Rat selenoprotein W (SeW) promoter activity was investigated using different concentrations of cadmium, copper, and zinc. Two fragments (404bp and 1265bp) of the SeW promoter, containing a single metal response element (MRE), were ligated into the multiple cloning site of a pGL3-Basic reporter plasmid. The constructs were transfected into cultured...
Peptide-phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PPMOs) are synthetic DNA mimics that bind and silence gene targets. Through designing PPMOs that silence essential or resistance genes in pathogens, these antisense oligomers could be utilized as novel antimicrobials. Towards this end, my thesis employed minimum inhibitory concentration assays (MICs) to identify PPMOs capable of...
Morpholino oligos (Morpholinos) are widely used tools for knocking down gene expression and are currently in a clinical trial for treatment of Duchene muscular dystrophy. A Morpholino analog has been in a clinical trial as a potential anti-bioterrorism agent for inhibiting replication of deadly Marburg viral infection. The cellular uptake...
Seafloor lithologic maps have been widely used to identify conservation sites. In this study, a lithologic interpretation of Oregon's territorial seafloor was created as an interim product in response to the need for a comprehensive lithologic map that will be used in the identification, evaluation and design of marine reserves...
The antimutagenic potency of wheat grain and berry extracts was studied in vitro against several heterocyclic amines (HCAs) using the Salmonella mutagenicity assay and the anticarcinogencity of wheat grain was studied in vivo using the rat colonic aberrant crypt focus assay. Wheat bran, which binds HCAs in vitro, as well...
As the aging population continues to grow worldwide, age-related complications are becoming more apparent within the aging population. One of the first age-related complications to become apparent is age-associated memory impairment and it can make the elderly more dependent on caregivers early on. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is important to...
Influenza A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are both enveloped, negative strand
RNA viruses which infect the respiratory mucosa of animals and humans. Despite
decades of research and development of antivirals and vaccines, both of these viruses
continue to be a major health concern throughout the world. The focus of...
Mismatch repair is one of the mechanisms by which cells ensure genomic
stability. Deficiencies in mismatch repair (MMR) increase mutation rates and cancer
risks. In the well-characterized methyl-directed Escherichia co/i system, MMR is
initiated by MutS, Mut L, and MutH proteins. The single MutS protein and the
single MutL protein...