Modifying the Apical Ectodermal Ridge in Embryological Development of Vertebrates

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Lauren Clough and Dr. Jeffery R. Barrow, Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction Vertebrate embryonic limb development is a complex process that involves many genes and processes. Patterning takes place along three axes, including the proximal-distal axis of the limb. The Apical Ectodermal Ridge (AER) helps to guide development along the proximal-distal axis, but the genetic […]

Discovering the Involvement of Lipid-Rafts in the Interleukin-6 Pathway of Cortisol Release from Adrenal Cells

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Timothy Chang and Dr. Allan M. Judd, Physiology and Developmental Biology Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex and is involved in response to stress and increases blood pressure, blood sugar levels, suppresses the immune system, and may cause infertility in women. The pathway in which protein Interleukin-6, also known as IL-6, […]

The Relationship Between Zyxin and Rac1 In Cell Junction Formation

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Dan Brereton, Ryan Vellinga, Craig Barnette and Dr. Marc Hansen, Physiology and Developmental Biology In order to better understand how cancer metastasizes we must discover how cancer cells are able to break down their cell-cell junctions. This process is likely due to altered levels of proteins within the cell that are responsible for forming and […]

TRPV1 Modulation of Synaptic Plasticity in the Hippocampus

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Douglas Bennion and Dr. Jeff Edwards, Physiology and Developmental Biology Learning and memory are phenomena that are made possible via physical changes at neuronal synapses in the brain, a phenomenon known as synaptic plasticity. Because synaptic plasticity affects physical changes in the brain in response to external stimuli, it is suspected of playing an essential […]

Actin Reorganization Events in Zyxin Mutant Cells

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Stephen Filios and Dr. Marc Hansen, Physiology and Developmental Biology Cell migration is an important part of understanding how cancer affects the body. Benign tumors are non-migratory, and can be removed from a patient surgically. Once cancer cells start to migrate, or metastasize, the cancer is considered malignant. As a result, cancer spreads to other […]

EFFECTS OF INTERLEUKIN-6, INTERLEUKIN-1, AND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR ON ADRENAL STEROID SECRETIONS

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Brenda Mickelson Crawford and Dr. Allan M. Judd, Zoology Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin- I (IL- 1) are cytokines released in response to infection in the body. One signal of infection is lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the outer coat of grain negative bacterial cells. When bacteria die, LPS circulates in the […]

Does SNAP-25 Act as a V-SNARE?

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Nathan La Monica and Dr. Dixon Woodbury, Physiology & Developmental Biology SNAP-25, a protein that is found abundantly in the brain, is a key player in the process of releasing neurotransmitters. Vesicles, or small spheres of lipid membranes, contain neurotransmitters and have numerous proteins that extend outward from the vesicle. To release the neurotransmitters, proteins […]

Comparative Imaging of Apoptotic Cell Membrane Morphology as Induced by Cytotoxic and Chemotherapeutic in S49 Lymphoma Cells by Confocal Microscopy

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Celestine Yeung and Dr. John Bell, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology This project studied and documented the membrane changes of cancer cells undergoing the complex cellular process apoptosis, or programmed cell suicide. More specifically, the purpose of this project was to achieve a visual comparison between S49 mouse lymphoma cells experiencing apoptosis induced by […]

THE STUDY OF GENETIC MUTATIONS RESULTING IN DWARFISM

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Jonathon Jackson and Dr. Robert Seegmiller, Zoology As has been outlined, I am submitting this report of the accomplishments that have been made over the past semester in conjunction with the 1,000 dollar award that I received from your office. First, I would like to thank those people who have made financial contributions and those […]