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Genetic and molecular studies of cell-autonomous execution during programmed cell death in C. elegans
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)
Apoptosis or programmed cell death was originally defined by evolutionarily conserved morphological characteristics that include shrinkage of cell volume and chromatin condensation. Apoptosis functions as a highly controlled ...
Targeting and function of mammalian microRNAs
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009)
In the span of a few short years, animal microRNAs have become recognized as broad regulators of gene expression, largely in part due to our improved understanding of how animal microRNAs recognize their targets. Crucial ...
Identification of novel proteins that regulate the amino acid-sensitive mTORC1 pathway
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)
mTOR is a serine-threonine kinase that, as the catalytic subunit of mTORC1, promotes growth and anabolism. Due to its central role in metabolism, the local and systemic environment surrounding the cell tightly regulate ...
Determinants of translational efficiency in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)
The goal of this thesis is to elucidate the mechanisms that govern translational efficiency (TE) - the amount of protein produced from each molecule of mRNA. While the mechanisms regulating the TE of a few specific messages ...
Inflammation triggers Zeb1-dependent escape from tumor dormancy
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)
Metastasis-related mortality for breast cancer patients often occurs many years after treatment of the primary tumor. Inflammation, through the orchestra of immune cells and released inflammatory cytokines, can predispose ...
Toxin-antitoxin systems in bacteria : targets, mechanisms, and specificity
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic modules widely present on bacterial chromosomes. These systems comprise a toxin and cognate antitoxin that are encoded together in an operon; normally, the toxin and antitoxin are ...
Aneuploidy causes proteotoxic stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)
Gains or losses of entire chromosomes lead to aneuploidy, a condition tolerated poorly in all eukaryotes analyzed to date. How aneuploidy affects organismal and cellular physiology is only beginning to be understood. ...
The role of pyruvate kinase regulation in tumor growth and metabolism
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)
Cancer is a disease of inappropriate cell proliferation, and central carbon metabolism is highly regulated to support the unique anabolic needs of proliferating cells. Pyruvate kinase, the enzyme catalyzing the final step ...
Genetic and biochemical interactions between the DNA replication initiator and a chromosome architecture protein in Bacillus subtilis
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)
I described the co-association, in vitro interaction, and epistatic relationship between the DNA replication initiator DnaA and the nucleoid-associated protein Rok in Bacillus subtilis. Using ChIP-seq, I characterized the ...
Impacts of mucins on microbial physiology and interactions
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)
The human body is colonized by trillions of microbes known collectively as the microbiota. Many of these organisms inhabit mucosal surfaces, with most found in the large intestines, but many also dwell in the respiratory ...