This thesis is focused on elucidating the role of the cytosolic Phosphoglycoprotein, parafusin (PFUS), in the important cellular process of regulated exocytosis in Paramecium tetraurelia using wt and secretory (exo -) ...

Parafusin, a cytosolic phosphoglycoprotein of M{dollar}\sb{lcub}\rm r{rcub}{dollar} 63,000, has been shown to dephosphorylate rapidly in a Ca{dollar}\sp{lcub}2+{rcub}{dollar}-dependent manner upon stimulation of exocytosis ...

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a model for delayed-type hypersensitivity and the inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Since variations in susceptibility to EAE occur, it has been suggested that resistance ...

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated fungus that causes a meningoencephalitis in immunosuppresed individuals. Because current therapies against human cryptococcosis only control the disease and do not eradicate the ...

Anti-DNA antibodies contribute to pathogenesis in the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Extensive previous studies of these antibodies derived from lupus patients and lupus prone mice have identified ...

In my thesis work I investigated several novel pathophysiological consequences of caveolin-1 ablation in the murine model. Because the heart is composed of ∼40% fibroblasts and endothelial cells, which express caveolin-1, ...

Inherited ataxias comprise a genetically highly heterogeneous group of disorders, with their underlying dysfunction typically cerebellar in origin. Even so, in all of them a similar set of motor symptoms ultimately ...

The primary sequences and X-ray structures of E. coli tRNA('fMet) and of a well defined 64 KD tryptic fragment of E. coli methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRS) have been published. In order to determine the relative orientation ...

The hypothesis of this dissertation is that the adipocyte complement-related protein of 30 kDa (Acrp30) is an adipocyte-secreted circulating protein which acts as an insulin sensitizer whose deficiency in obese states is ...