Microbiology Commons^™

Establishment Of A Quiescent Infection Of Hsv-1 In L929 Fibroblasts Using A Mitotic Inhibitor And Ifn-Γ, Neelam V. Shinde

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The goal for this study was to determine if a quiescent infection of HSV-1 could be induced in murine fibroblasts L929 by treating them with the anti-mitotic agent 5-fluoro 2'deoxy uridine (FUDR) alone and with interferon-γ. Since neurons are post-mitotic and exhibit a lower metabolic rate than other cells, fibroblasts were treated with FUDR to induce a post-mitotic state. The cell cycle arrest of fibroblasts would decrease the thymidylate metabolism and impair HSV-1 replication. An evaluation of cytopathic effects of FUDR was used to determine the optimal concentration which arrests cell growth and inhibits viral replication. Image J program developed …

Q-Ve-Oph, A Control Caspase Inhibitor For Analyzing Neuronal Death, Rebecca L. Bricker

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Sarin is a neurotoxin that has been used in terrorist attacks in Japan and is a potential bioterrorist weapon. It induces seizures by affecting the regulation of neurotransmitters in the brain. Seizures are directly correlated to neuronal damage. Two types of neuronal damage that can occur are apoptosis and necrosis. One of the main regions of the brain where neuronal death occurs is the hippocampus, which is involved in memory. Victims showed chronic decline of memory loss 3 and 7 years after the Tokyo's terrorist attack incident. There are treatments available that can break down sarin or can block the …

The Effects Of Enteropathogenic And Commensal Escherichia Coli On Tight Junction Permeability, Hilary Kaye Allen

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The intestinal mucosa maintains a barrier between materials from the external environment and the internal environment of the host. Disruption of the gut wall integrity is involved in the development of various intestinal diseases, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Crohn's disease. The intestinal mucosa is lined with epithelial cells that are connected by tight junctions, the intercellular junctions that form a selectively permeable barrier between paracellular pathways. Enteric pathogens, such as enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), can disrupt the tight junctions of epithelial cells by altering the cellular cytoskeleton or by directly affecting tight junction proteins. Commensal Escherichia coli …

Mhc Class I Expression In Murine Fibroblast And Keratinocyte Cell Lines During The First Twenty-Four Hours Of Infection With Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (Hsv-1), Prasanthi Kumchala

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The hypothesis of this study is: HSV-1 infection of murine fibroblasts and keratinocytes inhibits expression of MHC class I molecules during first 24 hours of infection. IFN-γ pretreatment of fibroblasts protected the cells from virus-induced inhibition of MHC class I expression, but did not protect keratinocytes. Herpesviruses are known for their ability to establish persistent infections. Herpesviruses exert many different ways to suppress host defense mechanisms. One such way is by down regulating expression of the major histocompatibility complex I (MHC I) molecules in infected cells. Epidermal cells such as keratinocytes are the major sites for herpes simplex virus type …

The Effects Of Hsv-1 Challenge On Polarized Murine Macrophages: An In Vitro Model Using The J774a.1 Murine Macrophage Cell Line, Adam Craig Reichard

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In our current study we examined the effects of HSV-1 challenge on J774A.1 macrophages polarized to either a proinflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotype. Polarized J774A.1 macrophages were characterized using CD14-CD86 and SOCS1-SOCS3 expression levels. SOCS proteins are a family of proteins that are capable of inhibiting cytokine-signaling pathways. HSV-1 up regulates expression of SOCS1 protein levels in infected cells, inhibiting the ability of infected cells to produce proinflammatory products (Nowoslawski Akhtar and Benveniste, 2011). This study shows that signals within the microenvironment play a greater role in macrophage polarization, and SOCS1-SOCS3 expression levels, than does HSV-1 challenge. M1 macrophages …

Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling (Socs) 1 & 3 Expression In Hsv-1- Infected And Interferon-Γ-Treated Neuro-2a Cells, Melinda Jones

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This study examined the effects of HSV-1 infection and IFN-γ treatment on Neuro-2A cells. HSV-1 induces expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3 in infected cells, inhibiting the ability of these cells to produce the pro inflammatory, antiviral cytokine IFN-γ (Nowoslawski and Benveniste, 2011). SOCS1 and SOCS3 levels were determined in IFN-γ-treated cells, virus-infected cells, and cells that were both IFN-γ-treated and virus-infected. Results were compared with untreated, uninfected control cells. Flow cytometry data analysis showed a slight decrease in SOCS1 and SOCS3 protein levels in cells treated with IFN-γ for 6 hours compared to control cells. A significant decrease in SOCS1 …

The Construction Of A Plasmid For Detecting The Pathway Of Arginine Metabolism In Human Macrophages: A Real-Time Assessment Of Macrophage Polarity, Benjamin A. Holmes

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Macrophages are "first responders", innate immune system cells which quickly arrive to a site of infection and injury, consuming cell debris and foreign matter and recruiting other immune system cells to the area. While historically they have been thought to react uniformly to all challenges, the discovery of toll-like receptors has shown that macrophages actually work closely with the adaptive immune system in fine-tuning the immune response. Furthermore, it has recently been discovered that macrophages can become polarized to one of two subtypes-M1 or M2.

M1 macrophages are efficient producers of reactive oxygen species, nitrogen intermediates, and inflammatory cytokines. They …