Date of Award
4-1996
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Susan R. Stapleton
Second Advisor
Dr. Leonard Beuving
Third Advisor
Dr. David Reinhold
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Insulin is capable of regulating cellular and metabolic processes as well as gene expression. Selenate and vanadate are two compounds that have been found to mimic the action of insulin in several tissue and cell types. cFos and cJun are the products of immediate early responsive genes c-fos and c-jun. They are members of the family of the AP-1 (Activator Protein-1) transcription factors. AP-1 transcription factors bind as cJun.cJun homodimer or cJun.cFos heterodimer to the TRE found in the promoter regions of several genes. AP-1 is characterized by its ability to alter gene expression in response to various peptide hormones, growth factors, cytokines, tumor promoters, neurotransmitters as well as to increased expression of several oncogenes. AP-1 is involved in cellular differentiation, proliferation and neoplasmic transformation.
Our results indicate that, in primary rat hepatocytes in culture, insulin and selenate increase the c-jun mRNA level in a similar time dependent fashion; vanadate also induces c-jun mRNA level, but in a different and longer time dependent fashion; selenate is the only agent tested that shows an induction of c-fos mRNA level and the time course of induction corresponds with the induction of c-jun.
Recommended Citation
Li, Guangmin, "Effects of Insulin and Insulin-Mimetics on mRNA Levels of c-fos and c-jun in Primary Rat Hepatocytes in Culture" (1996). Masters Theses. 4516.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4516