Digital Commons Network^™

Comparison Of Parent And Child Ratings Of Fruit And Vegetable Liking To Assess Parent Accuracy As Proxy Reporters, Virginia C. Stage, Carrie Downing, Archana V. Hegde, Dipti Dev, Amanda D. Peterson, L. Suzanne Goodell

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study examined the accuracy of parent-report child fruit/ vegetable (FV) liking. Child/parent dyads (n = 24) were recruited from six Head Start preschools in North Carolina. Liking for 10 FVs was assessed using a validated pictorial tool for children; a similar scale was used for parents. Negative relationships were observed between parent/child for one fruit (grapes) and one vegetable (broccoli). Positive relationships were observed among oranges, grapes, and overall fruit rankings. Parents tended to rank children’s liking of fruits higher than their children, while children ranked liking vegetables higher. Findings suggest parents may not be accurate respondents for …

Through Faculty's Eyes: Teaching Threshold Concepts And The Framework, Lorna M. Dawes

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This study investigates faculty perceptions of teaching information literacy. Using 24 semi-structured interviews, a phenomenographic approach identified four qualitative ways in which faculty experienced teaching information literacy (IL). This paper analyzes the challenging information literacy concepts that faculty identify—known to many librarians as threshold concepts— and their relationship to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.” The study highlights the transdisciplinary nature of IL instruction and indicates that, although unaware of the ACRL Framework, faculty already teach at least three concepts from that document. This finding suggests new opportunities for collaborations between …

Novel Information On The Morphology, Phylogeny And Distribution Of Camallanid Mematodes From Marine And Freshwater Hosts In South Africa, Including The Description Of Camallanus Sodwanaensis N. Sp., Roman Svitin, Marliese Truter, Olena Kudlai, Nico J. Smit, Louis Du Preez

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Four species of previously known nematodes from the family Camallanidae were found from different hosts in South Africa: Batrachocamallanus xenopodis from the frog Xenopus muelleri, Paracamallanus cyathopharynx, and Procamallanus pseudolaeviconchus from the catfish Clarias gariepinus and Spirocamallanus daleneae from the catfish Synodontis zambezensis. In the material collected from various marine fishes, several specimens of nematodes from the genus Camallanus clearly differed from all previously known species. Based on morphological differences these specimens are assigned to a new species, C. sodwanaensis. Molecular data of 18S and 28S rDNA and COI sequences are provided for the collected species …

Scaphanocephalus-Associated Dermatitis As The Basis For Black Spot Disease In Acanthuridae Of St. Kitts, West Indies, Michelle M. Dennis, Adrien Izquierdo, Anne Conan, Kelsey Johnson, Solenne Giardi, Paul Frye, Mark A. Freeman

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Acanthurus spp. of St. Kitts and other Caribbean islands, including ocean surgeonfish A. bahianus, doctorfish A. chirurgus, and blue tang A. coeruleus, frequently show multifocal cutaneous pigmentation. Initial reports from the Leeward Antilles raised suspicion of a parasitic etiology. The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of the disease in St. Kitts’ Acanthuridae and describe its pathology and etiology. Visual surveys demonstrated consistently high adjusted mean prevalence at 3 shallow reefs in St. Kitts in 2017 (38.9%, 95% CI: 33.8−43.9) and 2018 (51.5%; 95% CI: 46.2−56.9). There were no differences in …

A New Species Of Gordius (Phylum Nematomorpha) From Terrestrial Habitats In North America, Christina Anaya, Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa, Ben Hanelt, Matthew G. Bolek

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Freshwater hairworms (class Gordiida) are members of the phylum Nematomorpha that use terrestrial arthropods as definitive hosts but reside as free-living adult worms in rivers, lakes, or streams. The genus Gordius consists of 90 described species, of which three species were described from freshwater habitats in North America. In this paper we describe a new species of Gordius from terrestrial habitats in Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana, United States. Oddly, each year hundreds of adult free-living worms appear after bouts of heavy rain on streets, sidewalks, and lawns during the winter season, when terrestrial arthropod hosts are not active. The new …

Ephemeral Gully Erosion Modeling And Surveying With Close-Range Digital Photogrammetry, M. A. Islam, C. Weerasekara, Y. Zhou, A. Y. Shesukov

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Northwest Margin Of The High Plains Aquifer: Structure, Depositional History And Hydrogeology, Nebraska Geological Society Field Trip, Doug Hallum, Dennis O. Terry, Jr., Michael Leite, Jennifer Balmat

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The northwest portion of the High Plains Aquifer in Nebraska corresponds with the western Sandhills, Box Butte, Sioux and Dawes County tablelands, and the Nebraska Pine Ridge in northwest Nebraska. This field excursion will travel beyond the margins of the High Plains aquifer into the White River valley and onto the Oglala National Grasslands. These areas are not only rich in natural resources, but rich in history as well. While this excursion will explore earth history, depositional environments and a portion of the High Plains Aquifer, the authors encourage all attendees to take additional time to explore the cultural, military …

Automatic Nonnutritive Suck Waveform Discrimination And Feature Extraction In Preterm Infants, Chunxiao Liao, Austin O. Rosner, Jill L. Maron, Dongli Song, Steven M. Barlow

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Background and Objective: +e emergence of the nonnutritive suck (NNS) pattern in preterm infants reflects the integrity of the brain and is used by clinicians in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to assess feeding readiness and oromotor development. A critical need exists for an integrated software platform that provides NNS signal preprocessing, adaptive waveform discrimination, feature detection, and batch processing of big data sets across multiple NICU sites. +us, the goal was to develop and describe a crossplatform graphical user interface (GUI) and terminal application known as NeoNNS for single and batch file time series and frequency-domain analyses of …

Using Data Mining Algorithms To Discover Regular Sound Changes Among Languages, Peter Revesz

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a method of using association rule data mining algorithms to discover regular sound changes among languages. The method presented has a great potential to facilitate linguistic studies aimed at identifying distantly related cognate languages. As an experimental example, this paper presents the application of the data mining method to the discovery of regular sound changes between the Hungarian and the Sumerian languages, which separated at least five thousand years ago when the Proto-Sumerian reached Mesopotamia. The data mining method discovered an important regular sound change between Hungarian word initial /f/ and Sumerian word initial /b/ phonemes.

Applying Molecular Communication Theory To Multi-Scale Integrated Models Of Biological Pathways, Zahmeeth Sakkaff, Bige Deniz Unluturk, Massimiliano Pierobon

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

The natural communication ability of cells is explored in this paper by providing preliminary results in the estimation of the Mutual Information (MI) of signaling pathway communication channels. These results, based on an application of Molecular Communication (MC) and information theory concepts to multi-scale integrated Flux-Balance Analysis (iFBA) models are a first step to evaluate the potential of cells and their biochemical processes as a substrate for enabling engineered MC channels for the future internet of Bio-Nano Things.

Radar Quantification, Temporal Analysis And Influence Of Atmospheric Conditions On A Roost Of American Robins (Turdus Migratorius) In Oklahoma, Matthew S. Van Den Broeke

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Radar observations present a way to monitor large, mobile populations across long temporal scales, and are especially valuable when individual scatterers are challenging to count visually. The focus of this study is a large and relatively homogeneous wintertime roost of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) in central Oklahoma. Radar observations are used to estimate the roost population through winter 2010–2011, and the population time series is related to weather variables and radar beam propagation. Radar-estimated roost population gradually increased to an estimated peak of 1.5–2 million individuals from November 2010 to January 2011, and then decreased in a more …

Neutrophil Activation In Systemic Capillary Leak Syndrome (Clarkson Disease), Zhihui Xie, Douglas B. Kuhns, Xuesong Gu, Hasan H. Otu, Towia A. Libermann, John I. Gallin, Samir M. Parikh, Kirk M. Druey

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS; Clarkson disease) is a rare orphan disorder characterized by transient yet recurrent episodes of hypotension and peripheral oedema due to diffuse vascular leakage of fluids and proteins into soft tissues. Humoral mediators, cellular responses and genetic features accounting for the clinical phenotype of SCLS are virtually unknown. Here, we searched for factors altered in acute SCLS plasma relative to matched convalescent samples using multiplexed aptamer‐based proteomic screening. Relative amounts of 612 proteins were changed greater than twofold and 81 proteins were changed at least threefold. Among the most enriched proteins in acute SCLS plasma were …

Zebrafish Macroh2a Variants Have Distinct Embryo Localization And Function, E. Gonzalez-Munoz, Y. Arboleda-Estudillo, S. K. Chanumolu, H. H. Otu, J. B. Cibelli

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Mouse and cell-based studies have shown that macroH2A histone variants predominantly associate with heterochromatin. Functional studies found that macroH2As are involved in gene repression, inhibiting the acquisition of pluripotency and preserving cell differentiation. However, only a few studies have analysed the role of macroH2A during early embryo development. We report the development of transgenic zebrafish lines expressing macroH2A isoforms (mH2A1 and mH2A2) fusion proteins (with GFP) under identified endogenous promoters. We found that mH2A1 and mH2A2 have different spatial and temporal expression patterns during embryonic development. mH2A1 is expressed mostly in the extraembryonic Yolk Syncytial Layer (YSL) starting before shield …

Longitudinal Phonon Plasmon Mode Coupling In Β-Ga2O3, Mathias Schubert, Alyssa Mock, Rafal Korlacki, Sean Knight, Zbigniew Galazka, Günther Wagner, Virginia Wheeler, Marko Tadjer, Ken Goto, Vanya Darakchieva

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this letter, we investigate a set of n-type single crystals of monoclinic symmetry β-Ga₂O₃ with different free electron concentration values by generalized far infrared and infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry. In excellent agreement with our previous model prediction, we find here by experiment that longitudinal-phonon-plasmon coupled modes are polarized either within the monoclinic plane or perpendicular to the monoclinic plane. As predicted, all modes change the amplitude and frequency with the free electron concentration. The most important observation is that all longitudinal-phonon-plasmon coupled modes polarized within the monoclinic plane continuously change their direction as a function of …

Discrete And Looking (To Profit): Homoconnectivity On Grindr, Chase Aunspach

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The queer dating and hookup app Grindr evidences a technological and economic intensification in queer spaces online. The dominant modality of capitalist power is no longer consumerist norms but the collection and analysis of data. Grindr’s participation in datafication distributes increased risks upon its queer users and necessitates a renewed politics of queer privacy beyond homonormativity. I name this arrangement of power homoconnectivity and detail four techniques that capitalism deploys to capture and monetize queer social production. Ultimately, this article unpacks how Grindr designs experiences that move users to log into the app while hiding its engagement with multi-sided markets. …

Infertility Patient-Provider Communication And (Dis)Continuity Of Care: An Exploration Of Illness Identity Transitions, Angela L. Palmer-Wackerly, Heather L Voorhees, Sarah D’Souza, Edward Weeks

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Objective: To identify how and why infertility patients’ communication with health care providers relates to their continuity of care within infertility treatment.

Method: A grounded theory analysis was conducted for 25 in-depth interviews across three coding phases, where we remained open to all themes present in the data, narrowed to most prominent themes, and found the connections between the themes.

Results: Based on our identified themes, we created a conceptual model that explains why infertility patients (dis)continued care with one or more clinician. Through this model, we describe two infertility identity transitions for patients: Transition 1: “Infertility as Temporary” to …

Susceptibility Of Corn To Stink Bug (Dichelops Melacanthus) And Its Management Through Seed Treatment, Paulo Roberta Da Silva, Ademar Novais Istchuk, Thomas E. Hunt, Cristina Schetino Bastos, Jorge Braz Torres, Karolayne Lopes Campos, Josemar Foresti

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

We determined the susceptibility of vegetative corn stages to Dichelops melacanthus damage, and how seed treatment can reduce damage and yield loss. Two field trials were carried out. In the first, corn plants were artificially infested with D. melacanthus male/female pairs at rate of 0.5 pair per plant at different vegetative stages and infestation periods lasting 7-28 days (V1-V3, V1-V5, V1-V7, V1-V9, V3-V5, V3-V7, V3-V9, V5-V7, V5-V9, and V7-V9), plus a control without infestation. In the second, corn plants were artificially infested at a rate of one male/female pair per plant at different vegetative stages and infestation periods (V1-V3, V1-V5, …

A New Pest Species Of Resseliella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) On Soybean (Fabaceae) In North America, With A Description Of The Genus, Raymond Gagne, Junichi Yukawa, Ayman K. Elsayed, Anthony J. Mcmechan

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A new species, Resseliella maxima Gagne, is reported that feeds on the lower stems of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. (Fabaceae) in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota. It is described and illustrated and compared in detail with other Resseliella spp. DNA data support its status as a new species. A general description is given for Resseliella.

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Alters The Transcriptome Of Its Vector, Wheat Curl Mite (Aceria Tosichella Keifer), To Enhance Mite Development And Population Expansion, Adarsh K. Gupta, Erin D. Scully, Nathan A. Palmer, Scott M. Geib, Gautam Sarath, Gary L. Hein, Satyanarayana Tatineni

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus; family Potyviridae) is an economically important wheat virus that is transmitted by the wheat curl mite (WCM; Aceria tosichella Keifer) in a persistent manner. Virus–vector coevolution may potentially influence vector gene expression to prolong viral association and thus increase virus transmission efficiency and spread. To understand the transcriptomic responses of WCM to WSMV, RNA sequencing was performed to assemble and analyse transcriptomes of WSMV viruliferous and aviruliferous mites. Among 7291 de novo-assembled unigenes, 1020 were differentially expressed between viruliferous and aviruliferous WCMs using edgeR at a false discovery rate ≤0.05. …

Biotic Potential And Reproductive Parameters Of Spodoptera Frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Débora Goulart Montezano, Alexandre Specht, Daniel R. Sosa-Gomez, Vânia F. Roque-Specht, Juaci V. Malaquias, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Julie A. Peterson, Thomas E. Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a native to the Americas and recently reported in Africa, Germany, the Netherlands and India, is a significant pest of many crop species. Although a widespread and important pest, information on its biology and development are incomplete and require detailed study. In this study, the biotic potential and reproductive parameters of S. frugiperda were evaluated under controlled conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10% RH and 14 hour photophase). The longevity, pre-, post- and oviposition periods, fecundity, and fertility of 30 pairs were evaluated. The longevity of …

Composition And Host-Use Patterns Of A Scarab Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Community Inhabiting The Canopy Of A Lowland Tropical Rainforest In Southern Venezuela, Susan Kirmse, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The adult scarab beetle fauna of the canopy in a lowland tropical rainforest in southern Venezuela was observed and collected by means of a 42 m-tall tower crane for a complete year. This first census of an entire Amazonian canopy scarab community was embedded within the interdisciplinary research project "Towards an understanding of the structure and function of a Neotropical rainforest ecosystem with special reference to its canopy" organized by the Austrian Academy of Science. The Scarabaeidae represented one of the most species-rich beetle families in the canopy of the crane plot and were therefore selected for a detailed analysis …

Soil Arthropod Abundance And Diversity Following Land Application Of Swine Slurry, Nichole R. Schuster, Julie A. Peterson, John E. Gilley, Linda R. Schott, Amy M. Schmidt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Soil arthropods play an important role in nutrient cycling and maintenance of soil structure, and their abundance and diversity provide an indication of the biological quality of soil. Land application of livestock manure provides crop nutrients and may also impact the soil arthropod community. This study was conducted to quantify soil arthropod abundance and diversity for a pe-riod of one year following swine manure application via broadcast or injec-tion. Arthropods were extracted from plot soil samples using Berlese funnels, identified and counted, and the QBS index (Qualità Biologica del Suolo) was calculated for each soil sample. Collembola (Hypogastruridae and Isotomi-dae) …

Effect Of Neem-Based Botanicals And Abamectin 1.8% Ec Against Phyllocnistis Citrella1 In Citrus Reticulata (Rutaceae) Nursery Plantations, Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Muhammad Afzal, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Omar Francisco Prado-Rebolledo, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, is an economically important insect pest of citrus in Pakistan, Mexico, the United States and many other citrus-producing countries. Extract of Azadirachta indica A. Juss at 5 and 7% and its oil at 1 and 1.5% concentrations were tested in comparison to synthetic insecticide abamectin 1.8% EC against P. citrella in nursery plantations of Citrus reticulata L. Control of all larval instars of citrus leafminer was good with application of abamectin and A. indica oil during fall 2015 and summer 2016. Abamectin suppressed 75-90% of P. citrella larvae both seasons. A. indica oil at greater …

Temperature Dependent Development Of Sugarcane Aphids Melanaphis Sacchari, (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On Three Different Host Plants With Estimates Of The Lower And Upper Threshold For Fecundity, Michael A. De Souza, J. Scott Armstrong, W. Wyatt Hoback, Phillip G. Mulder, Sulochana Paudyal, John E. Foster, Mark E. Payton, Josephine Akosa

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) is a serious economic threat to grain sorghum across the U.S. sorghum belt. It can develop on multiple grass hosts but only appears to survive winter temperatures in Texas near the Mexican border, Florida and Louisiana. Because survival and reproduction of aphids is dependent on access to appropriate nutrition and temperatures at which metabolic processes are maintained, we evaluated the growth, reproduction and survival of sugarcane aphids at constant temperatures (5°C,10°C,15°C,20°C,25°C,30°C,35°C) on three known hosts, sorghum, Johnsongrass, and Columbus grass. Longevity, fecundity, number of female nymphs/d, reproductive period in d, and intrinsic rate of …

Optimizing Egg Recovery From Wild Northern Corn Rootworm Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Adriano E. Pereira, Dalton C. Ludwick, Julie Barry, Lance J. Meinke, Daniel J. Moellenbeck, Mark R. Ellersieck, Jordan D. Reinders, Ryan W. Geisert, Keiran Hyte, Amanda Ernwall, Kyle J. Paddock, Bruce E. Hibbard

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is one of the most important insect pests in the U.S. Corn Belt. Efforts to obtain eggs from wild northern corn rootworm populations using techniques developed for other rootworm species have been unsuccessful due to lack of oviposition. In 2016, we evaluated four oviposition media in choice tests within each of three female densities in 30.5 × 30.5 × 30.5 cm BugDorm cages. The number of eggs laid per female was significantly affected by female density and the interaction of female density × oviposition media, but oviposition was relatively …

Chlorothalonil Exposure Alters Virus Susceptibility And Markers Of Immunity, Nutrition, And Development In Honey Bees, Scott T. O'Neal, Alison M. Reeves, Richard D. Fell, Carlyle C. Brewster, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Chlorothalonil is a broad spectrum chloronitrile fungicide that has been identified as one of the most common pesticide contaminants found in managed honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apis mellifera L.), their food stores, and the hive environment. While not acutely toxic to honey bees, several studies have identified potential sublethal effects, especially in larvae, but comprehensive information regarding the impact of chlorothalonil on adults is lacking. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to a field relevant level of chlorothalonil on honey bee antiviral immunity and biochemical markers of general and social immunity, as well as …

Community Composition, Abundance, And Phenology Of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) In Soybean In The North Central Region Of The United States, Daniela Pezzini, Christina D. Difonzo, Deborah L. Finke, Thomas Hunt, Janet J. Knodel, Christian H. Krupke, Brian P. Mccornack, Andrew P. Michel, Christopher R. Philips, Adam J. Varenhorst, Robert J. Wright, Robert Koch

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are an increasing threat to soybean (Fabales: Fabaceae) production in the North Central Region of the United States, which accounts for 80% of the country’s total soybean production. Characterization of the stink bug community is essential for development of management programs for these pests. However, the composition of the stink bug community in the region is not well defined. This study aimed to address this gap with a 2-yr, 9-state survey. Specifically, we characterized the relative abundance, richness, and diversity of taxa in this community, and assessed phenological differences in abundance of herbivorous and predatory stink …

Will Whitcomb: Entomologist And Old-School Naturalist, John R. Ruberson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

It’s a great pleasure and privilege to reflect on the life and career of Dr. Willard Hall Whitcomb. I tend to agree with Norm Leppla’s assessment that “Dr. Willard Whitcomb, without a doubt, was the most colorful entomological character I have ever known.” I knew Will chiefly by scientific reputation before briefly meeting him in 1988 for the first time. My first significant interactions with Will came in 1994 while I was with the University of Georgia in Tifton, and we tossed ideas back and forth until his death in 2002. However, I never felt that I knew the man …

Wheat Stem Maggot (Diptera: Chloropidae): An Emerging Pest Of Cover Crop To Corn Transition Systems, Gabriela Inveninato Carmona, Jennifer M. Rees, Ronald C. Seymour, Robert J. Wright, Anthony J. Mcmechan

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The wheat stem maggot (Meromyza americana Fitch) (WSM) is a minor pest of wheat, rye, and other grasses. In 2017, growers in Nebraska reported dead center whorls and excessive tillering in early-season cornfields that followed wheat or rye terminated after planting corn. A survey was conducted to evaluate the risk factors for this insect in cover crop to corn transition systems. In each field, management practices and the percentage of injured plants were recorded. Symptomatic corn plants were collected from each field and dissected to determine larval and plant characteristics. In a few cases, small patches of a field …

Gut Microbiota Dependent Anti-Tumor Immunity Restricts Melanoma Growth In Rnf5−/− Mice, Yan Li, Roberto Tinoco, Lisa Elmén, Igor Segota, Yibo Xian, Yu Fujita, Avinash Sahu, Raphy Zarecki, Kerrie Marie, Yongmei Feng, Ali Khateb, Dennie T. Frederick, Shiri K. Ashkenazi, Hyungsoo Kim, Eva Guijarro Perez, Chi-Ping Day, Rafael S. Segura Muñoz, Robert Schmaltz, Shibu Yooseph, Miguel A. Tam, Tongwu Zhang, Emily Avitan-Hersh, Lihi Tzur, Shoshana Roizman, Ilanit Boyango, Gil Bar-Sela, Amir Orian, Randal J. Kaufman, Marcus Bosenberg, Colin R. Goding, Bas Baaten, Mitchell P. Levesque, Reinhard Dummer, Kevin Brown, Glenn Merlino, Eytan Ruppin, Keith Flaherty, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Tao Long, Scott N. Peterson, Linda M. Bradley, Ze’Ev A. Ronai

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Accumulating evidence points to an important role for the gut microbiome in anti-tumor immunity. Here, we show that altered intestinal microbiota contributes to anti-tumor immunity, limiting tumor expansion. Mice lacking the ubiquitin ligase RNF5 exhibit attenuated activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) components, which coincides with increased expression of inflammasome components, recruitment and activation of dendritic cells and reduced expression of antimicrobial peptides in intestinal epithelial cells. Reduced UPR expression is also seen in murine and human melanoma tumor specimens that responded to immune checkpoint therapy. Co-housing of Rnf5−/− and WT mice abolishes the anti-tumor immunity and tumor inhibition …