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Functional Characterization Of A Novel Thioredoxin Domain-Containing Protein Of The Malaria Parasite Plasmodium, Rachel Kooistra

Master's Theses

A novel thioredoxin domain-containing protein of the malaria parasite Plasmodium was identified and found to be conserved among eukaryotes. This protein belongs to the phosducin-like family of proteins (PhLPs), and was therefore assigned the name PhLP1, since it is the first phosducin-like protein to be identified in Plasmodium. PhLPs have been found to have various roles in G-protein signaling, cell cycle progression, and protein folding. However, the biochemical mechanism by which PhLPs perform their function is unknown. Here is described the cloning and biochemical characterization of both PhLP1 and its human homolog TXNDC9. Both purified PhLP1 and TXNDC9 showed enzymatic …

Environmental Drivers Of Leaf Breakdown Rate In An Urban Watershed, Ashley Rachelle Cook

Master's Theses

Leaf litter breakdown is a critical ecosystem process in urban streams, but environmental conditions in urban streams may generate confounding effects on breakdown rates. Reduced abundance of macroinvertebrate shredders may slow breakdown, but rates may increase if high nutrient concentrations stimulate microbial decomposers and if flooding enhances leaf fragmentation. We used the litter bag technique to measure the relative importance of multiple environmental drivers on breakdown of eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) leaves at 5 sites throughout the North Branch of the Chicago River watershed. Sites spanned a gradient of urbanization, but no specialized macroinvertebrate shredders were present at any sites. …

Role Of The Intestinal Microbiota In Gut Barrier Dysfunction Following Burn Injury, Zachary Earley

Master's Theses

Burn injury represents a major medical problem with half a million cases requiring medical attention and 4,000 deaths reported annually. Sepsis and multiple organ failure remain the leading causes of death following injury, and may be brought on by bacterial infections or toxins. The gastrointestinal tract contains approx. 100 trillion microbes; therefore, the indigenous commensal microbiota may play a role in leading to these complications or infections in burn patients. The overall objective of this project is to identify a potential mechanism whereby changes in gut bacteria may lead to intestinal inflammation or bacterial translocation--key factors which may lead to …

Characterization Of The Female Urinary Microbiota And Their Association With The Female Bladder Uroepithelium, Evann Elizabeth Hilt

Master's Theses

The current clinical dogma assumes that urine is sterile in the absence of clinically relevant infection. However, recent evidence has demonstrated the existence of a female urinary microbiota in women with and without lower urinary tract symptoms. With the knowledge that the lower urinary tract possesses its own unique microbiota, I hypothesize that certain bacterial species of the female microbiota may be the cause or play a role in lower urinary tract syndromes such as overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). About 40-50% of OAB patients do not respond to conventional anti-muscarinic and beta-3 adrenergic agonist drug treatment. One possible explanation for …

Reconsidering The Model Of Trim5Α Assembly: The Role Of The Linker2 (L2) Region In Trim5Α Assembly, Laura Johnsen

Master's Theses

The TRIM5α protein from rhesus macaques (TRIM5αrh) exhibits a remarkable ability to potently inhibit infection by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1). Extensive studies have shown that TRIM5α is capable of self-associating at many levels, eventually leading to the formation of a hexameric assembly that can superimpose on the hexameric lattice of the HIV-1 capsid. The mechanism underlying the self-association of TRIM5α and the molecular determinants of self-association remain to be completely understood. In this study, we show that the Linker 2 (L2) region of TRIM5rh is important for dimerization and higher order self-association, both of which are independent processes. Additionally, …

Denitrification In Urban Coastal Environments: A Functional Gene Study, Samantha Denise Lindemann

Master's Theses

Eutrophication is a major anthropogenic stressor on aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Jamaica Bay is located in the southeastern portion of New York City, NY (NYC). Like many other estuaries, Jamaica Bay is impacted by anthropogenic N inputs from various sources. Despite eutrophic conditions, improvements in water quality over the last few decades have prompted government agencies to promote oyster restoration to help reduce anthropogenic N in NYC waters. The effect of eastern oysters on sediment bacterial communities responsible for denitrification in Jamaica Bay was previously unknown. Those samples exposed to oysters were predicted to have high denitrification gene abundances, and thus …

Identification Of Clinical Markers That Predict The Outcomes Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infections And Identification Of Synergistic Antibiotic Combinations For The Treatment Of These Infections, Virginia Long

Master's Theses

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is a prominent nosocomial infection. Vancomycin is the mainstay of treatment, but it has a high rate of failure. Combination therapies can be used, but synergy is often not tested in clinical laboratories. Physicians are at a disadvantage because they cannot predict MRSA outcomes. The first aim of the study was to identify clinical and demographic markers that could predict infection recurrence or prolonged bacteremia. This was accomplished using retrospective chart review and statistical analysis. The second aim of the study was to identify which combinations, of those commonly used for MRSA treatment at Loyola, demonstrate the …

An Investigation Of The Role Of Vibrio Vulnificus Rbda And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Sypa In Biofilm Formation, Cecilia Thompson

Master's Theses

Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are both bacteria that cause human infection. V. vulnificus has a polysaccharide locus, rbd, responsible for bacterial aggregation, a form of biofilm. This locus is conserved in V. parahaemolyticus and in the non-pathogen V. fischeri.

In V. fischeri, the polysaccharide locus, syp, has been extensively characterized and shown to be important for biofilm formation. In V. fischeri, the first gene, sypA, is critical for biofilm formation. V. fischeri biofilm-proficient strains form wrinkled colonies. In contrast, sypA mutants form smooth colonies, indicating a lack of biofilm formation.

To understand the function of RbdA and SypAVP, proteins …

History Of Freshwater Invasions In Illinois: Learning From The Past To Inform The Future, Abigail Jacobs

Master's Theses

Rates of introduction and spread of non-native species continue to increase worldwide, with freshwater ecosystems highly impacted. Many non-native species crossed between the Great Lakes and Mississippi watersheds by traveling through waterways in Illinois. I assembled a comprehensive database of occurrences of aquatic non-native species (n=99) in Illinois inland waters. The arrival of non-native species accelerated since 1873. The Great Lakes Basin was the main source of established species into Illinois. From 1990-2012 the dominant vector was unintentional release of established species non-native to North America. Sixty of the 99 introduced species established. Eighteen established species had high or very …

Characterizing The Mechanisms By Which Community Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Influences Keratinocyte Innate Immune Responses During Recurrent Infection, Ashley Lynn Larm

Master's Theses

Community associated–methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA–MRSA) infection has become a major health concern. In human epidermal keratinocytes, S. aureus is mainly recognized through toll–like receptor 2 (TLR2) and its co–receptor, CD14. We hypothesize that CA–MRSA isolates cause recurrent infections by interrupting TLR2–mediated inflammation in keratinocytes. Recurrent CA–MRSA bacterial culture supernatant exposure to keratinocytes in vitro resulted in significant decreases in pro and anti–inflammatory cytokine and HMGB1 secretion from keratinocytes as assessed by ELISAs. Recurrent CA–MRSA live infection did not result in significant changes in cytokine or HMGB1 secretion, surface receptor expression, or NFκB activation post infection as assessed by ELISA …

Life Histories, Diets, And Secondary Production Of Odonata Along A Temperature Gradient On The Copper River Delta, Alaska, Nicole Emilie Furlan

Master's Theses

Dragonflies (Odonata: Epiprocta) and damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera) are a conspicuous aspect of the biota in ponds on southcentral Alaska's Copper River Delta (CRD). Odonate densities, secondary production, and diets were assessed in sixteen ponds classified by delta region (east vs. west) and landscape type (outwash plain (OP) vs uplifted marsh (UM)).

Enallagma boreale (Coenagrionidae) comprised 48.5% of collected odonates. Leucorrhinia hudsonica (Libellulidae) and Aeshna juncea (Aeshnidae) comprised 36.6% and 10.4% of collected odonates, respectively. L. hudsonica densities and secondary production were significantly higher (p<0.001) in west UM ponds than in other pond types. Ostracods (Ostracoda) and water boatmen (Corixidae) dominated west OP A. juncea diets. Midge larvae (Chironomidae) dominated A. juncea diets in remaining pond types, occurring in 68% of foreguts. 27% of A. juncea foreguts demonstrated intraguild predation, and 6% of foreguts demonstrated cannibalism. Foreguts containing threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) revealed A. juncea's apex predator role in CRD ponds.

Effects Of Urbanization On Sediment Microbial Communities In Lotic Ecosystems, Bradley Drury

Master's Theses

The world is becoming increasingly urbanized, with the majority of the world's population now living in urban areas. Urbanization has the potential to significantly alter lotic ecosystems and the services they provide. Benthic microbial communities are key components of lotic ecosystems due to their contributions to primary production and nutrient cycling. Two types of human inputs associated with urbanization that may impact benthic microbial communities in lotic ecosystems are the input of wastewater treatment effluent and the input of emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products. This work examines the effects of treated WWTP effluent on benthic microbial communities …

Non-Additive Toxicity Of Bi-Metal Mixtures To Fathead Minnows, Natalie Rae Lynch

Master's Theses

Much research has been conducted to assess the toxicity of metals to aquatic organisms. Most of the research has focused on the toxicity of individual metals. Recently, attention has been paid to metal mixture toxicity because metals are usually present as mixtures in contaminated environments. The literature review indicates that metal mixtures may be additive, synergistic, or antagonistic to freshwater species. However, the data is not consistent and is dependent on the metal and organisms. The goal of this research is to use a systematic experimental design to characterize the toxicity of Cu, Zn, Cd and Ni mixtures to Pimephales …

Proteomic Analysis Of Mammary Epithelial Cell Development, Alyssa Kay Conly

Master's Theses

In this set of studies, a proteomic approach was used to investigate the protein profile of the mammary epithelial cell (MEC) through different stages of mammary development. The HC11 cell line was used to investigate protein changes between undifferentiated and differentiated MEC, which represent the pregnant and lactating states of the cells. This comparison revealed an interesting differential expression profile underscoring many recognized processes that occur in differentiated MECs, while others unveiled differences between MEC differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Primary MEC were also isolated from virgin, pregnant, and primiparous quiescent mice to compare the virgin state of the …