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Full-Text Articles in Molecular Biology

The Selective Survival Of Escherichia Coli In Freshwater Beach Sand, Natalie Ann Rumball May 2016

The Selective Survival Of Escherichia Coli In Freshwater Beach Sand, Natalie Ann Rumball

Theses and Dissertations

The quantification of Escherichia coli or E. coli is the most common method used to detect recent fecal pollution in recreational water, as this species is known for its high abundance in fecal matter and assumed host-associated nature. However, it has been determined that some strains are capable of long-term survival and potential propagation in non-host environments, such as the beach sand. These long-term environmental survivors are host-independent and are not associated with the same health risks as those E. coli from recent fecal pollution. However, they have been shown to impact how water quality is perceived as they are …


Clinical Light Exposure, Photoreceptor Degeneration, And Ap-1 Activation: A Cell Death Or Cell Survival Signal In The Rhodopsin Mutant Retina?, Danian Gu, William Beltran, Zexiao Li, Gregory M. Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre Feb 2016

Clinical Light Exposure, Photoreceptor Degeneration, And Ap-1 Activation: A Cell Death Or Cell Survival Signal In The Rhodopsin Mutant Retina?, Danian Gu, William Beltran, Zexiao Li, Gregory M. Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre

Gustavo D. Aguirre, VMD, PhD

PURPOSE. The T4R RHO mutant dog retina shows retinal degeneration with exposures to light comparable to those used in clinical eye examinations of patients. To define the molecular mechanisms of the degeneration, AP-1 DNA-binding activity, composition, posttranslational modification of the protein complex, and modulation of ERK/MAPK signaling pathways were examined in light-exposed mutant retinas. METHODS. Dark-adapted retinas were exposed to short-duration light flashes from a retinal camera used clinically for retinal photography and were collected at different time points after exposure. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), supershift EMSA, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemistry were used to examine AP-1 signaling. RESULTS. …


Bestrophin Gene Mutations Cause Canine Multifocal Retinopathy: A Novel Animal Model For Best Disease, Karina E. Guziewicz, Barbara Zangerl, Sarah J. Lindauer, Robert F. Mullins, Lynne S. Sandmeyer, Bruce H. Grahn, Edwin M. Stone, Gregory M. Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre Feb 2016

Bestrophin Gene Mutations Cause Canine Multifocal Retinopathy: A Novel Animal Model For Best Disease, Karina E. Guziewicz, Barbara Zangerl, Sarah J. Lindauer, Robert F. Mullins, Lynne S. Sandmeyer, Bruce H. Grahn, Edwin M. Stone, Gregory M. Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre

Gustavo D. Aguirre, VMD, PhD

PURPOSE. Canine multifocal retinopathy (cmr) is an autosomal recessive disorder of multiple dog breeds. The disease shares a number of clinical and pathologic similarities with Best macular dystrophy (BMD), and cmr is proposed as a new large animal model for Best disease. METHODS. cmr was characterized by ophthalmoscopy and histopathology and compared with BMD-affected patients. BEST1 (alias VMD2), the bestrophin gene causally associated with BMD, was evaluated in the dog. Canine ortholog cDNA sequence was cloned and verified using RPE/choroid 5′- and 3′-RACE. Expression of the canine gene transcripts and protein was analyzed by Northern and Western blotting and immunocytochemistry. …


Analysis Of Alternative Storage Conditions For Dna Recovery From Field Samples, Alison Schutt, Emily Stricklin, Britta Ten Haken, Joseph Tolsma, Laurie Furlong, Sara S. Tolsma Jan 2016

Analysis Of Alternative Storage Conditions For Dna Recovery From Field Samples, Alison Schutt, Emily Stricklin, Britta Ten Haken, Joseph Tolsma, Laurie Furlong, Sara S. Tolsma

Northwestern Review

As ecologists increasingly employ molecular methods, they find that tried and true preservation solutions (e.g. ethanol or formalin) may not be optimal when samples are targeted for genetic analyses. Before traveling to remote sample sites, researchers need to consider which preservation methods are likely to yield the largest quantity and highest quality of DNA based on their travel times and field conditions. They also need to consider whether they will have access to preservatives at remote sites and whether those preservatives can be safely transported. To determine which preservation methods would most reliably preserve tissue for genetic analysis under a …


Characterization Of A Phosphonate-Specific Cytidylyltransferase, Kissa Batul Jan 2016

Characterization Of A Phosphonate-Specific Cytidylyltransferase, Kissa Batul

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Antibiotic resistance is a major global health concern that requires new therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, a lack of narrow spectrum antibiotics on the market produces unintended consequences with respect to changes in our microbial make up. Phosphonates are reduced versions of phosphates that possess a C-P bond which is more resistant to enzymatic and chemical degradation. The role of phosphonate containing macromolecules (e.g. cell surface polysaccharides) remains enigmatic, however their presence suggests that they may confer an advantage. The biosynthesis of phosphonate-containing macromolecules is unknown, but a pathway is proposed involving aLicC type cytidylyltransferase-catalyzed conjugation to a phosphonate followed by a …