Honors Projects for Molecular and Cell Biology
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Item Fungal-Bacterial Interactions May Lead to Suppression of Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Ioh, Makana; Nguyen, Nhu; Molecular Cell BiologyItem Understanding the Immunoepigenetic-Gut Microbiome Axis in Self-Esteem(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Becerra, Celyna; Maunakea, Alika K.; Molecular Cell BiologyItem Effect of Ketone Ester Compound in Phenotypic Behavior including Social Collective Behavior and Hyperactivity in the Asocial Cavefish(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Garcia, Marianne; Yoshizawa, Masato; Molecular and Cell BiologyItem The exocyst complex is an insulin-sensitive regulator of amyloid precursor protein (APP) trafficking and(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Patwardhan, Geetika; Fogelgren, Ben; Molecular Cell BiologyItem The Role of Trophoblast Lat1 in the Regulation of Placental Function and Fetal Growth: Plasmid(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Ramil, Kaleigh; Urschitz, Johann; Molecular Cell BiologyItem Deficits in Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 67 Immunoreactivity, Parvalbumin Interneurons, and Perineuronal Nets in the Inferior Colliculus of Subjects with Schizophrenia(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Kilonzo, Victor; Pitts, Matthew; Molecular Cell BiologyItem ANALYZING THE ROLE OF SELENOPROTEIN I IN BONE MARROW DERIVED MACROPHAGES(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Kim, Nathan; Hoffman, Peter; Molecular Cell BiologyItem Dietary Intake Mediates Ethnic Differences in Gut Microbial Composition(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Borrello, Kirra; Lim, Unhee; Molecular Cell BiologyItem Analysis of the Effect of the Longevity Associated FOXO3 Genotype on Telomerase Activity in a Japanese-Okinawan Cohort(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2019) Patwardhan, Vasant; Allsopp, Richard; WIlcox, Bradley; Molecular Cell BiologyForkhead box O3 (FOXO3) is one of the few genes that has consistently correlated across multiple long-lived populations to be associated with longevity. 1,2 In a previous study, an analysis of FOXO3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) identified a specific allele as being associated with less rapid shortening of telomeres, which is a molecular marker of longevity. 3 Telomeres are tandem repeats that shorten after each cell division, and telomerase is an enzyme that adds new tandem repeats, thereby extending the telomeres and the lifespan of the cell. 4 Because previous results have shown FOXO3 protects against telomere shortening, it is expected that telomerase activity will be higher in individuals that carry the longevity-associated allele of FOXO3. It is also expected that telomerase activity will be constant with age in the longevity-associated genotype. In this study, blood was extracted from 100 participants from a Japanese-Okinawan cohort, a notably long-lived population, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated. The genotype of each sample was obtained and telomeric repeat amplification assays were performed to quantify telomerase activity, as a function of genotype, sex, and age. Results indicate that telomerase activity decreases with age for the TT genotype, but do not decrease, to the same extent, with age for G-carriers. These findings provide insight as to how FOXO3 protects against telomere attrition and link the longevity-associated G-allele to modulated telomerase activity. Keywords: Longevity, FOXO3, telomeraseItem Transposon Screen of Marinobacter HI15- 87 Mutants in Dissolved Organic Matter(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2019) Silva, Anthony; DeLong, Edward; Karl, David; Burger, Andrew; Molecular Cell BiologyMarine dissolved organic matter (DOM) represents the largest carbon source in the world. The consumption of DOM by microorganisms results in the production of large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide gas, thus playing a significant role in the global carbon cycle. Although some key enzymes involved in the breakdown of phosphonates in DOM have been identified, the specific biochemical pathways of marine microbes to degrade high molecular weight DOM remains largely unconfirmed. Sample isolates of Marinobacter HI15-87 from the waters of Station Aloha, approximately 100km north of Oahu, underwent transposon mutagenesis with the transposon pSMC194 containing three cut sites for the endonuclease HpyCH4IV within Streptomycin and Spectinomycin resistance genes. Approximately 10,000 individual HI15-87 colonies were selected through growth on marine broth containing Streptomycin and Spectinomycin to confirm successful transposon mutagenesis. The selected isolates that did not grow in hydrolyzed DOM were suspected to have received the pSMC194 transposon in a location of its genome that disrupted adjacent genes or pathways essential to degradation of DOM as a carbon source. DNA extraction, HpyCH4IV digestion, and sequencing point to the host cell genes flanking the transposon insert, thereby indicating the HI15-87 genes likely required for DOM consumption. Identification of these genes may allow for better understanding of marine microbial metabolisms and communities.