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Responses of Leaf Litter Breakdown Rates and Microbial Enzyme Activity to Salinity in North Carolina Wetlands
(East Carolina University, 2014)
Sea-level rise and human activities are causing the increase of salinity in coastal freshwater wetlands. Increased salinity in some wetlands has been found to accelerate leaf litter decomposition, an important driver of ...
Inhibitory and oxidative effects of gossypol on MCF7 Breast Cancer cells in vitro
(East Carolina University, 2013)
Human cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and breast cancer is responsible for the second highest number of deaths in women with cancer worldwide. Today, cancer is becoming more and more ...
Comparison of ZnO nanoparticles and ZnCl₂ induced germ cell apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans
(East Carolina University, 2014)
There is inadequate research data available on manufactured ZnO nanoparticles. Manufactured nanoparticles are widely used in various products and production of manufactured nanoparticles is becoming increasingly abundant. ...
miRDiabetes : A microRNA-Diabetes Association Database Constructed With Data Mining on Literature
(East Carolina University, 2014)
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a growing class of non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by translational repression. A role for miRNA in diabetes was first established in 2004 and research in miRNA-diabetes association has ...
Expression of microRNA in Alveolar Macrophages Deficient in PPARy
(East Carolina University, 2014)
The nuclear transcription factor Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a negative regulator of macrophage activation and inflammatory mediators. Alveolar macrophages of healthy individuals constitutively express PPARgamma Decreased activity and expression of PPARgamma are observed in the alveolar macrophages from patients suffering from inflammatory conditions such as pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) and sarcoidosis. These finding suggest that PPARf× activity may have an integral role in maintaining lung homeostasis. This study tested the hypothesis that microRNA expression would be dysregulated in murine alveolar macrophages deficient in PPARgamma. microRNA (miR) are small non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of messenger RNA. Evaluation of microRNA in the murine model of PAP, the GM-CSF-KO mouse, demonstrates the elevation of miR-27a and miR-27b which target PPARgamma. The deficiency of PPARgamma and the lipid transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 have been shown to contribute to the pathology of PAP. The microRNA miR-33-3p and miR-33-5p, which target these lipid transporters, were also elevated in GM-CSF-KO mice. Pulmonary granulomas comparable to those observed in pulmonary sarcoidosis are induced by instillation of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in C57Bl/6 mice. These animals have decreased PPARgamma activity and show elevated expression of miR-27a and miR-27b. It was also observed that the expression of the transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 were decreased in MWCNT instilled mice. Expression of miR-33-3p and miR-33-5p was elevated in MWCNT instilled animals. The expression of microRNA that affects the activity of NF-£eB is also elevated in both murine models. We next investigated the use of PPARgamma agonist rosiglitazone on the expression of microRNA and messenger RNA. The use of rosiglitazone altered the expression of microRNA in both GM-CSF-KO and C57Bl/6+MWCNT mice. Rosiglitazone treatment altered the expression of the lipid transporter ABCA1and ABCG1 in C57Bl/6+MWCNT mice. The elevation of proinflammatory cytokines was also observed. Taken together, these observations support the hypothesis that PPARgamma activity effects the microRNA and gene expression in alveolar macrophages which is critical to overall lung homeostasis. Understanding the relationship between PPARgamma and microRNA in alveolar macrophage biology will provide insight into the regulation of the lung environment and possible therapeutic targets. ...
SPATIAL EXPRESSION OF MATRIX AND MATRIX RECEPTOR PROTEINS IN THE DEVELOPING SYNOVIAL JOINT
(East Carolina University, 2013)
Little is understood about the complex spatial and temporal molecular interactions necessary to form a fully functional synovial joint. Understanding molecular pathways and signaling within the developing joint continues ...
The Effects of Crude Oil and Chemical Dispersant Exposure on Danio rerio (zebrafish) Embryonic Development
(East Carolina University, 2014)
Crude oil has been shown to cause defects in cardiovascular development in a variety of teleost species. We used the zebrafish, Danio rerio as a model to test the effects of oil and dispersant on cardiac development and ...
Spatial Ecology and Seasonal Habitat Use of the King Rail (Rallus elegans) along the Atlantic Coast
(East Carolina University, 2014)
TThe King Rail (Rallus elegans) continues to experience population declines throughout its range. Due to its secretive nature and occupancy of densely vegetated marshes, little is known about the behavior and ecology of ...
Effects of Nicotine on Caenorhabditis elegans survival, reproduction, and gene expressions : Development of an Invertebrate Animal Model for Drugs of Abuse
(East Carolina University, 2011)
Although much is known about the addictive effects of nicotine, the molecular mechanisms of nicotine-induced effects remain largely unclear. Specifically, little is known about the effects of nicotine on gene expression, ...
Drosophila Ctf4 is essential for genome stability and normal cell cycle progression
(East Carolina University, 2010)
Proper DNA replication and well-timed cell cycle progression are vital to the normal functioning of a cell. Precise coordination between these mechanisms' constituent proteins ensures their processivity while safeguarding ...