Index Catalog // Arch : Northwestern University Institutional Repository

Derivation of Cardiomyocytes from Embryonic Stem cells and Development of Techniques to Study Cardiac Lineage

Description:: Embryonic stem cells have the potential to differentiate into ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal derivatives. This property makes them a valuable source of tissue specific progenitor and differentiated cells that can be used for cell replacement therapy. The first goal of this thesis is to test if cardiogenesis from embryonic stem...
Keyword:: Cell Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Achuta K Guddati
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 10/08/2018
Date Modified:: 10/08/2018
Date Created:: 2008-05-09
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Luteinizing Hormone Receptor Signaling Regulates MAP2D Phosphorylation in Preovulatory Granulosa Cells

Description:: The actions of luteinizing hormone (LH) to induce ovulation and luteinization of preovulatory follicles are mediated principally by activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in granulosa cells. PKA activity is targeted to specific cellular locations by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). I previously showed that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) induces expression of...
Keyword:: cyloskeleton, MAP2, vimentin, ovary, granulosa cell, and luteinizing hormone
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Maxfield Patrick Flynn
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 10/03/2018
Date Modified:: 10/03/2018
Date Created:: 2008-08-11
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Control of Mitochondrial Function and Cell Cycle Progression by PGC-1-Related Coactivator (PRC)

Description:: PRC is a PGC-1 coactivator family member responsive to serum growth factors and up regulated in proliferating cells. Unlike PGC-1α and PGC-1β, PRC has not been studied extensively and and its function or regulation remains largely unknown. Both PGC-1α and PGC-1β have been shown to be important regulators of mitochondrial...
Keyword:: Biochemistry and Chemical
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Kristel Vercauteren
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 10/02/2018
Date Modified:: 10/02/2018
Date Created:: 2008-12-08
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Egr3 is a Novel Transcriptional Regulator of Sympathetic Nervous System Development and Function

Description:: Early Growth Response genes (Egr1-4) are transcriptional mediators of signals governing growth and differentiation. In sympathetic neuron-derived cell lines, Egr1 is induced by NGF signaling, which is required for sympathetic neuron survival, differentiation and target organ innervation. In the absence of identifiable sympathetic defects in Egr1-deficient mice, we investigated the...
Keyword:: NGF, sympathetic nervous system, and Egr3
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Laurie Christine Eldredge
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 10/01/2018
Date Modified:: 10/01/2018
Date Created:: 2008-12-08
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Structural and Conformational Requirements of Membrane Fusion Mediated by the Parainfluenza Virus 5 Fusion Protein

Description:: Fusion of biological membranes is dictated by the interaction between specialized membrane proteins and the lipid bilayer. Parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) mediates fusion using two surface glycoproteins: the fusion protein (F) and the attachment protein hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN). Activation of membrane fusion of PIV5 typically occurs at neutral pH, and involves...
Keyword:: Class I virus fusion, PIV5, fusion protein, and Membrane fusion
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Mei Lin Bissonnette
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 10/01/2018
Date Modified:: 10/01/2018
Date Created:: 2008-11-06
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The Role of TGF-beta Variants in Breast Cancer

Description:: TGF-β has been named the molecular Jekyll and Hyde of cancer due to its ability to both suppress and promote tumor development. Components of the TGF-β signaling pathway are often mutated in cancer to inhibit the tumor suppressor roles of TGF-β. Our lab studies how a 3-alanine deletion in the...
Keyword:: Biology and Genetics
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Diana Susan Rosman
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 10/01/2018
Date Modified:: 10/01/2018
Date Created:: 2008-10-14
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Plakophilin 2: Critical Roles in Intercellular Junction Assembly and Maturation via Regulation of Protein Kinase C and Actin

Description:: Desmosomes are adhesive complexes found at sites of intercellular contact that are essential for mediating cell-cell adhesion. These junctions undergo regulated assembly and reorganization during processes such as embryogenesis and wound healing. Plakophilins (PKPs) are armadillo family members related to the classic cadherin-associated protein p120ctn. PKPs localize to the cytoplasmic...
Keyword:: desmosome, cytoskeleton, cell-cell adhesion, armadillo, and plakophilin
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Amanda Elisabeth Bass-Zubek
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/20/2018
Date Modified:: 09/20/2018
Date Created:: 2008-09-18
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Energy Deprivation Elevates BACE1 Protein Levels and Promotes Amyloidogenesis via EIF2alpha Phosphorylation

Description:: The cause(s) of Aβ overproduction and accumulation in SAD are unknown; however, several lines of evidence indicate that impaired energy metabolism in the brain may be involved. Furthermore, the rate-limiting enzyme in Aβ production, BACE1, is elevated in SAD brains around amyloid plaques, indicating that BACE1 may also play a...
Keyword:: translation, energy metabolism, BACE1, amyloid, and Alzheimer's disease
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Tracy O'Connor
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/20/2018
Date Modified:: 09/20/2018
Date Created:: 2008-12-04
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Mechanisms of RNA Mediated Silencing in S. pombe

Description:: Mechanisms of RNA Mediated Silencing in S. pombe Christina A. Lawrence Heterochromatin of eukaryotic genomes has classically been defined as condensed chromatin that is repressive to transcription and typically resides at highly repetitive regions of the genome. Genetic and molecular analyses have demonstrated that these regions are essential for genome...
Keyword:: heterochromatin, Yeast, epigenetics, and RNAi
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Christina Lawrence
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/20/2018
Date Modified:: 09/20/2018
Date Created:: 2008-12-05
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Epstein-Barr Virus Glycoprotein 42: The Dynamic Trigger of B-cell Membrane Fusion

Description:: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpesvirus that is able to infect both epithelial cells as well as B lymphocytes, where the virus stablishes life-long latency in the host. Five glycoproteins are involved in infection of B cells: gp350/220 for initial tethering of the virus to the cell via CD21,...
Keyword:: membrane fusion, inhibitory peptide, viral entry, Epstein-Barr virus, gp42, and herpesviruses
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Amanda Renee Kim Eun-Ja Silva Lowrey
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/20/2018
Date Modified:: 09/20/2018
Date Created:: 2008-12-01
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Pdlim7 regulates nuclear/cytoplasmic localization and activity of Tbx5 during cardiac development

Description:: The T-box transcription factor, Tbx5, is involved in heart development and congenital disease. For example mutations in human TBX5 lead to Holt-Oram syndrome, a disease characterized by a range of heart and arm malformations. Tbx5 gene activity has been perturbed in several animal models including the chicken, mouse, and zebrafish....
Keyword:: Heart, Zebrafish, Pdlim7, and Tbx5
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Troy Camarata
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/20/2018
Date Modified:: 09/20/2018
Date Created:: 2008-11-26
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Analysis of Latent Membrane Protein (LMP) 2A Signaling Through Src Family Kinases and the Role of LMP2B in Modulating LMP2A Signaling

Description:: Latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) and LMP2B are viral proteins expressed during Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latency in EBV-infected B cells both in cell culture and in vivo. Although Lyn has been shown to be important in mediating LMP2A signaling, it is still unclear if Lyn is used preferentially or if...
Keyword:: Molecular and Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Mark Rovedo
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/18/2018
Date Modified:: 09/18/2018
Date Created:: 2008-09-03
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Mechanism of Nuclear Import of a Smooth Muscle Cell-Specific Plasmid Vector for Gene Therapy

Description:: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While many therapies have been used to treat vascular disease symptomatically, gene therapy offers a means of treating the molecular dysfunctions driving disease pathogenesis. Unfortunately, gene therapy has achieved only modest therapeutic success in clinical trials due to a...
Keyword:: nuclear import, karyopherins, plasmid, nuclear localization signal, and gene therapy
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Aaron Michael Miller
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/17/2018
Date Modified:: 09/17/2018
Date Created:: 2008-08-01
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Structural and Functional Analyses of Herpes Simplex Virus Type1 Glycoproteins B and L, Two Essential Components of the Viral Fusogenic Complex

Description:: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection of host cells requires virus attachment to the cell surface and subsequent membrane fusion between the virus envelope and host cell membrane to deliver the nucleocapsid containing the viral genome into the host cell. A proposed mechanism for HSV glycoprotein-induced membrane fusion is gD binding...
Keyword:: Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Erick Lin
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/17/2018
Date Modified:: 09/17/2018
Date Created:: 2008-07-17
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The Regulation of Infection-Induced Cardiac Autoimmunity and Natural Dissemination of Trypanosoma cruzi in Experimental Chagas Heart Disease

Description:: Chagas heart disease, caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is still regarded as a major public health problem in Central and South America. The finding of cardiac specific autoimmunity during infection in both humans and experimental animals has provided a basis for investigation of its potential role...
Keyword:: Myosin, Trypanosoma cruzi, Luminescence, Autoimmunity, Chagas, and Cardiac
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Kenneth Vincent Hyland
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/14/2018
Date Modified:: 09/14/2018
Date Created:: 2008-11-10
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The modulation of MFG-E8 mediated microglial phagocytosis

Description:: Phagocytosis is an essential mechanism for clearance of pathogens, dying cells, and other unwanted debris in order to maintain tissue health in the body. Macrophages execute this process in the peripheral immune system, but in the brain microglia act as resident macrophages to accomplish this function. In the peripheral immune...
Keyword:: MFG-E8, phagocytosis, apoptosis, Gas6, Alzheimer's disease, and microglia
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Abby Denise Fuller
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/14/2018
Date Modified:: 09/14/2018
Date Created:: 2008-08-11
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Estrogen Neuroendocrine Feedback is Mediated Distinctly via Estrogen Response Element Dependent and Independent Estrogen Receptor Alpha Signaling

Description:: Gonadotropins LH and FSH are secreted by the pituitary in response to hypothalamic GnRH and act to stimulate ovarian follicle development, steroid production and ovulation. Gonadal steroids, including estrogen, enter the circulation and provide neuroendocrine feedback at the hypothalamus and/or pituitary. Estrogen provides negative feedback to suppress gonadotropin release throughout...
Keyword:: Neuroendocrinology, Non-classical, Estrogen, Classical, Nonclassical, and Reproduction
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Christine Ann Glidewell-Kenney
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/14/2018
Date Modified:: 09/14/2018
Date Created:: 2008-07-15
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The Kinesin-1 Motor Domain is Regulated by a Direct Interaction of its Head and Tail

Description:: Kinesin-1 is a motor protein that transports cargo along microtubules. Inside cells, the majority of kinesin-1 is regulated to conserve ATP and ensure its proper intracellular distribution and coordination with other motors. Regulated kinesin-1 is folded in half, and interactions between coiled-coil regions near the N-terminal enzymatically active heads and...
Keyword:: kinesin and regulation
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Kristen Dietrich
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/14/2018
Date Modified:: 09/14/2018
Date Created:: 2008-11-04
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Characterizing Critical Residues for the Interaction of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Integrase with DNA Substrates

Description:: A tetramer model for HIV-1 Integrase (IN) with DNA representing the LTR termini was previously assembled which predicted amino acid residues on the enzyme surface that interact with the LTR termini (Chen et al, 2006). A separate structural alignment of HIV-1, SIV, and ASV INs predicted which of these residues...
Keyword:: HIV, DNA, model structure, and Integrase
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: James Robert Dolan
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/14/2018
Date Modified:: 09/14/2018
Date Created:: 2008-08-27
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The Role of Early Growth Response Transcription Factors in Hematopoietic Development

Description:: The orderly process of hematopoietic differentiation is governed in large part by the coordinated transcription of specific genes. Deregulation of normal differentiation processes can lead to disease states including immunodeficiency, autoimmune disease, and leukemia. This research focuses on the family of transcription factors known as the early growth response (Egr)...
Keyword:: Egr, macrophage, transcription, and thymocyte
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: John Carter
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/12/2018
Date Modified:: 09/12/2018
Date Created:: 2008-05-09
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Mechanisms of hyperoxia-induced senescence in primary human lung fibroblasts

Description:: Senescence, permanent, irreversible replication arrest that occurs in all primary cells studied to date, is considered a cellular model of aging. Recently, senescence has gained attention as a potential tumor-suppressing mechanism. However, despite the obvious importance of senescence, its exact mechanisms remain unclear. One current hypothesis to explain senescence postulates...
Keyword:: aging, p53, hyperoxia, senescence, and reactive oxygen species
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Tatyana A Klimova
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/10/2018
Date Modified:: 09/10/2018
Date Created:: 2008-05-08
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Analysis of Neutral Lipids and the Genes Underlying Their Biosynthesis in P.Falciparum and S. Typhimurium

Description:: Plants, animals, and yeast have the capacity to produce and accumulate neutral lipids, sterol esters and triacylglycerol (TAG). However, their accumulation and the genes underlying their synthesis in intracellular microorganisms are poorly understood. Plasmodium falciparum is a parasitic protozoan that causes the most virulent form of human malaria. During erythrocytic...
Keyword:: Plasmodium, Neutral Lipids, Cholestrol Esters, Salmonella, Triacylglycerol, and SseJ
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Parwez Nawabi
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/08/2018
Date Modified:: 09/08/2018
Date Created:: 2008-03-26
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Derivation of Cardiomyocytes from Embryonic Stem cells and Development of Techniques to Study Cardiac Lineage

Description:: Embryonic stem cells have the potential to differentiate into ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal derivatives. This property makes them a valuable source of tissue specific progenitor and differentiated cells that can be used for cell replacement therapy. The first goal of this thesis is to test if cardiogenesis from embryonic stem...
Keyword:: Cardiomyocytes, Cellular Cardiomyoplasty, Myocardial Infraction, Techniques, Stem Cells, and Cardiac Lineage
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Achuta K Guddati
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/07/2018
Date Modified:: 09/07/2018
Date Created:: 2008-05-08
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Type II Secretion and Secreted Ppiases Promote Low Temperature Growth and Survival in Legionella pneumophila

Description:: PilD is an enzyme that processes prepilins that are part of the type II protein secretion apparatus and the type IV piliation machinery. Using a Legionella pneumophila pilDlacZ fusion strain to measure transcription, we observed a 20% increase in beta-galactosidase levels at 30°C vs. 37°C. At 25°C and 17°C vs....
Keyword:: Microbiology and Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Maria Soderberg
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/06/2018
Date Modified:: 09/06/2018
Date Created:: 2008-03-25
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Defining the role of Ikaros as a tumor suppressor and repressor of Notch target gene expression

Description:: Inactivation of tumor suppressors genes, which encode regulatory proteins critical for maintaining normal cellular function, is a common occurrence in cancer. Ikaros is a hematopoietic-specific zinc finger protein that functions as a differentiation regulator and has properties of a tumor suppressor. Ikaros functions to regulate gene expression as a component...
Keyword:: Notch, Ikaros, tumor suppressor, and RBP-J
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Katie L Kathrein
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 09/01/2018
Date Modified:: 09/01/2018
Date Created:: 2008-02-22
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Viral Modulators of Herpesvirus Transport: Insights into Assembly and Transport Regulation

Description:: Herpesviruses require axonal transport for the successful establishment of infection in peripheral ganglia (retrograde transport), and the subsequent spread to exposed body surfaces following reactivation from latency (anterograde transport). Viral progeny are assembled and spread to other tissues or hosts during egress. I focused on viral proteins which modulate directed...
Keyword:: herpes, kinase, axonal transport, assembly, and PRV
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Kelly Coller
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/31/2018
Date Modified:: 08/31/2018
Date Created:: 2008-05-06
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Ets1 Regulation of the Small Heat Shock Protein alphaB-Crystallin and Involvement in Breast Cancer Cell Transformation

Description:: The small heat shock protein αB-crystallin is expressed primarily in lens and muscle tissue, but it is also found in lung, kidney and many cancers. Regulators of αB-crystallin have been identified almost exclusively using mouse muscle and lens specific models. It has been well documented that αB-crystallin is expressed in...
Keyword:: Molecular Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Joshua Bosman
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/31/2018
Date Modified:: 08/31/2018
Date Created:: 2008-04-24
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Analysis of the Requirement of Notch Signaling for EBV LMP2A Function in vitro and in vivo

Description:: Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is associated with malignancies of lymphoid and epithelial origin. While the precise role of EBV in oncogenesis remains elusive, latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) is detected in all EBV-associated malignancies, implicating LMP2A in their pathogenesis. Interestingly, LMP2A is expressed in EBV-associated malignancies such as Burkitt's Lymphoma,...
Keyword:: Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Leah J Anderson
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/31/2018
Date Modified:: 08/31/2018
Date Created:: 2008-03-31
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The Role of E6 Domains and Promoter Regulation in the HPV 31 Life Cycle

Description:: Tonia René Holverson The HPV genome contains a bipartite promoter system that regulates the expression of early and late gene transcripts. The early proteins include the replication proteins E1 and E2, the oncoproteins E6 and E7, and the late functioning proteins E4 and E5. The late proteins include the capsid...
Keyword:: transcription, HPV, E6, and promoter
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Tonia Rene' Holverson
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/31/2018
Date Modified:: 08/31/2018
Date Created:: 2008-04-23
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Trypanosoma brucei Serine Palmitoyltransferase: Roles In De Novo Sphingolipid Biosynthesis, Life Cycle, and Lipid Raft Formation

Description:: The kinetoplastid protozoan Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of African trypanosomiasis, affecting humans, and Nagana disease, affecting cattle, prevalent in regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Our lab demonstrated that the flagellum of T. brucei is enriched in lipid rafts, membrane areas composed of sphingolipids, sterols, and proteins that serve as...
Keyword:: trypanosoma brucei, lipid rafts, trypanosoma, sphingolipids, cell cycle, and serine palmitoyltransferase
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Alina Fridberg
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/31/2018
Date Modified:: 08/31/2018
Date Created:: 2008-02-06
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Dynamics of Fascin in Filopodia

Description:: Filopodia play a central role in proper cell navigation; they extend from the cell surface and scan the local environment to guide the cell to its proper destination. These dynamic events require precise mechanisms for the turnover of key molecules which determine the morphology of filopodia. As of yet, such...
Keyword:: Cell Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Yvonne S Aratyn
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/30/2018
Date Modified:: 08/30/2018
Date Created:: 2007-10-08
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Stat3-Dependent Survival and Stat3-Independent Terminal Differentiation in the B Cell Compartment in IL-6 Transgenic Mice

Description:: IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in both immune and non-immune functions. In the immune system, IL-6 induces terminal differentiation of B cells into plasma cells, thereby promoting antibody production. IL-6 stimulates growth of T cells by enhancing the expression of the IL-2 receptor, and IL-6 also causes differentiation of...
Keyword:: Health Sciences
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Sarah E Staggs
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/30/2018
Date Modified:: 08/30/2018
Date Created:: 2007-12-07
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Modeling Cell Protrusion by a Population of Actin Filaments

Description:: Actin polymerization is responsible for the protrusion of filopodia and lamellipodia in immune, cancer, and other motile cells, as well as for propulsion of some intra cellular pathogens. Protrusion of a lamellipodium by the very filaments supporting the membrane load operates by the Brownian ratchet mechanism, with overall organization governed...
Keyword:: simulation, energetics, protrusion, actin, lamellipodium, and stochastic
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Thomas Schaus
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/30/2018
Date Modified:: 08/30/2018
Date Created:: 2007-12-10
Resource Type:: Dissertation

DNA Trafficking in Non-viral Gene Therapy: The Role of the Cytoskeleton

Description:: A primary limitation of non-viral gene therapy is the low level of expression achieved. One of the reasons that higher expression is not achieved is that there are many physical obstacles that prevent the DNA from reaching the nucleus to be expressed. A plasmid must cross the cell membrane, traverse...
Keyword:: Cell Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Erin Elizabeth Vaughan
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/30/2018
Date Modified:: 08/30/2018
Date Created:: 2007-12-07
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The Perinucleolar Compartment: Studies on Function and Development as a Novel Pan-cancer and Drug Discovery Marker

Description:: The perinucleolar compartment is a nuclear substructure that is associated with, but structurally distinct from the nucleolus. Previous studies have shown that the PNC preferentially forms in cancer cells and PNC prevalence (% of non-mitotic and non-apoptotic cells in a population with one or more PNC) is a prognostic in...
Keyword:: anti-cancer drug, prognostic marker, Perinucleolar comparment, and metastasis
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: John Thomas Norton
Owner:: Jason Christ Chandra
Date Uploaded:: 08/30/2018
Date Modified:: 08/30/2018
Date Created:: 2007-12-10
Resource Type:: Dissertation

N-cadherin Function in Cell Fate Specification of Cortical Precursor Cells

Description:: Cellular interactions are important for the development and maintenance of tissue structural integrity. In the developing neuroepithelium, the adherens junction proteins, N-cadherin and β-catenin, are highly enriched at the apical surface of the proliferative ventricular zone and have been suggested to have critical functions in ensuring the proper development of...
Keyword:: cell fate specification, mitotic division symmetry, beta-catenin, N-cadherin, cortical precursor, and cell adhesion
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Stephanie Noles
Owner:: Jason Christ Chandra
Date Uploaded:: 08/30/2018
Date Modified:: 08/30/2018
Date Created:: 2007-12-07
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Dual Mechanisms for Antigen-Specific Peripheral Tolerance Induction as a Therapy for Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Description:: MHC class II-restricted T cell responses are a common driving force of autoimmune disease. Numerous therapeutic strategies target CD4+ T cells hoping to attenuate autoimmune responses and restore self-tolerance. We have previously reported that i.v. treatment with antigen-pulsed, ethylenecarbodiimide (ECDI)-fixed splenocytes (Ag-SP) is an efficient protocol to induce Ag-specific tolerance...
Keyword:: T cell, Autoimmunity, Multiple Sclerosis, Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, and Tolerance
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Danielle Marie Turley
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/28/2018
Date Modified:: 08/28/2018
Date Created:: 2007-12-07
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Glial activation links early-life seizures and increased susceptibility to seizures in adulthood</

Description:: Early-life seizures increase susceptibility to seizures in adulthood. However, mechanisms by which seizures in the developing brain lead to increased vulnerability to seizures and exacerbation of neurological injury in adulthood remain unknown. We test the hypothesis that upregulation of proinflammatory cytokine levels and chronic glial activation following early-life seizures result...
Keyword:: seizures, cytokines, microglia, glia, glutamate, and neuroinflammation
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Kathleen Cua Somera-Molina
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/27/2018
Date Modified:: 08/27/2018
Date Created:: 2007-12-07
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Inhibition of Caspases by the Small Heat Shock Protein, HspB2

Description:: HspB2 was discovered as a chaperone of muscular dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) and originally named, DMPK binding protein (MKBP) and presently called HspB2. Functionally, MKBP binds to DMPK and stabilizes its kinase activity, thereby accelerating the progression of muscular dystrophy. Although other binding partners of HspB2 have been found, the...
Keyword:: Molecular and Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Shayna Oshita
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/27/2018
Date Modified:: 08/27/2018
Date Created:: 2007-08-28
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Development of Alveolar Epithelial Type II Cell-Specific Nuclear Targeting Vectors for Gene Therapy

Description:: Although non-viral gene therapy has great potential for use in the lung, several problems including inefficient gene transfer and expression and the relative lack of cell-specific targeting have limited its applications. The two approaches that have been used to target genes to desired cell types are through specific ligand-receptor interactions...
Keyword:: nuclear import, SP-C, gene therapy, plasmid, and non-viral
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: James Vincent DeGiulio
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/16/2018
Date Modified:: 08/16/2018
Date Created:: 2007-09-24
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The role of early growth response transcriptional regulators in neurotrophin signaling and sympathetic nervous system development

Description:: Early growth response genes (Egr1-4) are induced as immediate early genes by a variety of extracellular stimuli that influence cellular growth and differentiation. Egr transcriptional regulators modulate gene expression by binding to Egr response elements (ERE) in target genes. In this study, the low affinity p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) was...
Keyword:: Egr, sympathetic nervous system, dnEgr, neurotrophin signaling, and p75NTR
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Xiaoguang Guo
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/02/2018
Date Modified:: 08/02/2018
Date Created:: 2007-05-31
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Barbed End Regulation and the Formation of Actin Protrusive Structures

Description:: Barbed end regulation is critical to the formation of the actin-based protrusive structures, lamellipodia and filopodia. In this body of work we have chosen to focus on two main activities, filament termination by the heterodimeric Capping protein (CP) and continued filament elongation by the Ena/VASP family of proteins. We demonstrate...
Keyword:: actin protrusive structures, lamellipodia, filopodia, Ena/VASP, Capping Protein, and actin
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Derek Anthony Applewhite
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/02/2018
Date Modified:: 08/02/2018
Date Created:: 2007-09-04
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Inhibits Prostate Cancer Cell Motility through Activation of ALK2-Smad1 Signaling

Description:: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer (1:6), and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in American men (>27,000/year). Metastasis is largely responsible for these deaths. During metastasis, tumor cells travel from the prostate to a distant organ where they establish a secondary tumor. Cell motility...
Keyword:: Health Sciences
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Clarissa Schumacher Craft
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/01/2018
Date Modified:: 08/01/2018
Date Created:: 2007-07-27
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Dual Regulation of Glucocorticoid-Induced Leucine Zipper (GILZ) by the Glucocorticoid Receptor and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/AKT Pathways in Multiple Myeloma

Description:: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell malignancy occurring within the bone marrow. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used in the treatment of MM patients due to potent induction of apoptosis. Though known to occur via the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the molecular details of GC-induced apoptosis in MM cells remain...
Keyword:: Multiple Myeloma, GILZ, AKT, Glucocorticoid, and PI3-kinase
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Katharine M Davies
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/01/2018
Date Modified:: 08/01/2018
Date Created:: 2007-06-17
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Mechanisms of Oxygen Sensing and Hypoxic Increase in Replicative Lifespan

Description:: The response to reduced levels of oxygen (hypoxia) is essential for embryonic development by promoting the proper formation of vascular networks. Conversely, hypoxia also promotes the development of pathophysiological processes such as pulmonary hypertension and cancer. The main mediator of responses to hypoxia within the cell is the transcription factor...
Keyword:: Molecular and Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Eric Bell
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 08/01/2018
Date Modified:: 08/01/2018
Date Created:: 07-27-2007
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Caspase cleavage of HER-2/neu Releases a BH3-like Cell Death Effector

Description:: Breast cancer cells acquire many genetic alterations in apoptotic signaling pathways rendering them resistant to apoptosis. Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor-2 (HER-2/ErbB2/neu) is amplified or overexpressed in approximately 30% of breast and ovarian tumors and correlates with poor prognosis. Although HER-2 is an orphan receptor, it forms potent signaling heterodimers...
Keyword:: HER-2/neu, apoptosis, BH3, caspase substrates, and breast cancer
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Anne Marie Strohecker
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 07/30/2018
Date Modified:: 07/30/2018
Date Created:: 05-15-2007
Resource Type:: Dissertation

TGF-beta and caner development: the role of TGF-beta in converting CD4+CD25- T cells into CD4+CD25+ T regulatroy cells and a TbRIIDN-tk/Ganciclovir suicide system in cancer gene therapy

Description:: Initial studies described the ability of CD4+CD25+ T regulatory (Treg) cells in suppressing autoimmune diseases in animal models. An emerging interest has focused on the potential role of Treg cells in cancer development and progression as they have been shown to suppress anti-tumor immunity. In the present study, CD4+CD25- T...
Keyword:: Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Victoria Chunyan Liu
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 06/26/2018
Date Modified:: 06/26/2018
Date Created:: 2007-05-15
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Understanding the mechanism of protein processing by the proteasome

Description:: The ubiquitin-proteasome system degrades regulatory proteins and thereby controls a broad range of cellular processes such as the cell cycle, DNA-repair, gene transcription and signal transduction. The proteasome typically degrades its substrates completely into small peptides. However, biological exceptions do occur. For example, the activity of a handful of transcriptional...
Keyword:: Chemistry, Biology, and Cell
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Tian Lin
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 06/05/2018
Date Modified:: 06/05/2018
Date Created:: 2007-05-09
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Functional Characterization of Epstein-Barr Virus gH/gL Glycoprotein Complex in Fusion

Description:: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human gamma-herpesvirus that primarily infects B cells and epithelial cells. While the glycoproteins required for entry into these two cell types differ, the gH/gL glycoprotein complex is essential for entry into both epithelial and B cells. Analysis of gH protein sequences from three gamma-herpesviruses: EBV,...
Keyword:: Molecular and Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Jasmina Omerovic
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 06/05/2018
Date Modified:: 06/05/2018
Date Created:: 2007-05-09
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Control of DNA Replication by the Cdt1/Geminin Complex

Description:: It is critical to genomic integrity that DNA is replicated completely and faithfully during each cell cycle. The essential replication factor Cdt1 is a critical protein in preventing reinitiation of replication. Overexpression of Cdt1 causes re-replication in p53 null cells and transforms NIH3T3 cells, causing them to form tumors in...
Keyword:: Xenopus, Cell Cycle, Geminin, Cdt1, and Re-Replication
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Sarah Lynn Kerns
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 06/01/2018
Date Modified:: 06/01/2018
Date Created:: 2007-05-11
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Mechanisms of Bladder Barrier Dysfunction during Neurogenic Cystitis: the Role of TNF and Mast Cells

Description:: The primary function of the human urinary bladder is to store urine, while maintaining a permeability barrier that protects underlying tissues from noxious urinary components. Inflammatory diseases of the bladder, including urinary tract infection (UTI) and interstitial cystitis (IC), afflict millions of patients in the US annually and cause significant...
Keyword:: Physiology and Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Michael C Chen
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/30/2018
Date Modified:: 05/30/2018
Date Created:: 2007-05-11
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Microenvironment Regulation of Proteinase Expression and E-cadherin Ectodomain Generation in Ovarian Cancer

Description:: Most women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) initially present with metastases, but little is known about the regulation of ovarian tumor cell dissemination by the tumor microenvironment. Because ovarian cancer cell dissemination is mostly limited to the peritoneal cavity and often results in the accumulation of malignant ascites, the...
Keyword:: Biology and Cell
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Jaime Symowicz
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/21/2018
Date Modified:: 05/21/2018
Date Created:: 2007-03-12
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The Role Of The mTOR Pathway In Mediating The Biological Effects Of Arsenic Trioxide

Description:: Arsenic trioxide (As203) is an arsenic-derivative that exhibits potent growth inhibitory effects against malignant cells. The remarkable antitumor effects of As203 in vitro and in vivo have prompted the development of various clinical trials that established its activity in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). As203 is part of the standard treatment...
Keyword:: Biology, Cell, and Health Sciences
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Patrick Jang Yoon
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/21/2018
Date Modified:: 05/21/2018
Date Created:: 2007-03-12
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Export of Vibrio cholerae RTX toxin

Description:: >Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera, secretes several "accessory" toxins including RTX toxin, which causes cross-linking of the actin cytoskeleton. The rtx locus of V. cholerae is located adjacent to the integrated CTX? prophage. The RTX toxin itself is encoded by the rtxA gene found...
Keyword:: Vibrio cholerae, Type I secretion, Growth phase regulation, RTX toxin, and Proteases
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Bethany Kay Boardman
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/14/2018
Date Modified:: 05/14/2018
Date Created:: 2007-03-30
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer's Disease Animal Model and the Effectiveness of Selective Suppression of Glial Activation

Description:: There is increasing evidence that links chronic activation of glial cells and the subsequent self-propagating cycle of neuroinflammation to the neurodegenerative progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nevertheless, attempts to identify currently approved drugs capable of safely attenuating the neuroinflammatory processes in AD have proven disappointing to date, and the development...
Keyword:: neuroinflammation, beta-amyloid, glia, and Alzheimer's disease
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Jeffrey Michael Craft
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/10/2018
Date Modified:: 05/10/2018
Date Created:: 2007-03-05
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Molecular mechanisms mediating activation of cytomegalovirus major immediate early enhancer in allogeneic transplantation

Description:: Reactivation of latent human cytomegalovirus is of significant concern in immunocompromised transplant patients. However, the mechanisms controlling reactivation of latent CMV have not been understood. It is likely that reactivation is initiated by induction of IE gene expression. In this thesis, I studied molecular mechanisms leading to transcriptional activation of...
Keyword:: Microbiology and Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Soo Jung Kim
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/10/2018
Date Modified:: 05/10/2018
Date Created:: 2006-12-22
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Characterization of Three Activity Domains from the Multifunctional RTX Toxin from Vibrio cholerae

Description:: The Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae elicits disease through the export of enterotoxins. The V. cholerae RTX toxin was identified due its ability to cause cell rounding. Characterization of the RTX toxin demonstrated that this cell rounding was due to the depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton through...
Keyword:: Cysteine Protease, RTX Toxin, Vibrio cholerae , Actin Cross-linking, and Rho GTPases
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Kerri-Lynn Sheahan
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/09/2018
Date Modified:: 05/09/2018
Date Created:: 2006-12-16
Resource Type:: Dissertation

Regulation of FucT-VII expression in CD4-positive T cells

Description:: CD4-positive T cells express ligands for E- and P-selectins, carbohydrate-binding adhesion molecules that are induced on inflamed endothelium. The interaction between selectins and the selectin ligands facilitates the migration of T cells to sites of inflammation. The fucosyltransferase FucT-VII is essential for selectin ligand formation but the signaling and transcriptional...
Keyword:: Biology
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Dimitrios G. Zisoulis
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/09/2018
Date Modified:: 05/09/2018
Date Created:: 2006-12-11
Resource Type:: Dissertation

DISSECTING THE ROLE OF C53 IN REGULATION OF CELL CYCLE AND CELL DEATH

Description:: Regulation of cell cycle and cell death are critical for normal cellular proliferation, tissue homeostasis, animal development, and the pathogenesis of human diseases such as cancer. Irregularities in cell cycle and cell death may result in tumorigenesis. In this dissertation, I describe my studies of a novel gene C53, which...
Keyword:: Mitosis, Cell Cycle, G2/M checkpoint, Cell Death, and C53
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Hai Jiang
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/09/2018
Date Modified:: 05/09/2018
Date Created:: 2006-12-12
Resource Type:: Dissertation

The Role Of The p38 MAP Kinase Pathway In Mediating The Biological Effects Of Arsenic Trioxide In Malignant Cells

Description:: Arsenic trioxide exhibits potent antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo, and is widely used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in humans. In addition to APL, arsenic is of potential therapeutic value for the treatment of other hematologic malignancies, including chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). There is evidence...
Keyword:: Signal Transduction In Malignant Cells
Subject:: Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences
Creator:: Nick Giafis
Owner:: Scholarly Digital Publishing
Date Uploaded:: 05/09/2018
Date Modified:: 05/09/2018
Date Created:: 2006-12-25
Resource Type:: Dissertation

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