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Regulation Of System XC- By Pharmacological Manipulation Of Cellular Thiols, Rebecca Albano, Nicholas J. Raddatz, Julie Hjelmhaug, David A. Baker, Doug Lobner Jan 2015

Regulation Of System XC- By Pharmacological Manipulation Of Cellular Thiols, Rebecca Albano, Nicholas J. Raddatz, Julie Hjelmhaug, David A. Baker, Doug Lobner

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The cystine/glutamate exchanger (system xc-) mediates the transport of cystine into the cell in exchange for glutamate. By releasing glutamate, system xc- can potentially cause excitotoxicity. However, through providing cystine to the cell, it regulates the levels of cellular glutathione (GSH), the main endogenous intracellular antioxidant, and may protect cells against oxidative stress. We tested two different compounds that deplete primary cortical cultures containing both neurons and astrocytes of intracellular GSH, L-buthionine-sulfoximine (L-BSO), and diethyl maleate (DEM). Both compounds caused significant concentration and time dependent decreases in intracellular GSH levels. However; DEM caused an increase …

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The Regulation Of Vitamin A Metabolism, Mark Adams Jan 2015

The Regulation Of Vitamin A Metabolism, Mark Adams

All ETDs from UAB

Bioactive vitamin A takes form as several molecules, among them all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) is the major form and influences a wide range of biological processes. RA must be synthesized through a two-step mechanism, where all-trans-retinol is first oxidized to all-trans-retinaldehyde by retinol dehydrogenases (RDHs) and retinaldehyde is further oxidized to RA by retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (RALDHs). The first step, retinol to retinaldehyde conversion is the rate limiting step and therefore a likely target of mechanisms that modulate RA synthesis. Despite this, many of the enzymes that are involved in retinol and retinaldehyde interconversion have yet to be identified and thus many …

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Competition From New Neurons Drives Circuit Refinement In The Adult Dentate Gyrus, Elena W. Adlaf Jan 2015

Competition From New Neurons Drives Circuit Refinement In The Adult Dentate Gyrus, Elena W. Adlaf

All ETDs from UAB

The hippocampus encodes sensory information into memories. The dentate gyrus (DG) region is viewed as the entry point into the hippocampus, receiving sensory and spatial signals from perforant path axons of the entorhinal cortex (EC). Ever since researchers discovered a neurogenic niche in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the DG in adult animals and humans, many studies have been aimed at discovering how these continually proliferating granule cells (GCs) contribute to the network. Immature GCs have dendrites that project densely into the molecular layer alongside mature GCs and there is morphological evidence that immature excitatory spines preferentially synapse onto existing …

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Pathophysiology And Metabolic Dysfunction Following Polytrauma, Robert Mackay Akscyn Jan 2015

Pathophysiology And Metabolic Dysfunction Following Polytrauma, Robert Mackay Akscyn

All ETDs from UAB

Polytrauma, a combination of injuries to more than one body part or organ system, is common in modern warfare and in automobile and industrial accidents. The combination of injuries can include burn, fracture, hemorrhage, trauma to the extremities, and trauma to specific organ systems. These injuries are highly survivable when occurring singly. However, when they occur in combination the prognosis is worsened. To investigate the effects of combined injuries, we have developed a new and highly reproducible model of polytrauma. This model combines burn injury with soft tissue and gastrointestinal (GI) tract trauma. Male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to …

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The Effect Of Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein Induced Microrna-200 Family Members On Pancreatic Beta Cells, Stephen Filios Jan 2015

The Effect Of Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein Induced Microrna-200 Family Members On Pancreatic Beta Cells, Stephen Filios

All ETDs from UAB

Pancreatic beta cells secrete insulin to maintain normal blood glucose levels and allow cells of the body to use glucose. However, in diabetes, there is beta cell dysfunction and pancreatic beta cells undergo programmed cell death leading to inadequate insulin production and secretion. Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP) is a ubiquitously expressed protein, 46 kDa in size, which is an arrestin protein family member. Unique to this member of the arrestin family, however, is its ability to bind to, and reduce, thioredoxin. The TXNIP gene is increased in pancreatic islets more than any other gene in response to high levels of glucose. …

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Role Of Macrophages In The Cardiomyopathy Associated With Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes, Mehak Goel Jan 2015

Role Of Macrophages In The Cardiomyopathy Associated With Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes, Mehak Goel

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Obesity is a state of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation that, along with type 2 diabetes (T2D), increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite the wealth of information on the link between macrophages and cytokines in adipose tissue and peripheral insulin resistance, their role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy and cardiac diastolic dysfunction is unclear. We hypothesized that activated immune cell mediators, in particular monocytes and macrophages, are fundamental drivers of diet-induced obesity and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Herein, firstly, a diet-induced model of diabetic cardiomyopathy was developed in C57BL/6 mice by feeding a high fat diet (HFD, 45% kcal …

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Exploiting The Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment For Enhanced Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Therapy, Tyrel Talbert Smith Jan 2015

Exploiting The Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment For Enhanced Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Therapy, Tyrel Talbert Smith

All ETDs from UAB

Gliomas are the most common and fatal malignancy of the adult central nervous system. The need for new therapeutic options is clear, as standard of care therapies only extend median survival 12-14 months beyond diagnosis. Conditionally replication-competent oncolytic herpes simplex type-1 viruses (oHSV) have emerged as promising therapeutics for treating malignant gliomas. However, two factors that contribute to the dismal prognosis of malignant gliomas, immunosuppression and invasive growth, are also thought to limit virotherapeutic efficacy. We examined these factors in tumor microenvironments to explore novel strategies to treat malignant gliomas with oHSV for improved therapeutic response. In a Phase 1b …

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Characterization Of The Gtpase Rac1 As An Electrophilic-Sensitive Protein In Vascular Cells, Stephanie Brook Wall Jan 2015

Characterization Of The Gtpase Rac1 As An Electrophilic-Sensitive Protein In Vascular Cells, Stephanie Brook Wall

All ETDs from UAB

The GTPase Rac1 is a protein which has been shown to be dysregulated in the context of a number of inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis. Rac1 responds to extracellular signals and is involved in cellular cytoskeletal rearrangement, reactive oxygen species generation and cell cycle progression. When activated Rac1 interacts with effector proteins on the plasma membrane. This activation has recently been shown to be modulated by redox signaling via an active site cysteine. However, it is not known whether other redox signaling compounds can modulate Rac1 activity. An important redox signaling mediator is the electrophilic lipid, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15dPGJ2). This lipid …

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Mechanisms Of Heme Oxygenase-1-Mediated Protection Against Tissue Injury, Travis David Hull Jan 2015

Mechanisms Of Heme Oxygenase-1-Mediated Protection Against Tissue Injury, Travis David Hull

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Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the catabolism of heme, which is released by necrotic cells in injured tissue. HO-1 expression is protective in cardiac and renal injury because it coordinates the degradation of pro-oxidant heme with the generation of equimolar quantities of iron (Fe2+) and the cytoprotective mole-cules carbon monoxide and biliverdin. While many studies have demonstrated that HO-1 expression is protective in numerous disease states, relatively few have examined the specific cellular compartment(s) through which HO-1 expression confers its protective effects. Our objective was to define the cellular compartments in which HO-1 expression is critical to …

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Mechanisms Of Resistance To Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Viruses In Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors, Joshua Douglas Jackson Jan 2015

Mechanisms Of Resistance To Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Viruses In Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors, Joshua Douglas Jackson

All ETDs from UAB

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are rare but highly aggressive cancer of the peripheral nervous tissue. Median patient survival is approximately two years following diagnosis due in part to the ineffective options for treatment. As an alternative therapeutic approach to conventional radio- and chemotherapy, oncolytic herpes simplex viruses type-1 (oHSVs) have been proposed to treat MPNSTs. These oHSVs have been shown safe in clinical trials with associated tumor regression. However, there is evidence that resistance to the therapy should be anticipated in a subset of patients. Therefore, the goal of this dissertation has been to identify the primary obstacles …

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Zebrafish Wnt9b Patterns The First Pharyngeal Arch Into D-I-V Domains And Promotes Anterior-Medial Outgrowth, Henry Jackson Jan 2015

Zebrafish Wnt9b Patterns The First Pharyngeal Arch Into D-I-V Domains And Promotes Anterior-Medial Outgrowth, Henry Jackson

All ETDs from UAB

The secondary mouth and its associated face and jaws were an important evolutionary adaptation in the vertebrate lineage. The secondary mouth is formed from facial prominences including the fronto-nasal prominence and the 1st pharyngeal-arch derived maxillary and mandibular prominence. Cranial neural crest cells within these prominences give rise to the connective tissues of face and jaws, and strict spatio-temporal regulation of cranial neural crest cell fate patterning and subsequent prominence outgrowth is vital to normal facial development. Oral-facial clefting (OFC) is a common morbid human birth disorder characterized by disrupted oral and craniofacial morphogenesis. Our previous studies demonstrate that a …

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Regulation Of Cks1 Protein Turnover In Cancer Cells, Vinayak Khattar Jan 2015

Regulation Of Cks1 Protein Turnover In Cancer Cells, Vinayak Khattar

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Cks1 is a crucial cell cycle regulator which plays pleiotropic roles in cancer cell growth and is highly expressed at both the protein, and mRNA levels, in cancer cells. In contrast, normal cells exhibit barely detectable levels of this protein, even though they express substantial Cks1 mRNA. One reason for high Cks1 protein in cancers appears to be its stabilization in these cells. Cks1 is known to be ubiquitinated and degraded by the proteasome. Coordinated ubiquitination dependent proteasomal degradation of cell cycle proteins is a major mechanism that regulates their activity. Therefore aberrant accumulation of Cks1, frequently observed in cancer, …

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Impairment Of The Gliovascular Unit In Neurological Disease, Ian Kimbrough Jan 2015

Impairment Of The Gliovascular Unit In Neurological Disease, Ian Kimbrough

All ETDs from UAB

Cerebral blood flow is regulated by vasoactive molecules released by astroglial cell processes that ensheath the entire cerebrovasculature. This regulation of blood flow in response to neuronal activity is a process known as functional hyperemia. Astrocytes, along with their associated neurons and microvessels, are organized into a functional system called the gliovascular unit (GVU). The astroglial component of the GVU is integral in both regulation of blood flow and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In disease, this system can be disrupted. We found that glioma cells displace astrocytic processes, called endfeet, and prevent their communication with associated vessels, leading …

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An Nphp-4 Enhancer Mutagenesis Screen For Modifiers Of Cilia Phenotypes Reveals Novel Mks Alleles, Uncovers, A Specific Genetic Interaction Between Osm-3 And Nphp-4, And A Novel Ciliary Calcium Channel., Dawn Landis Jan 2015

An Nphp-4 Enhancer Mutagenesis Screen For Modifiers Of Cilia Phenotypes Reveals Novel Mks Alleles, Uncovers, A Specific Genetic Interaction Between Osm-3 And Nphp-4, And A Novel Ciliary Calcium Channel., Dawn Landis

All ETDs from UAB

Nephronophthisis (NPHP) is a ciliopathy with diverse clinical features likely caused by genetic modifiers. To identify NPHP modifiers, a screen was conducted on nphp-4(tm925) mutant C. elegans to reveal mutations that exacerbate the NPHP ciliary defects. Ten loci were generated, five of which have now been identified. Three are mutations in ciliopathy genes mks-1, mks-2, and mks-5. The fourth allele (yhw66) is a missense mutation (S316F) in OSM-3, a kinesin required for cilia distal segment assembly. As in osm-3 null mutants, nphp-4(tm925);osm-3(yhw66) mutants lack distal segments, are dye-filing defective (Dyf), and have osmotic avoidance defects (OSM). The osm-3(yhw66) mutant alone …

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14-3-3 Proteins Regulate Mutant Lrrk2 Kinase Activity And Neurite Shortening, Nicholas Lavalley Jan 2015

14-3-3 Proteins Regulate Mutant Lrrk2 Kinase Activity And Neurite Shortening, Nicholas Lavalley

All ETDs from UAB

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common known cause of inherited Parkinson’s disease (PD), and LRRK2 is a risk factor for idiopathic PD. How LRRK2 function is regulated is not well understood. Recently, the highly-conserved 14-3-3 proteins, which play a key role in many cellular functions including cell death, have been shown to interact with LRRK2. In this study, we investigated whether 14-3-3s can regulate mutant LRRK2-induced neurite shortening and kinase activity. In the presence of 14-3-3θ overexpression, neurite length of primary neurons from BAC transgenic G2019S-LRRK2 mice returned back to wildtype levels. Similarly, 14-3-3θ overexpression …

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The Jak/Stat Pathway In Neuroinflammatory Diseases, Yudong Liu Jan 2015

The Jak/Stat Pathway In Neuroinflammatory Diseases, Yudong Liu

All ETDs from UAB

Dysregulation of the Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway is critically involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS)/experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) proteins are the negative regulators of the JAK/STAT pathway. To determine the role of SOCS3 in myeloid cells in EAE, mice with conditional SOCS3 deletion in myeloid cells (LysMCre-SOCS3fl/fl) were created and tested. LysMCre-SOCS3fl/fl mice develop a severe, non-resolving atypical form of disease, characterized by lesions and extensive neutrophil and other inflammatory cell infiltrates in the cerebellum and brainstem, elevated STAT activation, elevated cytokine, chemokine and iNOS expression, and prominent …

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Structural And Biochemical Charactereization Of Lrrk2, Zhiyong Liu Jan 2015

Structural And Biochemical Charactereization Of Lrrk2, Zhiyong Liu

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Mutations in the leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are the most common known genetic cause of Parkinson disease (PD) , with pathogenic mutations located within each of the two catalytic cores of the protein, the GTPase and kinase domains. The most prevalent pathogenic mutation, G2019S increases kinase activity up to 5-fold, causing significant changes in the protein’s biochemical behavior. Other mutations such as R1441G and I2020T have also been demonstrated to increase LRRK2 kinase activity, however, the detailed mechanisms remains unclear. A major limitation in the field is the lack of structural information of LRRK2. This dissertation detailed …

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Synaptic And Neurochemical Profiles Of The Nucleus Accumbens In Postmortem Schizophrenia, Lesley Mccollum Jan 2015

Synaptic And Neurochemical Profiles Of The Nucleus Accumbens In Postmortem Schizophrenia, Lesley Mccollum

All ETDs from UAB

Schizophrenia is a mental illness affecting 1% of the population worldwide. Treatment options are limited for patients, due in part to the lack of understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia. In order to improve treatment, it is vital to gain a better understanding of the underlying pathology of the disorder. One region of particular interest is the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Part of the ventral striatum, this region is thought to play a role in schizophrenia pathology for multiple reasons: afferent input of many brain regions implicated in schizophrenia is integrated here; the dopamine and glutamate systems, both known to …

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A New Form Of Rod Photoreceptor Light Adaptation, Alex S. Mckeown Jan 2015

A New Form Of Rod Photoreceptor Light Adaptation, Alex S. Mckeown

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In the first step in light perception, rod and cone photoreceptors convert photon absorption into an electrical impulse that is transmitted through the visual pathway. While the biochemistry and the signaling physiology have largely been defined in dark-adapted, isolated mammalian rods, there are still unanswered questions regarding photoreceptor light adaptation processes that involve extracellular components. In particular, the proteins of the interphotoreceptor matrix have not been considered in the studies of rod signaling and adaptation. This thesis details a new form of light adaptation, now known as adaptive potentiation (AP), in which extracellular components act on rods to transiently increase …

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Dna Methylation Regulates Neuronal Synaptic Scaling And Intrinsic Membrane Excitability, Jarrod P. Meadows Jan 2015

Dna Methylation Regulates Neuronal Synaptic Scaling And Intrinsic Membrane Excitability, Jarrod P. Meadows

All ETDs from UAB

Learning and memory rely on long-lasting, experience-dependent adaptations in synaptic and non-synaptic forms of neuronal plasticity. Previous evidence implicates transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA cytosine methylation, as critical regulators of site-specific, Hebbian alterations in synaptic efficacy such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). However, whether DNA methylation modulates cell-wide, non-Hebbian homeostatic adaptations like synaptic scaling and intrinsic plasticity (IP) is unclear. Whereas synaptic scaling involves bidirectional changes in postsynaptic receptor density in response to chronic alterations in neuronal activity, IP involves the activity-dependent attunement of passive and/or active membrane properties that govern action potential (AP) firing. This …

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Nadph Oxidase-Derived Superoxide: A Potentiator Of Autoimmune Responses In Type 1 Diabetes, Lindsey E. Padgett Jan 2015

Nadph Oxidase-Derived Superoxide: A Potentiator Of Autoimmune Responses In Type 1 Diabetes, Lindsey E. Padgett

All ETDs from UAB

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease culminating in pancreatic β-cell destruction, inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS), pro-inflammatory cytokines, and islet-infiltrating leukocutes. Macrophages, one of the first islet-infiltrating cells in T1D, secrete ROS and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which lyse pancreatic β-cells and activate diabetogenic T cells to further propagate β-cell destruction, while autoreactive CD4 T cells recruit islet-infiltrating, pro-inflammatory, M1 macrophages, and enhance CD8 T cell cytotoxicity. We previously demonstrated the importance of NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived ROS synthesis in T1D, as Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice lacking NOX-derived superoxide (NOD.Ncf1m1J) exhibited a delay in spontaneous and adoptive transfer of T1D. In …

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The Role Of C-Reactive Protein In Acute Kidney Injury, Melissa A. Pegues Jan 2015

The Role Of C-Reactive Protein In Acute Kidney Injury, Melissa A. Pegues

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Acute kidney injury (AKI), which manifests as an abrupt decline in renal function, occurs in ~1% of all hospitalization. Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI), a common cause of AKI, can occur in any situation where blood flow to the kidney is significantly reduced such as hypertensive crisis, cardiovascular surgery, and inevitably during renal transplantation. Mortality from AKI is up to 80% due to incomplete knowledge of the pathogenesis of IRI and the lack of an effective therapy. It is thought that cellular damage as a result of hypoxia signals the release of proinflammatory cytokines that lead to a systemic inflammatory response. …

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Energy Metabolism Of Platelets During Activation, Oxidative Stress And Storage, Saranya Ravi Jan 2015

Energy Metabolism Of Platelets During Activation, Oxidative Stress And Storage, Saranya Ravi

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The principal function of platelets is to regulate hemostasis, and dysfunction of platelet aggregation or activation can lead to either excessive thrombotic or hemorrhagic complications. It has been shown that the ability to generate ATP and exposure to oxidative stress can affect platelet thrombotic potential. While platelet metabolism has been extensively studied, the importance of substrate availability and metabolic plasticity in regulating aggregation under physiological or pathological conditions is not well understood. In this dissertation, we examined the reliance of platelets on different metabolic substrates, the importance of ATP production for aggregation in response to thrombin stimulation, metabolic stress following …

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Glutamate And The Biology Of Malignant Glioma, Stephanie Marie Robert Jan 2015

Glutamate And The Biology Of Malignant Glioma, Stephanie Marie Robert

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Malignant gliomas are the most prevalent primary brain tumor. They are highly aggressive and lack effective treatment options. Standard therapy includes a combination of radiation, chemotherapy, and tumor resection; however, even with aggressive treatment, median patient survival remains a dismal 12 – 14 months after diagnosis. Research has focused on understanding the unique biological mechanisms involved in glioma growth and survival in an effort to design novel therapies to treat this devastating disease. In the unique environment of the brain, gliomas have developed the ability to grow and survive at the cost of the normal surrounding brain tissue. Glutamate, the …

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Nonsense Suppression In A Cftr Mouse Model And Analysis Of Animo Acids Inserted At Cftr Premature Termination Codons In Mammalian Cells, Xiaojiao Xue Jan 2015

Nonsense Suppression In A Cftr Mouse Model And Analysis Of Animo Acids Inserted At Cftr Premature Termination Codons In Mammalian Cells, Xiaojiao Xue

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A nonsense mutation introduces a premature terminations codon (PTC) into an open reading frame (ORF) upstream of a normal stop codon and results in truncated protein production. In frame PTCs account for ~11% of all mutations that cause human genetic diseases. To treat PTC-associated disorders, one approach is to use drugs that facilitate the insertion of amino acids carried by near-cognate aminoacyl-tRNAs at PTCs. Aminoglycosides were shown to suppress nonsense mutations and restore full-length protein production. This process is also termed as readthrough. However, their low efficiency and their potential to induce ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity limits their long-term application for …

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Socs3 Deficiency In Myeloid Cells Promotes Tumor Development, Hao Yu Jan 2015

Socs3 Deficiency In Myeloid Cells Promotes Tumor Development, Hao Yu

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STAT3 signaling is a major intrinsic pathway for cancer inflammation owing to its frequent activation in malignant cells, and key role in regulating many genes crucial for inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Persistently activated STAT3 increases tumor cell proliferation, survival, and invasion while suppressing anti-tumor immunity. Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) proteins are negative regulators of the JAK/STAT pathway, and generally function as tumor suppressors. The absence of SOCS3 in particular leads to heightened activation of the STAT3 transcription factor. In the present study, we demonstrate that genetic deletion of SOCS3 specifically in myeloid cells significantly enhances tumor growth, which …

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Functional Role Of Mepe In Tooth Mineralization: Mediation By Tgf-Beta1, Angela Gullard Jan 2015

Functional Role Of Mepe In Tooth Mineralization: Mediation By Tgf-Beta1, Angela Gullard

All ETDs from UAB

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is one of the most abundant cytokines of the dentin-pulp complex that regulates a broad range of biological processes related to matrix synthesis and ultimately tooth formation, including secretion and mineralization of the dentin extracellular matrix (DECM). TGF-β1 mediates odontoblast cytodifferentiation from precursor dental pulp cells, being up-regulated in odontoblasts and then incorporated into the DECM as a reservoir that can be utilized in times of mechanical, chemical, or bacterial insult. Formation of the DECM is modulated by the actions of small integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoproteins (SIBLINGs), which include DMP-1, DSPP, BSP, SPP1, and MEPE, with …

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G Protein-Coupled Inwardly-Rectifying Potassium (Girk) Chanels Mediate Entrainment Of Circadian Rhythms, Lauren Marie Hablitz Jan 2015

G Protein-Coupled Inwardly-Rectifying Potassium (Girk) Chanels Mediate Entrainment Of Circadian Rhythms, Lauren Marie Hablitz

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Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles in biological and behavioral processes. These cycles enable an organism to predict changes in its environment, like changes in food availability and seasonality. Although endogenously driven, these rhythms can entrain or synchronize to daily changes in the environment, allowing the animal to adapt. One way entrainment occurs is shifts in circadian phase following the presentation of nonphotic, or non-light, stimuli, such as exercise, arousal, or stress at certain times of day. The molecular mechanisms underlying nonphotic entrainment are poorly understood - specifically, how nonphotic cues alter excitability within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, …

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Bcla As An Adjunct To Current Bacillus Anthracis Vaccination And Therapy Protocols, Juan Bosco Rodriguez Barrantes Jan 2015

Bcla As An Adjunct To Current Bacillus Anthracis Vaccination And Therapy Protocols, Juan Bosco Rodriguez Barrantes

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Bacillus anthracis (Ba) is a Gram,-positive zoonotic bacterium that causes inhala- tional, cutaneous and intestinal Anthrax Disease. Although the infectious form of Ba is its endospore (spore), only the tripartite toxin-producing vegetative bacteria causes disease pathology. While current vaccination strategies target the Protective Antigen (PA) com- ponent of this toxin, vaccine-elicited immunity to the spore form of Ba is lacking. How- ever, vaccines targeting spore components of Ba have the potential to neutralize the in- fectious form of Ba. We sought to determine if antibodies elicited through immunization with the main antigenic component of the spore surface- Bacillus collagen-like protein …

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Investigating The Role Of Myristoylated Alanine Rich C Kinase Substrate's (Marcks's) Effector Domain In Lung And Brain Cancer Biology, Timothy D. Rohrbach Jan 2015

Investigating The Role Of Myristoylated Alanine Rich C Kinase Substrate's (Marcks's) Effector Domain In Lung And Brain Cancer Biology, Timothy D. Rohrbach

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In this study, we investigated the role MARCKS's Effector Domain plays in lung and brain cancer biology. Initially, we identified that MARCKS was present in a range of lung cancer histologies including: squamous cell, adenocarcinoma, and normal lung tissues among others. In addition, lung adenocarcinoma patients with a mutation in the MARCKS gene correlated with decreased survival as determined by The Cancer Genome Atlas. In vitro studies identified that the phosphorylation status of MARCKS's Effector Domain was able to influence lung cancer radiation sensitivity. When MARCKS's Effector Domain was in a non-phosphorylated state, A549 lung cancer cell lines experienced increased …

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