-Ribosyl-L-Homocysteine And Analogs Modified At The Homocysteine-C3 Position, Ruoyi Liu
Master's Theses
Quorum sensing (QS) is a process of bacterial cell-to-cell communication that conveys population density information in order to coordinate gene expression to produce synchronized behaviors. QS regulates the expression of virulence genes in many species of bacteria; hence, the manipulation of QS pathways may lead to treatment options against many bacterial diseases. The LuxS enzyme converts S-ribosyl-L-homocysteine (SRH) into homocysteine (HCys) and 4(S),5-dihydroxypentane-2,3-dione (DPD), which is the precursor of autoinducer-2 (AI-2). Thus, inhibitors of LuxS could prevent QS by halting the conversion of SRH to AI-2 rendering the cell “uncommunicative”. This work shows the successful chemical synthesis …
Elevating Ascorbate Content In Tomato And Studying The Role Of Jasmonates In Modulating Ascorbate In Arabidopsis,
2012
Arkansas State University
Elevating Ascorbate Content In Tomato And Studying The Role Of Jasmonates In Modulating Ascorbate In Arabidopsis, Shashank S. Kulkarni
Student Theses and Dissertations
Vitamin C (ascorbate, AsA) is the most abundant water soluble antioxidant in plants and is essential for plant and human health. Ascorbate plays a key role in protecting plants from reactive oxygen species generated during normal metabolic processes and under stress conditions including wounding, pathogen attack, salt, heat, light, and ozone exposure. Jasmonates (JAs), a group of plants hormones involved in stress responses also protect plants from these stresses. There is evidence indicating that JAs modulate AsA content in plants. The recent discovery of the inositol pathway has opened possibilities for AsA enhancement via metabolic engineering in plants. Over-expression of …
Shoc2 Is Targeted To Late Endosomes And Required For Erk1/2 Activation In Egf-Stimulated Cells,
2012
University of Kentucky
Shoc2 Is Targeted To Late Endosomes And Required For Erk1/2 Activation In Egf-Stimulated Cells, Emilia Galperin, Lina Abdelmoti, Alexander Sorkin
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications
Shoc2 is the putative scaffold protein that interacts with RAS and RAF, and positively regulates signaling to extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). To elucidate the mechanism by which Shoc2 regulates ERK1/2 activation by the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR), we studied subcellular localization of Shoc2. Upon EGFR activation, endogenous Shoc2 and red fluorescent protein tagged Shoc2 were translocated from the cytosol to a subset of late endosomes containing Rab7. The endosomal recruitment of Shoc2 was blocked by overexpression of a GDP-bound H-RAS (N17S) mutant and RNAi knockdown of clathrin, suggesting the requirement of RAS activity and …
Synthesis Of Fluorogenic Substrates For The Enzymatic Characterization Of Rv0045c From M. Tuberculosis,
2012
Butler University
Synthesis Of Fluorogenic Substrates For The Enzymatic Characterization Of Rv0045c From M. Tuberculosis, Kelly Jo Mckenna
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the pathogenic bacterial agent commonly responsible for tuberculosis, or TB. Although treatment exists for the active form of tuberculosis, no method has been developed for eliminating M tuberculosis in its dormant state. One hypothesized method for the elimination of dormant TB is to develop an inhibitor specific for M tuberculosis esterases and lipases, as these esterases and lipases are essential to the survival of dormant TB infection. In this research, the substrate specificity of the Rv0045c esterase from M tuberculosis was studied due to the essential role of Rv0045c in TB metabolism and its dissimilarity to other …
Exploring The Interaction Between Human Granulin-A (Hgrn-A) And Amyloid-Β (Aβ) Peptide,
2012
University of Southern Mississippi
Exploring The Interaction Between Human Granulin-A (Hgrn-A) And Amyloid-Β (Aβ) Peptide, Michael Samel
Honors Theses
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia affecting people over the age of 60, yet a detailed understanding of the molecular changes involved in AD remains a significant challenge to modern medicine. The hallmarks of an AD brain include the presence of senile plaques formed by a protein called amyloid-β (Aβ), along with inflammation of the brain. Aβ self-associates to form clumps of protein called “aggregates” which are known to be the primary toxic agents in AD pathology; however, several other proteins have also been implicated in this pathology. One such protein called progranulin (PGRN), which under …
Refining Vibrationally-Resonant Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy For Studies Of Interfacial Interactions,
2012
Brigham Young University - Provo
Refining Vibrationally-Resonant Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy For Studies Of Interfacial Interactions, Alexander D. Curtis
Theses and Dissertations
Many phenomena of interest to science and engineering occur at interfaces; however, access to, or discrimination of, interfacial interactions has been challenging, especially at buried interfaces. Vibrationally resonant sum-frequency generation (VR-SFG) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for investigating the molecular structure of free or buried interfaces, but spectral analysis has relied on many assumptions. To claim accurate new insights, practitioners must be able to make unique determinations from the data without experimental artifacts affecting the final results. For example, two independent and overlapping studies for the polystyrene/air interface were carried out, but reported different surface structures. Initially, this difference was …
Conservation Of Oxidative Protein Stabilization In An Insect
Homologue Of The Parkinsonism-Associated Protein Dj-1,
2012
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Conservation Of Oxidative Protein Stabilization In An Insect Homologue Of The Parkinsonism-Associated Protein Dj-1, Jiusheng Lin, Janani Prahlad, Mark A. Wilson
Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications
DJ-1 is a conserved, disease-associated protein that protects against oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in multiple organisms. Human DJ-1 contains a functionally essential cysteine residue (Cys106) whose oxidation is important for regulating protein function by an unknown mechanism. This residue is well conserved in other DJ-1 homologues, including two (DJ-1α and DJ-1β) in Drosophila melanogaster. Because D. melanogaster is a powerful model system for studying DJ-1 function, we have determined the crystal structure and impact of cysteine oxidation on Drosophila DJ-1β. The structure of D. melanogaster DJ-1β is similar to that of human DJ-1, although two important residues in …
Szilard Engine Reversibility As Quantum Gate Function,
2012
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Szilard Engine Reversibility As Quantum Gate Function, F. Matthew Mihelic
Faculty Publications
A quantum gate is a logically and thermodynamically reversible situation that effects a unitary transformation of qubits of superimposed information, and essentially constitutes a situation for a reversible quantum decision. A quantum decision is a symmetry break, and the effect of the function of a Szilard engine is a symmetry break. A quantum gate is a situation in which a reversible quantum decision can be made, and so if a logically and thermodynamically reversible Szilard engine can be theoretically constructed then it would function as a quantum gate. While the traditionally theorized Szilard engine is not thermodynamically reversible, if one …
Proteome-Wide Analysis Of Single-Nucleotide Variations In The N-Glycosylation Sequon Of Human Genes,
2012
George Washington University
Proteome-Wide Analysis Of Single-Nucleotide Variations In The N-Glycosylation Sequon Of Human Genes, Raja Mazumder, Krishna Sudeep Morampudi, Mona Motwani, Sona Vasudevan, Radoslav Goldman
Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications
N-linked glycosylation is one of the most frequent post-translational modifications of proteins with a profound impact on their biological function. Besides other functions, N-linked glycosylation assists in protein folding, determines protein orientation at the cell surface, or protects proteins from proteases. The N-linked glycans attach to asparagines in the sequence context Asn-X-Ser/Thr, where X is any amino acid except proline. Any variation (e.g. non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism or mutation) that abolishes the N-glycosylation sequence motif will lead to the loss of a glycosylation site. On the other hand, variations causing a substitution that creates a new N-glycosylation sequence motif can …
Elucidating The Mechanism Of Antimigratory Activity Of Cardiac Glycosides,
2012
University of Connecticut - Storrs
Elucidating The Mechanism Of Antimigratory Activity Of Cardiac Glycosides, Joshua H. Johnson
Honors Scholar Theses
The focus of this research is on cell migration and how it can be better understood through the use of small molecules that modulate cell migratory activity. The results have particular relevance in the realm of cancer pharmacology. Cardiac glycosides, which are known inhibitors of the eukaryotic Na+/K+-ATPase, have been determined to have antimigratory activities through the screening of several small molecule libraries. Here we investigate the antimigratory activities of the cardiac glycoside digitoxin as well as its analogs that we synthesized. Antimigratory activity was determined by conducting a wound closure assay with MDA-MB-231 human breast …
Improvements To The Forensic Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Typing,
2012
University of Connecticut - Storrs
Improvements To The Forensic Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Typing, Elizabeth Montano
Honors Scholar Theses
Sequence analysis of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an effective and reliable tool for the genetic characterization of forensic samples. The nature of the mitochondrial genome (mtgenome), its high copy number and small size (~17kb) makes it more resistant to degradation and more stable than nuclear DNA. For this reason mitochondrial DNA is often the only feasible option for the forensic analysis of environmentally compromised samples. Currently the forensic analysis of the mtgenome is restricted to the hypervariable regions, also known as the Displacement loop (d-loop). Previous studies, confirmed in the Strausbaugh lab, have demonstrated an increased variability in the …
Metallothionein Gene Dose And The Immune Response,
2012
University of Connecticut - Storrs
Metallothionein Gene Dose And The Immune Response, Meaghan Roy-O-Reilly
Honors Scholar Theses
Metallothionein (MT) is a small, cysteine-rich protein with significant immunomodulatory activity. It has been shown to play a critical role in important cellular mechanisms including heavy metal detoxification, essential metal management and the inflammatory response. MT production can be induced by a number of cellular stressors and acts to lessen the harmful effects of oxidizing agents and heavy metal exposure. Previous studies have shown that the dose of the metallothionein gene present in an individual may have significant effects on the adaptive immune response, yet the mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unknown. We hypothesize that the gene dose of metallothionein …
Identifying Progenitor Cells Of Heterotopic Ossification,
2012
University of Connecticut - Storrs
Identifying Progenitor Cells Of Heterotopic Ossification, Eileen E. Semancik
Honors Scholar Theses
Heterotopic Ossification (HO) is the abnormal formation of bone within extraskeletal soft tissues. The condition can occur through both genetic and acquired means. Acquired cases of HO result from invasive surgery or traumatic injuries, with increasing prevalence of ectopic skeletogenesis as a result of combat-related blast injuries. HO has been characterized to some extent, including the histological features and the mutation underlying the genetic form, but the cells resident in skeletal muscle that represent the progenitors of heterotopic bone have yet to be determined. Only a few publications have attempted to definitively determine the progenitor cells in this disorder. Findings …
Fundamentals Of Protein Structure Alignment,
2012
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Fundamentals Of Protein Structure Alignment, Allen Holder, Mark Brandt, Yosi Shibberu
Mathematical Sciences Technical Reports (MSTR)
The central dogma of molecular biology asserts a one way transfer of information from a cell’s genetic code to the expression of proteins. Proteins are the functional workhorses of a cell, and studying these molecules is at the foundation of much of computational biology. Our goal here is to present a succinct introduction to the biological, mathematical, and computational aspects of making pairwise comparisons between protein structures. The presentation is intended to be useful for those who are entering this research area. The chapter begins with a brief introduction to the biology of protein comparison, which is followed by a …
Cholesterol Lowering Effects Of Milk With Added Phytosterols,
2012
University of Connecticut - Storrs
Cholesterol Lowering Effects Of Milk With Added Phytosterols, Laura Kells Cusack
Master's Theses
Foods incorporating plant sterols (PS) reduce Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) on average approximately 10%. PS with a higher lipid solubility may promote greater reductions. We examined the cholesterol lowering effect of a novel triglyceride recrystallized phystosterol (TRP). Twenty subjects (mean ± SD; age, 56 ± 10 years; BMI, 27 ± 5) with elevated LDL (>100 mg/dL) participated in three 4-week phases; Phase I, 2% milk; Phase II, milk with 2.0 grams (g) free PS; Phase III, milk with 2.0 g TRP. Before and after each phase two fasting blood draws were obtained for determination of serum cholesterol. Between the 2% …
Locking Down The N-Terminus Of Prmt1 In Order To Assess The Role Of Motion In Activity,
2012
Utah State University
Locking Down The N-Terminus Of Prmt1 In Order To Assess The Role Of Motion In Activity, Taylor James Rasmussen
Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects
Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are involved In many major biological pathways in the human body. Processes that demonstrate arginine methylation by PRMTs include, but are not limited to, histone modification, DNA transcription, and post-translational protein modifications. Although recent research has allowed the identification of several PRMT isoforms and exposed their involvement in these processes, relatively little is known about the details of how these enzymes perform their biochemical duties. It is currently hypothesized that the N-terminus of PRMT variant I is involved in recognizing substrates and aiding in catalysis by virtue of a change in its conformation. To understand how …
Mutation And Complementation Of A Cellulose Synthase (Cesa) Gene,
2012
University of Rhode Island
Mutation And Complementation Of A Cellulose Synthase (Cesa) Gene, Ahmed Y. El-Araby
Senior Honors Projects
Cellulose is a carbohydrate polymer that is composed of repeating glucose subunits. Being the most abundant organic compound in the biosphere and comprising a large percentage of all plant biomass, cellulose is extremely plentiful and has a significant role in nature. Cellulose is present in plant cell walls, in commercial products such as those made from wood or cotton, and is of interest to the biofuel industry as a potential alternative fuel source. Although indigestible by humans, cellulose is nutritionally valuable, serving as a dietary fiber. Because of its ubiquity and importance in many areas, studying cellulose will prove to …
Transport And Spectroscopic Studies Of The Effects Of Fullerene Structure On The Efficiency And Lifetime Of Polythiophene-Based Solar Cells,
2012
Santa Clara University
Transport And Spectroscopic Studies Of The Effects Of Fullerene Structure On The Efficiency And Lifetime Of Polythiophene-Based Solar Cells, Emilee L. Sena, Justin H. Peel, Devin Wesenberg, Shreya Nathan, Marianne Wallis, Maxwell J. Giammona, Thorsteinn Adalsteinsson, Brian J. Mcnelis, Richard P. Barber Jr.
Physics
Time-dependent measurements of both power conversion efficiency and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy have been observed for solar cell blends containing the polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) with two different functionalized C60 electron acceptor molecules: commercially available [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) or [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid octadecyl ester (PCBOD) produced in this laboratory. Efficiency was found to decay with an exponential time dependence, while spectroscopic features show saturating exponential behavior. Time constants extracted from both types of measurements showed reasonable agreement for samples produced from the same blend. In comparison to the PCBM samples, the stability of the PCBOD blends was …
The Time-Course Of The Effects Of Growth Hormone During Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Auditory Hair Cell Regeneration,
2012
Western Kentucky University
The Time-Course Of The Effects Of Growth Hormone During Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Auditory Hair Cell Regeneration, Yajie Wang
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Growth hormone (GH) was upregulated in the zebrafish inner ear following sound exposure in a previous study. To identify the specific role of GH in hair cell regeneration and the possible cellular mechanisms of this regeneration, groups of zebrafish were divided into baseline (no sound exposure, no injection), buffer-injected and GH-injected groups. Buffer- and GH-injected fish were exposed to a 150 Hz tone at a source level of 179 dB re 1 μPa root mean squared (RMS) for 36 h. Phalloidin-staining was used to assess the effects of GH on hair cell bundle density; BrdU-labeling was used to assess the …
