Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2008. / Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 187 pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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The main focus of my work has been the role of the MRN in the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint. The MRN plays many roles in cellular metabolism; some are checkpoint dependent and some are checkpoint independent. The multiple roles in cellular metabolism complicate study of the role of the MRN in the checkpoint. MRN mutations in budding yeast and mammals may display separation of function. Mechanistically, MRN, along with its cofactor Ctp1, is involved in 5’ resection to create single stranded DNA that is required for both signaling and homologous recombination. However, it is unclear if resection is essential for all of the cellular functions of MRN. Therefore I have made mutations to mimic those in budding yeast and mammals. I found that several alleles of rad32, as well as ctp1Δ, are defective in double-strand break repair and most other functions of the complex but maintain an intact S-phase DNA damage checkpoint. Thus, the MRN S-phase checkpoint role is separate from its Ctp1- and resection-dependent role in double-strand break repair. This observation leads me to conclude that other functions of MRN, possibly its role in replication fork metabolism, are required for S-phase DNA damage checkpoint function. One of the potential roles of Rad32 and the rest of the MRN complex is in sister chromatid exchange. The genetic requirements of sister chromatid exchange have been examined using unequal sister chromatid assays which only are able to assay exchanges that are illegitimate and produce changes in the genome. Most sister chromatid exchange must be equal to maintain genomic integrity and thus far there is no good assay for equal sister chromatid exchange. Yeast cells expressing the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) and the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (tk) are able to incorporate exogenous thymidine into their DNA. This strain makes it possible for the fission yeast DNA to be labeled with halogenated thymidine analogs. This strain is being used to design an assay that will label one sister with BrdU and then DNA combing will be used to see equal sister chromatid exchange.

A suplementação dietética com AGCM induz resistência à insulina, redução de peso ponderal e aumento da adiposidade em ratos Wistar. Adipócitos isolados apresentam reduzidas captação de glicose estimulada por insulina e atividade/fosforilação da proteína AMPK. A expressão protéica do IR no tecido hepático está aumentada em animais tratados com AGCM com redução do grau de fosforilação, enquanto que o grau de fosforilação da proteína AKT permaneceu semelhante entre os grupos. Ilhotas pancreáticas isoladas apresentam redução na secreção de insulina quando incubadas com altas concentrações de glicose, diminuição do conteúdo total de insulina, hipersensibilidade a leucina e/ou arginina e aumento do percentual de morte celular com diminuída expressão da proteína AKT_1 . Desta forma, utilização em longo prazo dessa estratégia nutricional pode interferir no crescimento normal do indivíduo, na sensibilidade à insulina e possívelmente, desenvolvimento e instalação do diabetes. / The introduction of MCFA into diet induces insulin resistance, reduced body weight gain, and increased adiposity in Wistar rats. Isolated adipocytes have reduced insulin induced glucose uptake and phosphorylation/activation of AMPK protein. The insulin receptor protein expression is increased in liver of MCFA fed rats accompanied by reduced tyrosine phosphorylation, with similar AKT serine phosphorylation. Isolated pancreatic islets had reduced glucose stimulated insulin secretion due to high glucose exposure and reduced insulin content; higher insulin secretion induced by leucine and arginine, and increased apoptosis with reduced AKT protein level. In these regard, the chronic ingestion of MCFA may interfere with normal body growth, with the insulin sensitivity and may participate with the development of diabetes.

Orientador: Orlando Petrucci Junior / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T04:53:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vilarinho_KarlosAlexandredeSousa_D.pdf: 8722911 bytes, checksum: 025ab56f3339aaf3caf0958e795ae882 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: As lesões de isquemia e reperfusão miocárdica continuam sendo um desafio ao cirurgião cardíaco. A eritropoietina tem demonstrado efeito protetor contra lesões por isquemia e/ou reperfusão em corações adultos. Seu papel em corações neonatais ainda não foi esclarecido. Objetivo: avaliar o uso da eritropoietina em corações neonatais submetidos a isquemia e reperfusão. Material e métodos: suínos neonatos foram divididos em grupos de acordo com o momento da administração da eritropoietina (EPO- administrada três minutos antes da isquemia; EPO24- administrada 24 horas antes da isquemia; Controlenão recebeu eritropoietina) e submetidos a 45 minutos de isquemia miocárdica por oclusão da art. interventricular anterior e 90 minutos de reperfusão e avaliados índices de contratilidade derivados de curvas de volume vs. pressão obtidas por meio de cristais sonomicrométricos e pressão intraventricular. As vias da Akt e ERK ½ foram avaliados por western blot. Resultados: os grupos foram semelhantes na avaliação antes da isquemia. Não observamos diferenças entre os grupos em relação a frequência cardíaca, débito cardíaco e volume sistólico do ventrículo esquerdo. Observamos melhora da elastância máxima no grupo EPO aos 60 e 90 minutos de reperfusão, e melhora do trabalho sistólico prérecrutável e da dP/dt máxima nos dois grupos que receberam eritropoietina ao final da isquemia e durante toda a reperfusão. Não houve diferença entre os grupos nos índices de função diastólica. A eritropoietina promoveu fosforilação da Akt, mas não da ERK, e menor expressão de proteínas pró-apoptóticas. Conclusão: A eritropoietina protegeu a função sistólica do ventrículo esquerdo de corações neonatais submetidos a isquemia e reperfusão. Este resultado foi provavelmente mediado por ativação da via Akt / Abstract: Background: The effect of erythropoietin (EPOT) on neonatal hearts is not well understood. The current hypothesis is that erythropoietin has protective effects against ischemia-reperfusion when administered prior to ischemia induction. Methods: Systolic and diastolic indices, as well as the Akt and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways, were studied in vivo using a neonatal pig heart model. Regional ischemia was induced for 45 min by ligation of the left anterior descending artery, followed by 90 min of reperfusion. The treatment groups consisted of: 1) untreated controls, 2) treatment with erythropoietin 3 min prior to ischemia, and 3) treatment with erythropoietin 24 h before ischemia. Sophisticated myocardial contractility indices were assessed by pressure/volume loops of the left ventricle. The Akt and ERK pathways were evaluated via western blot. Results: Elastance was found to be higher in the group receiving erythropoietin 3 min prior to ischemia. In addition, preload recruitable stroke work was higher for both groups receiving erythropoietin prior to ischemia when compared to controls. The time constant of the isovolumic relaxation and end diastolic pressure volume relationship did not differ between the three groups after 90 min of reperfusion. Furthermore, erythropoietin treatment enhanced phosphorylation of Akt, but not ERK, and erythropoietin treated animals showed lower levels of apoptosis-related proteins. Conclusions: Erythropoietin had a protective effect on neonatal systolic function after ischemia/reperfusion injury, but no effect on diastolic function. This cardioprotective effect might be mediated by activation of the Akt pathway / Doutorado / Fisiopatologia Cirúrgica / Doutor em Ciências

During development, axons respond to a variety of guidance cues in the environment to navigate to the proper targets. Sonic hedgehog (Shh), a classical morphogen, has been shown to function as a guidance factor that directly acts on the growth cones of various types of axons. We previously found that Shh affects retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axonal growth and navigation in a concentration-dependent manner. However, the signaling pathways that mediate such events are still unclear. In this thesis, we show that high concentrations of Shh induce growth cone collapse and repulsive turning of the chick RGC through rapid increase of Ca2+ in the growth cone, and specific activation of PKCα and Rho signaling pathways. We further found that integrin linked kinase (ILK) acts as an immediate downstream effector of PKCα. PKCα directly phosphorylates ILK in vitro at two previously unidentified sites threonine-173 and -181. Inhibition of PKCα, Rho, and ILK by pharmacological inhibitors and/or dominant-negative approaches abolished the negative effects of high-concentration of Shh. We provide evidence that Rho likely functions downstream of PKC and suggest that PKC, Rho and ILK may cooperatively mediate the negative effects of high concentrations of Shh. Furthermore, retroviral expression of dominant-negative constructs of PKCα (DN-PKCα) and ILK-double mutants (ILK-DM) resulted in misguidance of RGC axons at the optic chiasm in vivo. These results demonstrate that new signaling pathways composed of PKCα, Rho, and ILK play an important role in Shh-induced axonal chemorepulsion. In contrast, we show that attractive axonal turning in response to low concentrations of Shh is independent of PKCα, but requires the activity of cyclic nucleotides cAMP. Taken together, our results suggest that the opposing effects of Shh on axon guidance are mediated by different signaling pathways.

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Diss. Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Pharmacology) -- University of Colorado Denver, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-147). Free to UCD Anschutz Medical Campus. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

The five member Inhibitor of Growth (ING) gene family has been proposed to participate in the regulation of cell growth, DNA repair, inflammation, chromatin remodeling, and tumor suppression. All ING proteins contain a PHD motif implicated in binding to methylated histones and are components of large chromatin remodeling complexes containing histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes, suggesting a role for ING proteins in regulating gene transcription. Additionally, forced overexpression studies performed in vitro have indicated that several ING proteins can interact with the p53 tumor suppressor protein and/or the NF-кB protein complex. Since these two proteins play well-established roles in numerous biological processes, several models have been proposed in the literature that ING proteins act as key regulators of cell growth and tumor suppression not only through their ability to modify gene transcription but also through their ability to alter p53 and NF-кB activity. However, these models have yet to be substantiated by in vivo experimentation. Research described in this dissertation utilizes a genetic approach to analyze the functional role of two ING proteins, Ing1b and Ing4, in regulating cell growth, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. Loss of p37Ing1b increased proliferation and DNA damage-induced apoptosis irrespective of p53 status in primary cells and mice. However, all other p53 responses were unperturbed. Additionally, p37Ing1b suppressed the formation of spontaneous follicular B-cell lymphomas in mice. Analysis of B-cells from these mice indicates that p37Ing1b inhibits the proliferation of B cells regardless of p53 status, and loss of p53 greatly accelerates the rate of B-cell lymphomagenesis in p37Ing1b-null mice, with double null mice presenting with aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBL). Marker gene analysis in p37Ing1b/p53 null tumors indicates that these mice develop both non-germinal center and germinal center B cell-like DLBL, and also documents upregulation of NF-кB activity in both B-cells and tumors. Similarly, Ing4 -/- mice did not have altered p53 growth arrest or apoptosis, and did not develop spontaneous tumors. However, Ing4 -/- cells displayed reduced proliferation, and Ing4 -/- mice and macrophages were hypersensitive to treatment with LPS and exhibited decreased IкB gene expression and increased NF-кB activity. These studies demonstrate that Ing proteins can function to suppress spontaneous tumorigenesis and/or inflammatory responses without altering p53 activity, and identifies NF-кB as a biologically-relevant in vivo target of Ing1 and Ing4 signaling.