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Epidemiology And Drug Resistant Profiles Of Candida Species, In Cork Hospitals., Emma Mccurtin

Theses

Candida causes superficial infections in healthy individuals; however in the immunocompromised host Candida can cause invasive, systemic infections and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This is not due to a more virulent phenotype but to a weakened immune system unable to fight this opportunistic pathogen. The immunocompromised population is ever increasing, due to medical advancements and more aggressive treatments, and hence is the need for epidemiological data of these potentially life threatening infections. The aim of this study was to provide an epidemiological snapshot, of Candida infections from the immunocompromised population in Cork hospitals. Surveillance programmes from …

The Response Of Vascular Dermal Enodethial Cells To House Dust Mite Extracts, Aaron Mathew Newman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

House dust mites are microscopic arthropods that can trigger moderate allergic symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, itching, and wheezing in sensitized individuals. People with more serious allergies to house dust mites can develop allergic diseases like atopic dermatitis and asthma. The effects of house dust mites on allergy sufferers make house dust mites and the study of their effects on the human body of great medical and economic importance. A majority of the research that has been done on house dust mite's effects on humans has dealt with the lungs and relevant disease like asthma. Little work has been …

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Productively Infects Mature Terminally Differentiated Eosinophils In Hiv/Aids Patients, Jude N. Atem

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Eosinophils express membrane CD4 protein and can bind HIV-1 glycoprotein (gp) 120. Therefore, eosinophils could serve as host cells for HIV-1 infection in vivo, especially in the late phase of the infection. In culture, HIV-1 infects eosinophil precursors and primary eosinophils. Additionally HIV-1 proviral DNA sequences have been detected in the eosinophils of some HIV-1 positive patients. Since elevated levels of eosinophils occur during HIV-1 infection and parasitic infections, it implies that co-infection of parasites and HIV-1 could cause a much greater increase in the level of potential HIV-1 susceptible eosinophils. Therefore HIV-1 infection of eosinophils could partly explain the …

The Role Of Phospholipase D (Pld) And Grb2 In Chemotaxis, Katie J. Knapek

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Phospholipase D (PLD) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphatidylcholine yielding choline and phosphatidic acid. PLD is activated by mitogens (lead to cell division) and motogens (leading to cell migration). PLD is known to contribute to cellular proliferation and deregulated expression of PLD has been implicated in several human cancers. PLD has been found to play a role in leukocyte chemotaxis and adhesion as studied through the formation of chemokine gradients. We have established a model of cell migration comprising three cell lines: macrophages RAW 264.7 and LR-5 (for innate defense), and fibroblast COS-7 cells (for wound healing). COS-7 cells respond …

Early Childhood Infection By Human Herpesvirus 8 In Zambia And The Role Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Coinfection In A Highly Endemic Area, Veenu Minhas, Kay L. Crabtree, Ann Chao, Tendai J. M'Sola, Chipepo Kankasa, Marc Bulterys, Charles D. Mitchell, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma occurs at high incidence among Zambian adults and children, but there is a paucity of data on human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) incidence and routes of infection, especially in children. Between 1998 and 2004, the authors conducted a prospective study of viral transmission in a cohort of 684 children in Lusaka, Zambia, to estimate the annual incidence of HHV-8 from birth through 48 months of age. Maternal and pediatric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection status was also determined. The results, based on 1,532 child-years of follow-up, showed that HHV-8 seroconversion occurs early in life. The incidence rate …

Modified Kigali Combined Staging Predicts Risk Of Mortality In Hiv-Infected Adults In Lusaka, Zambia, Philip J. Peters, Isaac Zulu, Nzali G. Kancheya, Shabir Lakhi, Elwyn Chomba, Cheswa Vwalika, Dhong-Jin Kim, Ilene Brill, Jareen Meinzen-Derr, Amanda Tichacek, Susan A. Allen

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

We assessed the utility of the modified Kigali combined (MKC) staging system for predicting survival in HIV-infected Zambian adults in a prospective, longitudinal, open cohort. From 1995 to 2004, HIV-discordant couples (one HIV-infected partner and one HIV-negative partner) were recruited from couples’ voluntary counseling and testing centers in Lusaka, Zambia and followed at 3-month intervals. MKC stage, which incorporates clinical stage with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hematocrit, and body mass index (BMI), was determined at enrollment. Kaplan–Meier survival and Cox proportional hazard methods were used to calculate median survival and relative hazards. We enrolled 1479 HIV-discordant couples with a combined …

Development Of An Immunofluorescence Assay Using Recombinant Proteins Expressed In Insect Cells To Screen And Confirm Presence Of Human Herpesvirus 8-Specific Antibodies, Veenu Minhas, Lynsey N. Crosby, Kay L. Crabtree, Saul Phiri, Tendai J. M'Soka, Chipepo Kankasa, William J. Harrington, Charles D. Mitchell, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), or Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus, has been linked to all forms of KS. The results of most current serological assays for the detection of HHV-8-specific antibodies have low levels of concordance among themselves. To establish a sensitive and specific testing strategy that can be used to screen for HHV-8-specific antibodies, three HHV-8 proteins, ORF65, ORF73, and K8.1A, were expressed by using baculoviral vectors in insect cells and incorporated into a monoclonal antibodyenhanced immunofluorescence assay (mIFA) termed the Sf9 three-antigen mIFA. The results obtained by this mIFA were compared to those obtained by a standard mIFA with …

Small-Molecule Cd4 Mimics Interact With A Highly Conserved Pocket On Hiv-1 Gp120, Navid Madani, Arne Schön, Amy M. Princiotto, Judith M. Lalonde, Joel R. Cpurter, Takahiro Soeta, Danny Ng, Liping Wang, Evan T. Brower, Shi-Hua Xiang, Young Do Kwon, Chih-Chin Huang, Richard Wyatt, Peter D. Kwong, Ernesto Freire, Amos B. Smith Iii, Joseph Sodroski

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) interaction with the primary receptor, CD4, induces conformational changes in the viral envelope glycoproteins that allow binding to the CCR5 second receptor and virus entry into the host cell. The small molecule NBD-556 mimics CD4 by binding the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein, moderately inhibiting virus entry into CD4-expressing target cells, and enhancing CCR5 binding and virus entry into CCR5-expressing cells lacking CD4. Studies of NBD-556 analogues and gp120 mutants suggest that: 1) NBD-556 binds within the Phe 43 cavity, a highly conserved, functionally important pocket formed as gp120 assumes the CD4- bound conformation; 2) the NBD-556 …

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Confers Higher Rates Of Replicative Fitness To Perinatally Transmitted Viruses Than To Nontransmitted Viruses, Xiaohong Kong, John T. West, Hong Zhang, Danielle M. Shea, Tendai J. M’Soka, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Selection of a minor viral genotype during perinatal transmission of human Immunodeficiency virus type 1

(HIV-1) has been observed, but there is a lack of information on the correlation of the restrictive transmission

with biological properties of the virus, such as replicative fitness. Recombinant viruses expressing the enhanced

green fluorescent protein or the Discosoma sp. red fluorescent (DsRed2) protein carrying the V1 to V5

regions of env from seven mother-infant pairs (MIPs) infected by subtype C HIV-1 were constructed, and

competition assays were carried out to compare the fitness between the transmitted and nontransmitted

viruses. Flow cytometry was used to …

Varying Efficiency Of Long-Term Replication Of Papillomaviruses In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Adam J. Rogers, Malte Loggen, Karen Lee, Peter C. Angeletti

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) replicate in mitotically active basal keratinocytes. Two virally encoded proteins, E1, a helicase, and E2, a transcription factor, are important players in replication and maintenance of HPV episomes. We previously showed that HPV16 could replicate stably in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [Angeletti, P.C., Kim, K., Fernandes, F.J., and Lambert, P.F. (2002)] and we identified cis-elements that mediate replication and maintenance [J. Virol. 76(7), 3350-3358.; Kim, K., Angeletti, P.C., Hassebroek, E.C., and Lambert, P.F. (2005)]. Here, we demonstrate that although multiple HPV genomes replicate stably in yeast, they do so with differing long-term efficiency; HPV6-Ura3 is replicated at the …

Effects Of Shielding Adenoviral Vectors With Polyethylene Glycol On Vector-Specific And Vaccine-Mediated Immune Responses, Eric A. Weaver, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Many individuals have been previously exposed to human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5). This prior immunity has long been known to hinder its use for gene therapy and as a gene-based vaccine. Given these immunogenicity problems, we have tested whether polyethylene glycol (PEG) can blunt immune effects against Ad5 during systemic and mucosal vaccination. Ad5 vectors were covalently modified with 5-, 20-, and 35-kDa linear PEG polymers and evaluated for their ability to produce immune responses against transgene antigen prod- ucts and the vector itself. We show that shielding Ad5 with different-sized PEGs generally reduces transduction and primary antibody responses by …

Molecular Characterization Of Trypanosoma Cruzi And Shed Vesicle Components Involved In Host Immunomodulation And Cell Invasion, Ernesto Satoshi Nakayasu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi is a devastating infectious disease with millions of cases in Latin America, and recently became a public health concern in United States and Europe. Although many efforts have been made for the development of an effective immunotherapy, currently there is no human vaccine for Chagas disease. Thus, the treatment is based only on two drugs that have limited efficacy and in some cases present severe side effects. One restriction for the rational approach to develop new therapies against this disease is the limited information about the proteins, glycolipids and protein posttranslational modifications expressed by …

Giardia Lamblia: Genomic And Molecular Analyses Of Flippase, Diana Leticia Villazana-Kretzer

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Giardia lamblia, is an intestinal protozoan parasite responsible as a major cause of water-borne intestinal infection in humans (giardiasis). It has been proposed earlier that Giardia has limited lipid synThesis ability and therefore relies on preformed lipid molecules from outside sources. It has also been proposed that lipids are taken up through passive and active transport, and giardial flippasse play a significant role in this process. This study describes the identification and characterization of a putative homologue of flippase gene from Giardia. Flippase is an enzyme that functions as a trans-bilayer transport system facilitating the flip flop diffusion of phospholipids …

Oral Immunization Of Rhesus Macaques With Adenoviral Hiv Vaccines Using Enteric-Coated Capsules, George T. Mercier, Pramod N. Nehete, Marco F. Passeri, Bharti N. Nehete, Eric A. Weaver, Nancy Smyth Templeton, Kimberly Schluns, Stephanie S. Buchl, K. Buchl, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Targeted delivery of vaccine candidates to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract holds potential for mucosal immunization, particularly against mucosal pathogens like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Among the different strategies for achieving targeted release in the GI tract, namely the small intestine, pH sensitive enteric coating polymers have been shown to protect solid oral dosage forms from the harsh digestive environment of the stomach and dissolve relatively rapidly in the small intestine by taking advantage of the luminal pH gradient. We developed an enteric polymethacrylate formulation for coating hydroxy-propyl-methyl-cellulose (HPMC) capsules containing lyophilized Adenoviral type 5 (Ad5) vectors expressing HIV-1 gag …

Direct Inhibition Of Cdk9 Blocks Hiv-1 Replication Without Preventing T Cell Activation In Primary Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes, Dominic Salerno, Muneer G Hasham, Renee Marshall Demarest, Judit Garriga, Alexander Y Tsygankov, Xavier Graña

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

HIV-1 transcription is essential for the virus replication cycle. HIV-1 Tat is a viral transactivator that strongly stimulates the processivity of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) via recruitment of the cyclin T1/CDK9 positive transcription elongation factor, which phosphorylates the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNAPII. Consistently, HIV-1 replication in transformed cells is very sensitive to direct CDK9 inhibition. Thus, CDK9 could be a potential target for anti-HIV-1 therapy. A clearer understanding of the requirements for CDK9 activity in primary human T cells is needed to assess whether the CDK9-dependent step in HIV-1 transcription can be targeted clinically. We have investigated the effects …

Genome-Wide Transcriptional Profiling Of The Cyclic Amp-Dependent Signaling Pathway During Morphogenic Transitions Of Candida Albicans, Yong-Sun Bahn, Matthew Molenda, Janet F. Staab, Courtney A. Lyman, Laura J. Gordon, Paula Sundstrom

Dartmouth Scholarship

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that causes systemic candidiasis as well as superficial mucosal candidiasis. In response to the host environment, C. albicans transitions between yeast and hyphal forms. In particular, hyphal growth is important in facilitating adhesion and invasion of host tissues, concomitant with the expression of various hypha-specific virulence factors. In previous work, we showed that the cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in morphogenic transitions and virulence of C. albicans by studying genes encoding adenylate cyclase-associated protein (CAP1) and high-affinity phosphodiesterase (PDE2) (Y. S. Bahn, J. Staab, and P. Sundstrom, Mol. …

Longitudinal Tracking Of Cytokines After Acute Exposure To Tuberculosis: Association Of Distinct Cytokine Patterns With Protection And Disease Development, Rabia Hussain, Najeeha Talat, Firdaus Shahid, Ghaffar Dawood

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Household contacts (HCs) of patients with tuberculosis (TB) are at higher risk of infection as well as the development of active disease. Longitudinal tracking of antigen-specific cytokines after acute exposure may significantly advance our understanding of the dynamic changes in cytokine patterns associated with disease establishment. To achieve this objective, we carried out a prospective cohort study with healthy HCs after exposure to TB. The patterns of cytokines (gamma interferon [IFN-gamma] and interleukin 10 [IL-10]) in response to mycobacterial antigens (culture filtrate [CF] proteins) and nonspecific mitogens (phytohemagglutinin [PHA] and lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) were assessed at 0, 6, 12, and 24 …

Design, Synthesis, And Evaluation Of 10-N-Substituted Acridones As Novel Chemosensitizers In Plasmodium Falciparum, Jane X. Kelly, Martin J. Smilkstein, Roland A. Cooper, Kristin D. Lane, Robert A. Johnson, Aaron Janowsky, Rozalia A. Dodean, Rolf Winter, Michael Riscoe

Collected Faculty Scholarship

A series of novel 10-N-substituted acridones, bearing alkyl side chains with tertiary amine groups at the terminal position, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for the ability to enhance the potency of quinoline drugs against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites. A number of acridone derivatives, with side chains bridged three or more carbon atoms apart between the ring nitrogen and terminal nitrogen, demonstrated chloroquine (CQ)-chemosensitizing activity against the MDR strain of P. falciparum (Dd2). Isobologram analysis revealed that selected candidates demonstrated significant synergy with CQ in the CQ-resistant (CQR) parasite Dd2 but only additive (or indifferent) interaction in the CQ-sensitive …

The Plasmodium Falciparum Chloroquine Resistance Transporter, Pfcrt, Mediates The Activity Of Chloroquine-Resistance Reversal Agents In The Malaria Parasite, Kristin Lane

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Chloroquine (CQ) resistant Plasmodium falciparum is a serious problem affecting 3.2 billion people in over 100 countries today. Most endemic malarious countries are among the poorest in the world and lack the resources to replace the inexpensive and highly effective CQ. CQ resistance (CQR) reversal agents are a potentially inexpensive solution to restoring CQ efficacy. CQR reversal agents are drugs that have little to no antimalarial activity alone, but in combination with CQ, they increase dmg accumulation in the parasite and enhance the sensitivity to CQ in CQR parasites. PfCRT is a putative transporter located on the parasite digestive vacuole …

A Group M Consensus Envelope Glycoprotein Induces Antibodies That Neutralize Subsets Of Subtype B And C Hiv-1 Primary Viruses, Hua-Xin Liao, Laura L. Sutherland, Shi-Mao Xia, Mary E. Brock, Richard M. Scearce, Stacie Vanleeuwen, S. Munir Alam, Mildred Mcadams, Eric A. Weaver, Zenaido T. Camacho, Ben-Jiang Ma, Yingying Li, Julie M. Decker, Gary J. Nabel, David C. Montefiori, Beatrice H. Hahn, Bette T. Korber, Feng Gao, Barton F. Haynes

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

HIV-1 subtype C is the most common HIV-1 group M subtype in Africa and many parts of Asia. However, to date HIV-1 vaccine candidate immunogens have not induced potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies against subtype C primary isolates. We have used a centralized gene strategy to address HIV-1 diversity, and generated a group M consensus envelope gene with shortened consensus variable loops (CON-S) for comparative studies with wildtype (WT) Env immunogens. Our results indicate that the consensus HIV-1 group M CON-S Env elicited cross-subtype neutralizing antibodies of similar or greater breadth and titer than the WT Envs tested, indicating the …

Differential Resource Allocation In Deer Mice Exposed To Sin Nombre Virus, Eric Wilson, Erin M. Lehmer, Christine A. Clay, Stephen St. Jeor, Denise M. Dearing

Faculty Publications

The resource allocation hypothesis predicts that reproductive activity suppresses immunocompetence; however, this has never been tested in an endemic disease system with free-ranging mammals. We tested the resource allocation hypothesis in wild deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) with natural exposure to Sin Nombre Virus (SNV). Immunocompetence was estimated from the extent of swelling elicited after deer mice were injected with phytohemagglutinin (PHA); swelling is positively correlated with immunocompetence. After livetrapping deer mice, we determined their reproductive state and SNV infection status. Males were more likely to be seropositive for SNV than females (37% vs. 25%) and exhibited 10% less swelling after …

The Distribution Of Sexually-Transmitted Human Papillomaviruses In Hiv Positive And Negative Patients In Zambia, Africa, Christopher Ngandwe, John Lowe, Paula J. Richards, Lara Hause, Charles Wood, Peter C. Angeletti

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background: Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) are double-stranded DNA viruses, considered to be the primary etiological agents in cervical intraepithelial neoplasias and cancers. Approximately 15–20 of the 40 mucosal HPVs confer a high-risk of progression of lesions to invasive cancer. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of sexually transmitted HPVs in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive and negative patients in Zambia, Africa. The rate of high-risk HPV genotypes worldwide varies within each country. Thus, we sought to investigate the rates of HPV infection in sub-Saharan Africa and the potential role of HIV in affecting the HPV genotype distribution.

Methods: This retrospective …

The Microbiological Analysis Of Composting, Marion Shepherd

All Theses

The objectives of this study were to: 1) perform a survey of South Carolina poultry farms to determine if the methods implemented resulted in the destruction of foodborne pathogens, and 2) determine the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in a dairy manure-based compost performed in uncontrolled environmental conditions.
In the survey of poultry farms Ninety-one (91) of 141 compost samples analyzed were positive for coliform populations ranging from 1.00 to 6.00 log10 CFU/g. Among finished compost samples (n=21), ca. 62%, 33%, and 14% were positive for coliforms, presumptive Salmonella, and presumptive Listeria, respectively.
In the investigation of the survival of …

Tandem Repeat Regions Within The Burkholderia Pseudomallei Genome And Their Application For High Resolution Genotyping, Richard A. Robison, Jana M. U'Ren, James M. Schupp, Talima Pearson, Heidie Hornstra, Christine L. Friedman Clark, Kimothy L. Smith, Rebecca R. Leadem Daugherty, Shane D. Rhoton, Ben Leadem, Shalamar Georgia, Michelle Cardon, Lynn Y. Huynh, David Deshazer, Steven P. Harvey, Daniel Gal, Mark J. Mayo, David Wagner, Bart J. Currie, Paul Keim

Faculty Publications

The facultative, intracellular bacterium Burkholderia pseudomalle is the causative agent of melioidosis, a serious infectious disease of humans and animals. We identified and categorized tandem repeat arrays and their distribution throughout the genome of B. pseudomallei strain K96243 in order to develop a genetic typing method for B. pseudomallei. We then screened 104 of the potentially polymorphic loci across a diverse panel of 31 isolates including B. pseudomallei, B. mallei and B. thailandensis in order to identify loci with varying degrees of polymorphism. A subset of these tandem repeat arrays were subsequently developed into a multiple-locus VNTR analysis to examine …

Genetic Protection Against Hepatitis B Virus Conferred By Ccr5Δ32: Evidence That Ccr5 Contributes To Viral Persistence, Chloe L. Thio, Jacquie Astemborski, Arman A. Bashirova, Timothy L. Mosbruger, Spencer Greer, Mallory D. Witt, James J. Goedert, Margaret Hilgartner, Audrey Majesk, Stephen J. O'Brien, David L. Thomas, Mary Carrington

Biology Faculty Articles

Recovery from acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection requires a broad, vigorous T-cell response, which is enhanced in mice when chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is missing. To test the hypothesis that production of a nonfunctional CCR5 (CCR5Δ32 [a functionally null allele containing a 32-bp deletion]) increases the likelihood of recovery from hepatitis B in humans, we studied 526 persons from three cohorts in which one person with HBV persistence was matched to two persons who recovered from an HBV infection. Recovery or persistence was determined prior to availability of lamivudine. We determined genotypes forCCR5Δ32 …

Bird Movement Predicts Buggy Creek Virus Infection In Insect Vectors, Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown, Amy T. Moore, Nicholas Komar

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Predicting the spatial foci of zoonotic diseases is a major challenge for epidemiologists and disease ecologists. Migratory birds are often thought to be responsible for introducing some aviozoonotic pathogens such as West Nile and avian influenza viruses to a local area, but most information on how bird movement correlates with virus prevalence is anecdotal or indirect. We report that the prevalence of Buggy Creek virus (BCRV) infection in cimicid swallow bugs (Oeciacus vicarius), the principal invertebrate vector for this virus, was directly associated with the likelihood of movement by cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), an amplifying host …

Ecological Correlates Of Buggy Creek Virus Infection In Oeciacus Vicarius, Southwestern Nebraska, 2004, Amy T. Moore, Eric A. Edwards, Mary Bomberger Brown, Nicholas Komar, Charles R. Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Buggy Creek virus (family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, BCRV) is an alphavirus within the western equine encephalitis virus complex whose primary vector is the swallow bug, Oeciacus vicarius Horvath (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), an ectoparasite of the colonially nesting cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, that is also a frequent host for the virus.We investigated ecological correlates of BCRV infection in 100-bug pools at 14 different swallow colony sites in southwestern Nebraska from summer 2004, by using plaque assay on Vero cells to identify cytopathic virus and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to identify noncytopathic viral RNA. We found 26.7% of swallow bug pools …

Role Of Mhc Antigens And Immunoregulation In Graft Survival In Autoimmunity, Bhagirath Singh

Microbiology & Immunology Publications

Using a syngeneic islet transplantation model system we have showed that in autoimmune type 1 diabetes transplanted islets are destroyed by the host immune system unless the transplanted islets lack class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Alternatively, immunomodulation of the host by induction of regulatory T cells prevented the destruction of autologous islet graft. We conclude that these approaches will allow successful transplantation of autologous islets derived from the host by stem cell or other technology without immunosuppression to reverse autoimmune type 1 diabetes.

Vertical Transmission Of A Phylogenetically Complex Microbial Consortium In The Viviparous Sponge Ircinia Felix, Susanne Schmitt, Jeremy B. Weisz, Niels Lindquist, Ute Hentschel

Faculty Publications

Many marine demosponges contain large amounts of phylogenetically complex yet highly sponge-specific microbial consortia within the mesohyl matrix, but little is known about how these microorganisms are acquired by their hosts. Settlement experiments were performed with the viviparous Caribbean demosponge Ircinia felix to investigate the role of larvae in the vertical transmission of the sponge-associated microbial community. Inspections by electron microscopy revealed large amounts of morphologically diverse microorganisms in the center of I. felix larvae, while the outer rim appeared to be devoid of microorganisms. In juveniles, microorganisms were found between densely packed sponge cells. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) …

Poxviral B1 Kinase Overcomes Barrier To Autointegration Factor, A Host Defense Against Virus Replication, Matthew S. Wiebe, Paula Traktman

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Barrier to autointegration factor (BAF) is a DNA-binding protein found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells that functions to establish nuclear architecture during mito-sis. Herein, we demonstrate a cytoplasmic role for BAF in host defense during poxviral infections. Vaccinia is the prototypic poxvirus, a family of DNA viruses that replicate ex-clusively in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Mutations in the vaccinia B1 kinase (B1) com-promise viral DNA replication, but the mechanism by which B1 achieves this has remained elusive. We now show that BAF acts as a potent inhibitor of poxvirus replication unless its DNA-binding activity is blocked …