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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

How Oxygen Availability Affects The Antimicrobial Efficacy Of Host Defense Peptides: Lessons Learned From Studying The Copper-Binding Peptides Piscidins 1 And 3, Adenrele Oludiran, David S. Courson, Malia D. Stuart, Anwar R. Radwan, John C. Putsma, Myriam L. Cotten, Erin B. Purcell Nov 2019

How Oxygen Availability Affects The Antimicrobial Efficacy Of Host Defense Peptides: Lessons Learned From Studying The Copper-Binding Peptides Piscidins 1 And 3, Adenrele Oludiran, David S. Courson, Malia D. Stuart, Anwar R. Radwan, John C. Putsma, Myriam L. Cotten, Erin B. Purcell

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The development of new therapeutic options against Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection is a critical public health concern, as the causative bacterium is highly resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics. Antimicrobial host-defense peptides (HDPs) are highly effective at simultaneously modulating the immune system function and directly killing bacteria through membrane disruption and oxidative damage. The copper-binding HDPs piscidin 1 and piscidin 3 have previously shown potent antimicrobial activity against a number of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial species but have never been investigated in an anaerobic environment. Synergy between piscidins and metal ions increases bacterial killing aerobically. Here, we …


Lipid Biomarkers Of Bering And Chukchi Sea Euphausiids And Their Application To Diet History, Rachel L. Pleuthner Jul 2019

Lipid Biomarkers Of Bering And Chukchi Sea Euphausiids And Their Application To Diet History, Rachel L. Pleuthner

OES Theses and Dissertations

In the eastern Bering Sea, Thysanoessa raschii are the most abundant krill species and a keystone trophic member that serve as both an important grazer and link to upper level consumers. In this system krill experience large annual variation in food resources, especially during ice advance and retreat; multiple lipid classes are used to temper the effects of those fluctuations, as well as to fuel reproduction and growth. Two shipboard feeding experiments that occurred during late spring and early summer of 2010, respectively, monitored the lipid retention in adult T. raschii and examined the fluctuation of specific lipid biomarkers under …


Protocol Measuring Horizontal Gene Transfer From Algae To Non-Photosynthetic Organisms, James Weifu Lee Jun 2019

Protocol Measuring Horizontal Gene Transfer From Algae To Non-Photosynthetic Organisms, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a natural process for an organism to transfer genetic material to another organism that is a completely different species, for example, from a blue-green alga to a non-photosynthetic bacterium. The phenomenon of HGT is not only of an interest to the science of molecular genetics and biology, but also to the biosafety issue of genetic engineering. The novel protocol reported here for the first time teaches how to measure HGT from a genetically engineered (GE) blue-green alga (gene donor) to wild-type E. coli (recipient). This novel protocol can be used to measure HGT frequency for …


Study Of The Effects Of Silver Ions And Silver Nanoparticles On Embryonic Development, Martha Sharisha Johnson Apr 2019

Study Of The Effects Of Silver Ions And Silver Nanoparticles On Embryonic Development, Martha Sharisha Johnson

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the study of the toxicity of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and their ions on the development of zebrafish embryos, aiming to understand unique biological effects of NPs and ions, and design new in vivo assays to characterize the toxicity of these metal NPs and metal ions. Currently, the underlying molecular mechanisms of biological effects of nanomaterials are partially understood. Some studies assume that the toxic effects of NPs can be attributed to the release of their ions. We investigate the effects of silver NPs (Ag NPs) and silver ions (Ag+ ions) on the embryonic development of zebrafish …


Metaproteomics Reveal That Rapid Perturbations In Organic Matter Prioritize Functional Restructuring Over Taxonomy In Western Arctic Ocean Microbiomes, Molly P. Mikan, H. Rodger Harvey, Emma Timmins-Schiffman, Michael Riffle, Damon H. May, Ian Salter, William S. Noble, Brook L. Nunn Jan 2019

Metaproteomics Reveal That Rapid Perturbations In Organic Matter Prioritize Functional Restructuring Over Taxonomy In Western Arctic Ocean Microbiomes, Molly P. Mikan, H. Rodger Harvey, Emma Timmins-Schiffman, Michael Riffle, Damon H. May, Ian Salter, William S. Noble, Brook L. Nunn

OES Faculty Publications

We examined metaproteome profiles from two Arctic microbiomes during 10-day shipboard incubations to directly track early functional and taxonomic responses to a simulated algal bloom and an oligotrophic control. Using a novel peptide-based enrichment analysis, significant changes (p-value < 0.01) in biological and molecular functions associated with carbon and nitrogen recycling were observed. Within the first day under both organic matter conditions, Bering Strait surface microbiomes increased protein synthesis, carbohydrate degradation, and cellular redox processes while decreasing C1 metabolism. Taxonomic assignments revealed that the core microbiome collectively responded to algal substrates by assimilating carbon before select taxa utilize and metabolize nitrogen intracellularly. Incubations of Chukchi Sea bottom water microbiomes showed similar, but delayed functional responses to identical treatments. Although 24 functional terms were shared between experimental treatments, the timing, and degree of the remaining responses were highly variable, showing that organic matter perturbation directs community functionality prior to alterations to the taxonomic distribution at the microbiome class level. The dynamic responses of these two oceanic microbial communities have important implications for timing and magnitude of responses to organic perturbations within the Arctic Ocean and how community-level functions may forecast biogeochemical gradients in oceans.


Molecular Level Comparison Of Water Extractives Of Maple And Oak With Negative And Positive Ion Esi Ft-Icr Mass Spectrometry, Zhongqi He, Rachel L. Sleighter, Patrick G. Hatcher, Shasha Liu, Fengchang Wu, Haixuan Zou, O. Modesto Olanya Jan 2019

Molecular Level Comparison Of Water Extractives Of Maple And Oak With Negative And Positive Ion Esi Ft-Icr Mass Spectrometry, Zhongqi He, Rachel L. Sleighter, Patrick G. Hatcher, Shasha Liu, Fengchang Wu, Haixuan Zou, O. Modesto Olanya

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Soluble extractives in wood function to protect living trees from destructive agents and also contribute to wood color and fragrance. Some extractive components have biological activities with medical applications. They also play important roles in wood processing and related applications. To increase the knowledge of wood chemistry, maple and oak were extracted by water. Ultraviolet/visible (UV/vis) spectroscopy indicated the presence of a phenolic compound, resorcinol, in maple extractives having higher molecular mass and more aromatic components than oak extractives. Negative and positive electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR-MS) identified thousands of formulas in the two …


Condensation And Polymerization Explain The Humification Of Lignin Into Aliphatic And Aromatic Structures In Soil, Patrick G. Hatcher, Hongmei Chen, Seyyedhadi Khatami, Derek C. Waggoner Jan 2019

Condensation And Polymerization Explain The Humification Of Lignin Into Aliphatic And Aromatic Structures In Soil, Patrick G. Hatcher, Hongmei Chen, Seyyedhadi Khatami, Derek C. Waggoner

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Soil organic matter (SOM) constitutes a global reservoir of carbon that is more than twice that of either atmospheric carbon or aquatic carbon; however, the manner in which it forms from degraded plant biomass is poorly understood. Some have recently questioned whether plant biomass is involved directly in SOM formation and suggest that it is microbial carbon that constitutes the main source of stable SOM. Such a view implies that above and below ground plant biomass is rapidly decomposed and mineralized. This view contrasts significantly with traditional ones that involve the transformation of plant biomass to recalcitrant humic materials fueled …


Conformational Flexibility In The Enterovirus Rna Replication Platform, Meghan S. Warden, Kai Cai, Gabriel Cornilescu, Jordan E. Burke, Komala Ponniah, Samuel E. Butcher, Steven M. Pascal Jan 2019

Conformational Flexibility In The Enterovirus Rna Replication Platform, Meghan S. Warden, Kai Cai, Gabriel Cornilescu, Jordan E. Burke, Komala Ponniah, Samuel E. Butcher, Steven M. Pascal

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

A presumed RNA cloverleaf (5′CL), located at the 5′-most end of the noncoding region of the enterovirus genome, is the primary established site for initiation of genomic replication. Stem–loop B (SLB) and stem–loop D (SLD), the two largest stem–loops within the 5′CL, serve as recognition sites for protein interactions that are essential for replication. Here we present the solution structure of rhinovirus serotype 14 5′CL using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. In the absence of magnesium, the structure adopts an open, somewhat extended conformation. In the presence of magnesium, the structure compacts, bringing SLB …