Digital Commons Network^™

Mir-17* Suppresses Tumorigenicity Of Prostate Cancer By Inhibiting Mitochondrial Antioxidant Enzymes, Yong Xu, Fang Fang, Jiayou Zhang, Sajni Josson, William H. St. Clair, Daret K. St. Clair

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Aberrant micro RNA (miRNA) expression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer. Recent studies have shown that the miR-17-92 cluster is overexpressed in many types of cancer. The oncogenic function of mature miRNAs encoded by the miR-17-92 cluster has been identified from the 5' arm of six precursors. However, the function of the miRNAs produced from the 3' arm of these precursors remains unknown. The present study demonstrates that miR-17* is able to suppress critical primary mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes, such as manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), glutathione peroxidase-2 (GPX2) and thioredoxin reductase-2 (TrxR2). Transfection of miR-17* into prostate cancer PC-3 …

Biomarkers Of Mild Cognitive Impairment And Alzheimer's Disease, Mark A. Lovell, Bert C. Lynn

Chemistry Faculty Patents

A method for quantifying a neurodegenerative disorder in a patient that includes obtaining a fluid sample from the subject; measuring a protein biomarker complex in said fluid sample and correlating the measurement with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease status. The biomarkers include those that comprise at least one of a transthyretin protein and/or a prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase protein, and at least one second, different protein selected from a transthyretin, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase, beta-2-microglobulin, cystatin C, superoxide dismutase [Cu—Zn], plasma retinol-binding protein, phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein, carbonic anhydrase 2, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase, and/or serotransferrin protein.

Precatalysts Useful In Polyolefin Polymerization Reactions, Omofolami Tesileem Ladipo, Richard Eaves, Alexey Zazybin, Sean Parkin

Chemistry Faculty Patents

Compounds are provided that are useful as precatlysts in the polymerization of olefins such as ethylene and propylene. Other compounds are useful as intermediates in the production of such precatalysts.

Conformation Dependent Monoclonal Antibodies Distinguish Different Replicating Strains Or Conformers Of Prefibrillar Aβ Oligomers, Rakez Kayed, Isabel Canto, Leonid Breydo, Suhail Rasool, Tamas Lukacsovich, Jessica Wu, Ricardo Albay, Anna Pensalfini, Stephen Yeung, Elizabeth Head, J. Lawrence Marsh, Charles Glabe

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Age-related neurodegenerative diseases share a number of important pathological features, such as accumulation of misfolded proteins as amyloid oligomers and fibrils. Recent evidence suggests that soluble amyloid oligomers and not the insoluble amyloid fibrils may represent the primary pathological species of protein aggregates.

RESULTS: We have produced several monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize prefibrillar oligomers and do not recognize amyloid fibrils, monomer or natively folded proteins. Like the polyclonal antisera, the individual monoclonals recognize generic epitopes that do not depend on a specific linear amino acid sequence, but they display distinct preferences for different subsets of prefibrillar oligomers. Immunological …

Archivists’ Toolkit Collaboration, Kathryn Lybarger

Library Presentations

No abstract provided.

Criminal Offending Among Respondents To Protective Orders: Crime Types And Patterns That Predict Victim Risk, Carol E. Jordan, Adam J. Pritchard, Danielle Duckett, Richard Charnigo

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

Research has shown that respondents to protective orders have robust criminal histories and that criminal offending behavior often follows issuance of a protective order. Nonetheless, the specific nature of the association between protective orders and criminal offending remains unclear. This study uses two classes of statistical models to more clearly delineate that relationship. The models reveal factors and characteristics that appear to be associated with offending and protective order issuance and provide indications about when a victim is most at risk and when the justice system should be most ready to provide immediate protection.

A Model Of The Information Seeking And Decision Making Of Online Coin Buyers, Donald O. Case

Information Science Faculty Publications

Introduction. The Everyday Life Information Seeking approach suggests that much information behaviour takes place in non-work settings, for example in the pursuit of leisure activities such as hobbies. This study focuses on a community of collectors to examine how they gather information to decide whether to purchase an item for their collection when the target item has an ambiguous or deficient description.

Method. Manual scanning of eBay and other online discussion board for coin buyers led to 187 postings indicating an attempt to reach a purchase decision, or to authenticate a purchased coin, through solicitation or posting of advice.

Analysis. …

Forage News [2010-12], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Register Now for Grazing Conference
• Forage Spokesman Contest and KFGC Award Nominations
• PFGC Celebrates 50th Anniversary
• Forage Variety Test Reports
• Feed Costs and Meat Production
• Corn Nitrogen Fertilizer Replacement Value of Alfalfa in Northern Illinois
• Comparison of Seeding Rates and Coating on Seedling Count, Root Length, Root Weight and Shoot Weight of Crimson Clover
• Effect of Macronutrient Deficiency on the Antioxidant Capacity of Lespedeza Cuneata (cv. Au Grazer) and Lotus Corniculatus (cv. Pardee)

Cell Lines Having Enhanced Cell Longevity And Protein Expression, Bruce Allen Webb, Jeremy Kroemer

Entomology Faculty Patents

It is the object of the current invention to provide methods and compositions relating to the expression of vankyrin proteins in cell lines to increase their viability, longevity and capacity for protein production. The inventors have discovered that the expression of P-ank-1 and I²-ank-3 proteins in cell culture has increased the cells' longevity and capacity for endogenous and/or heterologous target protein production. Specifically, the present invention relates to the enhanced expression of endogenous and/or heterologous target proteins/polypeptides in recombinant cells that are also expressing P-ank-1 and/or I²-ank-3 protein compared to expression host cells that are not …

System And Technique For Retrieving Depth Information About A Surface By Projecting A Composite Image Of Modulated Light Patterns, Laurence G. Hassebrook, Daniel L. Lau, Chun Guan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Patents

A technique, associated system and program code, for retrieving depth information about at least one surface of an object, such as an anatomical feature. Core features include: projecting a composite image comprising a plurality of modulated structured light patterns, at the anatomical feature; capturing an image reflected from the surface; and recovering pattern information from the reflected image, for each of the modulated structured light patterns. Pattern information is preferably recovered for each modulated structured light pattern used to create the composite, by performing a demodulation of the reflected image. Reconstruction of the surface can be accomplished by using depth …

Adar2-Dependent Rna Editing Of Glur2 Is Involved In Thiamine Deficiency-Induced Alteration Of Calcium Dynamics, Shuchen Lee, Guang Yang, Yue Yong, Ying Liu, Liyun Zhao, Jing Xu, Xiaomin Zhang, Yanjie Wan, Chun Feng, Zhiqin Fan, Yong Liu, Jia Luo, Zun-Ji Ke

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency (TD) causes mild impairment of oxidative metabolism and region-selective neuronal loss in the central nervous system (CNS). TD in animals has been used to model aging-associated neurodegeneration in the brain. The mechanisms of TD-induced neuron death are complex, and it is likely multiple mechanisms interplay and contribute to the action of TD. In this study, we demonstrated that TD significantly increased intracellular calcium concentrations [Ca2+]i in cultured cortical neurons.

RESULTS: TD drastically potentiated AMPA-triggered calcium influx and inhibited pre-mRNA editing of GluR2, a Ca2+-permeable subtype of AMPA receptors. The Ca2+ permeability of GluR2 is regulated …

Substrates Of The Arabidopsis Thaliana Protein Isoaspartyl Methyltransferase 1 Identified Using Phage Display And Biopanning, Tingsu Chen, Nihar Nayak, Susmita Maitra Majee, Jonathan Lowenson, Kim R. Schäfermeyer, Alyssa C. Eliopoulos, Taylor D. Lloyd, Randy Dinkins, Sharyn E. Perry, Nancy R. Forsthoefel, Steven G. Clarke, Daniel M. Vernon, Zhaohui Sunny Zhou, Tomas Rejtar, A. Bruce Downie

Horticulture Faculty Publications

The role of protein isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT) in repairing a wide assortment of damaged proteins in a host of organisms has been inferred from the affinity of the enzyme for isoaspartyl residues in a plethora of amino acid contexts. The identification of PIMT target proteins in plant seeds, where the enzyme is highly active and proteome long-lived, has been hindered by large amounts of isoaspartate-containing storage proteins. Mature seed phage display libraries circumvented this problem. Inclusion of the PIMT co-substrate, S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), during panning permitted PIMT to retain aged phage in greater numbers than controls lacking co-substrate or when …

Muscle Receptor Organs In The Crayfish Abdomen: A Student Laboratory Exercise In Proprioception, Bonnie Leksrisawat, Ann S. Cooper, Allison B. Gilberts, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

The primary purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate primary sensory neurons conveying information of joint movements and positions as proprioceptive information for an animal. An additional objective of this experiment is to learn anatomy of the preparation by staining, dissection and viewing of neurons and sensory structures under a dissecting microscope. This is performed by using basic neurophysiological equipment to record the electrical activity from a joint receptor organ and staining techniques. The muscle receptor organ (MRO) system in the crayfish is analogous to the intrafusal muscle spindle in mammals, which aids in serving as a comparative model that …

Physiological Recordings Of High And Low Output Nmjs On The Crayfish Leg Extensor Muscle, Wenhui Wu, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

We explain in detail how to expose and conduct electrophysiological recordings of synaptic responses for high (phasic) and low (tonic) output motor neurons innervating the extensor muscle in the walking leg of a crayfish. Distinct differences are present in the physiology and morphology of the phasic and tonic nerve terminals. The tonic axon contains many more mitochondria, enabling it to take a vital stain more intensely than the phasic axon. The tonic terminals have varicosities, and the phasic terminal is filiform. The tonic terminals are low in synaptic efficacy but show dramatic facilitated responses. In contrast, the phasic terminals are …

T-Lymphocyte Responses To Intestinally Absorbed Antigens Can Contribute To Adipose Tissue Inflammation And Glucose Intolerance During High Fat Feeding, Yuehui Wang, Jianing Li, Lihua Tang, Yu Wang, Richard Charnigo, Willem De Villiers, Erik Eckhardt

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with inflammation of visceral adipose tissues, which increases the risk for insulin resistance. Animal models suggest that T-lymphocyte infiltration is an important early step, although it is unclear why these cells are attracted. We have recently demonstrated that dietary triglycerides, major components of high fat diets, promote intestinal absorption of a protein antigen (ovalbumin, "OVA"). The antigen was partly transported on chylomicrons, which are prominently cleared in adipose tissues. We hypothesized that intestinally absorbed gut antigens may cause T-lymphocyte associated inflammation in adipose tissue.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Triglyceride absorption promoted intestinal absorption of OVA into adipose tissue, …

Networks Of European Cities In Worlds Of Global Economic And Environmental Change, Stanley D. Brunn, Lomme Devriendt, Andrew Boulton, Ben Derudder, Frank Witlox

Geography Faculty Publications

Geographers have a long tradition of classifying cities using a number of criteria. Population size, industrial production, capital city functions, airline connections, sites of sporting events and major headquarters and banks are among them. While these studies are useful in looking at cities in an economy and population at a given point of time, they are less useful in assessing rapidly occurring changes within a regional or global system. Our research represents a new approach to classify cities and urban systems; we use the volume and networks/linkages or flows associated with electronic Information or “Knowledge worlds.” We argue that in …

Leishmania Major Survival In Selective Phlebotomus Papatasi Sand Fly Vector Requires A Specific Scg-Encoded Lipophosphoglycan Galactosylation Pattern, Deborah E. Dobson, Shaden Kamhawi, Phillip Lawyer, Salvatore J. Turco, Stephen M. Beverley, David L. Sacks

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Phlebotomine sand flies that transmit the protozoan parasite Leishmania differ greatly in their ability to support different parasite species or strains in the laboratory: while some show considerable selectivity, others are more permissive. In "selective" sand flies, Leishmania binding and survival in the fly midgut typically depends upon the abundant promastigote surface adhesin lipophosphoglycan (LPG), which exhibits species- and strain-specific modifications of the dominant phosphoglycan (PG) repeat units. For the "selective" fly Phlebotomus papatasi PpapJ, side chain galactosyl-modifications (scGal) of PG repeats play key roles in parasite binding. We probed the specificity and properties of this scGal-LPG PAMP (Pathogen Associated …

Intestinal Epithelial Serum Amyloid A Modulates Bacterial Growth In Vitro And Pro-Inflammatory Responses In Mouse Experimental Colitis, Erik R.M. Eckhardt, Jassir Witta, Jian Zhong, Razvan Arsenescu, Violeta Arsenescu, Yu Wang, Sarbani Ghoshal, Marcielle C. De Beer, Frederick C. De Beer, Willem J.S. De Villiers

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Serum Amyloid A (SAA) is a major acute phase protein of unknown function. SAA is mostly expressed in the liver, but also in other tissues including the intestinal epithelium. SAA reportedly has anti-bacterial effects, and because inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) result from a breakdown in homeostatic interactions between intestinal epithelia and bacteria, we hypothesized that SAA is protective during experimental colitis.

METHODS: Intestinal SAA expression was measured in mouse and human samples. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) colitis was induced in SAA 1/2 double knockout (DKO) mice and in wildtype controls. Anti-bacterial effects of SAA1/2 were tested in intestinal epithelial …

Aminopeptidases Do Not Directly Degrade Tau Protein, K. Martin Chow, Hanjun Guan, Louis B. Hersh

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation to form intracellular neurofibrillar tangles is prevalent in a number of tauopathies. Thus there is current interest in the mechanisms involved in Tau clearance. It was recently reported that Tau can be degraded by an aminopeptidase known as the puromycin sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA). Until now PSA has been reported to only cleave peptides, with the largest reported substrates having 30-50 amino acids. We have studied this unique PSA cleavage reaction using a number of different PSA preparations.

RESULTS: An N-terminally His tagged-PSA was expressed and purified from Sf9 insect cells. Although this PSA preparation cleaved …

Making Of Viral Replication Organelles By Remodeling Interior Membranes, Zsuzsanna Sasvari, Peter D. Nagy

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Positive-stranded RNA (+RNA) viruses exploit host cell machinery by subverting host proteins and membranes and altering cellular pathways during infection. To achieve robust replication, some +RNA viruses, such as poliovirus (PV), build special intracellular compartments, called viral replication organelles. A recent work from the Altan-Bonnett laboratory [1] gave new insights into the formation of poliovirus replication organelles, which are unique subcellular structures containing many individual replication complexes as a result of dynamic cellular membrane remodeling.

Translation Elongation Factor 1a Facilitates The Assembly Of The Tombusvirus Replicase And Stimulates Minus-Strand Synthesis, Zhenghe Li, Judit Pogany, Steven Tupman, Anthony M. Esposito, Terri Goss Kinzy, Peter D. Nagy

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Replication of plus-strand RNA viruses depends on host factors that are recruited into viral replicase complexes. Previous studies showed that eukaryotic translation elongation factor (eEF1A) is one of the resident host proteins in the highly purified tombusvirus replicase complex. Using a random library of eEF1A mutants, we identified one mutant that decreased and three mutants that increased Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) replication in a yeast model host. Additional in vitro assays with whole cell extracts prepared from yeast strains expressing the eEF1A mutants demonstrated several functions for eEF1A in TBSV replication: facilitating the recruitment of the viral RNA template …

The Endogenous Soluble Vegf Receptor-2 Isoform Suppresses Lymph Node Metastasis In A Mouse Immunocompetent Mammary Cancer Model, Masa-Aki Shibata, Jayakrishna Ambati, Eiko Shibata, Romulo J. C. Albuquerque, Junji Morimoto, Yuko Ito, Yoshinori Otsuki

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Cancer metastasis contributes significantly to cancer mortality and is facilitated by lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis. A new splicing variant, endogenous soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (esVEGFR-2) that we recently identified is an endogenous selective inhibitor of lymphangiogenesis. To evaluate the antimetastatic potential of esVEGFR-2, gene therapy with vector expressing esVEGFR-2 (pesVEGFR-2) or endostatin (pEndo) as a positive control was conducted on murine metastatic mammary cancer.

METHODS: Syngeneic inoculated metastatic mammary cancers received direct intratumoral injection of pesVEGFR-2, pEndo or pVec as control, once a week for six weeks. In vivo gene electrotransfer was performed on the tumors after each …

Structure And Feedback In 30 Doradus. I. Observations, E. W. Pellegrini, J. A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We have completed a new optical imaging and spectrophotometric survey of a 140 × 80 pc² region of 30 Doradus centered on R136, covering key optical diagnostic emission lines including Hα, Hβ, Hγ, [O III] λλ4363, 4959, 5007, [N II] λλ6548, 6584, [SII] λλ6717, 6731 [S III] λ6312, and in some locations [S III] λ9069. We present maps of fluxes and intensity ratios for these lines, and catalogs of isolated ionizing stars, elephant-trunk pillars, and edge-on ionization fronts. The final science-quality spectroscopic data products are available to the public. Our analysis of the new data finds that, while stellar …

Dysregulation Of The Mitogen Granulin In Human Cancer Through The Mir-15/107 Microrna Gene Group, Wang-Xia Wang, Natasha Kyprianou, Xiaowei Wang, Peter T. Nelson

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Granulin (GRN) is a potent mitogen and growth factor implicated in many human cancers, but its regulation is poorly understood. Recent findings indicate that GRN is regulated strongly by the microRNA miR-107, which functionally overlaps with miR-15, miR-16, and miR-195 due to a common 5′ sequence critical for target specificity. In this study, we queried whether miR-107 and paralogs regulated GRN in human cancers. In cultured cells, anti-argonaute RNA coimmunoprecipitation with downstream microarray analyses indicates that GRN mRNA is directly targeted by numerous miR-15/107 miRNAs. We further tested this association in human tumors. MiR-15 and miR-16 are known to be …

Saving Student Brian: Engaging Students With Innovative Technology, Stacey Greenwell, Beth Kraemer, Debbie Sharp, Susan K. Smith

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Question: How do you provide library orientation for a large number of first-year students without boring them to death? Answer: Create a video using new technology, student actors, and a little fun.

Learn step by step how the University of Kentucky Libraries revived their first year student orientation experience creating a video filmed on campus and in the virtual world, Second Life. From writing and filming to editing and screening, the presenters will discuss the process, offering practical tips and suggestions for creating your own instructional video. In addition, the presenters will discuss lessons learned from this experience.

Commas And Colons And Semicolons - Oh My! 10 Rules To Remember, Diane B. Kraft

Law Faculty Popular Media

In this column for Kentucky Bar Association's magazine (B&B - Bench & Bar), Professor Kraft provides ten helpful grammar rules for commas. colons, and semicolons.

Forage News [2010-11], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Dr. Norman Taylor 1926-2010
• Registration Now Open for Grazing Conference
• Forage Spokesman Contest and KFGC Award Nominations - Deadline Dec. 3
• Effects of Ergot-Endophyte-Infected Fescue Seed on Physiological Parameters in Mature Female Meat Goats
• Chaparral® Herbicide Application for Suppression of Seedhead Emergence in Tall Fescue Pastures and Possible Alleviation of Fescue Toxicosis
• Science Shows Beef Production is Earth Friendly
• Use of Novel Endophyte Fescue for Cows
• Evaluation of Annual Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum) in Two Fall Grazing Systems on Forage Quality and Stock Calf Performance in Northern Minnesota
• Using Mature Hay for Bedding: Potential for Tall Fescue Toxicity

Cyanidin-3-Glucoside Inhibits Ethanol-Induced Invasion Of Breast Cancer Cells Overexpressing Erbb2, Mei Xu, Kimberly A. Bower, Siying Wang, Jacqueline A. Frank, Gang Chen, Min Ding, Shiow Wang, Xianglin Shi, Zunji Ke, Jia Luo

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Ethanol is a tumor promoter. Both epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that ethanol may enhance the metastasis of breast cancer cells. We have previously demonstrated that ethanol increased the migration/invasion of breast cancer cells expressing high levels of ErbB2. Amplification of ErbB2 is found in 20-30% of breast cancer patients and is associated with poor prognosis. We sought to identify agents that can prevent or ameliorate ethanol-induced invasion of breast cancer cells. Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), an anthocyanin present in many vegetables and fruits, is a potent natural antioxidant. Ethanol exposure causes the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). This …

Endothelial Cell Capture Of Heparin-Binding Growth Factors Under Flow, Bing Zhao, Changjiang Zhang, Kimberly Forsten-Williams, Jun Zhang, Michael Fannon

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

Circulation is an important delivery method for both natural and synthetic molecules, but microenvironment interactions, regulated by endothelial cells and critical to the molecule's fate, are difficult to interpret using traditional approaches. In this work, we analyzed and predicted growth factor capture under flow using computer modeling and a three-dimensional experimental approach that includes pertinent circulation characteristics such as pulsatile flow, competing binding interactions, and limited bioavailability. An understanding of the controlling features of this process was desired. The experimental module consisted of a bioreactor with synthetic endothelial-lined hollow fibers under flow. The physical design of the system was incorporated …

Retention And Loss Of Rna Interference Pathways In Trypanosomatid Protozoans, Lon-Fye Lye, Katherine Owens, Huafang Shi, Silvane M. F. Murta, Ana Carolina Vieira, Salvatore J. Turco, Christian Tschudi, Elisabetta Ullu, Stephen M. Beverley

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi) pathways are widespread in metaozoans but the genes required show variable occurrence or activity in eukaryotic microbes, including many pathogens. While some Leishmania lack RNAi activity and Argonaute or Dicer genes, we show that Leishmania braziliensis and other species within the Leishmania subgenus Viannia elaborate active RNAi machinery. Strong attenuation of expression from a variety of reporter and endogenous genes was seen. As expected, RNAi knockdowns of the sole Argonaute gene implicated this protein in RNAi. The potential for functional genetics was established by testing RNAi knockdown lines lacking the paraflagellar rod, a key component of the …