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Early responses to hyperosmotic stress at the yeast vacuole
Get PDFV-ATPases are ubiquitous, highly conserved, and tightly regulated ATP-driven proton pumps that acidify organelles, including endosomes, the Golgi apparatus, secretory vesicles, and lysosomes. Especially during hyperosmotic stress in yeast, V-ATPase activation requires the vacuole-enriched signaling lipid PI(3,5)P2. However, the mechanism and dynamics of this stress response are poorly understood.
The yeast V-ATPase vacuolar a-subunit isoform (Vph1) interacts with the PI(3,5)P2 lipid via its cytosolic N-terminal domain (Vph1NT), and this interaction stabilizes and activates the V-ATPase. To better understand the dynamics of the V-ATPase-PI(3,5)P2 interaction, we utilized a Vph1NT-GFP fusion that interacts with the low-level signaling lipid PI(3,5)P2 independently of other V-ATPase subunits. Under salt stress, PI(3,5)P2 levels transiently increase up to 20-fold within 5 minutes of salt exposure and rapidly return to the basal level. At the same time, Vph1NT-GFP rapidly moves from the cytosol to membranes upon the addition of salt and returns to the cytosol, similar to how the PI(3,5)P2 level increases and returns to the basal level. Using a microfluidic system, we observed that the extent and timing of Vph1NT-GFP recruitment depend on salt concentration. The Vph1NT-GFP recruitment is reduced in vac14Δ mutants, which have very low PI(3,5)P2 levels. The cells also display enlarged vacuoles similar to PI(3,5)P2-deficient cells, independent of salt stress, when Vph1NT is overexpressed, suggesting direct interactions between them. The intensity and duration of Vph1NT recruitment increase proportionally with salt concentration. Surprisingly, Vph1NT recruitment is comparatively higher in the presence of active V-ATPase, and it is also reversible. It repeatedly recruits to an exact subcellular location adjacent to the vacuole.
We propose that recruiting Vph1NT-GFP to membranes reflects stabilizing conformational changes when Vph1 binds to PI(3,5)P2 in the intact V-ATPase. These data suggest that osmotic stress may induce a short-term, localized activation of V-ATPase activity that could protect cells by driving vacuolar salt sequestration until longer-term transcriptional mechanisms are activated. Vph1NT-GFP recruitment is sustained longer in hog1Δ cells, which lack a parallel osmotic stress response pathway in yeast. These findings underscore the importance of PI(3,5)P2 interaction with V-ATPase in protecting cells during salt stress, especially when the transcriptional response is impaired.NAUpstate Medical UniversityBiochemistry & Molecular BiologyPhDKane, Patrici
Sex differences in memory modulation by mTORC1 activation
No full textThe mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central regulator of several cellular
processes that are required for learning and memory, through the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1)
signaling pathway. However, little is known about how mTORC1 signaling in the brain is
affected by sex or disease. We previously reported that activation of mTORC1 by 3-benzyl-5-
((2-nitrophenoxy) methyl)–dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one (3BDO) upregulated hippocampal rRNA
expression and enhanced memory on the hippocampal-dependent active place avoidance task
in young wild-type (WT) male mice. Here, we set out to determine if mTORC1 activation by
3BDO could enhance or rescue learning and memory on the active place avoidance task in both
male and female mice from two strains, WT and APP/PS1, a model of Alzheimer’s Disease
(AD). We selected two age groups to analyze: 8–9-months-old, when plaques are established
and deficits in spatial memory begin to appear in APP/PS1 mice, and 12–13-months-old, when
plaques are extensive and memory is severally impaired in APP/PS1 mice. Our data showed that a single dose of 3BDO delivered systemically rescued memory in 8–9-months-old male
APP/PS1 mice but did not significantly affect male WT mice at this age. Further, 3BDO
improved latency during learning for 12–13-months-old male mice overall but did not impact
memory at this age. Surprisingly, in female mice, we found that 3BDO impaired both learning
and memory at 8–9-months-old in WT mice, while having no significant effect on 8–9-month-old
APP/PS1 mice or 12–13-months-old mice of either genotype. After behavioral testing, we
further analyzed the effects of 3BDO administration on mTOR expression by Western blot. In
the dorsal hippocampus, we saw overall less mTOR and phosphorylated mTOR in females
compared to males at 8–9-months-old, but overall more mTOR and phosphorylated mTOR in
females compared to males at 12–13-months-old. These results challenge the current
understanding of how mTORC1 functions in AD and provide a new avenue of research into
potential therapeutics. At the same time, the opposing effects of 3BDO on males and females trained on the same learning and memory task highlight the importance of studying potential sex
differences of emerging therapeutics.VoRSUNY DownstateProgram in Neural and Behavioral SciencePhDHernandez, Iva
A deer dance on a moving train: examining protest and authority at SUNY New Paltz
Get PDFThis thesis serves as a small snapshot of the political atmosphere at SUNY New Paltz and the
resulting reactions to the authority figures at the helms of our federal government and of the
school itself. It’s an exploration of how our campus community continues to grapple with the
emotional, political, and institutional fallout of that day. Through personal experiences and
interviews with eleven students and faculty I traced the feelings of anxiety, distrust, empathy,
and unity in the months since the encampment. Rather than assign blame, I aim to document and
amplify the voices of those who lived through it. Inspired by Howard Zinn’s You Can’t Be
Neutral on a Moving Train, this thesis considers how New Platz students navigated protest and
authority during a time of national upheaval through a disaster psychology lens to identify the
emotional stages that the community is currently in
Keywords: Psychology, Disaster Psychology, SUNY New Paltz, student protest, campus
activism, civil unrest, Howard Zinn, political anxiety, Donald Trump, student voice, unity,
empathy.NASUNY College at New PaltzHonorsN/AVermeulen, Karl
“Can We Fix It?” reality of the glamorization of NYC through the sociological perspective and systems of inequality
Get PDFIncome inequality disproportionately impacts intersectional identities compared to white Americans. In the United States—and more specifically, in New York City—income inequality is closely correlated with race. It affects access to education, housing, food security, and resources, and contributes to homelessness. This paper aims to examine the urban experience from both sociological and psychological perspectives, focusing on disparities related to race and gender.NASUNY College at New PaltzHonorsN/ABose, Sunit
AI-Powered Email Categorization
No full textIn today’s fast-paced digital environment, email overload has become a significant barrier to productivity and effective communication. To address this challenge, I developed an AI-powered email categorization system designed to automatically sort incoming emails based on their content and intent. Leveraging machine learning and natural language processing, the system integrates with the Gmail API to label, prioritize, and, when appropriate, respond to emails in real time. As users interact with the system, it continuously learns and adapts, refining its accuracy and improving inbox management over time. This project highlights the practical potential of artificial intelligence to streamline communication workflows in both academic and corporate settings, reducing manual effort and enhancing operational efficiency.Computer Scienc
UFLI Foundations Literacy Assessment and Intervention
No full textThe objective of this project was to administer UFLI Foundations, a reading intervention phonics program that is used to improve students’ foundational reading skills. This program uses an explicit and systematic approach and focuses on the core skills necessary for reading, including phonemic awareness, letter recognition, and phonics.Curriculum and InstructionMazzye, Doree
Investigation of the Sensor Kinase TciK and its Role in Indigoidine Production by Vogesella indigofera
Get PDFVogesella indigofera is a bacterium that produces the blue pigment indigoidine. We investigated whether the tciK gene is required for pigment production using targeted gene deletion and complementation. We also examined how the two-component system composed of sensor kinase TciK and regulator TciR might function together to regulate indigoidine.Biological SciencesNewell, Pete
The relationship between tree size and maple sap sugar content in the SUNY Oswego Sugarbush
No full textThe maple sugar industry is an important economic resource for many communities in Eastern North America. Sustainable forest management with sugarbushes can create healthy forested landscapes that provide many benefits to humans and wildlife. We went to the SUNY Oswego sugarbush and sampled 100 maple trees for their diameter and sap sugar content. Preliminary results indicate a strong positive relationship between tree diameter and sugar sap content.Biological SciencesHellquist, C. Eri
Predicting OBESITY RATES BASED ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION
Get PDFObesity is a major public health challenge linked to diet and physical activity. This project uses machine learning to predict obesity categories from survey data, including eating habits, water intake, exercise frequency, and transport mode. BMI was calculated from height and weight. After encoding and testing several models, Random Forest delivered the highest accuracy. The results highlight lifestyle patterns that strongly influence obesity, offering insights for prevention and public health strategies.Biomedical and Health InformaticsByeon, Boseo
A Climatology of Blowing Snow in Canada and the United States
Get PDFBlowing snow (BS) can make road travel very hazardous. Understanding where and when BS events are most common can mitigate weather accidents. This current study is the first to use observational data to examine the spatial and temporal variations of BS occurrences across the United States and Canada.Atmospheric and Geological SciencesLaird, Nei