Development of molecular tools for the improvement of transgene expression in sugar cane

Biotechnology has the potential to improve sugar cane, one of the world's major crops for food and fuel. This research describes the detailed characterisation of introns and their potential for enhancing transgene expression in sugar cane via intron-mediated enhancement (IME). IME is a phenomenon whereby an intron enhances gene expression from a promoter. Current knowledge on the mechanism of IME or its potential for enhancing gene expression in sugar cane is limited. A better understanding of the factors responsible for IME will help develop new molecular tools that facilitate high levels of constitutive and tissue-specific gene expression in this crop.

Structural, physiological and molecular characterisation of the Australian native resurrection grass Tripogon loliiformis (F.Meull) C.E.Hubb during dehydration and rehydration

There is an urgent need to develop crops that can withstand future climates. Results from this thesis demonstrated that a native Australian resurrection grass exhibits structural, physiological and metabolic strategies to tolerate drying. These strategies may be utilized for the generation of stress tolerant crops.

Kallikrein-related peptidases in prostate cancer: From molecular function to clinical application

Prostate cancer is a leading contributor to male cancer-related deaths worldwide. Kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) are serine proteases that exhibit deregulated expression in prostate cancer, with KLK3, or prostate specific antigen (PSA), being the widely-employed clinical biomarker for prostate cancer. Other KLKs, such as KLK2, show promise as prostate cancer biomarkers and, additionally, their altered expression has been utilised for the design of KLK-targeted therapies. There is also a large body of in vitro and in vivo evidence supporting their role in cancer-related processes. Here, we review the literature on studies to date investigating the potential of other KLKs, in addition to PSA, as biomarkers and in therapeutic options, as well as their current known functional roles in cancer progression. Increased knowledge of these KLK-mediated functions, including degradation of the extracellular matrix, local invasion, cancer cell proliferation, interactions with fibroblasts, angiogenesis, migration, bone metastasis and tumour growth in vivo, may help define new roles as prognostic biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for this cancer.

Infection-induced IL-10 and Jak-Stat: A review of the molecular circuitry controlling immune hyperactivity in response to pathogenic microbes

Generation of effective immune responses against pathogenic microbes depends on a fine balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is essential in regulating this balance and has garnered renewed interest recently as a modulator of the response to infection at the JAK-STAT signaling axis of host responses. Here, we examine how IL-10 functions as the “master regulator” of immune responses through JAK-STAT, and provide a perspective from recent insights on bacterial, protozoan, and viral infection model systems. Pattern recognition and subsequent molecular events that drive activation of IL-10-associated JAK-STAT circuitry are reviewed and the implications for microbial pathogenesis are discussed.