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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 ...
Potential Mechanisms for Inhibition of Breast Cancer by Novel Azaresveratrol Analogs: Implications of Estrogen Receptor, Estrogen Metabolism and Cell Death Pathways
(2015-06-19)
Prolonged exposure to estrogens has been implicated in the development of breast cancers. Steroidal estrogens have been implicated in the initiation and progression of cancer. Estrogens bind to their cognate estrogen ...
Regulation of Antimicrobial Peptide Genes in the Tobacco Hornworm Manduca sexta
(2015-05-26)
The innate immune system, also known as natural or non-specific immune system, is conserved from insects to humans. The insect innate immune system is composed of humoral and cellular components. Insect humoral responses ...
Identification of motifs in the tribbles kinase required for substrate interactions
(2013)
The gene tribbles encodes an atypical kinase that is evolutionarily conserved with
important roles in regulation of cell signaling. In Drosophila melanogaster Tribbles
(Trbl) directs the proteasomal degradation of the ...
Structure-function studies of the staphylococcal complement inhibitor protein family
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2012)
Complement is a primary arm of innate immunity that plays essential roles in clearance of microbial invaders and immune complexes, initiation of inflammation, development, and differentiation and serves as a bridge to the ...
Resveratrol Analogs: Potential Chemopreventive Agents in Breast Cancer
(2015-05-22)
Epidemiological data and studies in rodent models strongly support the role of
estrogens in the development of breast cancers. Estrogens have been added to the list of
known human carcinogens. Exact mechanisms underlying ...
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 expression and regulation on antimicrobial peptide genes in insects: studies in the tobacco hornworm manduca sexta
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2011-05-10)
Insects have evolved an efficient innate immune system to combat microbes. Most of our knowledge of insect immunity comes from studies with dipteran and lepidopteran insects, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, ...
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. ...
Involvement of a specific ubiquitin ligase in the assembly of the dynein motor in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2012-08-27)
Eukaryotic cells utilize multiple molecular motor proteins to accomplish
intracellular transport. The two microtubule based motors, kinesin and cytoplasmic
dynein, work in concert to move cargoes outward and inward, ...
Calculating the structure-based phylogenetic relationship of distantly related homologous proteins utilizing maximum likelihood structural alignment combinatorics and a novel structural molecular clock hypothesis
(2013)
Dendrograms establish the evolutionary relationships and homology of species, proteins, or genes. Homology modeling, ligand binding, and pharmaceutical testing all depend upon the homology ascertained by dendrograms. ...
Discovery of Enzymes Responsible for an Alternate Mevalonate Pathway in Haloferax volcanii
(2014-09-30)
Archaea are a distinct evolutionary domain of microorganisms that contain isoprenoids in ether linkages to glycerol rather than the ester linked fatty acids that characterize membranes of bacteria or eukaryotes. Radiolabeling ...
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 ...
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 ...
HIV-1 gp120 and Methamphetamine-mediated Induction of Proinflammatory Cytokines/chemokines and Oxidative Stress in Astrocytes: Implications in Neuroinflammation
(2014-04-02)
HIV associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) remains a major concern for patients infected with HIV. The viral envelope protein, gp120 has been extensively studied and some of its neurotoxic effects are due to the increased ...
A genetic linkage map of the fungus phycomyces blakesleeanus for gene identification by map-based cloning
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2012)
The Mucoromycotina is one of the basal lineages in the fungi, all of which are poorly understood. Mucormycosis is a life threatening infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales, the most common species of which is ...
Stereoisomeric Prodrugs to Improve Ocular And Oral Absorption of Prednisolone
(2015-08-11)
The primary objective of this project is to develop stereoisomeric prodrugs such as Lvaline-
D-valine-prednisolone (LDP) and D-valine-L-valine-prednisolone (DLP) to improve
ocular and oral absorption of prednisolone. ...
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 ...
A proteomic approach for studying LTR retrotransposon host factors in saccharomyces cerevisae
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2012-01-20)
The Ty retrotransposons of S. cerevisiae are mobile elements that resemble retroviruses, both in their genetic structures and replication cycles. Ty retrotransposition begins in the nucleus with the transcription of Ty ...