Theses and Dissertations - Department of Biomedical Sciences
Recent Submissions
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L-type calcium channel-dependent signaling impacts GnRH receptor function and intercellular communication in cultured gonadotropes
The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is a negative feedback biological system critical in fertility, reproduction and development. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is first released by the hypothalamus and ... -
Reevaluating the functional role of the C₂A domain of synaptotagmin in neurotransmitter release
Efficient cell-to-cell communication is critical for nervous system function. Fast, synchronous neurotransmission underlies this communication. Following depolarization of the nerve terminal, Ca2+ enters the presynaptic ... -
Gene regulation by let-7 microRNAs during human and sheep placental development
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality and affects more than 30 million infants every year across the world. Its occurrence is 5–15% of all pregnancies in the United ... -
Impact of equine sperm phospholipase C zeta content and sperm tail components on cleavage rates after intracytoplasmic sperm injections of equine and bovine oocytes
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is used in equine assisted reproductive medicine to generate offspring when other procedures fail. However, for some stallions, ICSI is not successful in producing embryos. This could ... -
Sex-dependent function and regulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis
Physiological responses to stressors are largely governed by a neuroendocrine axis, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Whereas HPA activation is necessary for body wide adaptation to a stressor via the production ... -
Molecular mechanisms regulating Kv2.1-induction of endoplasmic reticulum / plasma membrane contact sites
Kv2 voltage gated potassium channels localize to 'clusters' on the soma, axon initial segment, and dendritic arbor of hippocampal neurons. For decades the molecular mechanism behind this localization pattern was unknown. ... -
Age-dependent decline in Kv4 channels, underlying molecular mechanisms, and potential consequences for coordinated motor function
The voltage-gated potassium channel, Kv4, is widely expressed in the central nervous system and it is responsible for a highly conserved rapidly inactivating A-type K+ current. Kv4 channels play a role in the regulation ... -
Genomic and non-genomic androgen signaling in human placenta cells
To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document. -
Oncofetal proteins regulate proliferation and differentiation in placental cells
The chromatin associated transcription factor HMGA2 is a downstream target of let-7 miRNAs and binds to chromatin to regulate gene expression, inducing rapid cell proliferation during embryogenesis. Inhibition of let-7 ... -
Characterization of equine sperm attributes and selection for intracytoplasmic sperm injection
When performing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), many in vivo mechanisms for sperm selection are bypassed; however, sperm must still be capable of activating the oocyte for successful fertilization. Limited information ... -
Synaptotagmin in asynchronous neurotransmitter release and synaptic disease
The majority of cell-to-cell communication relies on the stimulated release of neurotransmitter. Two forms of Ca2+-dependent stimulated release, synchronous and asynchronous, have been identified. Synchronous release is ... -
FADS2 expression modulates effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on western diet-induced glucose intolerance
Fatty Acid Desaturase 2 (FADS2) haplotypes associated with hyperactivity of its gene product, delta-6-desaturase (D6D), are associated with obesity and type-2 diabetes in humans. D6D regulates long-chain polyunsaturated ... -
Regulation of local L-type calcium channel signaling in anterior pituitary gonadotropes
The binding of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to its receptor initiates signaling cascades in gonadotropes which result in enhanced luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) biosynthesis and ... -
Differential desensitization of pre- and postsynaptic mu opioid receptors regulating proopiomelanocortin neurons of the arcuate nucleus
The mu opioid receptor (MOR) is the primary target of powerful opiate analgesics such as morphine and codeine. Repeated use of opiates, as may occur in patients with chronic pain, leads to the development of tolerance to ... -
Identification of clathrin and dynamin II in the porcine ovary supports the presence of clathrin-mediated endocytosis
The feral swine population in the United States has grown to 6 million animals located in 41 states, and causing an estimated $1.5 billion annually in damages and control. Feral swine are well-known for spoiling crops, ... -
Selection for fertility in lactating dairy cows: implications of conceptus-derived signals
Infertility is a source of major economic loss in the dairy industry. Selection for fertility in dairy cows is difficult because fertility traits based on a genetic evaluation, such as daughter pregnancy rate (DPR), are ... -
Hypothalamic concentration of kisspeptin and GnRH during breeding season (BS) and non breeding season (NBS) in sheep
The kisspeptin system has emerged as an important regulator of mammalian reproduction. In ewes, kisspeptin neurons are located in specific hypothalamic regions such as the preoptic area (POA) and medio-basal hypothalamus ... -
Amino acid transmitters and the neural control of feeding and energy homeostasis
Consuming the correct number of calories to maintain a healthy bodyweight is a delicate balancing act between intake and energy expenditure, and humans in modern society seem to have a keen knack for throwing the balance ... -
Analysis of equine zygote development after intracytoplasmic sperm injection
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an established and widely used method to achieve oocyte fertilization in equine reproductive assisted technologies. However, not all the oocytes fertilized by ICSI undergo cleavage ... -
Oxidant-dependent regulation of L-type calcium channel activity by angiotensin in vascular smooth muscle
Resistance arteries are a major point of physiological regulation of blood flow. Increases in vessel wall stress or sympathetic activity stimulate vascular wall angiotensin signaling, resulting in smooth muscle contraction ...
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