Life Sciences Commons^™

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome And Novel Gene Arrangement Of The Unique-Headed Bug Stenopirates Sp. (Hemiptera: Enicocephalidae), Hu Li, Hui Liu, Aimin Shi, Pavel Stys, Xuguo Zhou, Wanzhi Cai

Entomology Faculty Publications

Many of true bugs are important insect pests to cultivated crops and some are important vectors of human diseases, but few cladistic analyses have addressed relationships among the seven infraorders of Heteroptera. The Enicocephalomorpha and Nepomorpha are consider the basal groups of Heteroptera, but the basal-most lineage remains unresolved. Here we report the mitochondrial genome of the unique-headed bug Stenopirates sp., the first mitochondrial genome sequenced from Enicocephalomorpha. The Stenopirates sp. mitochondrial genome is a typical circular DNA molecule of 15, 384 bp in length, and contains 37 genes and a large non-coding fragment. The gene order differs substantially from …

Pegylated Arginine Deiminase Downregulates Colitis In Murine Models, Helieh S. Oz, Jian Zhong, Willem J. S. De Villiers

Physiology Faculty Publications

Arginine deiminase (ADI), an arginine-metabolizing enzyme involved in cell signaling, is dysregulated in multiple inflammatory diseases and cancers. We hypothesized that pegylated ADI (ADI-PEG) provide protection against colitis.

METHODS: Dextran sodium sulfate colitis was induced in IL-10-deficient and BALB/c (WT) mice. ADI-PEG was administered i.p., and inflammatory mediators and pathology were evaluated.

RESULTS: Acute colitis in mice was manifested by increases in inflammatory biomarkers, such as serum amyloid A (SAA, P < 0.001), IL-12 p40, and disease index (3-Fold). In contrast, ADI-PEG significantly decreased clinical disease index, SAA levels, and inflammatory cytokines in blood as well as in colonic explants. Animals developed moderate (2.2 ± 0.3 WT) to severe (3.6 ± 0.5 IL-10 deficient) colonic pathology; and ADI-PEG treatment significantly improved the severity of colitis (P < 0.05). Marked infiltration of CD68+ macrophages and iNOS expression were detected in colonic submucosa in colitic animals but not detected in ADI-PEG-treated animals.

CONCLUSION: ADI-PEG attenuated inflammatory responses by suppression of macrophage infiltration and iNOS expression in colitic animals. ADI-PEG can serve as a potential therapeutic value in IBD.

The Role Of Ezh2 In The Regulation Of The Activity Of Matrix Metalloproteinases In Prostate Cancer Cells., Yong Jae Shin, Jeong-Ho Kim

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), a critical step in cancer metastasis, is determined by the balance between MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases) and their inhibitors TIMPs (tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases). In cancer cells, this balance is shifted towards MMPs, promoting ECM degradation. Here, we show that EZH2 plays an active role in this process by repressing the expression of TIMP2 and TIMP3 in prostate cancer cells. The TIMP genes are derepressed by knockdown of EZH2 expression in human prostate cancer cells but repressed by overexpression of EZH2 in benign human prostate epithelial cells. EZH2 catalyzes H3K27 trimethylation and subsequent DNA methylation …

Methamphetamine Administration Targets Multiple Immune Subsets And Induces Phenotypic Alterations Suggestive Of Immunosuppression., Robert Z. Harms, Brenda M. Morsey, Craig W. Boyer, Howard S. Fox, Nora E. Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a widely abused stimulant and its users are at increased risk for multiple infectious diseases. To determine the impact of meth on the immune system, we utilized a murine model that simulates the process of meth consumption in a typical addict. Our phenotypic analysis of leukocytes from this dose escalation model revealed that meth affected key immune subsets. Meth administration led to a decrease in abundance of natural killer (NK) cells and the remaining NK cells possessed a phenotype suggesting reduced responsiveness. Dendritic cells (DCs) and Gr-1(high) monocytes/macrophages were also decreased in abundance while Gr-1(low) monocytes/macrophages appear …

Gene Expression Profiling In The Thiamethoxam Resistant And Susceptible B-Biotype Sweetpotato Whitefly, Bemisia Tabaci, Wen Xie, Xin Yang, Shao-Ii Wang, Qing-Jun Wu, Ni-Na Yang, Ru-Mei Li, Xiao-Guo Jiao, Hui-Peng Pan, Bai-Ming Liu, Yun-Tao Feng, Bao-Yun Xu, Xuguo Zhou, You-Jun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Thiamethoxam has been used as a major insecticide to control the B-biotype sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Due to its excessive use, a high level of resistance to thiamethoxam has developed worldwide over the past several years. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance in B. tabaci, gene profiles between the thiamethoxam-resistant and thiamethoxam-susceptible strains were investigated using the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library approach. A total of 72 and 52 upand down-regulated genes were obtained from the forward and reverse SSH libraries, respectively. These expressed sequence tags (ESTs) belong to several functional categories based …

Changes In Dairy Food And Nutrient Intakes In Australian Adolescents, Carole Parker, Wendy Vivian, Wendy H. Oddy, Lawrie J Beilin, Trevor A. Mori, Therese O'Sullivan

Research outputs 2012

Dairy nutrients, such as calcium, are particularly important in adolescence, a critical time for growth and development. There are limited Australian data following individuals through adolescence, evaluating changes in dairy nutrient and dairy product consumption. We used a validated food frequency questionnaire to investigate consumption in adolescents participating in both the 14 and 17 year follow-ups of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Most adolescents did not reach age and gender specific recommended daily intakes for calcium or magnesium at 14 years, and this decreased as they aged to 17 years (from 33.0% to 29.2% meeting for calcium, P < 0.05, and from 33.6% to 20.5% meeting for magnesium, P < 0.01). Mean intakes of calcium, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin A also decreased with age (P < 0.01). Mean dairy intake decreased from 536 ± 343 g/day to 464 ± 339 g/day (P < 0.01), due mostly to a decrease in regular milk, although flavoured milk consumption increased in boys. Cheese and butter were the only products to show a significantly increased consumption over the period. Girls decreased from 2.2 to 1.9 serves/day of dairy, while boys remained relatively steady at 2.9 to 2.8 serves/day. Our findings suggest that dairy product consumption decreases over adolescence. This may have implications for bone mass, development and later health.