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Modulation of calcium signaling through direct and indirect actions of polyphenolic phytostilbenes on neuronal calcium channels
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2017)
Today in the United States there are 6.5 million people affected by a
neurodegenerative disease. Recent findings hypothesize that calcium dyshomeostasis and
reactive oxygen species contribute to the progression of many ...
Structure/Function Analysis of Type IIa Receptor Tyrosine Phosphatases on Drosophila Muscle Integrity
(University of Missouri -- Kansas City, 2018)
The Lar-family of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs); including
Lar, RPTPσ and RPTPδ, are utilized in signal transduction pathways during neural
development. Fundamentally, the processes of axon guidance ...
Structure-Function Analysis of the Tribbles Pseudokinase
(2020)
Members of the Tribbles (Trb) family of pseudokinases have roles in development, cell cycle control, insulin signaling, and the immune response and have been linked to many human diseases. The structure of Drosophila ...
Investigation of functional domains of drosophilia tribbles protein in the insulin signaling pathway
(2020)
In this dissertation, I examined the function of the Drosophila melanogaster protein Tribbles (Trbl) within the insulin/insulin-like signaling (IIS) pathway. Trbl was initially discovered as a regulator of mitosis during ...
APP∙CNTN Complex Architecture is Conserved Throughout the Vertebrate Lineage
(2020)
Contactins (CNTNs) are a group of up to six cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily found throughout the metazoan lineage. CNTN architecture is broadly conserved, and these proteins are composed ...
Non-genomic control of neuronal calcium signaling by the steroid hormone estrogen leads to neuroprotective effects
(2020)
It has been well documented that the onset of menopause correlates with an increase in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Estrogen supplementation was used as treatment/prevention for a ...
The Ins and Outs and ABCs of Antifungal Drug Transport: Characterizing the Role of Membrane Transporters in Pathogenic Fungi
(2016)
Pathogenic fungi cause serious disease and even death in humans, animals and plants. In medicine and agriculture alike, fungal infections are widespread and represent a significant threat to global public health. The ...
The Molecular Mechanisms of Antifungal Drug Resistance In Pathogenic Fungi
(2016)
Pathogenic fungi including Candida albicans, cause oral, systemic, and vaginal infections, mostly in immune-compromised individuals. Azoles are the most common antifungals used in treating these infections. The most ...
Modulation of neuronal ryanodine receptor-mediated calcium signaling by calsenilin
(2013)
Calsenilin is calcium (Ca2+) ion Ca2+ binding protein found in the nucleus, plasma membrane, and endoplasmic reticulum of neuronal cells. Calsenilin was first found to interact with two proteins involved in early-onset ...
Determining the differential roles of the dock family of GEFs in drosophila development
(2015-05-19)
The evolutionarily conserved Dock proteins function as unconventional guanine
nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). Upon binding to ELMO (Engulfment and cell
motility) proteins, Dock-ELMO complexes activate the Rho family ...
The Roles of the Drosophila Protein Tribbles in Oogenesis and Insulin Signaling Pathway
(2015-06-02)
In this dissertation, I examined the molecular mechanism of function of the
Drosophila melanogaster protein Tribbles (Trbl) during oogenesis and larval
development. Trbl is the founding member of an evolutionarily conserved ...
Structural Basis for the Formation of PTPRG•CNTN Complexes in Neural Tissues
(2016)
Receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase gamma (PTPRG) is a cell surface receptor expressed primarily on neurons. It combines cytoplasmic tyrosine phosphatase domains and an extracellular region that includes a carbonic ...
Structural and functional studies of type three secretion virulence factors from gram-negative pathogenic bacteria
(University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2011-12-21)
Many pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria utilize type III secretion systems (TTSS) to alter the normal functions of target host epithelial cells. Of the 1.1 million deaths that are caused by Shigella each year, nearly a third ...
Mutational and functional analyses of the dynein heavy chain indicate the existence of an apical-sistal transport cycle in cells
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2012-03-02)
The organization, survival, and function of eukaryotic cells depend on intracellular
transport governed by the microtubule based molecular motors cytoplasmic dynein and
kinesin. Dynein carries out the inward transport ...
The role of drosophila protein kinase doubletime in circadian period determination, morning and evening oscillators and tauopathy
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2012-10-01)
In this dissertation, I used the GAL4-UAS binary expression method to overexpress mutant and wild type forms of the circadian protein kinase DBT in order to address several basic questions about DBT's biological functions. ...
Disconnecting a Role for DNA Repair in the Pathogenicity of the Human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans
(2014)
C. neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen causing fatal meningitis and lung infections. Worldwide every year around 625,000 deaths occur due to Cryptococcosis. A basic understanding of Cryptococcus virulence ...
The Role of Host Translation Initiation Factors eIF4H and eIF4A and the Exon Junction Complex in the Control of mRNA turnover and Translation by the Virion Host Shut off Protein of Herpes Simplex Virus
(2013)
During lytic infections, the HSV Vhs endonuclease (UL41) degrades many viral and cellular mRNAs. This endonuclease activity is dependent upon the ability of Vhs to bind the host translation initiation factors eIF4AI/II and ...
Identification of a Novel Link between the Motor Proteins Dynein and Kinesin-1
(University of Missouri–Kansas City, 2016)
The motor proteins dynein and kinesin are fascinating biological machines which,
like vehicles in a city, move various cellular cargoes along cytoskeletal microtubules
(MT). In filamentous fungi, these motors are important ...
The herpes simplex virus virion host shutoff protein is targeted to mRNA cleavage sites through interactions with components of the host translational apparatus
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2011-01-20)
The virion host shutoff protein (Vhs) is a herpes simplex virus (HSV) protein involved in early shutoff of the host cell. It is a component of the infecting virion, located in the tegument region, that works by rapidly ...
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A lyase: investigation of cysteines mediating intersubunit disulfide formation and regulation by thiol/disulfide exchange and discovery of an extramitochondrial homolog
(University of Missouri -- Kansas City, 2012-01-18)
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A lyase catalyzes the cleavage of 3-hydroxy-
3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A into acetoacetate and acetyl-Coenzyme A, a key reaction
in ketogenesis and leucine catabolism. Previous work ...