Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Antiproliferative And Apoptotic Effects Of Proteins From Black Seeds (Nigella Sativa) On Human Breast Mcf-7 Cancer Cell Line, Yamna Khursid, Basir Syed, Shabana U. Simjee, Obaid Beg, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Nigella sativa (NS), a member of family Ranunculaceae is commonly known as black seed or kalonji. It has been well studied for its therapeutic role in various diseases, particularly cancer. Literature is full of bioactive compounds from NS seed. However, fewer studies have been reported on the pharmacological activity of proteins. The current study was designed to evaluate the anticancer property of NS seed proteins on the MCF-7 cell line.

Methods

NS seed extract was prepared in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and proteins were precipitated using 80% ammonium sulfate. The crude seed proteins were partially purified using gel filtration …

The Bioethical Significance Of “The Origin Of Man’S Ethical Behavior” (October 1941, Unpublished) By Ernest Everett Just And Hedwig Anna Schnetzler Just, Theodore Walker Jr.

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Abstract –

E. E. Just (1883-1941) is an acknowledged “pioneer” in cell biology, and he is perhaps the pioneer in study of egg cell fertilization. Here we discover that Just also made pioneering contributions to general biology and evolutionary bioethics.

Within Just’s published contributions to observational cell biology, there are substantial fragments of his theory of ethical behavior, a theory with roots in cell biology. In addition to such previously available fragments, Just’s fully developed theory is now available. This recently discovered unpublished book-length manuscript argues for the biological origins of ethical behavior (evolving from cells to humans, within a …

Analyzing The Effect On Ligand Sensitivity For Xenopus Tropicalis Mc1r, Mc3r, Mc4r, And Mc5r As A Result Of Coexpression With Gallus Gallus Mrap1 In Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells, Avery Niemann, Robert Dores

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Some melanocortin receptors and the accessory protein MRAP1 have been found to interact in novel ways when co-expressed in the same cells following stimulation with either ACTH (1-24) or αMSH. These interactions have been seen for mammalian, bird, and some bony fish melanocortin receptors. Such analysis has not been done yet on the amphibian melanocortin receptors, MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R. To this end, this study was done on the effects regarding ligand sensitivity for ACTH (1-24) and αMSH, when the MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R paralogs of the amphibian, Xenopus tropicalis were expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells either …

Cellular And Developmental Insights Into The Early Evolution Of Muscle, Jeffrey J. Colgren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Whereas a great deal has been learned about the molecular underpinnings of morphological evolution in animals, much less is known about the origin of novel cell and tissue types. During the time in which the earliest animal lineages were diversifying, fundamental cell and tissue types, such as muscles, arose. Sponges are one of two animal lineages that lack muscles, yet they undergo coordinated full body contractions. Whereas the signaling processes have been studied, the physical mechanisms of contraction are completely uncharacterized. The main purpose of this work is to understand the primary contractile tissue of the sponge Ephydatia muelleri, …

Ehbp1 And Ehd2 Regulate Dll4 Caveolin-Mediated Endocytosis During Blood Vessel Development, Amelia Margaret Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels from existing vessels, there must be tight regulation between a leading tip cell and trailing stalk cells during vascular patterning. Lateral inhibition produced by Notch signaling is central to the specification and maintenance of tip and stalk cells in growing angiogenic sprouts. The Notch pathway is activated by the ligand Delta at adherens junctions between tip and stalk cells. Despite the centrality of Delta/Notch signaling to angiogenesis, relatively little is known about the mechanism of this signaling event. It has been proposed that the force generated by the Notch bound Delta ligand …

How Cellular Metabolic State And The Chaperone Protein Hsp104 Interact To Affect The Spontaneous Formation Of The Yeast Prion [Ure3], Demyia Graham

Merge

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Rolipram, A Selective Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor, On Immortalized Schwann Cell Proliferation, Kyle Kenney, Amanda Bohn, Angela Asirvatham

Student Research Poster Presentations 2020

The regulation of Schwann cell growth in vitro is facilitated by heregulin, a neuron-secreted growth factor, and an unknown mitogen that activates the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway. The quantity of cAMP available to Schwann cells can determine if they become a myelinating or proliferating phenotype. The abundance of intracellular cAMP available to the cell is widely regulated by a family of enzymes called phosphodiesterases (PDEs). PDE inhibitors such as rolipram have therapeutic potential in various disorders and function by increasing the levels of cAMP in the cell. This study was undertaken to determine the concentration of rolipram that would …

Sorting Of Cargo Proteins Within The Regulated Secretory Pathway: The Peripheral Membrane Protein Hid-1 As A Sorting And Vesicle Biogenesis Factor, Blake H. Hummer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Large dense core vesicles (LDCVs) form at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and mediate the regulated release of neuropeptides and peptide hormones. Despite their central role to physiology, the mechanisms controlling biogenesis and sorting to LDCVs is not well understood. Optimizing the retention using selective hooks (RUSH) method in neuroendocrine cells, we show it is possible to visualize sorting to the constitutive and regulated secretory pathways in real-time and that the bulk of transmembrane LDCV cargoes do not sort directly onto LDCVs, but exit the TGN into non-regulated vesicles to be incorporated to LDCVs at a later step. Additionally, we characterize …

Ototoxicity Of Cisplatin, Pyriplatin, And Phenathriplatin In The Auditory Hybridoma Cell Line, Hei-Oc1, Alexandra Johnston

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Cisplatin is an anti-cancer drug which is effective against several cancers, but also causes harmful side-effects, including ototoxicity and hearing loss. While cisplatin is a bifunctional compound that forms coordinate covalent bonds with both strands of DNA, recently investigated monofunctional platinum(II) compounds bind to only one DNA strand, and may activate different cell-death mechanisms. As several monofunctional platinum(II) compounds have anti-cancer properties, but could target different cell-death pathways, they could potentially have different and reduced side-effects. In this study, the HEI-OC1 auditory hybridoma cell line was used to investigate the ototoxicity of cisplatin and two monofunctional platinum(II) compounds, phenanthriplatin and …

Quantification Of Dynamic Epithelial Sheet Architecture In Botryllus Schlosseri Using 2-D & 3-D Image Analysis, Roopa Madhu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Epithelial tubules form critical structures in various body tissues; how- ever, since they are difficult to access experimentally, their architecture and dynamics are not well understood. Here we examine the dynamic remodeling of epithelial tubes in vivo using a novel and uniquely accessible model system: the extracorporeal vasculature of Botryllus schlosseri (sea squirt). In Botryllus, massive retraction of blood vessels can be triggered without loss of barrier function, through (i) disrupting collagen crosslinking in the basement membrane using β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN); or (ii) disrupting the integrin pathway through inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). We performed stereographic projections of 3-dimensional …

Cellular And Organismal Ramifications Of De Novo Purine Synthesis Dysregulation, Randall Craig Mazzarino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purines are a class of nitrogenous bases and are essential small molecules to life. Purines are used within the cell as genetic information carriers, energy currency, signaling molecules, and cofactors for multiple processes. They are formed through de novo and salvage pathways found in cells across the phylogenetic tree. The substrates of enzymes within de novo purine synthesis are known to influence other processes within the cell, such as energy homeostasis. In humans, de novo purine synthesis disorders are rare, with around 100 people identified. These patients exhibit a range of phenotypes, with varying degrees of mental retardation, seizure activity, …

Variations On A Theme: Intricacies Of Unanchored Poly-Ubiquitin Signaling And Toxicity, Jessica Renee Blount-Pacheco

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ubiquitin is an 8.5 kDa post-translational modifier involved in essentially all eukaryotic cellular processes. Through a process called ubiquitination, ubiquitinating enzymes chemically attach ubiquitin to substrate proteins to control their fates, resulting in anything from their recruitment into signaling pathways to their proteasomal degradation, with a plethora of possibilities in between. Ubiquitin molecules can also be attached to one another, resulting in poly-ubiquitin chains with various effects depending on the number of ubiquitin molecules and the specific amino acid residues used to link them together. While most poly-ubiquitin in the cell exists as conjugated species, there are also untethered poly-ubiquitin …

Cis-Regulatory Analysis Of Onecut1 Expression In Fate-Restricted Retinal Progenitor Cells, Sruti Patoori, Nathalie Jean-Charles, Ariana Gopal, Sacha Sulaiman, Sneha Gopal, Brian Wang, Benjamin Souferi, Mark Emerson

Publications and Research

Background: The vertebrate retina consists of six major classes of neuronal cells. During development, these cells are generated from a pool of multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) that express the gene Vsx2. Fate-restricted RPCs have recently been identified, with limited mitotic potential and cell fate possibilities compared to multipotent RPCs. One population of fate-restricted RPCs, marked by activity of the regulatory element ThrbCRM1, gives rise to both cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells. These cells do not express Vsx2, but co-express the transcription factors (TFs) Onecut1 and Otx2, which bind to ThrbCRM1. The components of the gene regulatory networks that control …

Ciliogenesis And Cilia-Mediated Signaling In Cardiac Valve Development And Disease, Diana Bridget Fulmer

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) are serious heart conditions that affect a combined 3-4% of the world population. These diseases carry high risk for secondary complications including arrhythmia, blood regurgitation, and sudden cardiac death. Often, valve diseases are heritable and have complex origins that are not fully understood. The lack of knowledge about valve disease causation likely contributes to the absence of non-surgical treatment options for this patient population. Recent work by our lab and others has demonstrated a link between defects in primary cilia and the development of heart valve disease in humans. Primary cilia …

Prostate Cancer Resistance To Cabazitaxel Chemotherapy, Diane Begemann

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

The plasticity of prostate tumors contributes to the heterogeneity in response and acquisition of therapeutic resistance in advanced prostate cancer. Disruption of the phenotypic landscape via epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) enables prostate tumors to invade and metastasize. Our previous studies demonstrated that cabazitaxel (a 2^nd generation FDA-approved taxane chemotherapy) that is used for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), causes reversal of EMT to mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET). The present study examined the effect of sequencing cabazitaxel chemotherapy mediated MET on prostate tumor re-differentiation and its impact on overcoming resistance in models of advanced prostate cancer.

The presence of DHT (1nM) …

Draft Genome Sequence Of Verrucosispora Sp. Strain Cwr15, Isolated From A Gulf Of Mexico Sponge, Sarah J. Kennedy, Eleonora Cella, Mohammad Jubair, Taj Azarian, Bill J. Baker, Lindsey N. Shaw

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Verrucosispora sp. strain CWR15, a bacterial symbiont of a Gulf of Mexico sponge. The genome consists of 35 contigs encoding 5,840 genes. The genome is the basis for future study and presents an underexplored taxonomy and biosynthetic potential.

Mir146a-Mediated Targeting Of Fancm During Inflammation Compromises Genome Integrity, Devakumar Sundaravinayagam, Hye Rim Kim, Tingting Wu, Hyun Hee Kim, Semo Jun, Jeong-Heon Cha, Younghoon Kee, Ho Jin You, Jung-Hee Lee

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Inflammation is a potent inducer of tumorigenesis. Increased DNA damage or loss of genome integrity is thought to be one of the mechanisms linking inflammation and cancer development. It has been suggested that NF-κB-induced microRNA-146 (miR146a) may be a mediator of the inflammatory response. Based on our initial observation that miR146a overexpression strongly increases DNA damage, we investigated its potential role as a modulator of DNA repair. Here, we demonstrate that FANCM, a component in the Fanconi Anemia pathway, is a novel target of miR146a. miR146a suppressed FANCM expression by directly binding to the 3’ untranslated region of the gene. …

Prevalence Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus And Transfusion-Transmissible Infections In Tanzanian Blood Donors, Salum J. Lidenge, Tara Tran, For Yue Tso, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), one of the most common cancers in Tanzania. We have investigated KSHV prevalence and factors associated with KSHV infection in Tanzania.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of voluntary blood-donors from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Plasma was screened for KSHV, HIV-1, HBV, HCV and Treponema pallidum (syphilis). Associations between KSHV sero-status and risk factors were analyzed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported to evaluate risk factors of KSHV infection. All tests were 2-tailed, and P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: The overall KSHV seroprevalence was 56.9%. Significantly …

Incidence Of The Covid-19 In Iraq – Implications For Travellers, Maysaa Kadhim Al-Malkey, Maitham Ahmed Al-Sammak

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The first emerged Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China at the end of 2019, then spread to the rest of China [1], followed by the spread of the COVID-19 epidemics into the world caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [2]. Many epidemiological assessments in different countries from Asia, Europe, and North America have been published [3]. Nevertheless, there are countries in the Middle East like Iraq, with a rapid increase in cases and a high number of deaths, with a lack of studies. It is worth noting that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry was …

Cervico-Vaginal Inflammatory Cytokine And Chemokine Responses To Two Different Siv Immunogens, Nikki P.L. Toledo, Hongzhao Li, Robert W. Omange, Tamara G. Dacoba, Jose Crecente-Campo, Dane Schalk, Mohammad A. Kashem, Eva Rakasz, Nancy Schultz-Darken, Qingsheng Li, James B. Whitney, Maria J. Alonso, Francis A. Plummer, Ma Luo

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Studies have shown that vaccine vectors and route of immunization can differentially activate different arms of the immune system. However, the effects of different HIV vaccine immunogens on mucosal inflammation have not yet been studied. Because mucosal sites are the primary route of HIV infection, we evaluated the cervico-vaginal inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques following immunization and boost using two different SIV vaccine immunogens. The PCS vaccine delivers 12 20-amino acid peptides overlapping the 12 protease cleavage sites, and the Gag/Env vaccine delivers the full Gag and full Env proteins of simian immunodeficiency virus. We showed …