“ … as a Homeostatic Mechanism in Mammalian T-lymphocytes By Maya Gempler __________________________________________ … ”
Abstract
Programmed cell death by apoptosis is a vital feature of multicellular life. It is characterized by a common set of morphological and biochemical changes that include chromatin condensation, caspase activation, DNA cleavage, membrane blebbing, and cellular fragmentation. Apoptosis can be reversed by a process called anastasis, which has been previously documented as a contributing mechanism in cancer recurrence following chemotherapy. The goal of our current work was to determine whether anastasis represented a more generalized cellular process independent of cancer. We used cultured mouse HT2 T-lymphocytes as a model system, a non-cancerous cell line that is dependent on the cytokine Interleukin 2 (IL2) for survival. Apoptosis was induced in HT2 cells with three different methods: IL2 deprivation (starvation), treatment with staurosporine, or camptothecin. We have previously shown that apoptosis induced by IL2 deprivation for 24 hours was reversible following IL2 re-addition, as cells were observed to gradually resume their normal physiological processes within 72 hours of rescue. Here, HT2 cells were also treated with staurosporine and camptothecin, washed free of each inducer, recovered in IL2, and analyzed by flow cytometry at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours following the removal of the chemical inducer. Cell viability and executioner caspase 3/7 activity were determined jointly using SYTOX Red vital dye and NucView 488 substrate, respectively, whereas cell cycle distribution was monitored post-fixation using propidium iodide to determine DNA content per cell. Our findings revealed that apoptosis in HT2 cells was reversible following camptothecin treatment and IL2 deprivation and that HT2 cells gradually regained normal cell cycle distribution during the 72-hour rescue window. However, cells induced with staurosporine could not be rescued from apoptosis. Interestingly, sustained caspase activity was observed throughout the rescue period for cells treated with camptothecin for 9 hours. Our findings suggest that anastasis may be a normal physiological process in animal cells independent of malignancy but dependent on the inducer of apoptosis.
“ … Maya Gempler … Figure 26. Romola final wig with black hair … Victoria Avon, Augustus D’Amore, Sarah DeRosa, Elaine Du, MayaGempler, Andrew Nordell, Raya Petrova … Figure 35. Romola’s … ”
Abstract
This project began due to my need for a thesis when I decided to change my theater minor into a major. I was at a loss for what I wanted that thesis to be. I combined my love of theater with my love of hair and thus this thesis was born. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I took on the project but what I got could never have been expected. I had never taken any sort of theater costume, make-up or hair design class before, however so that seemed like a good place to start. Fall 2022 I took Beyond Cosplay and got my first taste of the world of theatrical design and I enjoyed it. For my final project I created an 18th century wig out of paper that could actually be worn and that sparked conversations surrounding possible materials for the wigs for Act A Lady: A Comedy by Jordan Harrison. Since this play revolves around three men in the midwest “dressing up” as ladies to put on a play for their town we discussed the possibility of using paper or other found materials to make the wigs out of. Well this idea was incorporated into some of the “rehearsal” costumes for the characters as seen from the flour sack for Greta and the baskets for Romola and the countess, we decided to use real hair for the wigs. The wigs could not be switched as often as the “rehearsal” costume pieces were and since the “real” costumes were not made out of found objects we used real hair for the wigs. As far as how realistic the wigs were some historical research went into the ideas behind the costumes but they were as realistic as townsfolk in the 1920s in the midwest would have made 18th century wigs. Another aspect that was taken into account when making the wigs was the current hair of the performers and what changes they were willing to make to their hair, if any.
