Molecular Biosciences Dissertations and Theses: Recent submissions
Now showing items 241-260 of 270
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Mechanistic and Structural Studies of Salicylate Biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(University of Kansas, 2009-04-29)Iron is an essential element for most pathogenic bacteria. To survive and establish infections in host tissues, these pathogens must compete with the host organism for iron. One strategy is to excrete iron-chelator ... -
Pseudophosphorylation of tau modulates its function and induces AD-like changes
(University of Kansas, 2009-08-13)The microtubule associate protein tau, in a hyperphosphorylated form, loses its normal function and aggregates into insoluble paired-helical filaments (PHFs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. The stoichiometry ... -
Mechanisms of Telomere Protection and Deprotection in Human Cells
(University of Kansas, 2009-07-31)Telomeres, the nucleo-protein complexes at the ends of linear chromosomes, have critical roles in genome stability, cancer, and aging. Early work by B. McClintock and H.J. Muller demonstrated that eukaryotic chromosome ... -
Neural Substrates of Insulin-Mediated Memory Facilitation in Early Alzheimer's Disease; The Impact of the Apolipoprotein E-Epsilon-4 Allele on Hippocampal Insulin Responses
(University of Kansas, 2009-01-10)Background: Several studies have demonstrated that insulin delivered by nasal spray acutely improves cognitive performance in early Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, the apolipoprotein E-episilon-4 allele, a known AD risk ... -
Genetic Approaches to Study Tissue Morphogenesis in Drosophila
(University of Kansas, 2009-12-03)Morphogenesis is defined as the change of body shape over time, the understanding of which is one of the central questions of developmental biology. To achieve proper overall organ and body shape, morphogenetic movements ... -
MicroRNA-21 Mediated Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulation in Ovarian Function
(University of Kansas, 2009-07-28)The release of the oocyte from the ovary (ovulation) and terminal differentiation of cells of the preovulatory follicle (luteinization) are initiated by the surge of pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) and are essential for ... -
HIV-Encephalitis: Mechanisms for CXCL10 Induction in Astrocytes
(University of Kansas, 2009-06-23)With the prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) increasing, understanding the mechanisms by which HIV induces neuro-inflammation and subsequent neuronal damage is of paramount importance. We hypothesized ... -
NUCLEAR FUNCTIONS OF ADENOMATOUS POLYPOSIS COLI: REGULATION OF THE G2-M CELL CYCLE TRANSITION & INTERMEDIATE FILAMENT INTERACTION
(University of Kansas, 2009-01-22)Mutations in Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) initiate most colorectal cancers. APC is implicated in regulating cell cycle and the cytoskeleton. I identified topoisomerase IIalpha (topo IIalpha), a regulator of G2 decatenation ... -
Novel Effector Protein Secretion and Transcriptional Regulation of the Type Three Secretion System in Chlamydia trachomatis.
(University of Kansas, 2009-04-29)Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen with a significant public health impact. A unifying characteristic of Chlamydia is the biphasic developmental cycle that is intimately linked to ... -
Long Primer Extension by a Novel Inverse PCR Method
(University of Kansas, 2009-05-21)An inverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to construct an engineered F1-ATPase by means of inserting the repressor of primer (Rop) DNA sequence into the region of the ATP synthase gamma (γ) subunit DNA ... -
NMR STUDIES OF BACTERIAL TYPE III SECRETION APPARATUS NEEDLE AND TIP PROTEINS AND THE NMR STRUCTURE OF THE HANTAVIRUS NUCLEOCAPSID COILED-COIL DOMAIN
(University of Kansas, 2009-04-28)Many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens utilize type III secretion systems (TTSSs) for subverting the normal cellular functions of their target eukaryotic cells. The type III secretion apparatus (TTSA) functions like a ... -
REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF SLC39A4 (ZIP4) AND SLC39A5 (ZIP5) IN THE ADAPTIVE RESPONSE TO ZINC AVAILABILITY
(University of Kansas, 2009-04-06)The aims of this research were to determine how Zip4 and Zip5 are regulated in response to zinc availability and how Zip4 impacts development. Loss of Zip4 resulted in embryonic lethality. Heterozygosity negatively affected ... -
Novel Strategies in Cancer Prevention and Fertility Preservation with Tamoxifen
(University of Kansas, 2009-04-23)Women at high risk for breast cancer are often also at high risk for ovarian cancer, reflecting similar risk factors and suggesting intertwined disease pathways and common prevention targets. A novel strategy to overcome ... -
Sorting Signals of Borrelia Lipoproteins
(University of Kansas, 2009-03-11)Bacterial lipoproteins play important roles in prokaryotic physiology, protein transport, membrane biogenesis, and pathogenesis. Produced in the cytoplasm, these proteins are N-terminally modified by the covalent addition ... -
SRC-FAMILY TYROSINE KINASES PARTICIPATE IN THE REGULATION OF MAMMALIAN OOCYTE MATURATION AND ZYGOTIC DEVELOPMENT
(University of Kansas, 2009-02-05)Multiple signaling pathways act during ovulation to ensure that the oocyte is prepared for embryonic development. We combined pharmacological and cell biological methods to study the role of Src-family kinases (SFKs) during ... -
HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS: NOVEL THERAPEUTIC TARGETS AGAINST INSULIN RESISTANCE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES
(University of Kansas, 2009-03-16)Impaired insulin action, termed insulin resistance, is characteristic of type 2 diabetes, obesity and aging. Given the rising epidemic of diabetes, efforts to understand the mechanisms of insulin resistance and discover ... -
Biochemical, Biophysical and Computational Studies of Human and Trypanosoma Cruzi S-Adenosyl-L-Homocysteine Hydrolase
(University of Kansas, 2008-01-01)In both mammals and parasites, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) plays a crucial role in regulating S-adenosylmethionine dependent transmethylations by catalyzing the reversible conversion of adenosyl-L-homocysteine ... -
MICRORNA EXPRESSION WITHIN PERIOVULATORY MURAL GRANULOSA CELLS
(University of Kansas, 2008-01-01)Normal ovarian function is an important aspect of reproductive health, and loss of this function can have drastic consequences including infertility as well as an increased risk for diseases like ovarian cancer. The ability ... -
Composition and Formation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Centromeric Nucleosome
(University of Kansas, 2008-01-01)The kinetochore is a complex, multi-protein structure required for proper chromosome segregation in all eukaryotes. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinetochore consists of over 65 known proteins which work in concert to ... -
Quantification of the Burst Phase during Non-Nutritive Suck Production in Preterm Infants
(University of Kansas, 2008-05-29)Premature birth places infants at increased risk for learning disabilities, delayed development of speech, language and motor skills, and mortality. The premature infant often has difficulties with respiration and feeding ...