Susceptibility Of Apoptotic Cells To Hydrolysis By Spla2: Molecular Basis And Mechanisms Defined,
2013
Brigham Young University - Provo
Susceptibility Of Apoptotic Cells To Hydrolysis By Spla2: Molecular Basis And Mechanisms Defined, Elizabeth Gibbons
Theses and Dissertations
Secretory phospholipase A2 hydrolyzes phospholipids at a lipid-water interface, resulting in pro-inflammatory products being released from cell membranes. Healthy cells are resistant to cleavage by this enzyme, but apoptotic cells become susceptible to its activity. Only bilayers with certain characteristics are able to be hydrolyzed. Most recently, studies in this lab have emphasized the idea that the biophysical state of the bilayer (in terms of lipid order, spacing, and fluidity) is relevant in determining the probability of one phospholipid escaping the membrane to be hydrolyzed. Prior to this study, it had been shown that apoptotic cells undergo biophysical alterations that …
S3-S4 Linker Modulation Of Voltage Sensor Relaxation In Voltage Gated Potassium Channels,
2013
Virginia Commonwealth University
S3-S4 Linker Modulation Of Voltage Sensor Relaxation In Voltage Gated Potassium Channels, W. Everett Fox
Theses and Dissertations
It is commonly assumed that the voltage dependence for activation of voltage-gated channels is an intrinsic characteristic of the protein that remains unchanged during electrical activity. However, sporadic reports have suggested otherwise by showing that voltage dependence changes in a use-dependent manner resulting in a voltage dependence shift towards negative potentials (Bezanilla et al., 1982; Bruening-Wright and Larsson, 2007; Kuzmenkin et al., 2004; Labro et al., 2012; Larsson and Elinder, 2000; Olcese et al., 1997; Piper et al., 2003; Shirokov et al., 1992). Although the mechanism underlying the shift in voltage dependence remains unclear, this process seems to have two …
The Effects Of Gain Of Function Mutant P53 And P63 On Eps8 And Cxcl5 Expression In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma,
2013
Virginia Commonwealth University
The Effects Of Gain Of Function Mutant P53 And P63 On Eps8 And Cxcl5 Expression In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Rubana Masood
Theses and Dissertations
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the ten most common cancers worldwide, with a survival rate of less than 50%. A class of mutant p53, known as gain of function (GOF) mutant p53, has been found to be expressed in tumors in these patients. GOF mutant p53 not only loses the wild type tumor suppressor functions, but also gains aberrant functions that have been linked to tumorigenesis. In this current study, we utilized a model system consisting of cells derived from HNSCC tumors in order to investigate our hypothesis that GOF mutant p53 enhances, and p63 …
Review Of Ourselves Unborn: A History Of The Fetus In Modern America, By Sara Dubow,
2013
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Review Of Ourselves Unborn: A History Of The Fetus In Modern America, By Sara Dubow, Rose Holz
Women's and Gender Studies Program: Faculty Publications
With the publication of the Bancroft Prize-winning Ourselves Unborn, Sara Dubow offers a long overdue analysis and historicization of what has become a central feature in battles over reproductive rights: the fetus. Drawing upon legal and legislative records as well as educational tracts, museum exhibits, medical textbooks and journals, personal memoirs, and the popular press, Dubow traces what she calls “fetal stories” (4) in America from the late nineteenth century through the early twenty-first. In so doing, she persuasively reminds her readers the following: First, that our understanding of the fetus is not simply a product of biology or theology. …
Effect Of Shear Stress On Ecnos Expression And Dilation In Soleus Feed Arteries,
2013
Pepperdine University
Effect Of Shear Stress On Ecnos Expression And Dilation In Soleus Feed Arteries, Blanca Perez, Jay L. Brewster, Jeffrey Jasperse
Featured Research
Shear stress causes artery dilation and increased expression of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) in coronary and placental arteries. We sought to determine the importance of shear stress in maintaining normal dilation and normal levels of ecNOS in rat soleus feed arteries (SFA). SFA were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats and cannulated for in vitro microscopy (Fig. 6). SFA were exposed to no shear stress, low shear stress, or high shear stress conditions for 4 hours. After 4 hours, endothelium-dependent dilation (acetylcholine: ACh) and endothelium-independent dilation (sodium nitroprusside: SNP) were tested. Arteries were then uncannulated, mRNA was isolated, and …
A Model For Sensory Neuron Development By Fgf And Notch: A Multifactorial Approach,
2013
Brigham Young University - Provo
A Model For Sensory Neuron Development By Fgf And Notch: A Multifactorial Approach, Jacob Eugene Voelkel
Theses and Dissertations
The ophthalmic trigeminal placode (opV) exclusively gives rise to sensory neurons. A number of signaling pathways including Wnt, PDGF, FGF, and Notch are all involved in the progression of an undifferentiated cell in the opV placode to a proneural cell in the condensing opV ganglion. However, the regulatory relationships between these signal transduction pathways are still unknown. To determine if FGF activation acts to modulate Notch signaling in the sensory neurogenesis pathway, a novel multifactorial approach was employed: FGF signaling was inhibited in individual cells and globally with simultaneous inactivation of Notch signaling in chick embryos to investigate if FGF …
Voluntary Exercise Protects Against Methamphetamine-Induced Oxidative Stress In Brain Microvasculature And Disruption Of The Blood--Brain Barrier,
2013
University of Miami
Voluntary Exercise Protects Against Methamphetamine-Induced Oxidative Stress In Brain Microvasculature And Disruption Of The Blood--Brain Barrier, Michal Toborek, Melissa J. Seelbach, Cetewayo S. Rashid, Ibolya E. András, Lei Chen, Minseon Park, Karyn A. Esser
Physiology Faculty Publications
BACKGROUND: There is no effective therapeutic intervention developed targeting cerebrovascular toxicity of drugs of abuse, including methamphetamine (METH). We hypothesize that exercise protects against METH-induced disruption of the blood--brain barrier (BBB) by enhancing the antioxidant capacity of cerebral microvessels and modulating caveolae-associated signaling. Mice were subjected to voluntary wheel running for 5 weeks resembling the voluntary pattern of human exercise, followed by injection with METH (10 mg/kg). The frequency, duration, and intensity of each running session were monitored for each mouse via a direct data link to a computer and the running data are analyzed by Clock labTM Analysis software. …
Neural Circuit Mechanisms Of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy,
2013
University of California - San Francisco
Neural Circuit Mechanisms Of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy, Robert F. Hunt, Jeffery A. Boychuk, Bret N. Smith
Physiology Faculty Publications
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) greatly increases the risk for a number of mental health problems and is one of the most common causes of medically intractable epilepsy in humans. Several models of TBI have been developed to investigate the relationship between trauma, seizures, and epilepsy-related changes in neural circuit function. These studies have shown that the brain initiates immediate neuronal and glial responses following an injury, usually leading to significant cell loss in areas of the injured brain. Over time, long-term changes in the organization of neural circuits, particularly in neocortex and hippocampus, lead to an imbalance between excitatory and …
Endocannabinoid Biosynthetic Enzymes In Hippocampal Interneurons,
2013
Brigham Young University
Endocannabinoid Biosynthetic Enzymes In Hippocampal Interneurons, Ryan Williamson, Dr. Jeff Edwards
Journal of Undergraduate Research
The hippocampus is a region of the brain that mediates learning and memory formation by changing the properties of synapses within its circuitry [2]. The plastic nature of these synapses allows the brain to alter how sensitive one neuron is to stimulation from another neuron. Improper regulation of synaptic plasticity may cause memory loss associated with neurodegenerative disease [4].
Rescuing The Collagen 2a1 Gene In Mouse Model To Alleviate Stickler Syndrome Symptoms,
2013
Brigham Young University
Rescuing The Collagen 2a1 Gene In Mouse Model To Alleviate Stickler Syndrome Symptoms, Jamie Twiggs, Dr. Robert Seegmiller
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Stickler Syndrome is a severe disease with no cure that occurs in 1/7500 births resulting in extreme ocular, craniofacial, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular problems for those diagnosed. It is caused by mutations in the collagen genes, most often a premature stop codon in the collagen 2A1 gene, although in some cases it is caused by mutations in the collagen 11 A1 and A2 genes. The purpose of this research was to discover an effective method of gene therapy in mice models by reinserting a functional collagen gene into mice embryos using a viral vector and plasmids. I hypothesized that if the …
Does Secretory Phospholipase A Ii Induce Apoptosis In Cells That Have Been Infected By A Virus?,
2013
Brigham Young University
Does Secretory Phospholipase A Ii Induce Apoptosis In Cells That Have Been Infected By A Virus?, Stephanie Melchor, Dr. John Bell
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Well, to be perfectly honest, this project has been fraught with disaster since the beginning. We obtained 400 microliters of the immunosuppressive strain of Minute Virus of Mice (MVMi) at 1 x 109 pfu/mL from Dr. David J. Pintel at the University of Missouri-Columbia. MVMi was the only virus we could find that would infect our cell line (S49 mouse T-lymphoma cells. Because S49 cells are suspension cells and not adherent, they do not form plaques when infected with a virus, which makes it more difficult to quantify how many cells have been successfully infected with the virus. Instead, …
Effects Of Antiviral Drug Compounds In Blocking Influenza Virus M2 Channels In Xenopus Laevis Ooctyes,
2013
Brigham Young University
Effects Of Antiviral Drug Compounds In Blocking Influenza Virus M2 Channels In Xenopus Laevis Ooctyes, Timothy Mcclain, David Busath
Journal of Undergraduate Research
The purpose of this project was to research and test various drug compounds to prevent influenza virus infection. A specific target of my research is M2 protein channels that aid in the uncoating of the viral coat. Recent mutations have rendered formerly effective drugs almost completely useless. With recent outbreaks and mutations of the virus, the demand for antiviral drugs has never been greater. The goal of the project was to test several different compounds that had been selected based on unique characteristics, designed to adjust to the mutation, and prevent further infection.
The Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita Homozygous Mutant: A Model For The Mechanism Of Osteoarthritis,
2013
Brigham Young University
The Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita Homozygous Mutant: A Model For The Mechanism Of Osteoarthritis, David Macdonald, Dr. Robert Seegmiller
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Articular cartilage is a hard-wearing and specialized form of hyaline cartilage which allows for an almost frictionless surface during joint movement (Ofek et al. 2008). These unique characteristics are primarily due to chondrocyte secretions, and the composition and properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) (Buckwalter and Mankin 1998). Chondrocytes play a crucial role in cartilage durability because of their extracellular secretions (Knudson and Knudson 2001). Being immotile, chondrocytes depend greatly upon the equilibrium of the ECM for protection, integrity, and regulation (Aszodi et al. 2003). The ECM is composed primarily of type II collagen, glycoproteins, water and aggrecan proteoglycan (Hollander …
Effects Of Acetyl-L-Carnitine Supplementation On Ampk-Activity And Mitochondrial Biogenesis In Lkb1 Knockout Mice,
2013
Brigham Young University
Effects Of Acetyl-L-Carnitine Supplementation On Ampk-Activity And Mitochondrial Biogenesis In Lkb1 Knockout Mice, Lisa Mccoy, Dr. David Thomson
Journal of Undergraduate Research
During the medical school interview of the school I will be attending next Fall, my interviewer asked me to speak of a time in which I had failed or suffered an obstacle in my academic career. He laughed and said that I probably hadn’t even had one because of the numbers he had observed in my application. I rebutted and told him I very recently had faced difficulty. I spoke of this experience. Throughout my entire academic career, I have never really had to face failure. I was blessed with motivation and the capacity to excel and my grades consistently …
Mdck Gene Expression During Emt,
2013
Brigham Young University
Mdck Gene Expression During Emt, Jason Burton, Marc Hansen
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. This is mostly due to a lack of understanding into the function of cancer and the different mechanisms it uses to spread. The process by which cancer cells detach from the primary tumor and spread to form metastases is known as Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). EMT is a process whereby specialized epithelial cells undergo a transformation back to primitive, mobile cells (see figure 1). These cells can travel through the basement membranes and enter the nervous and vascular systems and spread throughout the body. This process has …
Rho Kinase Pathway Inhibition And Its Effect On Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition,
2013
Brigham Young University
Rho Kinase Pathway Inhibition And Its Effect On Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Jacob Hoj, Dr. Marc Hansen
Journal of Undergraduate Research
The Rho Kinase Pathway is a cellular pathway that is thought to be involved in cancer metastasis, as previous research has indicated1. As indicated by the name, the Rho group of proteins are central to this pathway. Over the past year, we set out to analyze this pathway and to further our understanding of its role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a biological process common in many metastatic cancers. Through experimental analysis, we were able to look at this pathway in ways that no one else has been able to. While our results were very intriguing, obtaining the data …
A Novel Role For Amp-Activated Protein Kinase As A Selective Inhibitor Of De Novo Ceramide Biosynthesis,
2013
Brigham Young University
A Novel Role For Amp-Activated Protein Kinase As A Selective Inhibitor Of De Novo Ceramide Biosynthesis, Kate Erickson, Dr. Benjamin Bikman
Journal of Undergraduate Research
The purpose of this project was to determine the cellular mechanisms that mediate AMPK-induced reductions in lipotoxicity. We predicted that AMPK activation inhibits lipotoxic ceramide biosynthesis via targeted reduction in transcription of a critical, rate-limiting enzyme involved in de novo ceramide synthesis.
Cellular Mechanisms Behind Memory Formation In The Developing Brain,
2013
Brigham Young University
Cellular Mechanisms Behind Memory Formation In The Developing Brain, Spencer Bell, Dr. Jeffrey Edwards
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Carrying out my research project with my mentor’s assistance has provided valuable experiences and important lessons. At the present time, however, my research has not produced the results we had anticipated. We had hoped to demonstrate that a certain receptor in the brain called transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) modulated memory formation in the developing brain by influencing a process known as long-term depression, or the weakening of a chemical connection between two brain cells. Although we have not yet produced statistically significant results, our observations indicate that we may simply need to conduct more experiments to acquire enough …
Comparisons Of Amantadine Analogues Against The Dominant Influenza A Virus M2 Proton Channel Mutant Via Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy And Tryptophan Fluorescence Anisotropy,
2013
Brigham Young University
Comparisons Of Amantadine Analogues Against The Dominant Influenza A Virus M2 Proton Channel Mutant Via Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy And Tryptophan Fluorescence Anisotropy, Trevor Anderson, David Busath
Journal of Undergraduate Research
The influenza A virus is a severe ongoing threat to public health, accounting for over 250,000 fatalities worldwide each year. In order to actuate the virus, it is necessary for the M2 proton channel to be activated upon fusion with an endosome.
The Neuroprotective Effects Of Exercise On Ltd In The Hippocampus,
2013
Brigham Young University
The Neuroprotective Effects Of Exercise On Ltd In The Hippocampus, Adam Field, Dr. Jeff Edwards
Journal of Undergraduate Research
In April of 2012, IACUC committee approved the methods which we had set forth for the carrying out of the experiment. At this point we began gathering the tools and materials needed for the performing of the experiment. Mice were obtained, and the electrophysiological research begun.
