RSS 1.0Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Electronic Theses and Dissertations (UMKC)
The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Recent Submissions
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Bugs, Drugs and Data: Antibiotic Resistance, Prevalence and Prediction of Bug-Drug Mismatch using Electronic Health Records (EHR) Data
(2021)Bug-Drug Mismatch (BDM) occurrences are an important and modifiable category of inappropriate antibiotic therapy (IAAT) that increases adverse outcomes for patients and drives overall antibiotic resistance (AR). Surveillance ... -
A single molecule study on the structural basis of ion selective permeation in voltage-gated sodium channels
(2021)High resolution studies of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) can not reveal the dynamic nature of the channel structures, especially in lipid environments, which are vital for rational drug design. The bacterial NavAb ... -
Effects of Light on BDBT Puncta Formation in the Drosophila Eye Reveal Involvement of BDBT with Color Preference Behavior and Distinct Nuclear Localization Pathways for DBT and PER
(2021)In this dissertation, the research focus is on elucidating the mechanism behind BRIDE OF DOUBLETIME (BDBT) puncta/foci formation. During this process it was discovered that both the circadian and visual photoreceptors ... -
The canonical Wnt signaling pathway affects regeneration of mechanosensory hair cells in Danio Rerio
(2020)In vertebrates, mechanosensory hair cells are located in the inner ear and mediate hearing. When damage to these specialized cells occur, it leads to irreversible hearing loss. Not only do aquatic vertebrates have inner ... -
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 ... -
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 ... -
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 ... -
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 ... -
Mechanism of Action of Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase Mediated Signaling in Oxidative Stress
(University of Missouri -- Kansas City, 2018)Worldwide there are an estimated 1 billion people that are affected by a form of neurodegenerative disease. The most common forms of neurodegenerative disease are Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, along ... -
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 ... -
Novel Dichloroacetate Prodrugs for Improved Targeting of Breast Cancer Chemotherapeutics
(University of Missouri -- Kansas City, 2019)It is well documented that most cancer cells utilize aerobic glycolysis or Warburg metabolism instead of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation for cell energy production. Dichloroacetate is a synthetic small molecule ... -
A Genetic Screen for Tribbles Suppressors Identifies the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Neuralized as a Novel Target
(University of Missouri -- Kansas City, 2017)In this dissertation, I used the Drosophila wing as a model tissue for a genetic screen to identify novel targets of Tribbles. Drosophila Tribbles is the founding member of a family of pseudokinases conserved between ... -
Structural Basis for the Regulation of the Ceramide Transfer Protein
(University of Missouri -- Kansas City, 2017)Ceramide, a central intermediate in sphingolipid metabolism, is synthesized at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and transferred to the Golgi by the ceramide transfer (CERT) protein for conversion to sphingomyelin (SM). ... -
Biochemical and Structural Studies of the Role of FKBP(L)s in the fly and Mammalian Circadian Cycle
(University of Missouri -- Kansas City, 2017)FK506 binding-like proteins (FKBPLs) are proteins that structurally resemble the immunophilins. Their functions in cell signaling include protein folding, molecular trafficking, RNA splicing and cell cycle regulation ... -
Conformational Behavior and Structural Parameters of Some Cyclic and Chain Molecules
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2017)The physicochemical properties of a molecule derive from its molecular structure, and that structure often involves the orientation of one part of the molecule about a particular bond with respect to the rest of the ... -
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 ... -
Regulation of Antimicrobial Peptide Genes in Insects by the Toll Pathway and NF-kB Transcription Factors
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2017)Insects lack adaptive immunity and solely rely on innate immunity to combat pathogens. Innate immunity in dipteran and lepidopteran insects mainly depends on two canonical pathways, the Toll pathway that provides ... -
Hyper-Plastic Structural Evolution Of The PEX Domain - A Model Of Evolutionary Exaptation And Neofunctionalization At The Molecular Level
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2017)With the advent of sophisticated genetic, biophysical and in silico technology an enormous amount of information is being generated regarding the structural, biochemical and physiological aspects of proteins. Tertiary ... -
Role of Toll-Like Receptor 4 in Oxidant-induced Inflammatory Phenotypes in Macrophages
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2017)A common mechanism by which redox stress may activate inflammatory responses to potentially initiate, propagate and maintain many diseases states has not been characterized. Accumulating evidence suggests that pattern ... -
An Investigation into the Effects of Alterations in Ribosomal Proteins S4 and S5 on Translational Accuracy, Ribosomal RNA Processing, and Ribosome Assembly
(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2016)Accurate translation of genetic message is an essential step in gene expression and is carried out by the ribosome. Ribosomal proteins S4 and S5 are critical for the decoding and the assembly processes on the ribosome. The ...