Metastatic cancers are problematic because they spread throughout the body. A crucial step in cancer metastasis is the separation of the cancer cells from their surrounding normal cells. This occurs due to suppression or destruction of cell adhesion molecules such as E-cadherin, occludin, and various claudins. The Snail and Slug transcription factors play a direct role in suppressing these cell adhesion molecules through their SNAG repression domain. We explored the possibility of developing an ELISA diagnostics capable of detecting soluble E-cadherin, occludin, and claudin fragments in the serum of cancer patients. Using several bioinformatics tools, unique extracellular antigenic sequences were identified on claudins-1, 4, 16, occludin, and E-cadherin. These sequences were cloned as GST fusion proteins, expressed, and purified in large quantities to raise antibodies. In parallel, expression profiling of metastatic cancer cell lines was carried out to derive a correlation between Snail-Slug expression and suppression of cell adhesion molecules. / by Michael Irvine. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

DNA is the genetic material of a cell and is copied in the form of pre-mRNA through transcription in eukaryotes. RNA polymerase II is responsible for the transcription of all genes that express proteins. Transcription is a significant source of the stochasticity in gene expression. In this thesis, I discuss the development of a biochemically detailed model of eukaryotic transcription, which includes pre-initiation complex (PIC) assembly, abortive initiation, promoter-proximal pausing and termination as the points that can be slow steps for transcription. The stochastic properties of this model are studied in detail by stochastic simulations with some preliminary mathematical analysis. The results of this model suggest that PIC assembly can play the most significant role in affecting the transcription dynamics. In addition, promoter-proximal pausing has been identified as a potential noise regulatory step in eukaryotic transcription. These results show excellent agreement with many experimental studies. / x, 107 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm