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open access

Comparison of Aspartate Transcarbamoylase Activity Between Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Which Has One Chromosome and Burkholderia Cepacia Which Has Three Chromosomes

Description: The pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway is essential and similar in all bacteria. The pathway from Pseudomonas is regulated by nucleotides which bind to the upstream region of the pyrBC’ gene complex. Work in our lab mapped the genes and showed that the pyrB and pyrC’ were part of an overlap complex. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa has one circular chromosome. A former Pseudomonas now called Burkholderia cepacia is similar to P. aeruginosa except that it contains three circular chromosomes (CI, CII, … more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Nusair, Arwa Y.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Effector Response of the Aspartate Transcarbamoylase From Wild Type Pseudomonas Putida and a Mutant with 11 Amino Acids Deleted at the N-terminus of PyrB.

Description: Like its enteric counterpart, aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) from Pseudomonas putida is a dodecamer of two different polypeptides. Unlike the enterics, the Pseudomonas ATCase lacks regulatory polypeptides but employs instead inactive dihydroorotases for an active dodecamer. Previous work showed that PyrB contains not only the active site but also the effector binding sites for ATP, UTP and CTP at its N-terminus. In this work, 11 amino acids were deleted from the N-terminus of PyrB and t… more
Date: May 2002
Creator: Asfour, Hani
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Studies in Trypsin as an Alarm Substance in Zebrafish

Description: Previous studies have shown that fish release alarming substances into the water to alert their kin to escape from danger. In our laboratory, we found that zebrafish produce trypsin and release it from their gills into the environment when they are under stress. By placing the zebrafish larvae in the middle of a small tank and then placing trypsin at one end of the tank, we observed that the larvae moved away from the trypsin zone and almost to the opposite end of the tank. This escape response… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Alsrhani, Abdullah Falleh
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Study of the Pyrimidine Biosynthesis Pathway and its Regulation in Two Distinct Organisms: Methanococcus jannaschii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Description: Methanococcus jannaschii is a thermophilic methane producing archaebacterium. In this organism genes encoding the aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) catalytic (PyrB) and regulatory (PyrI) polypeptides were found. Unlike Escherichia coli where the above genes are expressed from a biscistronic operon the two genes in M. jannaschii are separated by 200-kb stretch of genome. Previous researchers have not been able to show regulation of the M. jannaschii enzyme by the nucleotide effectors ATP,… more
Date: December 2001
Creator: Patel, Seema R.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Adenylate Energy Charge Determinations of Soil Bacteria Grown in Soil Extract Medium

Description: The adenylate energy charge values of twenty bacteria isolated from soil and cultured in a medium consisting of soil and distilled water were determined by the luciferin-luciferase bioluminescense method. The purpose of this study was to examine the growth and energy charge values of these organisms in soil extract medium, and to determine what effect the addition of glucose has on their energy charge values. Three of the organisms employed in this study showed energy charge values similar to t… more
Date: August 1988
Creator: Rodriguez, Luis A. (Luis Antonio)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Regulation of Alternative Sigma Factors During Oxidative and Ph Stresses in the Phototroph Rhodopseudomonas Palustris

Description: Rhodopseudomonas palustris is a metabolically versatile phototrophic α-proteobacterium. The organism experiences a wide range of stresses in its environment and during metabolism. The oxidative an pH stresses of four ECF (extracytoplasmic function) σ-factors are investigated. Three of these, σ0550, σ1813, and σ1819 show responses to light-generated singlet oxygen and respiration-generated superoxide reactive oxygen species (ROS). The EcfG homolog, σ4225, shows a high response to superoxide and … more
Date: August 2014
Creator: Perry, Leslie M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The regulatory roles of PyrR and Crc in pyrimidine metabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Description: The regulatory gene for pyrimidine biosynthesis has been identified and designated pyrR. The pyrR gene product was purified to homogeneity and found to have a monomeric molecular mass of 19 kDa. The pyrR gene is located directly upstream of the pyrBC' genes in the pyrRBC' operon. Insertional mutagenesis of pyrR led to a 50- 70% decrease in the expression of pyrBC', pyrD, pyrE and pyrF while pyrC was unchanged. This suggests that PyrR is a positive activator. The upstream regions of the pyrD, py… more
Date: August 2001
Creator: Patel, Monal V.
Partner: UNT Libraries

Characterization of Infection Arrest Mutants of Medicago Truncatula and Genetic Mapping of Their Respective Genes.

Description: In response to compatible rhizobia, leguminous plants develop unique plant organs, root nodules, in which rhizobia fix nitrogen into ammonia. During nodule invasion, the rhizobia gain access to newly divided cells, the nodule primordia, in the root inner cortex through plant-derived cellulose tubes called infection threads. Infection threads begin in curled root hairs and bring rhizobia into the root crossing several cell layers in the process. Ultimately the rhizobia are deposited within nodul… more
Access: Restricted to the UNT Community Members at a UNT Libraries Location.
Date: May 2005
Creator: Veereshlingam, Harita
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Origin and Role of Factor Viia

Description: Factor VII, the initiator of the extrinsic coagulation cascade, circulates in human plasma mainly in its zymogen form, Factor VII and in small amounts in its activated form, Factor VIIa. However, the mechanism of initial generation of Factor VIIa is not known despite intensive research using currently available model systems. Earlier findings suggested serine proteases Factor VII activating protease, and hepsin play a role in activating Factor VII, however, it has remained controversial. In thi… more
Date: December 2013
Creator: Khandekar, Gauri
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Functional Characterization of Mtnip/latd’s Biochemical and Biological Function

Description: Symbiotic nitrogen fixation occurs in plants harboring nitrogen-fixing bacteria within the plant tissue. The most widely studied association is between the legumes and rhizobia. In this relationship the plant (legumes) provides the bacteria (rhizobia) with reduced carbon derived from photosynthesis in exchange for reduced atmospheric nitrogen. This allows the plant to survive in soil, which is low in available of nitrogen. Rhizobia infect and enter plant root and reside in organs known as nodul… more
Date: December 2013
Creator: Bagchi, Rammyani
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Microsatellite-based genetic profiling for the management of wild and captive flamingo populations.

Description: Flamingo species generate tremendous interest whether they are small captive groups or wild populations numbering in the thousands. Genetic pedigrees are invaluable for maintaining maximum genetic diversity in captive, as well as wild, populations. However, presently there is a general lack of genetic data for flamingo populations. Microsatellites are loci composed of 2-6 base pair tandem repeats, scattered throughout higher eukaryotic genomes, often exhibiting high levels of polymorphism an… more
Date: December 2005
Creator: Kapil, Richa
Partner: UNT Libraries

Conducting Tick-Borne Disease Research in Texas with a Focus on Rickettsia spp.

Description: The field of vector-borne disease research uses multidisciplinary approaches to help understand complicated interactions. This dissertation, covers three different aspects of tick-borne disease research which all focus on exploring tick-borne diseases in the non-endemic areas of Denton, County Texas and the state of Texas with a focus on Rickettsia spp. These aspects include tick sampling, testing ticks for the presence of Rickettsia spp., and creating species distribution maps of the Rickettsi… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Huddleston, Jody Sue
Partner: UNT Libraries

Manipulation of Lipid Droplet Biogenesis for Enhanced Lipid Storage in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana

Description: In this study, I examined the use of mouse (Mus musculus) Fat Specific Protein 27 (FSP27) ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana as a means to increase lipid droplet (LD) presence in plant tissues. In mammalian cells, this protein induces cytoplasmic LD clustering and fusion and helps prevent breakdown of LDs contributing to the large, single LD that dominates adipocytes. When expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana, FSP27 retained its functi… more
Date: December 2021
Creator: Price, Ann Marie
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Isolation and analysis of cotton genomic clones encompassing a fatty acid desaturase (FAD2) gene

Description: Polyunsaturated fatty acids are major structural components of plant chloroplast and endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Two fatty acid desaturases (designated FAD2 and FAD3) desaturate 75% of the fatty acids in the endoplasmic reticulum. The w -6 fatty acid desaturase (FAD2) may be responsible for cold acclimation response, since polyunsaturated phospholipids are important in helping maintain plant viability at lowered temperatures. To study regulation of FAD2 gene expression in cotton, a FAD2 g… more
Date: May 2001
Creator: Kongcharoensuntorn, Wisatre
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

DNA Degradation as an Indicator of Post-Mortem Interval

Description: The question of post-mortem interval (PMI) or time since death is often the most sought after piece of information associated with a medical death investigation. Based on the observation that DNA degradation disproportionately affects the analysis of larger genetic loci, it was proposed that DNA degradation, as a result of autolysis or putrefaction, could prove suitable as a potential rate-of-change indicator of PMI. Nine randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis primers and three se… more
Date: August 2010
Creator: Watson, William H.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Mutation Rate Analysis of the Human Mitochondrial D-loop and its Implications for Forensic Identity Testing

Description: To further facilitate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analysis for human identity testing, a better understanding of its mutation rate is needed. Prior to the middle 1990's the mutation rate applied to a forensic or evolutionary analysis was determined by phylogenetic means, This method involved calculating genetic distances as determined by amino acid or DNA sequence variability within or between species. The mutation rate as determined by this method ranged from 0.025-0.26 nucleotide subst… more
Date: May 2000
Creator: Warren, Joseph E.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Analysis of the Trypanosoma brucei Genome and Identification and Characterization of a Gene Family Encoding Putative EF-Hand Calcium-Binding Proteins

Description: The flagellum of Trypanosoma brucei contains a family of antigenically related EF-hand calcium-binding proteins which are called the calflagins. Genomic Southern blots indicated that multiple copies of calflagin genes occur in T brucei. All of the copies were contained in a single 23 kb Xhol-Xhol fragment. Genomic fragments of 2.5 and 1.7 kb were cloned that encoded calflagin sequences. Two new members of the calflagin family were found from genomic clone sequences. The deduced amino acid seque… more
Date: May 1998
Creator: DeFord, James H. (James Henry), 1956-
Partner: UNT Libraries

Identification and characterization of an incomplete root hair elongation (IRE)-like gene in Medicago truncatula (L.) root nodules.

Description: Cloning and molecular characterization of new genes constitutes a useful approach in studying the symbiotic interactions between the model plant Medicago truncatula and Synorhizobium meliloti. Large numbers of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) available for Medicago truncatula, along with numerous cDNA, oligonucleotides, and Affimetrix DNA microarray chips, represent useful tools for gene discovery. In an attempt to identify a new gene that might be involved in the process of nodulation in Medica… more
Access: Restricted to UNT Community Members. Login required if off-campus.
Date: May 2006
Creator: Pislariu, Catalina Iulia
Partner: UNT Libraries

Influence of Cholesterol Import on Aspergillus fumigatus Growth and Antifungal Suscepibility

Description: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a life-threatening fungal infection commonly observed in immunocompromised patients and has a mortality rate approaching 100% once the disease is disseminated. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common pathogen. Early diagnosis improves the prognosis but is very difficult since most signs and symptoms are nonspecific. Antifungal therapy, usually based on sterol biosynthesis inhibitors, is also of limited efficacy. In my attempts to discover a diagnostic st… more
Access: Restricted to the UNT Community Members at a UNT Libraries Location.
Date: December 2003
Creator: Hassan, Saad A.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Development of a Real-time Pcr Assay for the Detection of Campylobacter Jejuni and Campylobacter Coli.

Description: Campylobacter organisms are the most commonly reported bacterial causes of foodborne infection in the world, with Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli responsible for over 99% of reported infections. Traditionally, Campylobacter species detection is an arduous process, requiring a special incubation environment as well as specific growth media for an extended growth period. The development of a rapid and reliable diagnostic tool for the detection of Campylobacter species would be a valu… more
Date: May 2009
Creator: Lewis, Sally
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Anti-S2 Peptides and Antibodies Binding Effect on Myosin S2 and Anti-S2 Peptide's Ability to Reach the Cardiomyocytes in vivo and Interfere in Muscle Contraction

Description: The anti-S2 peptides, the stabilizer and destabilizer, were designed to target myosin sub-fragment 2 (S2) in muscle. When the peptides are coupled to a heart-targeting molecule, they can reach the cardiomyocytes and interfere with cardiac muscle contraction. Monoclonal antibodies, MF20 and MF30, are also known to interact with light meromyosin and S2 respectively. The MF30 antibody compared to anti-S2 peptides and the MF20 antibody is used as a control to test the central hypothesis that: Both … more
Date: July 2023
Creator: Quedan, Duaa Mohamad Alhaj Mahmoud
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Microbial Retting Environment of Hibiscus Cannabinus and Its Implications in Broader Applications

Description: Fiber-yielding plants is an area of increased interest due to the potential use in a variety of green-based materials. These biocomposites can be incorporated into multiple uses; for example, to replace building materials and interior vehicular paneling. The research here aims to focus in on the crop Hibiscus cannabinus for utilization into these functions. H. cannabinus is economically attractive due to the entire process being able to be accomplished here in the United States. The plant can b… more
Date: May 2015
Creator: Visi, David K.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Zebrafish Von Willebrand Factor

Description: In humans, von Willebrand factor (vWF) is a key component in hemostasis and acts as a 'cellular adhesive' by letting the circulating platelets bind to exposed subendothelium. It also acts as a carrier and stabilizer of factor VIII (FVIII). A dysfunction or reduction of vWF leads to von Willebrand disease (vWD), resulting in bleeding phenotype which affects 1% of the population. Currently there are a variety of animal models used for the study of vWF and vWD; however, they do not possess the … more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Carrillo, Maira M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Mouse cortical cholinergic neurons: Ontogeny of phenotypes in vivo and in vitro.

Description: The development of cholinergic neurons in mouse frontal cortex was studied both in vivo and in vitro by immunocytochemistry with an antibody to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme responsible for acetylcholine synthesis. While cortical cholinergic neurons have previously been characterized in rat cortex, up until very recently, intrinsic cortical cholinergic neurons were considered to be absent in mouse, and little is known about their development or phenotypic characteristics. The pr… more
Date: August 2005
Creator: Coiculescu, Olivia Elena
Partner: UNT Libraries
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