Digital Commons Network^™

Rediscovering The Axolotl As A Model For Thyroid Hormone Dependent Development, Anne Crowner, Shivam Khatri, Dana Blichmann, S. Randal Voss

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an important model organism in biomedical research. Much current attention is focused on the axolotl's amazing ability to regenerate tissues and whole organs after injury. However, not forgotten is the axolotl's equally amazing ability to thwart aspects of tissue maturation and retain juvenile morphology into the adult phase of life. Unlike close tiger salamander relatives that undergo a thyroid hormone regulated metamorphosis, the axolotl does not typically undergo a metamorphosis. Instead, the axolotl exhibits a paedomorphic mode of development that enables a completely aquatic life cycle. The evolution of paedomorphosis allowed axolotls …

The Promise Of Anti-Idiotype Revisited, Heinz Köhler, Anastas Pashov, Thomas Kieber-Emmons

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

The promise of idiotype-based therapeutics has been disappointing forcing a new look at the concept and its potential to generate an effective approach for immunotherapy. Here, the idiotype network theory is revisited with regard to the development of efficacious anti-idiotype vaccines. The experience of polyclonal anti-Idiotype reagents in animal models as well as an understanding of the immune response in humans lends to the proposition that polyclonal anti-Idiotype vaccines will be more effective compared to monoclonal-based anti-Idiotype vaccines. This novel strategy can be adapted in Biotech-standard production of therapeutic antibodies.

Breaking Out Of The Box: Transforming Archival Collections And Workflows Through Collaborative Description Projects, Cindy Cline, Libby Hertenstein, Lindy Smith, Rachel Howard, Rebecca Pattillo, Ruth E. Bryan

Library Presentations

Archivists and archival collections can often be siloed into the “special” corner of their parent library: under described, underutilized, and often even unknown. Finding a path out of isolation may require taking a new look at collection management needs and considering new partners in the work. Collaboration with colleagues can result in positive ripple effects that extend beyond the initial project goals. This session will highlight three innovative description projects where archivists partnered with non-archivists to improve access to targeted collections and will detail how their collaborations transformed their archival collections, work structures and relationships, and, ultimately, their users. After …

Novel Calibrated Short Tr Recovery (Castrr) Method For Brain-Blood Partition Coefficient Correction Enhances Gray-White Matter Contrast In Blood Flow Measurements In Mice, Scott W. Thalman, David K. Powell, Ai-Ling Lin

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The goal of the study was to develop a novel, rapid Calibrated Short TR Recovery (CaSTRR) method to measure the brain-blood partition coefficient (BBPC) in mice. The BBPC is necessary for quantifying cerebral blood flow (CBF) using tracer-based techniques like arterial spin labeling (ASL), but previous techniques required prohibitively long acquisition times so a constant BBPC equal to 0.9 mL/g is typically used regardless of studied species, condition, or disease. An accelerated method of BBPC correction could improve regional specificity in CBF maps particularly in white matter. Male C57Bl/6N mice (n = 8) were scanned at 7T using CaSTRR …

Molecular Evolutionary Trends And Feeding Ecology Diversification In The Hemiptera, Anchored By The Milkweed Bug Genome, Kristen A. Panfilio, Iris M. Vargas Jentzsch, Joshua B. Benoit, Deniz Erezyilmaz, Yuichiro Suzuki, Stefano Colella, Hugh M. Robertson, Monica F. Poelchau, Robert M. Waterhouse, Panagiotis Ioannidis, Matthew T. Weirauch, Daniel S. T. Hughes, Shwetha C. Murali, John H. Werren, Chris G. C. Jacobs, Elizabeth J. Duncan, David Armisén, Barbara M. I. Vreede, Patrice Baa-Puyoulet, Chloé S. Berger, Chun-Che Chang, Hsu Chao, Mei-Ju M. Chen, Yen-Ta Chen, Christopher P. Childers, Ariel D. Chipman, Andrew G. Cridge, Antonin J. J. Crumière, Peter K. Dearden, Elise M. Didion, Subba Reddy Palli, Jayendra Nath Shukla

Entomology Faculty Publications

Background: The Hemiptera (aphids, cicadas, and true bugs) are a key insect order, with high diversity for feeding ecology and excellent experimental tractability for molecular genetics. Building upon recent sequencing of hemipteran pests such as phloem-feeding aphids and blood-feeding bed bugs, we present the genome sequence and comparative analyses centered on the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus, a seed feeder of the family Lygaeidae.

Results: The 926-Mb Oncopeltus genome is well represented by the current assembly and official gene set. We use our genomic and RNA-seq data not only to characterize the protein-coding gene repertoire and perform isoform-specific RNAi, but …

Forage News [2019-04], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Register today for the Kentucky Grazing School
• Fencing School spaces still open in Burkesville and Russellville
• More Stuff Not in the Book
• Simplifying Grain Drill Calibration
• New Mandatory Paraquat Training Requirements for Applicators
• Grass-Fed and -Finished Beef Production & Marketing: an OAK Field Day - May 2, 2019

Soft Palate Modification Using A Collagen Crosslinking Reagent For Equine Dorsal Displacement Of The Soft Palate And Other Upper Airway Breathing Disorders, Stephanie Hunt, Jonathan Kuo, Fabio A Aristizabal, Matt Brown, Abhijit R. Patwardhan, Thomas Hedman

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The mechanical properties of the soft palate can be associated with breathing abnormalities. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is a naturally occurring equine soft palate disorder caused by displacement of the caudal edge of the soft palate. Snoring and a more serious, sometimes life-threatening, condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are forms of sleep-related breathing disorders in humans which may involve the soft palate. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of injecting the protein crosslinker genipin into the soft palate to modify its mechanical properties for the treatment of equine DDSP with potential implications …

Neuroprotective Activity Of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Is Relayed Through Myeloid Zinc Finger-1 In A Rat Model Of Stroke, Stephanie M. Davis, Lisa A. Collier, Elspeth A. Foran, Christopher C. Leonardo, Craig T. Ajmo Jr., Keith R. Pennypacker

Neurology Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to determine whether leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) exerts its neuroprotective effects through signal transduction of the transcription factor myeloid zinc finger-1 (MZF-1). According to the hypothesis of this study, MZF-1 mediates LIF-induced neuroprotective signaling during ELVO through increased expression and transcriptional activity. To determine the in vivo role of MZF-1 in LIF-induced neuroprotection, we used Genomatix software was used to MZF-1 sites in the promoter region of the rat superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) gene. Stroke was induced via middle cerebral artery occlusion, and animals were administered PBS or 125 μg/kg LIF at …

Nutrition And Environmental Pollution Extension Curriculum Improved Diet-Related Behaviors And Environmental Health Literacy, Dawn Brewer, Hannah Bellamy, Anna Hoover, Annie Koempel, Lisa Gaetke

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Kentucky experiences some of the nation’s worst health outcomes related to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other age-related chronic diseases linked with oxidative stress and inflammation, which in turn are associated with poor diet, lack of physical activity, and exposure to certain environmental pollutants. In the Commonwealth, deteriorating infrastructure, inappropriate waste disposal, and potential occupational injury related to mining, agriculture, and other regionally important industries exacerbate the need for residents to have basic knowledge of potential environmental health threats. Unfortunately, community-level understanding of the complex connections between environmental exposures and health is limited, with many Kentuckians unaware that the …

Proteomic Alterations Of Hdl In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes And Their Associations With Glycemic Control: A Case-Control Study, Evgenia Gourgari, Junfeng Ma, Martin P. Playford, Nehal N. Mehta, Radoslav Goldman, Alan T. Remaley, Scott M. Gordon

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Background: Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) typically have normal or even elevated plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations; however, HDL protein composition can be altered without a change in cholesterol content. Alteration of the HDL proteome can result in dysfunctional HDL particles with reduced ability to protect against cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study was to compare the HDL proteomes of youth with T1DM and healthy controls (HC) and to evaluate the influence of glycemic control on HDL protein composition.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional case–control study. Blood samples were obtained from patients with T1DM and …

Session 2a: Ecology, Biology, And Climate, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Ecological Monitoring of WRP Easements in Western Kentucky
• Discussion of Factors Influencing Ecosystem Productivity in the Greenup Pool of the Ohio River
• Biotic Interactions Between a Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria and a Planktonic Protist: Implications for Toxin Production
• The Use of Multiple Large and Detailed Databases to Evaluate the Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources in the Ohio River Basin
• Evaluating and Addressing Climate Awareness and Water in Kentucky

Poster Session 1, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• 1.1 Evaluating Soil Characteristics in Rural and Urban Areas
• 1.2 Use of eDNA in Detection of Multiple Salamander Species in Eastern Kentucky Streams
• 1.3 Evaluation of biomass and filtration method on eDNA detection of fantail darters (Etheostoma flabellare)
• 1.4 The Impact of Agricultural Development on Nutrient Contamination Hotspots Within a Small, Intermittent Watershed at EKU’s Meadowbrook Farm, Madison County, Kentucky
• 1.5 How Does Drought Length Impact the Runoff and Nutrient Storm Response in an Agricultural, Intermittent Catchment in Central Kentucky?
• 1.6 Analyzing Sanitary Sewer Overflow Sensitivity to Storm Characteristics
• 1.7 Evaluating Soil Properties in No-Till and Conventional Tillage Systems
• 1.8 …

Proceedings Of 2019 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

This symposium was planned and conducted as a part of the state water resources research institute annual program that is supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number G16AP00055 from the United States Geological Survey. The contents of this proceedings document and the views and conclusions presented at the symposium are solely the responsibility of the individual authors and presenters and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USGS or of the symposium organizers and sponsors. This publication is produced with the understanding that the United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for government purposes. Mention of trade …

Dirt, Saliva And Leprosy: Anti-Inflammatory And Anti-Infectious Effects, Helieh S. Oz

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Ancient Egyptians smeared a mixture of dark soil on their eyelids and believed it protected eyes from unknown forces (illness). Recent studies have proven that the dark soil across the Nile River is rich in natural compounds including lead sulfide, which in low levels, promotes the production of nitric oxide (240-fold) by keratinocytes, with strong immune stimulatory and antimicrobial properties. Current investigations reveal anti-inflammatory and anti-infectious activities—including cytokines and chemokines—in saliva, as well as its friendly microbiota, which lines the surface of the oral cavity, its protection against inflammatory and infectious organisms in the stoma and other organs, such as …

Unusual Substrate And Halide Versatility Of Phenolic Halogenase Pltm, Shogo Mori, Allan H. Pang, Nishad Thamban Chandrika, Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova, Oleg V. Tsodikov

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Controlled halogenation of chemically versatile substrates is difficult to achieve. Here we describe a unique flavin-dependent halogenase, PltM, which is capable of utilizing a wide range of halides for installation on a diverse array of phenolic compounds, including FDA-approved drugs and natural products, such as terbutaline, fenoterol, resveratrol, and catechin. Crystal structures of PltM in complex with phloroglucinol and FAD in different states yield insight into substrate recognition and the FAD recycling mechanism of this halogenase.

Efficacy Of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor As A Therapeutic For Permanent Large Vessel Stroke Differs Among Aged Male And Female Rats, Stephanie M. Davis, Lisa A. Collier, Sarah J. Goodwin, Douglas E. Lukins, David K. Powell, Keith R. Pennypacker

Neurology Faculty Publications

Preclinical studies using rodent models of stroke have had difficulty in translating their results to human patients. One possible factor behind this inability is the lack of studies utilizing aged rodents of both sexes. Previously, this lab showed that leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) promoted recovery after stroke through antioxidant enzyme upregulation. This study examined whether LIF promotes neuroprotection in aged rats of both sexes. LIF did not reduce tissue damage in aged animals, but LIF-treated female rats showed partial motor skill recovery. The LIF receptor (LIFR) showed membrane localization in young male and aged rats of both sexes after stroke. …

Restoration Of Aberrant Mtor Signaling By Intranasal Rapamycin Reduces Oxidative Damage: Focus On Hne-Modified Proteins In A Mouse Model Of Down Syndrome, Fabio Di Domenico, Antonella Tramutola, Eugenio Barone, Chiara Lanzillotta, Olivia Defever, Andrea Arena, Ilaria Zuliani, Cesira Foppoli, Federica Iavarone, Federica Vincenzoni, Massimo Castagnola, D. Allan Butterfield, Marzia Perluigi

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Increasing evidences support the notion that the impairment of intracellular degradative machinery is responsible for the accumulation of oxidized/misfolded proteins that ultimately results in the deposition of protein aggregates. These events are key pathological aspects of “protein misfolding diseases”, including Alzheimer disease (AD). Interestingly, Down syndrome (DS) neuropathology shares many features with AD, such as the deposition of both amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Studies from our group and others demonstrated, in DS brain, the dysfunction of both proteasome and autophagy degradative systems, coupled with increased oxidative damage. Further, we observed the aberrant increase of mTOR signaling and of its …

The Effects Of Huntingtin-Lowering: What Do We Know So Far?, William F. Kaemmerer, Richard C. Grondin

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Therapies targeting mutant huntingtin DNA, mRNA, and protein have a chance at becoming the first disease-modifying treatments for Huntington’s disease, a fatal inherited neurodegenerative disorder for which only symptom management treatments are available today. This review focuses on evidence addressing several key questions pertinent to huntingtin-lowering, ranging from the functions of wild-type huntingtin (wtHTT) that may be disrupted by huntingtin-lowering treatments through the various ways huntingtin can be lowered, the tolerability of wtHTT-lowering in mice and primates, what has been found in the Ionis Pharmaceutical safety trial of a huntingtin-lowering therapy, and to the question of how much mutant huntingtin …

Latent Sensitization In A Mouse Model Of Ocular Neuropathic Pain, Jooyoung Cho, Nicholas Bell, Gregory Botzet, Paras Vora, Benjamin J. Fowler, Renee R. Donahue, Heather M. Bush, Bradley K. Taylor, Romulo J. C. Albuquerque

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: Chronic ocular pain is poorly understood and difficult to manage. We developed a murine model of corneal surface injury (CSI)–induced chronic ocular neuropathic pain. The study focuses on changes in corneal nerve morphology and associated short- and long-term pain-like behavior after CSI.

Methods: CSI was induced in mice by local application of an alkali solution (0.75 N NaOH). Corneal nerve architecture, morphology, density, and length were studied. Eye-wiping was evaluated before and after CSI in response to hypertonic saline (2 M NaCl). Naltrexone (NTX) or Naloxone-methiodide (NLX-me), opioid receptor antagonists, were given subcutaneously (s.c., 3 mg/kg) or …

Forage News [2019-03], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Novel Tall Fecue Workshop - March 20
• Round Bale Binding Materials Evaluated
• Impact of Tedding on Alfalfa Silage
• Spring Grazing School April 23-24
• Spring Fencing School: 3 Dates, 3 Locations

Substantial Red Wolf Genetic Ancestry Persists In Wild Canids Of Southwestern Louisiana, Jennifer R. Adams, John J. Cox, Lisette P. Waits

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Concerns over red wolf (Canis rufus) extinction caused by hybridization with coyotes (C. latrans) led to the capture and removal of remnant wild wolves from southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas, United States, during the 1970s. Here we show that despite decades of unmitigated hybridization, and declaration of endangered red wolves as functionally extinct in the wild, red wolf mitochondrial or nuclear DNA ancestry persists in ∼55% of contemporary wild canids sampled in southwestern Louisiana. Surprisingly, one individual had 78–100% red wolf ancestry, which is within the range for 75% red wolf, red wolf backcross, or putative …

Stress-Induced Epinephrine Enhances Lactate Dehydrogenase A And Promotes Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells, Bai Cui, Yuanyuan Luo, Pengfei Tian, Fei Peng, Jinxin Lu, Yongliang Yang, Qitong Su, Bing Liu, Jiachuan Yu, Xi Luo, Liu Yin, Wei Cheng, Fan An, Bin He, Dapeng Liang, Sijin Wu, Peng Chu, Luyao Song, Xinyu Liu, Huandong Luo, Binhua P. Zhou

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Chronic stress triggers activation of the sympathetic nervous system and drives malignancy. Using an immunodeficient murine system, we showed that chronic stress–induced epinephrine promoted breast cancer stem-like properties via lactate dehydrogenase A–dependent (LDHA-dependent) metabolic rewiring. Chronic stress–induced epinephrine activated LDHA to generate lactate, and the adjusted pH directed USP28-mediated deubiquitination and stabilization of MYC. The SLUG promoter was then activated by MYC, which promoted development of breast cancer stem-like traits. Using a drug screen that targeted LDHA, we found that a chronic stress–induced cancer stem-like phenotype could be reversed by vitamin C. These findings demonstrated the critical importance of psychological …

Saturated Fatty Acid Activates T Cell Inflammation Through A Nicotinamide Nucleotide Transhydrogenase (Nnt)-Dependent Mechanism, Grace Mccambridge, Madhur Agrawal, Alanna Keady, Philip A. Kern, Hatice Hasturk, Barbara S. Nikolajczyk, Leena P. Bharath

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Circulating fatty acids (FAs) increase with obesity and can drive mitochondrial damage and inflammation. Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) is a mitochondrial protein that positively regulates nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), a key mediator of energy transduction and redox homeostasis. The role that NNT-regulated bioenergetics play in the inflammatory response of immune cells in obesity is untested. Our objective was to determine how free fatty acids (FFAs) regulate inflammation through impacts on mitochondria and redox homeostasis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PBMCs from lean subjects were activated with a T cell-specific stimulus in the presence or absence of generally pro-inflammatory …

A Hindbrain Inhibitory Microcircuit Mediates Vagally-Coordinated Glucose Regulation, Carie R. Boychuk, Katalin Cs. Smith, Laura E. Peterson, Jeffery A. Boychuk, Corwin R. Butler, Isabel D. Derera, John J. Mccarthy, Bret N. Smith

Physiology Faculty Publications

Neurons in the brainstem dorsal vagal complex integrate neural and humoral signals to coordinate autonomic output to viscera that regulate a variety of physiological functions, but how this circuitry regulates metabolism is murky. We tested the hypothesis that premotor, GABAergic neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) form a hindbrain micro-circuit with preganglionic parasympathetic motorneurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) that is capable of modulating systemic blood glucose concentration. In vitro, neuronal activation or inhibition using either excitatory or inhibitory designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) constructs expressed in GABAergic NTS neurons increased …

How Good Is Our Kentucky Haylage? A Summary Of 2017-18 Farm Results, Jimmy C. Henning, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Levi Berg, April Wilhoit, Corinne Belton, Tommy R. Yankey

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The ability to harvest moist forage as hay gives Kentucky producers many advantages, including timely harvest, higher forage quality, and less weathering loss over hay systems. The baleage system allows producers to utilize commonly available forage equipment (mowers, rakes, balers) rather than requiring choppers and silo structures or bags. Making high quality baleage requires timely access to bale wrappers.

Farmer Panel: Baleage – How It Works On My Farm, Todd Clark, Tom Wright, Tom Greathouse

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

Hay Prices And Trends, David Knopf

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Kentucky’s large cattle and horse populations require considerable forage, and hay is one of the primary feed sources. The state ranks eighth nationally in the production of dry hay. This paper will look at this important sector of Kentucky’s agriculture production, specifically at the available sources of hay prices and recent price trends.

Apolipoprotein E4 Alters Astrocyte Fatty Acid Metabolism And Lipid Droplet Formation, Brandon C. Farmer, Jude Kluemper, Lance A. Johnson

Physiology Faculty Publications

Lipid droplets (LDs) serve as energy rich reservoirs and have been associated with apolipoprotein E (APOE) and neurodegeneration. The E4 allele of APOE (E4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for the development of late onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since both E4 carriers and individuals with AD exhibit a state of cerebral lipid dyshomeostasis, we hypothesized that APOE may play a role in regulating LD metabolism. We found that astrocytes expressing E4 accumulate significantly more and smaller LDs compared to E3 astrocytes. Accordingly, expression of perilipin-2, an essential LD protein component, was higher in E4 astrocytes. We then …

A Cross-Species Analysis Reveals A General Role For Piezo2 In Mechanosensory Specialization Of Trigeminal Ganglia From Tactile Specialist Birds, Eve R. Schneider, Evan O. Anderson, Viktor V. Feketa, Marco Mastrotto, Yury A. Nikolaev, Elena O. Gracheva, Sviatoslav N. Bagriantsev

Biology Faculty Publications

A major challenge in biology is to link cellular and molecular variations with behavioral phenotypes. Here, we studied somatosensory neurons from a panel of bird species from the family Anatidae, known for their tactile-based foraging behavior. We found that tactile specialists exhibit a proportional expansion of neuronal mechanoreceptors in trigeminal ganglia. The expansion of mechanoreceptors occurs via neurons with intermediately and slowly inactivating mechanocurrent. Such neurons contain the mechanically gated Piezo2 ion channel whose expression positively correlates with the expression of factors responsible for the development and function of mechanoreceptors. Conversely, Piezo2 expression negatively correlates with expression of molecules mediating …

The Future Of The History Of Design, Patrick Lucas, Helen Turner, Trey Conatser

Greater Faculties: A Review of Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.