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Is RxR alpha a mitochondrial transcription factor?
Get PDFMitochondria are important organelles in most eukaryotic cells due to their essential role in metabolism. Within the matrix of the organelle, they also have their own genome (mtDNA) which encodes many of the protein subunits for complexes within the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway. The remaining OXPHOS protein complex subunits are encoded in the nuclear genome, translated in the cytosol and imported into mitochondria. Transcriptional coordination between these two genomes to produce functional OXPHOS complexes is critical to maintaining cellular homeostasis. This process likely requires regulatory proteins/transcription factors that determine the expression of these genes. Retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα) is a protein that has many functions in human cells and is a ligand activated nuclear receptor. It can also translocate to the mitochondria where its purpose is unknown. The goal of this project is to determine the role of RxRα as a mitochondrial transcription factor. We have expressed and purified the RXRα protein from bacteria for use in an in vitro mitochondrial transcription assay. Using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) we have also shown the purified protein binds to DNA with canonical binding sequences (DR1 repeats) and spacing as well as non-canonical spacing and have concluded RXRα binds as a dimer with a single nucleotide space between the binding sites being optimal. We have applied these results to assess changes in mitochondrial transcriptional output based on RXRa binding. Our aim is to investigate RxRa binding the mtDNA using atomic force microscopy (AFM). In doing so we will better understand the mechanisms that are involved in mtDNA transcription. If RxRα is a transcription factor that is another protein that we can regulate to increase or decrease transcription. Being able to increase or decrease transcription in mitochondria is important as mitochondrial dysfunction causes a wide array of diseases and plays a part in aging
Helping neighbors during historic wildfires
Get PDFIn September 2020, high winds and severe drought fueled the most destructive wildfire season in Oregon history. More than 4,000 homes were destroyed, and more than one million acres of land burned. By comparison, two homes in Oregon were lost to forest fires in 2019
Stained glass window inside la Sagrada Familia
No full textStained glass window inside la Sagrada Familia, taken by Meghan Mullaly on the Linfield University January Term Abroad Program in Barcelona, Spain. 3rd place, Architecture division, in the 2023 Linfield University Study Abroad Photo Contest.https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/intl_photos2023/1005/thumbnail.jp
Examining Gender in the United States and South Korea
Get PDFWhile still in the midst of their study abroad experiences, students at Linfield University write reflective essays. Their essays address issues of cultural similarity and difference, compare lifestyles, mores, norms, and habits between their host countries and home, and examine changes in perceptions about their host countries and the United States. In this essay, Gracie Wells describes observations during their study abroad program at Yonsei University in Yonsei, South Korea
Let’s Go Back…
Get PDFPostcard from Elizabeth Arnold, during the Linfield University Fall Semester Abroad Program at Austro-American Institute of Education in Vienna, Austria
Effects of Humidity, Surface Textiles, and Education on MRSA in Hospitals
Get PDFResearch poster created as part of Nursing 320 class. The poster examines the question, Does a balanced approach of specific humidity, education, and the textile of the surface decrease the amount of MRSA infections among patients
Green nursing
Get PDFNew initiatives and educational programs balance sustainability with safety, even in a pandemi
Simulating the Feasibility of an Alternative Space Launch System Using Electromagnetic Acceleration.
No full textCoilguns use electromagnetic forces to accelerate a projectile, potentially allowing for a more efficient and cost-effective launch system compared to traditional rocketry. The objective of this study is to build a model that simulates the feasibility of a coilgun launch system and compare its potential advantages and disadvantages to traditional rocket launch systems. The model consists of numerical simulations of a potential coilgun launch system, including the design of the coilgun, projectile parameters, and other factors including the effects of air resistance and other environmental factors
Suddenly Seymour from The Little Shop of Horrors
No full textWe will be singing Suddenly Seymour from The Little Shop of Horror
