Digital Commons Network^™

Genetic Reporter System For Positioning Of Proteins At The Bacterial Pole, Kathryn R. Fixen, Anuradha Janakiraman, Sean Garritty, Daniel J. Slade, Andrew N. Gray, Nilay Karahan, Ann Hochschild, Marcia C. Goldberg

Publications and Research

Spatial organization within bacteria is fundamental to many cellular processes, although the basic mechanisms underlying localization of proteins to specific sites within bacteria are poorly understood. The study of protein positioning has been limited by a paucity of methods that allow rapid large-scale screening for mutants in which protein positioning is altered. We developed a genetic reporter system for protein localization to the pole within the bacterial cytoplasm that allows saturation screening for mutants in Escherichia coli in which protein localization is altered. Utilizing this system, we identify proteins required for proper positioning of the Shigella autotransporter IcsA. Autotransporters, widely …

The Giant Danio (D. Aequipinnatus) As A Model Of Cardiac Remodeling And Regeneration, Pascal J. Lafontant, Jamie A. Grivas, Mary A. Lesch, Lala Tanmoy Das, Tyler D. Frounfelter

Biology Faculty publications

The paucity of mammalian adult cardiac myocytes (CM) proliferation following myocardial infarction (MI) and the remodeling of the necrotic tissue that ensues, result in non-regenerative repair. In contrast, zebrafish (ZF) can regenerate after an apical resection or cryoinjury of the heart. There is considerable interest in models where regeneration proceeds in the presence of necrotic tissue. We have developed and characterized a cautery injury model in the giant danio (GD), a species closely related to ZF, where necrotic tissue remains part of the ventricle, yet regeneration occurs. By light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we have documented four temporally overlapping …

A Multicenter Evaluation Of Diagnostic Tools To Define Endpoints For Programs To Eliminate Bancroftian Filariasis, Katherine Gass, Madsen V.E. Beau De Rochars, Daniel Boakye, Mark Bradley, Peter U. Fischer, John Gyapong, Makoto Itoh, Nese Ituaso-Conway, Hayley Joseph, Dominique Kyelem, Sandra J. Laney, Anne-Marie Legrand, Tilaka S. Liyanage, Wayne Melrose, Khalfan Mohammed, Nils Pilotte, Eric A. Ottesen, Catherine Plichart, Kapa Ramaiah, Ramakrishna U. Rao, Jeffrey Talbot, Gary J. Weil, Steven A. Williams, Kimberly Y. Won, Patrick J. Lammie

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Successful mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns have brought several countries near the point of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) elimination. A diagnostic tool is needed to determine when the prevalence levels have decreased to a point that MDA campaigns can be discontinued without the threat of recrudescence. A six-country study was conducted assessing the performance of seven diagnostic tests, including tests for microfilariae (blood smear, PCR), parasite antigen (ICT, Og4C3) and antifilarial antibody (Bm14, PanLF, Urine SXP). One community survey and one school survey were performed in each country. A total of 8,513 people from the six countries participated in the study, …

Nef Functions In Blt Mice To Enhance Hiv-1 Replication And Deplete Cd4+Cd8+ Thymocytes, Wei Zou, Paul W. Denton, Richard L. Watkins, John F. Krisko, Tomonori Nochi, John L. Foster, J. Victor Garcia

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: The outcome of untreated HIV-1 infection is progression to AIDS and death in nearly all cases. Some important exceptions are the small number of patients infected with HIV-1 deleted for the accessory gene, nef. With these infections, disease progression is entirely suppressed or greatly delayed. Whether Nef is critical for high levels of replication or is directly cytotoxic remains controversial. The major problem in determining the role of Nef in HIV/AIDS has been the lack of tractable in vivo models where Nef’s complex pathogenic phenotype can be recapitulated.

Results: Intravenous inoculation (3000 to 600,000 TCIU) of BLT …

Current Methods For Detecting The Presence Of Botulinum Neurotoxins In Food And Other Biological Samples, Luisa W. Cheng, Kirkwood M. Land, L. H. Stanker

College of the Pacific Faculty Books and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

The Curious Case Of Arenavirus Entry, And Its Inhibition, Jack H. Nunberg, Joanne York

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Arenaviruses comprise a diverse family of enveloped negative-strand RNA viruses that are endemic to specific rodent hosts worldwide. Several arenaviruses cause severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans, including Junin and Machupo viruses in South America and Lassa fever virus in western Africa. Arenavirus entry into the host cell is mediated by the envelope glycoprotein complex, GPC. The virion is endocytosed on binding to a cell-surface receptor, and membrane fusion is initiated in response to physiological acidification of the endosome. As with other class I virus fusion proteins, GPC-mediated membrane fusion is promoted through a regulated sequence of conformational changes leading to …

The Roles Of Gene Duplication, Gene Conversion And Positive Selection In Rodent Esp And Mup Pheromone Gene Families With Comparison To The Abp Family, Robert C. Karn, Christina M. Laukaitis

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Three proteinaceous pheromone families, the androgen-binding proteins (ABPs), the exocrine-gland secreting peptides (ESPs) and the major urinary proteins (MUPs) are encoded by large gene families in the genomes of Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus. We studied the evolutionary histories of the Mup and Esp genes and compared them with what is known about the Abp genes. Apparently gene conversion has played little if any role in the expansion of the mouse Class A and Class B Mup genes and pseudogenes, and the rat Mups. By contrast, we found evidence of extensive gene conversion in many Esp genes although …

Plants Of The Western United States: Expanding The Collection And Biological Testing Of Extracts, Fernando N. Galvan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this research was to find compounds with the potential for use as medicines. Many microorganisms use a mechanism known as active efflux to move antibiotics out of cells. As a result, the effectiveness of antibiotics may be partially or completely reduced allowing the pathogen to survive. A major theme of this research was to look for compounds in plants that inhibit active efflux processes and that are related to multi-drug resistance. After the diffusion of an antibiotic into a bacterial cell, an efflux pump inhibitor may prevent the antibiotic from being expelled from the organism, leading to …

Gram Stains: A Resource For Retrospective Analysis Of Bacterial Pathogens In Clinical Studies, Usha Srinivasan, Sreelatha Ponnalurl, Lisa Villareal, Brenda Gillespie, Ai Wen, Arianna Miles, Brigette Bucholz, Carl F. Marrs, Ram K. Iyer, Dawn Misra, Betsy Foxman

Faculty Work

We demonstrate the feasibility of using qPCR on DNA extracted from vaginal Gram stain slides to estimate the presence and relative abundance of specific bacterial pathogens. We first tested Gram stained slides spiked with a mix of 108 cfu/ml of Escherichia coli and 105cfu/ml of Lactobacillus acidophilus. Primers were designed for amplification of total and species-specific bacterial DNA based on 16S ribosomal gene regions. Sample DNA was pre-amplified with nearly full length 16S rDNA ribosomal gene fragment, followed by quantitative PCR with genera and species-specific 16S rDNA primers. Pre-amplification PCR increased the bacterial amounts; relative proportions of Escherichia coli …

Identification Of Epitopes On Ricin Toxin's Enzymatic Subunit (Rta) Critical For Eliciting Neutralizing Antibodies And Protective Immunity, Joanne Marie O'Hara

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ricin toxin's enzymatic subunit (RTA) is a 267 amino acid RNA N-glycosidase that selectively depurinates eukaryotic ribosomal RNA and arrests protein synthesis. The crystal structure of RTA revealed that the protein assumes three distinct folding domains (FD). Residues within FD1 and FD2 form RTA's active site pocket and are proposed to interface with ribosomal proteins, while FD3's primary function is to associate with ricin's B subunit (RTB). In this study I sought to identify the regions of RTA that are important in eliciting toxin-neutralizing antibodies (TNA), as this information is critical for current efforts to develop RTA-based subunit vaccines. I …

Detection And Epidemiological Patterns Of Drug Resistance Mutations In Nys Plasmodium Falciparum Clinical Malaria Specimens, Jennifer L. Conaway

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Plasmodium falciparum is a human-infective parasite that causes the most severe form of malaria. Resistance to a wide spectrum of antimalarials has been documented in this species, and single strains may be resistant to several drugs. A new technology, pyrosequencing, has been shown to be useful for the rapid detection of SNPs involved in drug resistance. It can be used in a clinical setting and readily detects new mutants, which frequently appear in this species due to strong selection for antimalarial resistance. In this study, a pyrosequencing protocol was developed to identify mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum genes Pfcrt, Pfdhps, …

Intra And Interhost Dynamics Shaping Arbovirus Adaptation And Evolution, Alexander T. Ciota

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), which are predominately mosquito-borne and almost exclusively RNA viruses, are maintained in nature in complex transmission cycles involving blood sucking invertebrates and vertebrate hosts. Although over 120 arboviruses are human pathogens responsible for causing a significant and expanding global health burden, a detailed understanding of the complex interactions between these pathogens and their hosts, particularly invertebrate hosts, is lacking. Defining these interactions is necessary if we are to understand the selective pressures and, therefore, evolutionary, adaptive, and epidemiological potential of arboviruses. This requires experimental infection and evolution studies, particularly in vivo, with natural hosts. The results presented …

Identification Of 23 Specific Nucleotide Patterns In The Hn Gene Of Newcastle Disease Viruses Isolated From Iran, Majid Esmaelizad, Mehdi P. Ashtiani, Saber Jelokhani Niaraki, Khadije Hashemnejad

Turkish Journal of Biology

Newcastle disease is considered the most contagious poultry disease and may cause severe economic loss in the poultry industry. The present study was undertaken to focus on molecular and phylogenetic analyses of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene in the Iranian isolates. The nucleotide sequence of the HN (780-903 nt) coding region of 6 Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs), isolated from various outbreaks in Iran, was determined and aligned with previously published sequences of 26 NDV isolates in GenBank; the resulting alignment was then analyzed in terms of genetic variation. The number of nucleotide sequence variations presented by each of the isolates indicated …

Antimicrobial And Antiviral Effects Of Essential Oils From Selected Umbelliferae And Labiatae Plants And Individual Essential Oil Components, İlkay Erdoğan Orhan, Berri̇n Özçeli̇k, Murat Kartal, Yüksel Kan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The essential oils obtained from Anethum graveolens, Foeniculum vulgare collected at fully-mature and flowering stages, Mentha piperita, Mentha spicata, Lavandula officinalis, Ocimum basilicum (green- and purple-leaf varieties), Origanum onites, O. vulgare, O. munitiflorum, O. majorana, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Satureja cuneifolia, as well as the widely encountered components in essential oils (\gamma-terpinene, 4-allylanisole, (-)-carvone, dihydrocarvone, D-limonene, (-)-phencone, cuminyl alcohol, cuminyl aldehyde, cuminol, trans-anethole, camphene, isoborneol, (-)-borneol, L-bornyl acetate, 2-decanol, 2-heptanol, methylheptane, farnesol, nerol, isopulegol, citral, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, geranyl ester, linalool, linalyl oxide, linalyl ester, \alpha-pinene, \beta-pinene, piperitone, (-)-menthol, isomenthone, carvacrol, thymol, vanillin, and eugenol), were screened for their …

Evaluation Of Antiinflammatory And Antinociceptive Effects Of Some Juniperus Species Growing In Turkey, Ni̇lüfer Orhan, Esra Akkol, Fatma Ergun

Turkish Journal of Biology

Different parts and products of Juniperus species have been used as folk medicine for various infectious diseases, rheumatism, and wounds in Turkey. In order to evaluate this traditional usage, antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities of leaf and berry extracts of 3 Juniperus species (J. excelsa, J. foetidissima, and J. sabina) were investigated. Additionally, antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities of subextracts of J. oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus (Joso) berries and leaves were evaluated. The p-benzoquinone-induced writhing test for antinociceptive activity and the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model for antiinflammatory activity in mice were employed. Ethanol extract prepared from berries of J. foetidissima provided a …

Evaluation Of Nested Pcr Method For Diagnosis Of Meningitis Due To Neisseria Meningitidis And Haemophilus Influenzae, Zahra Hojjati Bonab, Safar Farajnia, Reza Ghotaslou, Elhameh Nikkhah

Turkish Journal of Biology

Meningitis due to Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae is a common infectious disease among infants and children that can be fatal in the absence of rapid and proper diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, a rapid and sensitive method for diagnosis is a high priority. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of culture, conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and nested PCR methods for diagnosis of meningitis caused by N. meningitidis and H. influenzae. A total of 106 cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from infants and children suspected of having meningitis. A portion of these samples were used for …

A Generalized Cholera Model And Epidemic-Endemic Analysis, Jin Wang, Shu Liao

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The transmission of cholera involves both human-to-human and environment-to-human pathways that complicate its dynamics. In this paper, we present a new and unified deterministic model that incorporates a general incidence rate and a general formulation of the pathogen concentration to analyse the dynamics of cholera. Particularly, this work unifies many existing cholera models proposed by different authors. We conduct equilibrium analysis to carefully study the complex epidemic and endemic behaviour of the disease. Our results show that despite the incorporation of the environmental component, there exists a forward transcritical bifurcation at R₀ = 1 for the combined human-environment epidemiological …

Stress Hormone In White-Throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia Albicollis) Is Not Influenced By The Cleanliness Of A Cotton Bag, Nidun Daniel, Gregory B. Cunningham

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Bird banding stations are used throughout North America to trap and band birds, which allow researchers and government agencies to monitor populations, migration routes, health and a variety of other elements of avian physiology and biology. Birds are commonly trapped in mistnets, placed into a cotton bag, and brought to a research station where they are banded, weighed, measured and released. On some days, the number of birds caught may be so high that birds are left to hang in the bags for 10 – 20 minutes while other birds are processed. During this time in the bag the birds …

The Biology And Management Of Brucellosis In Yellowstone Bison, John Joseph Treanor

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Disease management along the boundaries of wildlife reserves is a growing conservation problem worldwide, as infected wildlife can migrate outside protected areas and pose a threat to livestock and human health. The bison Bison bison population in Yellowstone National Park has long been infected with Brucella abortus, the bacterium causing bovine brucellosis. Concern over migratory bison transmitting B. abortus to cattle herds on lands adjacent to Yellowstone has led to proposals for bison vaccination. Model simulations suggest that vaccination is unlikely to eradicate B. abortus from Yellowstone bison but could be an effective tool for reducing the level of …

Biological Screening Of Various Medicinal Plant Extracts For Antibacterial And Antitumor Activities, Fatma Pehli̇van Karakaş, Arzu Yildirim, Arzu Türker

Turkish Journal of Biology

Bioassays of 2 types (antibacterial and antitumor) were performed to show the biological activities of 16 different plants grown in Bolu, Turkey: Clinopodium vulgare L. subsp. vulgare L., Salvia verticillata L. subsp. amasiaca (Frey & Bornm.) Bornm., Salvia tomentosa Mill., Mentha pulegium L., Melilotus officinalis (L.) Desr., Melilotus alba Desr., Medicago lupulina L., Galega officinalis L., Xeranthemum annuum L., Cichorium intybus L., Plantago lanceolata L., Plantago major L. subsp. major, Fumaria officinalis L., Galium palustre L., Echium vulgare L., and Sambucus nigra L. For each plant, 3 different extracts (aqueous, ethanol, and methanol) were obtained, and a total of 48 …

Demography And Reproductive Biology Of The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Population At White Oak Plantation, Nassau County, Florida, Julia Rachel Smith

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The demography and reproductive biology of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) was studied for two years at White Oak Plantation (WOP), located in northeast Florida along the St. Mary’s river. Two sub‐populations were studied in regions I referred to as Site A and Site B. I located 312 burrows and captured 109 different tortoises, either by hand or using bucket traps. Tortoise density was 4.48/ha at Site A and only 1.15/ha at Site B. Juveniles were the most abundant age class overall, while hatchlings were numerous at Site A but virtually absent at Site B. The combined sex ratio for …

An Assessment Of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria In Biosolid Used As Garden Fertilizer, Gwendolyn Lenore Hartman

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Fertilizer grade biosolid is sold to the general public by the Cheney Wastewater Treatment Plant for use as garden fertilizer and as a soil conditioner. Moist biosolid samples were obtained from the Cheney Wastewater Treatment Plant and antibiotic resistant gram negative bacteria were isolated from it. Bacteria isolated from these samples were resistant to tetracycline, ampicillin, streptomycin, kanamycin and chloramphenicol. Tetracycline resistant bacteria were isolated on MacConkey's agar supplemented with tetracycline and their resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol and kanamycin were also determined. A total of 48 isolates cultivated to determine the presence of plasmids which often contain antibiotic resistance …

Effect Of Predator Type, Season, Brood Size, And West Nile Virus Infection On The Nest Defense Behavior Of Male And Female Eastern Bluebirds, Kayde Lynn Gilbert

Online Theses and Dissertations

The intensity of nest defense by birds can be influenced by many factors, including a parent's sex, brood size, stage of breeding season, type of predator, and physical condition. Because previous studies have produced conflicting results concerning the effects of these factors on the nest defense behavior of birds, additional studies are needed to better clarify how and why such factors influence behavior. No one to date has examined the possible effect of a viral infection on avian nest defense behavior. Thus, my objectives were to determine the effect of adult sex, brood size, stage of the breeding season, predator …

Expression Of Inflamatory Response Genes In Ferrets Challenged With H5n1 Avian Influenza Virus, Brock M. Miniard

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A H5N1 has emerged as a potential to be the next pandemic influenza. Ferrets are a promising model of H5N1 infection because the disease progression is similar to that known in humans, however reagents to characterize infections in ferrets are few. We developed real-time PCR assays for the ferret cytokines IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, IL-12p40, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, TGFB-β1, and TGFB-β2. Forty-eight ferrets were vaccinated with either one of three vaccine formulations (Vaccine 1, Vaccine 2, or Vaccine 3), or saline (0.9% NaCl), then challenged intranasally with a lethal dose of H5N1 strain A/Vietnam/1203/04. Cytokine assays were then …

Urea Amidolyase (Dur1,2) Contributes To Virulence And Kidney Pathogenesis Of Candida Albicans, Dhammika H. M. L. P Navarathna, Michail S. Lionakis, Martin J. Lizak, Jeeva Munasinghe, Kenneth W. Nickerson, David D. Roberts

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The intracellular enzyme urea amidolyase (Dur1,2p) enables C. albicans to utilize urea as a sole nitrogen source. Because deletion of the DUR1,2 gene reduces survival of C. albicans co-cultured with a murine macrophage cell line, we investigated the role of Dur1,2p in pathogenesis using a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis. A dur1,2Δ/dur1,2Δ strain was significantly less virulent than the wild-type strain, showing significantly higher survival rate, better renal function, and decreased and less sustained fungal colonization in kidney and brain. Complementation of the mutant restored virulence. DUR1,2 deletion resulted in a milder host inflammatory reaction. Immunohistochemistry, flow …

Thoughts On Quorum Sensing And Fungal Dimorphism, Kenneth W. Nickerson, Audrey L. Atkin, Jessica C. Hargarten, Ruvini U. Pathirana, Sahar Hasim

Papers in Microbiology

Farnesol has been best studied for its role in regulating fungal dimorphism. However, farnesol is also a lipid and in this review we analyze data relevant to farnesol’s function and synthesis from the perspective of farnesol and bacterial endotoxins acting as membrane active compounds. This analysis implicates the possible roles of: (1) endotoxins in the regulation of farnesol production by C. albicans; (2) farnesol in the interactions between C. albicans and the host during disseminated infections; and (3) ubiquinones in the mechanisms for unusually high resistance to farnesol by some C. albicans cell types. Finally we discuss the implications …

A New Genus And A New Species Of Cladorchiidae (Digenea: Dadayiinae) From Podocnemis Expansa (Chelonia) Of The Neotropical Region, State Of Pará, Brazil, Marcelo Knoff, Daniel Rusk Brooks, Maria Cristina Mullins, Delir Corrêa Gomes

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

A new species of amphistome digenean from the stomach and intestine of Podocnemis expansa (Pelomedusidae), of the tropical rain forest, from the State of Pará, Brazil, is described and allocated to a new genus (Oriximinatrema noronhae). The new species is characterized by the presence of an esophageal bulb, an esophageal extension uncovered by an extension of the pharyngeal sacs, a well-developed cirrus sac, post-bifurcal genital sucker, a ventro-terminal acetabulum with an anterior lip, and medium-sized eggs. This is the first report of a Dadayiinae trematode infecting a reptilian host.

An Epidemiological Model Of Rift Valley Fever With Spatial Dynamics, Tianchan Niu, Holly D. Gaff, Yiannis E. Papelis, David M. Hartley

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

As a category A agent in the Center for Disease Control bioterrorism list, Rift Valley fever (RVF) is considered a major threat to the United States (USA). Should the pathogen be intentionally or unintentionally introduced to the continental USA, there is tremendous potential for economic damages due to loss of livestock, trade restrictions, and subsequent food supply chain disruptions. We have incorporated the effects of space into a mathematical model of RVF in order to study the dynamics of the pathogen spread as affected by the movement of humans, livestock, and mosquitoes. The model accounts for the horizontal transmission of …

In Vitro Propagation Of Candidatus Rickettsia Andeanae Isolated From Amblyomma Maculatum, Alison Luce-Fedrow, Chelsea Wright, Holly D. Gaff, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes, Allen L. Richards

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae was identified during an investigation of a febrile outbreak in northwestern Peru (2002). DNA sequencing from two ticks (Amblyomma maculatum, Ixodes boliviensis) collected during the investigation revealed a novel Rickettsia agent with similarity to the spotted fever group rickettsiae. Since then, Candidatus R. similar to andeanae has been detected in A. maculatum ticks collected in the southeastern and southcentral United States, Argentina, and Peru. To date, Candidatus R. andeanae has not been successfully cultivated in the laboratory. We present evidence for the continuous cultivation in three cell lines of Candidatus R. similar to …

Dfvf: Database Of Fungal Virulence Factors, Tao Lu, Bo Yao, Chi Zhang

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Fungal pathogens cause various diseases for plant and animal hosts. Despite the extensive impact of fungi on human health and life, the threats posed by emerging fungal pathogens are poorly understood. Specifically, there exist few fungal virulence gene databases, which prevent effective bioinformatics studies on fungal pathogens. Therefore, we constructed a comprehensive online database of known fungal virulence factors, which collected 2058 pathogenic genes produced by 228 fungal strains from 85 genera. This database creates a pivotal platform capable of stimulating and facilitating further bench studies on fungal pathogens.