Aquatic animals possess surprising similarities to humans in reproductive signaling that are simplified or elaborated for life underwater, making them useful for studying reproductive control. In this thesis, killifish and sea anemones are used as models for reproductive function and aging. The aging model Nothobranchius (killifish) was used to investigate...
Mammalian female reproduction requires preovulatory surges of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from neurons in the preoptic area (POA) of the hypothalamus, initiated by elevated estradiol (E₂). Rising E₂ activates a subset ofsexually dimorphic Kisspeptin neurons in the female, located in the anteroventralperiventricular nuclei (AVPV). Conversely, E₂ negative feedback is mediated by...
The endogenous circadian clock is an intracellular transcriptional feedback loop timing daily patterns of multiple biological rhythms within a 24-hour period. Disturbance in various rhythms leads to alteration of normal biological processes including cellular proliferation and tumor suppression. Endogenous circadian clock rhythms have been found to be disrupted in breast...
Perfluorinated chemicals have been widely used in industry for their superior surfactant qualities. Because of their widespread usage and resistance to photolytic and biodegradation mechanisms, as well as their ability to undergo long-range atmospheric transport, these compounds have become ubiquitous in the world-wide water supplies. Of particular interest are perfluorooctanoic...
Multicellular coordination in response to environmental stimuli is essential in biology, and this coordination is often achieved by a division of labor to establish leaders and followers in a cell population. This is called emergent leadership, but how a cell adopts its role and effectively exchanges information with peers is...
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are able to trigger the release of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone which control the maturation of oocytes and ovulation which is vital for reproduction. They are the most downstream neurons that project to the median eminence into the pituitary portal where they release GnRH. Modulation...
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women, with an estimated 12.4% of American women diagnosed with this tumor type. Evidence suggests that exogenous disruptors can exert epigenetic changes leading to aberrant gene expression, shifting the cellular balance toward oncogenesis. While chemical pollutant exposure is well-studied, light...
Estradiol (E2) plays a role in positive and negative feedback mechanisms of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in female mammals. These mechanisms are regulated by two different populations of kisspeptin (KP)-producing neurons: anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) neurons, which are stimulated by E2, and arcuate (arc) neurons, which are inhibited by E2. AVPV...
Estrogen (E2) is essential for multiple physiological effects in females, ensuring maximum reproductive fitness and maintaining skeletal homeostasis. E2 has been shown to stimulate cancellous bone formation via activation of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), an effect widely accepted to be mediated directly at bone. A recent landmark study by Herber...
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the US, however, only a small fraction of cases are attributable to heritable genetic mutations; the bulk arises from various behavioral and environmental factors. Loss of functional p53 is observed in over 50% of cases, and its activity relies...