Characterization Of The Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) Melanocortin-2 Receptor,
2021
University of Denver
Characterization Of The Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) Melanocortin-2 Receptor, Brianne Hoglin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Among bony vertebrates, the melanocortin-2 receptor ortholog is unique among the family of five melanocortin receptors on the basis that it is dependent on its accessory protein, MRAP1, for trafficking and activation, and is selective for activation by ACTH alone. Previous studies on the MC2R orthologs of select cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii) and the red stingray (Dasyatis akajei), revealed divergent traits in a less obligatory relationship on MRAP1 and its ability to be activated by ACTH or the MSH-sized peptides. However, observed traits were not consistent between these two cartilaginous fish species, posing …
Rab35 Centered Membrane Trafficking Pathway Directs Apical Constriction During Drosophila Gastrulation,
2021
University of Denver
Rab35 Centered Membrane Trafficking Pathway Directs Apical Constriction During Drosophila Gastrulation, Hui Miao
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Force generation in epithelial tissues is often pulsatile, with actomyosin networks generating high-tension contractile forces at the cell cortex before cyclically disassembling. This pulsed nature of cytoskeletal forces implies that there must be cellular processes to extract unidirectional changes that drive processive transformations in cell shape. During Drosophila melanogastergastrulation, the invagination of the prospective mesoderm is driven by the pulsed constriction of apical surfaces. Here, we address the mechanisms by which the irreversibility of pulsed events is achieved while also permitting uniform epithelial behaviors to emerge. We use MSD-based analyses to identify contractile steps and find that when a …
Mammalian Sec Proteins Expression And Purification,
2021
Calvin University
Mammalian Sec Proteins Expression And Purification, Elizabeth Bolton, Braden North, Brayden Vanderweide
Summer Research
Sec23 and Sec24 mammalian proteins assist in the transport of cargo proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. These COP II coat proteins trap cargo proteins for transport, potentially with direct binding to cargo protein GLUT1.
The Characterization Of The Function(S) Of Crag In Basement Membrane Polarity,
2021
Northern Illinois University
The Characterization Of The Function(S) Of Crag In Basement Membrane Polarity, Hemin Pankajkumar Shah
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
The abundant epithelial cells play various roles in the development and maintenance of an organism, and their apical-basolateral polarity is a unique characteristic that is imperative to their function and integrity. This polarity is maintained via various environmental cues and tightly regulated intracellular trafficking, where the presence of the basement membrane (BM) provides a basal cue. The BM is a specialized extracellular matrix (ECM) secreted by the epithelial cells, which accumulates on the basal side and serves as their mechanical anchorage. Although the BM is of paramount importance in the apical-basolateral polarity and the loss of BM’s integrity is a …
Transactivation And Mitochondrial Activity Are Affected By High Temperature In C. Elegans Sperm,
2021
Claremont Colleges
Transactivation And Mitochondrial Activity Are Affected By High Temperature In C. Elegans Sperm, Jacqueline Mcvay
Scripps Senior Theses
Sexual reproduction has a conserved flaw in that it is temperature sensitive. Exposure to high temperature leads to male infertility, but little is known about the underlying mechanism. Understanding these mechanisms is important for agriculture and reproductive medicine. Using C. elegans, we investigated two potential aspects of male fertility that may be affected by high temperature conditions: activation of sperm by seminal fluid and sperm mitochondrial activity. There are two pathways for sperm activation in C. elegans: the SPE-8 pathway in hermaphrodites and the TRY-5 pathway in male seminal fluid. Hermaphrodite sperm with a mutation in spe-8 can …
Cop9 Signalosome Component Csn-5 Promotes Accumulation And Function Of Stem Cell Regulators Fbf-1 And Fbf-2,
2021
University of Montana
Cop9 Signalosome Component Csn-5 Promotes Accumulation And Function Of Stem Cell Regulators Fbf-1 And Fbf-2, Emily Osterli
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
RNA-binding proteins FBF-1 and FBF-2 (FBFs) are required for stem cell maintenance in C. elegans, although the mechanisms by which FBFs protein levels are regulated remain unknown. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified an interaction between both FBFs and CSN-5, a component of the COP9 (constitutive photomorphogenesis 9) signalosome. This highly conserved COP9 complex can affect protein stability through a range of mechanisms including deneddylation, deubiquitination, and phosphorylation (Wolf et al., 2003). Mapping protein-protein interactions between FBFs and CSN-5 suggested that the MPN (Mpr1/Pad1 N-terminal) metalloprotease domain of CSN-5 interacts with the RNA-binding domain of FBFs at physiologically …
Periocular Mesenchyme Heterogeneity During Morphogenesis Of The Vertebrate Ocular Anterior Segment,
2021
University of Kentucky
Periocular Mesenchyme Heterogeneity During Morphogenesis Of The Vertebrate Ocular Anterior Segment, Kristyn L. Van Der Meulen
Theses and Dissertations--Biology
The vertebrate eye is a complex organ, responsible for the primary sense with which we interact with our environment: vision. Development of the eye is a tightly regulated process, controlled by a vast network of genes. This process begins with eye morphogenesis, when the eye structure is formed through a series of morphogenetic movements and culminates in the creation of the optic cup, lens, and presumptive optic stalk. Next, retinal differentiation creates the critical cell layers of the retina needed to process light waves that enter the eye, including rod and cone photoreceptors, interneurons, and support cells. Failure in either …
Protocadherin-17 Expression And Function In Vertebrate Brain: A Literature Review,
2021
The University of Akron
Protocadherin-17 Expression And Function In Vertebrate Brain: A Literature Review, Mathea Mcguire
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
For this project, I will be doing a systematic review on protocadherin-17 function in vertebrate brain development and function in the last 10 years. Protocadherins are members of cadherin superfamily. Cadherins are calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules that are implicated to play crucial roles in the information and maintenance of tissues and organs in vertebrate animals. This review will summarize major findings regarding protocadherin-17 expression and function in major model organisms such as zebrafish and mice, as well as results from human studies. It is hoped that this work will be a valuable source for background knowledge of protocadherin-17 function in …
Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Optic Fissure Fusion During Zebrafish Eye Development,
2021
University of Kentucky
Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Optic Fissure Fusion During Zebrafish Eye Development, Megan Weaver
Theses and Dissertations--Biology
Vertebrate retinal development requires timely and precise fusion of the optic fissure. Failure of this event leads to congenital vision impairment in the form of coloboma. Recent studies have suggested hyaloid vasculature to be involved in OF fusion. In order to examine this link, we analyzed optic fissure fusion and hyaloid vasculogenesis in the zebrafish pax2a noi mutant line. We first determined that pax2a-/- embryos fail to accumulate F-actin in the optic fissure prior to basement membrane (BM) degradation. Furthermore, using 3D and live imaging we observed reduced OF hyaloid vascularization in pax2a-/- embryos. When examining the connection …
Leveraging Transcriptomic Approaches To Identify Differences In Genetic Programming Driving Two Distinct Wound Healing Mechanisms, Regeneration And Fibrosis, In Acomys And Mus,
2021
University of Kentucky
Leveraging Transcriptomic Approaches To Identify Differences In Genetic Programming Driving Two Distinct Wound Healing Mechanisms, Regeneration And Fibrosis, In Acomys And Mus, Shishir K. Biswas
Theses and Dissertations--Biology
Why can some animals and others cannot? This fundamental question has fueled scientists studying regeneration for hundreds of years since early observations in crayfish, salamanders and many other organisms. While most contemporary work in regeneration is done in a handful of species including salamanders, zebrafish and flatforms, these organisms lack a closely-related, non-regenerating sister species from which unique genetic differences can be identified. Additionally, while much has been learned from these organisms, they do not share fundamental biological traits with mammals (endothermy, metabolism and immune system) which limits the ability to translate this research for clinical medicine. To this end, …
Larval Anatomy Of Monotypic Painted Ant Nest Frogs Lithodytes Lineatus Reveals Putative Homoplasies With The Leptodactylus Pentadactylus Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae),
2021
University of Richmond
Larval Anatomy Of Monotypic Painted Ant Nest Frogs Lithodytes Lineatus Reveals Putative Homoplasies With The Leptodactylus Pentadactylus Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Filipe A.C Do Nascimento, Rafael O. De Sá, Paulo C. De A. Garcia
Biology Faculty Publications
The morphological diversity of anuran larvae made them an important source of information for evolutionary and systematic studies. For the monotypic frog genus Lithodytes, which has an interesting taxonomic history, including its past synonymizing with Adenomera and its placement as a subgenus of Leptodactylus, the information provided from its larvae can help to understand its systematics interrelationships and also provide insights about its evolutionary trajectories. Herein, we provide a detailed description of the larval morphology of Lithodytes lineatus, including novel data of internal morphology (buccopharyngeal cavity and skeleton), and discuss some morphological and evolutionary aspects in relation …
Using Zebrafish To Elucidate The Expression And Gene Regulatory Network Of The Genomic Screen Homeobox Transcription Factors And Bring Innovative Science Learning Experiences To West Virginia,
2021
West Virginia University
Using Zebrafish To Elucidate The Expression And Gene Regulatory Network Of The Genomic Screen Homeobox Transcription Factors And Bring Innovative Science Learning Experiences To West Virginia, Rebecca Ann Coltogirone
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Central nervous system (CNS) development requires a code of regionally expressed transcription factors that impart initial neuronal cell identity, connectivity, and function. The absence of a transcription factor code would eliminate the neurodevelopmental logic producing diverse cell types in the CNS. Furthermore, early disruptions in transcription factor expression can affect later connectivity and function of neuronal circuits mediating sensory processing, defects in which are often observed as comorbid with various neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Characterizing transcription factor expression and function is therefore an essential step in discerning the molecular mechanisms underlying human NDDs. genomic screen homeobox 1 and 2 (gsx1 …
Microrna In The Mammalian Growth Plate: Matrix Vesicles And 1Α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3,
2021
Virginia Commonwealth University
Microrna In The Mammalian Growth Plate: Matrix Vesicles And 1Α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, Niels C. Asmussen
Theses and Dissertations
Growth plate chondrocytes are the driving force of long bone elongation and they accomplish this vital task, in part, by producing, remodeling, and finally mineralizing the cartilage tissue that makes up the growth plate. This mineralized tissue is turned over again as bone forming cells invade and began the process of turning mineralized cartilage into bone. Chondrocytes undergo a distinct series of observable phases as they move through this process transitioning from a stage of proliferation to one of hypertrophy and finally capillary invasion. Chondrocytes produce matrix vesicles (MVs) that they release into the growth plate and that attach to …
The Origin Of Novel Trait Inferred From Transcriptomic Analysis And A Targeted Gene Approach In The Beetle Horns.,
2021
West Virginia University
The Origin Of Novel Trait Inferred From Transcriptomic Analysis And A Targeted Gene Approach In The Beetle Horns., Naureen Fatima
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The origin of the evolutionary new trait (evolutionary novelty) and its subsequent evolution is of great interest for biologists in various fields, and beetle horns have been used to address this fundamental biological question. Previous studies on one of the horned beetle species, Onthophagus taurus, that utilized comparative gene expression analyses, suggested legs to be a strong candidate of the origin of horns. At the same time, their horns are secondary sexual traits whose development is regulated by the same gene (doublesex) as genitalia, which also originates from paired appendages such as legs. However, little is known …
Functional Genetic Approaches To Provide Evidence For The Role Of Toolkit Genes In The Evolution Of Complex Color Patterns In Drosophila Guttifera,
2021
Michigan Technological University
Functional Genetic Approaches To Provide Evidence For The Role Of Toolkit Genes In The Evolution Of Complex Color Patterns In Drosophila Guttifera, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Toolkit genes are set of genes that orchestrate the development of basic body plan of animals, and they are highly conserved in all animals. The co-option of the toolkit genes into the pigmentation pathway has led to the evolution of novel species. This study focuses on understanding how the complex color patterns in animals develop by using the Drosophila species in the quinaria group as models. We developed an mRNA in situ hybridization (ISH) protocol, which allowed us to study gene expression patterns in the abdomen of developing pupae of non-model Drosophila species (Chapter 2). Through ISH, we found that …
The Cellular Origin And Molecular Drivers Of Claudin-Low Mammary Cancer,
2020
University of Nebraska Medical Center
The Cellular Origin And Molecular Drivers Of Claudin-Low Mammary Cancer, Patrick D. Raedler
Theses & Dissertations
Breast cancers of the claudin-low subtype make up a substantial portion of triple-negative breast cancers and have stem cell-like and mesenchymal features. Although it has been recognized for some time that this breast cancer subtype is highly aggressive and difficult to treat, the molecular drivers and cellular origin of claudin-low breast cancer have been poorly defined. The lack of suitable in vivo models has prohibited the study of tumor initiation and progression of this subtype. In this work, we report two novel mouse models that, upon expression of oncogenic RAS in the mammary epithelium, develop highly metastatic triple-negative mammary tumors …
Technology Aiding In Neonatal Lung Developmental Care,
2020
East Tennessee State University
Technology Aiding In Neonatal Lung Developmental Care, Megan Kirk
Undergraduate Honors Theses
In this paper, old as well as new technological findings to decrease premature infant mortality are reviewed. This paper discusses fetal development throughout pregnancy from conception to full-term status as well as fetal lung development specifically from conception until full-term status. Several ideas to rapidly develop and mature fetal lungs are discussed such as mothers ingesting artificial surfactant supplements, either independently or coupled with antenatal corticosteroids, as well as intra-amniotic instillation prior to 28 weeks gestational. Drawbacks regarding these two are mentioned as well such as the fetus’s lungs not being mature enough to use the artificial surfactant leading into …
The Genome-Wide Roles Of The Lung Lineage Transcription Factor Nkx2-1 In The Regulation Of Opposing Cell Fates In Vivo,
2020
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
The Genome-Wide Roles Of The Lung Lineage Transcription Factor Nkx2-1 In The Regulation Of Opposing Cell Fates In Vivo, Danielle Renae Little
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Lineage transcription factors mark, promote, and maintain multiple distinct cell types originating from a common progenitor. Despite their essential role, how such factors function and bind genome wide to orchestrate the epigenetic changes necessary to form and maintain these identities in vivo is unclear. One lineage transcription factor NK Homeobox 2-1 (NKX2-1) is expressed throughout the lung epithelium during development and was thought to be lost in the extraordinarily thin cell type required for gas exchange– the alveolar type 1 (AT1) cell. Complementing precise genetic knockouts with cell type-specific ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, and scRNA-seq, our study shows that AT1 and AT2 …
The Role Of Daam1 In Kidney Development,
2020
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
The Role Of Daam1 In Kidney Development, Vanja Krneta-Stankic
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Kidneys, like most organs in our bodies, consist of a network of epithelial tubules. Kidney tubules are called nephrons, and their morphology is important for kidney function. Nephrons develop from mesodermally derived aggregates of progenitor cells. The nephric progenitors organize into nephric tubules lined with hair-like sensory projections called cilia. Many diseases of the kidney are characterized by abnormal nephron morphology with current treatment aimed at symptom control. To understand the mechanisms underlying kidney diseases and achieve the development of novel therapies, a better understanding of how nephrons develop is needed. Although the actin cytoskeleton is critical for cell behaviors …
The Role Of Daam1 In Kidney Development,
2020
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
The Role Of Daam1 In Kidney Development, Vanja Krneta-Stankic
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Kidneys, like most organs in our bodies, consist of a network of epithelial tubules. Kidney tubules are called nephrons, and their morphology is important for kidney function. Nephrons develop from mesodermally derived aggregates of progenitor cells. The nephric progenitors organize into nephric tubules lined with hair-like sensory projections called cilia. Many diseases of the kidney are characterized by abnormal nephron morphology with current treatment aimed at symptom control. To understand the mechanisms underlying kidney diseases and achieve the development of novel therapies, a better understanding of how nephrons develop is needed. Although the actin cytoskeleton is critical for cell behaviors …
