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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...