Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Chickens--Embryos--Physiology; Gap junctions (Cell biology); Heart--Differentiation;
Abstract
Gap junctions are thought to be important during development because they interconnect cells for communication via signaling molecules. In the developmental process, the heart is coupled via gap junctions. The heart has many migratory, proliferative, and differentiation events in which gap junctions may serve a central role in development. The goal of this study was to measure the connexin levels throughout selected stages of cardiac development and to ascertain the normal connexin levels to use as comparisons in experimental systems such as microgravity. This study measured the amount of connexin protein in the embryonic heart at 1.5-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 8-, 11-, 15-, and 21-days and also measured the adult using Western blotting and immunostaining. Also this study characterized the six antibody probes used in this experiment. The results of this study were unexpected since they showed that the G anti-connexin 43 antibody recognized six major protein bands, 75, 70, 68, 55, 46, and 32 KDa, all of which changed uniquely throughout development suggesting independent developmental regulation or separation of antigenic sites by specific cleavage. Two major protein groups were recognized by the G antibody to connexin 43. The 75 and 70 KDa bands declined throughout early development and stabilized near zero. The other group of proteins, the 68, 55, 46, and 32 KDa, had an early decline but then levels rose sharply after day 5. The 55 KDa band showed a maximum peak at 21-days. This data suggests that the existence of connexin 43 needs to be reexamined in the avian system. The all antibody profile of the adult heart revealed a possible cleavage site in the Cterminus of the protein which occurred after hatching. Antibodies D and J, which recognize the carboxy terminus of the protein, gave no signal in the adult heart. This evidence suggests that a connexinase might be present in the adult system.
Year of Submission
1993
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Biology
First Advisor
Darrell Wiens
Second Advisor
Ira Simet
Third Advisor
Carl Thurman
Date Original
1993
Object Description
1 PDF file (80 leaves)
Copyright
©1993 Lisa Jo Jensen
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Jensen, Lisa Jo, "Connexin Expression During Heart Development in the Chick Embryo" (1993). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 3051.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/3051
Comments
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