Publication Date

1-1-2001

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Griffiths, T. Daniel

Degree Name

B.S. (Bachelor of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Abstract

The goal of these experiments is to determine the relative effects of various agents (Ptpt dinucleotide, lutein, and vitamin C) on the activity of long terminal repeat (LTR) in HIV 1 infected cells (HIV LTR) in both control and UV exposed cells. It is known that the LTR is important in transcription and therefore viral replication. A HeLa cell line transfected with a plasmid that has the HTV-LTR and an E. coli chloranphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene was used. The agents were applied and then the amount of CAT activity was measured doing a CAT assay. The more CAT activity means the more LTR activity. The results showed that none of the agents used (ptpt dinucleotide, lutein, and vitamin C) inconclusively inhibited the LTR in HIV 1 infected cells. This doesn’t mean that these agent don’t have inhibitory elements. These experiments simply show that the agent doesn’t inhibit the LTR directly or through NFkB. It may inhibit through another enzymatic signal cascade or through a method other than the LTR. Another explanation for the results are that the concentration was too low and/or the agent didn’t have enough time to have an effect on the cells. Therefore, further experimentation is needed to discount these agents as a possible HTV treatment.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

26 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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