Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: John A. Pelesko, Dept. of Mathematical Sciences. Includes bibliographical references.

Eukaryotic cells are characterised by membranes with varied and dynamic compositions and shapes. Consequently, membrane-binding proteins are tuned to recognise and modify these membrane states to perform their functions. To study the curvature sensitivity of proteins, I have developed a single-particle assay using NanoSight technology that tracks the Brownian motion of particles to measure their size. I optimised this system to track fluorescently labelled lipid-binding domains bound to liposomes of different sizes moving freely in solution. The comparison of the size distribution of the total liposomes with the fluorescently labelled population allowed me to determine their curvature preferences. To validate the method I tested proteins from the Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) superfamily, which are inherently curved and have known curvature preferences. My method was capable of recapitulating the behaviour of BAR domains with different curvature preferences. I then expanded the range of targets and showed that this assay is also capable of detecting curvature preferences for a variety of other lipid-binding domain families. As such, I identified AKT PH domain as a new curvature-sensing domain. Finally, using the ENTH domain of Epsin1 that causes vesicle budding, I demonstrated that this method can also be used to study membrane remodelling. Trafficking involves generation and sensing of membrane curvature combined with recognition of specific cargo. Endophilin consists of a curvature-sensitive BAR domain followed by an SH3 (Src-homology 3) domain and has recently been identified in a clathrin-independent endocytosis pathway, FEME (fast endophilin-mediated endocytosis), involved in the uptake of cell surface receptors. Endophilin recognises ligands via its SH3 domain, binding G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) directly in their intracellular loop 3 and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTKs) via adaptor proteins. However, a specific recognition motif has not been identified yet. Here, using a combination of biophysical approaches and NMR spectroscopy, I characterised the Endophilin binding motif of ALIX (ALG-2-interacting protein X) adaptor protein and of the GPCR $\alpha$2A adrenergic receptor. Comparison of SH3-peptide models resulted in a putative Endophilin recognition site.

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by Ng Kwok Choi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1980. / Bibliography: leaves 39-43.

by Tsang Yau Shing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-83). / Contents --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 0 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Elliptic Case --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1 --- Existence of energy minimizing maps --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2 --- Complex analyticity of energy minimizing maps --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- Holomorphic deformation of rational curves --- p.15 / Chapter 1.4 --- End of proof and further remarks --- p.25 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Parabolic Case --- p.30 / Chapter 2.1 --- Construction of non-vanishing holomorphic n-form --- p.32 / Chapter 2.2 --- Construction of functions of minimal degree --- p.50 / Chapter 2.3 --- Construction of biholomorphism using minimal degree functions --- p.53 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Hyperbolic Case --- p.59 / Chapter 3.1 --- Various types of negative curvature conditions --- p.61 / Chapter 3.2 --- A Bochner type identity --- p.63 / Chapter 3.3 --- Complex analyticity of harmonic maps --- p.66 / Chapter 3.4 --- Bounded symmetric domains --- p.73 / Chapter 3.5 --- "Strong ""rigidity"" and other applications" --- p.76 / Bibliography --- p.79

Yu Chengjie. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-67). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgments --- p.ii / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- A multiplicity estimate and applications --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- A multiplicity estimate --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Sharp bounds for the dimensions of the spaces of holomorphic functions of polynomial growth --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- Siegel's theorem on the fields of rational functions --- p.15 / Chapter 3 --- Quasi-embedding of complete Kahler manifolds --- p.21 / Chapter 3.1 --- The original map F0 --- p.21 / Chapter 3.2 --- Almost injectivity of F0 --- p.26 / Chapter 3.3 --- Almost surjectivity of F0 --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4 --- Weaker conditions for almost surjectivity --- p.41 / Chapter 3.5 --- Existence of quasi-embedding --- p.48 / Chapter 4 --- Desingularization of quasi-embeddings --- p.51 / Chapter 4.1 --- Normalization of a map with polynomial growth --- p.51 / Chapter 4.2 --- The method to desingularize a quasi-embedding --- p.54 / Chapter 4.3 --- The case of dimension two --- p.55 / Chapter 4.4 --- A uniformization theorem --- p.63 / Bibliography --- p.65

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (pages 42-44).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 236-241). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.