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Htlv-1 Viral Oncogene Hbz Drives Bone Destruction In Adult T Cell Leukemia, Jingyu Xiang, Daniel A Rauch, Devra D Huey, Amanda R Panfil, Xiaogang Cheng, Alison K Esser, Xinming Su, John C Harding, Yalin Xu, Gregory C Fox, Francesca Fontana, Takayuki Kobayashi, Junyi Su, Hemalatha Sundaramoorthi, Wing Hing Wong, Yizhen Jia, Thomas J Rosol, Deborah J Veis, Patrick L Green, Stefan Niewiesk, Lee Ratner, Katherine N Weilbaecher Oct 2019

Htlv-1 Viral Oncogene Hbz Drives Bone Destruction In Adult T Cell Leukemia, Jingyu Xiang, Daniel A Rauch, Devra D Huey, Amanda R Panfil, Xiaogang Cheng, Alison K Esser, Xinming Su, John C Harding, Yalin Xu, Gregory C Fox, Francesca Fontana, Takayuki Kobayashi, Junyi Su, Hemalatha Sundaramoorthi, Wing Hing Wong, Yizhen Jia, Thomas J Rosol, Deborah J Veis, Patrick L Green, Stefan Niewiesk, Lee Ratner, Katherine N Weilbaecher

Open Access Publications

Osteolytic bone lesions and hypercalcemia are common, serious complications in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), an aggressive T cell malignancy associated with human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. The HTLV-1 viral oncogene HBZ has been implicated in ATL tumorigenesis and bone loss. In this study, we evaluated the role of HBZ on ATL-associated bone destruction using HTLV-1 infection and disease progression mouse models. Humanized mice infected with HTLV-1 developed lymphoproliferative disease and continuous, progressive osteolytic bone lesions. HTLV-1 lacking HBZ displayed only modest delays to lymphoproliferative disease but significantly decreased disease-associated bone loss compared with HTLV-1-infected mice. …


Irak4 Mediates Colitis-Induced Tumorigenesis And Chemoresistance In Colorectal Cancer, Qiong Li, Yali Chen, Daoxiang Zhang, Julie Grossman, Lin Li, Namrata Khurana, Hongmei Jiang, Patrick M Grierson, John Herndon, David G Denardo, Grant A Challen, Jingxia Liu, Marianna B Ruzinova, Ryan C Fields, Kian-Huat Lim Oct 2019

Irak4 Mediates Colitis-Induced Tumorigenesis And Chemoresistance In Colorectal Cancer, Qiong Li, Yali Chen, Daoxiang Zhang, Julie Grossman, Lin Li, Namrata Khurana, Hongmei Jiang, Patrick M Grierson, John Herndon, David G Denardo, Grant A Challen, Jingxia Liu, Marianna B Ruzinova, Ryan C Fields, Kian-Huat Lim

Open Access Publications

Aberrant activation of the NF-κB transcription factors underlies chemoresistance in various cancer types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Targeting the activating mechanisms, particularly with inhibitors to the upstream IκB kinase (IKK) complex, is a promising strategy to augment the effect of chemotherapy. However, clinical success has been limited, largely because of low specificity and toxicities of tested compounds. In solid cancers, the IKKs are driven predominantly by the Toll-like receptor (TLR)/IL-1 receptor family members, which signal through the IL-1 receptor-associated kinases (IRAKs), with isoform 4 (IRAK4) being the most critical. The pathogenic role and therapeutic value of IRAK4 in CRC have …


Sr9009 Administered For One Day After Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Prevents Heart Failure In Mice By Targeting The Cardiac Inflammasome, Cristine J Reitz, Faisal J Alibhai, Tarak N Khatua, Mina Rasouli, Byram W Bridle, Thomas P Burris, Tami A Martino Oct 2019

Sr9009 Administered For One Day After Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Prevents Heart Failure In Mice By Targeting The Cardiac Inflammasome, Cristine J Reitz, Faisal J Alibhai, Tarak N Khatua, Mina Rasouli, Byram W Bridle, Thomas P Burris, Tami A Martino

Open Access Publications

Reperfusion of patients after myocardial infarction (heart attack) triggers cardiac inflammation that leads to infarct expansion and heart failure (HF). We previously showed that the circadian mechanism is a critical regulator of reperfusion injury. However, whether pharmacological targeting using circadian medicine limits reperfusion injury and protects against HF is unknown. Here, we show that short-term targeting of the circadian driver REV-ERB with SR9009 benefits long-term cardiac repair post-myocardial ischemia reperfusion in mice. Gain and loss of function studies demonstrate specificity of targeting REV-ERB in mice. Treatment for just one day abates the cardiac NLRP3 inflammasome, decreasing immunocyte recruitment, and thereby …


Association Of Acquired And Heritable Factors With Intergenerational Differences In Age At Symptomatic Onset Of Alzheimer Disease Between Offspring And Parents With Dementia, Gregory S. Day, Carlos Cruchaga, Thomas Wingo, Suzanne E. Schindler, Dean Coble, John C. Morris Oct 2019

Association Of Acquired And Heritable Factors With Intergenerational Differences In Age At Symptomatic Onset Of Alzheimer Disease Between Offspring And Parents With Dementia, Gregory S. Day, Carlos Cruchaga, Thomas Wingo, Suzanne E. Schindler, Dean Coble, John C. Morris

Open Access Publications

Importance: Acquired and heritable traits are associated with dementia risk; however, how these traits are associated with age at symptomatic onset (AAO) of Alzheimer disease (AD) is unknown. Identifying the associations of acquired and heritable factors with variability in intergenerational AAO of AD could facilitate diagnosis, assessment, and counseling of the offspring of parents with AD.

Objective: To quantify the associations of acquired and heritable factors with intergenerational differences in AAO of AD.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This nested cohort study used data from the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center that included community-dwelling participants with symptomatic AD, parental history of …


Stub1 Suppresseses Tumorigenesis And Chemoresistance Through Antagonizing Yap1 Signaling, Dong-E Tang, Yong Dai, Lie-Wen Lin, Yong Xu, Dong-Zhou Liu, Xiao-Ping Hong, Hao-Wu Jiang, Song-Hui Xu Oct 2019

Stub1 Suppresseses Tumorigenesis And Chemoresistance Through Antagonizing Yap1 Signaling, Dong-E Tang, Yong Dai, Lie-Wen Lin, Yong Xu, Dong-Zhou Liu, Xiao-Ping Hong, Hao-Wu Jiang, Song-Hui Xu

Open Access Publications

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a component of the canonical Hippo signaling pathway that is known to play essential roles in modulating organ size, development, and tumorigenesis. Activation or upregulation of YAP1, which contributes to cancer cell survival and chemoresistance, has been verified in different types of human cancers. However, the molecular mechanism of YAP1 upregulation in cancer is still unclear. Here we report that the E3 ubiquitin ligase STUB1 ubiquitinates and destabilizes YAP1, thereby inhibiting cancer cell survival. Low levels of STUB1 expression were correlated with increased protein levels of YAP1 in human gastric cancer cell lines and patient samples. …


Association Of Circulating Ceramides With Cardiac Structure And Function In The Community: The Framingham Heart Study, Chike C Nwabuo, Meredith Duncan, Vanessa Xanthakis, Linda R Peterson, Gary F Mitchell, David Mcmanus, Susan Cheng, Ramachandran S. Vasan Oct 2019

Association Of Circulating Ceramides With Cardiac Structure And Function In The Community: The Framingham Heart Study, Chike C Nwabuo, Meredith Duncan, Vanessa Xanthakis, Linda R Peterson, Gary F Mitchell, David Mcmanus, Susan Cheng, Ramachandran S. Vasan

Open Access Publications

Background A higher circulating plasma ceramide ratio (C16:0/C24:0) is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, even after accounting for standard risk factors including lipid markers. However, the pathobiological mechanisms that underlie this association are incompletely understood. We tested the hypothesis that plasma ceramide ratio (C16:0/C24:0) is associated with adverse cardiac remodeling in the community. Methods and Results We evaluated 2652 Framingham Offspring Study participants (mean age, 66±9 years; 55% women) who attended their eighth examination cycle and underwent routine echocardiography and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based assays for circulating ceramide concentrations. We used multivariable linear regression models to relate …


Astrovirus Replication In Human Intestinal Enteroids Reveals Multi-Cellular Tropism And An Intricate Host Innate Immune Landscape, Abimbola O. Kolawole, Andrew B Janowski, David Wang, Christiane E. Wobus, Et Al. Oct 2019

Astrovirus Replication In Human Intestinal Enteroids Reveals Multi-Cellular Tropism And An Intricate Host Innate Immune Landscape, Abimbola O. Kolawole, Andrew B Janowski, David Wang, Christiane E. Wobus, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

Human astroviruses (HAstV) are understudied positive-strand RNA viruses that cause gastroenteritis mostly in children and the elderly. Three clades of astroviruses, classic, MLB-type and VA-type have been reported in humans. One limitation towards a better understanding of these viruses has been the lack of a physiologically relevant cell culture model that supports growth of all clades of HAstV. Herein, we demonstrate infection of HAstV strains belonging to all three clades in epithelium-only human intestinal enteroids (HIE) isolated from biopsy-derived intestinal crypts. A detailed investigation of infection of VA1, a member of the non-canonical HAstV-VA/HMO clade, showed robust replication in HIE …


Intermediate-High Risk Pulmonary Embolism, Rosa Mirambeaux, Francisco León, Behnood Bikdeli, Raquel Morillo, Deisy Barrios, Edwin Mercedes, Lisa Moores, Victor Tapson, Roger D. Yusen, David Jiménez Oct 2019

Intermediate-High Risk Pulmonary Embolism, Rosa Mirambeaux, Francisco León, Behnood Bikdeli, Raquel Morillo, Deisy Barrios, Edwin Mercedes, Lisa Moores, Victor Tapson, Roger D. Yusen, David Jiménez

Open Access Publications

Limited information exists about the prevalence, management, and outcomes of intermediate-high risk patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). In a prospective cohort study, we evaluated consecutive patients with intermediate-high risk PE at a large, tertiary, academic medical center between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2019. Adjudicated outcomes included PE-related mortality and a complicated course through 30 days after initiation of PE treatment. Repeat systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) measurements, and echocardiography were performed within 48 hours after diagnosis. Among 1,015 normotensive patients with acute PE, 97 (9.6%) had …


Sequence Specificity Despite Intrinsic Disorder: How A Disease-Associated Val/Met Polymorphism Rearranges Tertiary Interactions In A Long Disordered Protein, Ruchi Lohia, Reza Salari, Grace Brannigan Oct 2019

Sequence Specificity Despite Intrinsic Disorder: How A Disease-Associated Val/Met Polymorphism Rearranges Tertiary Interactions In A Long Disordered Protein, Ruchi Lohia, Reza Salari, Grace Brannigan

Open Access Publications

The role of electrostatic interactions and mutations that change charge states in intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is well-established, but many disease-associated mutations in IDPs are charge-neutral. The Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in precursor brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the earliest SNPs to be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, and the underlying molecular mechanism is unknown. Here we report on over 250 μs of fully-atomistic, explicit solvent, temperature replica-exchange molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the 91 residue BDNF prodomain, for both the V66 and M66 sequence. The simulations were able to correctly reproduce the location of both local and …


Open-Sourced Civic Annotation Pipeline To Identify And Annotate Clinically Relevant Variants Using Single-Molecule Molecular Inversion Probes, Erica K Barnell, Adam Waalkes, Matt C Mosior, Kelsi Penewit, Kelsy C Cotto, Arpad M Danos, Lana M Sheta, Katie M Campbell, Kilannin Krysiak, Damian Rieke, Nicholas C Spies, Zachary L Skidmore, Colin C Pritchard, Todd A Fehniger, Ravindra Uppaluri, Ramaswamy Govindan, Malachi Griffith, Stephen J Salipante, Obi L Griffith Oct 2019

Open-Sourced Civic Annotation Pipeline To Identify And Annotate Clinically Relevant Variants Using Single-Molecule Molecular Inversion Probes, Erica K Barnell, Adam Waalkes, Matt C Mosior, Kelsi Penewit, Kelsy C Cotto, Arpad M Danos, Lana M Sheta, Katie M Campbell, Kilannin Krysiak, Damian Rieke, Nicholas C Spies, Zachary L Skidmore, Colin C Pritchard, Todd A Fehniger, Ravindra Uppaluri, Ramaswamy Govindan, Malachi Griffith, Stephen J Salipante, Obi L Griffith

Open Access Publications

PURPOSE: Clinical targeted sequencing panels are important for identifying actionable variants for patients with cancer; however, existing approaches do not provide transparent and rationally designed clinical panels to accommodate the rapidly growing knowledge within oncology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the Clinical Interpretations of Variants in Cancer (CIViC) database to develop an Open-Sourced CIViC Annotation Pipeline (OpenCAP). OpenCAP provides methods to identify variants within the CIViC database, build probes for variant capture, use probes on prospective samples, and link somatic variants to CIViC clinical relevance statements. OpenCAP was tested using a single-molecule molecular inversion probe (smMIP) capture design on 27 …


Optimizing Postprandial Glucose Management In Adults With Insulin-Requiring Diabetes: Report And Recommendations, John (Jack) L. Leahy, Grazia Aleppo, Vivian A. Fonseca, Satish K. Garg, Irl B. Hirsch, Anthony L. Mccall, Janet B. Mcgill, William H. Polonsky Oct 2019

Optimizing Postprandial Glucose Management In Adults With Insulin-Requiring Diabetes: Report And Recommendations, John (Jack) L. Leahy, Grazia Aleppo, Vivian A. Fonseca, Satish K. Garg, Irl B. Hirsch, Anthony L. Mccall, Janet B. Mcgill, William H. Polonsky

Open Access Publications

Faster-acting insulins, new noninsulin drug classes, more flexible insulin-delivery systems, and improved continuous glucose monitoring devices offer unprecedented opportunities to improve postprandial glucose (PPG) management and overall care for adults with insulin-treated diabetes. These developments led the Endocrine Society to convene a working panel of diabetes experts in December 2018 to assess the current state of PPG management, identify innovative ways to improve self-management and quality of life, and align best practices to current and emerging treatment and monitoring options. Drawing on current research and collective clinical experience, we considered the following issues for the ∼200 million adults worldwide with …


A Human Stat1 Gain-Of-Function Mutation Impairs Cd8 + T Cell Responses Against Gammaherpesvirus 68, Wei Qian, Cathrine A Miner, Harshad Ingle, Derek J Platt, Megan T Baldridge, Jonathan J Miner Oct 2019

A Human Stat1 Gain-Of-Function Mutation Impairs Cd8 + T Cell Responses Against Gammaherpesvirus 68, Wei Qian, Cathrine A Miner, Harshad Ingle, Derek J Platt, Megan T Baldridge, Jonathan J Miner

Open Access Publications

Autosomal dominant STAT1 mutations in humans have been associated with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC), as well as with increased susceptibility to herpesvirus infections. Prior studies have focused on mucosal and Th17-mediated immunity against


Phase I, Open-Label, Dose-Escalation Study Of The Safety, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, And Efficacy Of Gsk2879552 In Relapsed/Refractory Sclc, Todd M Bauer, Benjamin Besse, Alex Martinez-Marti, Jose Manuel Trigo, Victor Moreno, Pilar Garrido, Geraldine Ferron-Brady, Yuehui Wu, Jennifer Park, Therese Collingwood, Ryan G Kruger, Helai P Mohammad, Marc S Ballas, Arindam Dhar, Ramaswamy Govindan Oct 2019

Phase I, Open-Label, Dose-Escalation Study Of The Safety, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, And Efficacy Of Gsk2879552 In Relapsed/Refractory Sclc, Todd M Bauer, Benjamin Besse, Alex Martinez-Marti, Jose Manuel Trigo, Victor Moreno, Pilar Garrido, Geraldine Ferron-Brady, Yuehui Wu, Jennifer Park, Therese Collingwood, Ryan G Kruger, Helai P Mohammad, Marc S Ballas, Arindam Dhar, Ramaswamy Govindan

Open Access Publications

INTRODUCTION: This first-time-in-humans study assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and clinical activity of GSK2879552 in patients with relapsed or refractory SCLC.

METHODS: This phase I, multicenter, open-label study (NCT02034123) enrolled patients (≥18 years old) with relapsed or refractory SCLC (after ≥1 platinum-containing chemotherapy or refusal of standard therapy). Part 1 was a dose-escalation study; Part 2 was a dose-expansion study. Dose escalations were based on safety, PK, and PD. The primary end point (Part 1) was to determine the safety, tolerability, and recommended dose and regimen of GSK2879552. Secondary end points were to characterize PK and PD parameters …


Casein Kinase 1 Family Proteins Promote Slimb-Dependent Expanded Degradation, Alexander D. Fulford, Maxine V. Holder, David Frith, Ambrosius P. Snijders, Nicolas Tapon, Paulo S. Ribeiro Sep 2019

Casein Kinase 1 Family Proteins Promote Slimb-Dependent Expanded Degradation, Alexander D. Fulford, Maxine V. Holder, David Frith, Ambrosius P. Snijders, Nicolas Tapon, Paulo S. Ribeiro

Open Access Publications

Hippo signalling integrates diverse stimuli related to epithelial architecture to regulate tissue growth and cell fate decisions. The Hippo kinase cascade represses the growth-promoting transcription co-activator Yorkie. The FERM protein Expanded is one of the main upstream Hippo signalling regulators in


Feasibility Of Detecting Change In Backscattered Energy Of Acoustic Harmonics In Locally Heated Tissues, Borna Maraghechi, Michael C Kolios, Jahan Tavakkoli Sep 2019

Feasibility Of Detecting Change In Backscattered Energy Of Acoustic Harmonics In Locally Heated Tissues, Borna Maraghechi, Michael C Kolios, Jahan Tavakkoli

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.


Inhibition Of 4-Aminobutyrate Aminotransferase Protects Against Injury-Induced Osteoarthritis In Mice, Jie Shen, Cuicui Wang, Jun Ying, Taotao Xu, Audrey Mcalinden, Regis J. O'Keefe Sep 2019

Inhibition Of 4-Aminobutyrate Aminotransferase Protects Against Injury-Induced Osteoarthritis In Mice, Jie Shen, Cuicui Wang, Jun Ying, Taotao Xu, Audrey Mcalinden, Regis J. O'Keefe

Open Access Publications

Recently we demonstrated that ablation of the DNA methyltransferase enzyme, Dnmt3b, resulted in catabolism and progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in murine articular cartilage through a mechanism involving increased mitochondrial respiration. In this study, we identify 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (Abat) as a downstream target of Dnmt3b. Abat is an enzyme that metabolizes γ-aminobutyric acid to succinate, a key intermediate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. We show that Dnmt3b binds to the Abat promoter, increases methylation of a conserved CpG sequence just upstream of the transcriptional start site, and inhibits Abat expression. Dnmt3b deletion in articular chondrocytes results in reduced methylation of the …


Race And Risk Of Subsequent Aggressive Breast Cancer Following Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Ying Liu, Robert West, Jason D Weber, Graham A Colditz Sep 2019

Race And Risk Of Subsequent Aggressive Breast Cancer Following Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Ying Liu, Robert West, Jason D Weber, Graham A Colditz

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: General populations of black women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer negative for both estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in comparison with white counterparts. Racial differences remain unknown in the risk of developing aggressive invasive breast cancer (IBC) that is characterized by negativity for both ER and PR (ER-PR-) or higher 21-gene recurrence scores after ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

METHODS: This study identified 163,892 women (10.5% black, 9.8% Asian, and 8.6% Hispanic) with incident DCIS between 1990 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data sets. Cox proportional hazards regression was used …


Identification Of 4-Amino-Thieno[2,3-D]Pyrimidines As Qcrb Inhibitors In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Gregory A Harrison, Anne E Mayer Bridwell, Megh Singh, Keshav Jayaraman, Leslie A Weiss, Rachel L Kinsella, Janessa S Aneke, Kelly Flentie, Miranda E Schene, Margaret Gaggioli, Samantha D Solomon, Scott A Wildman, Marvin J Meyers, Christina L Stallings Sep 2019

Identification Of 4-Amino-Thieno[2,3-D]Pyrimidines As Qcrb Inhibitors In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Gregory A Harrison, Anne E Mayer Bridwell, Megh Singh, Keshav Jayaraman, Leslie A Weiss, Rachel L Kinsella, Janessa S Aneke, Kelly Flentie, Miranda E Schene, Margaret Gaggioli, Samantha D Solomon, Scott A Wildman, Marvin J Meyers, Christina L Stallings

Open Access Publications

Antibiotic resistance is a global crisis that threatens our ability to treat bacterial infections, such as tuberculosis, caused by


Virus-Induced Cochlear Inflammation In Newborn Mice Alters Auditory Function, Cathy Yea Won Sung, Maria C. Seleme, Shelby Payne, Stipan Jonjic, Keiko Hirose, William Britt Sep 2019

Virus-Induced Cochlear Inflammation In Newborn Mice Alters Auditory Function, Cathy Yea Won Sung, Maria C. Seleme, Shelby Payne, Stipan Jonjic, Keiko Hirose, William Britt

Open Access Publications

Although human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a known cause of sensorineural hearing loss in infants with congenital HCMV (cCMV) infections, mechanisms that contribute to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in infants with cCMV infection are not well defined. Using a murine model of CMV infection during auditory development, we have shown that peripheral infection of newborn mice with murine CMV (MCMV) results in focal infection of the cochlea and virus-induced cochlear inflammation. Approximately 50%-60% of infected mice exhibited increased auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds across a range of sound frequencies. Histological analyses of the cochlea in MCMV-infected mice with elevated ABR thresholds …


Vincristine And Bortezomib Use Distinct Upstream Mechanisms To Activate A Common Sarm1-Dependent Axon Degeneration Program, Stefanie Geisler, Ryan A Doan, Galen C Cheng, Aysel Cetinkaya-Fisgin, Shay X Huang, Ahmet Höke, Jeffrey Milbrandt, Aaron Diantonio Sep 2019

Vincristine And Bortezomib Use Distinct Upstream Mechanisms To Activate A Common Sarm1-Dependent Axon Degeneration Program, Stefanie Geisler, Ryan A Doan, Galen C Cheng, Aysel Cetinkaya-Fisgin, Shay X Huang, Ahmet Höke, Jeffrey Milbrandt, Aaron Diantonio

Open Access Publications

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is one of the most prevalent dose-limiting toxicities of anticancer therapy. Development of effective therapies to prevent chemotherapy-induced neuropathies could be enabled by a mechanistic understanding of axonal breakdown following exposure to neuropathy-causing agents. Here, we reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying axon degeneration induced by 2 widely used chemotherapeutic agents with distinct mechanisms of action: vincristine and bortezomib. We showed previously that genetic deletion of SARM1 blocks vincristine-induced neuropathy and demonstrate here that it also prevents axon destruction following administration of bortezomib in vitro and in vivo. Using cultured neurons, we found that vincristine and bortezomib converge …


Mining Biosynthetic Gene Clusters In Virgibacillus Genomes, Ghofran Othoum, Salim Bougouffa, Ameerah Bokhari, Feras F Lafi, Takashi Gojobori, Heribert Hirt, Ivan Mijakovic, Vladimir B Bajic, Magbubah Essack Sep 2019

Mining Biosynthetic Gene Clusters In Virgibacillus Genomes, Ghofran Othoum, Salim Bougouffa, Ameerah Bokhari, Feras F Lafi, Takashi Gojobori, Heribert Hirt, Ivan Mijakovic, Vladimir B Bajic, Magbubah Essack

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Biosynthetic gene clusters produce a wide range of metabolites with activities that are of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. Specific interest is shown towards those metabolites that exhibit antimicrobial activities against multidrug-resistant bacteria that have become a global health threat. Genera of the phylum Firmicutes are frequently identified as sources of such metabolites, but the biosynthetic potential of its Virgibacillus genus is not known. Here, we used comparative genomic analysis to determine whether Virgibacillus strains isolated from the Red Sea mangrove mud in Rabigh Harbor Lagoon, Saudi Arabia, may be an attractive source of such novel antimicrobial agents.

RESULTS: …


An Open-Source, Automated Home-Cage Sipper Device For Monitoring Liquid Ingestive Behavior In Rodents, Elizabeth Godynyuk, Maya N Bluitt, Jessica R Tooley, Alexxai V Kravitz, Meaghan C Creed Sep 2019

An Open-Source, Automated Home-Cage Sipper Device For Monitoring Liquid Ingestive Behavior In Rodents, Elizabeth Godynyuk, Maya N Bluitt, Jessica R Tooley, Alexxai V Kravitz, Meaghan C Creed

Open Access Publications

Measuring ingestive behavior of liquids in rodents is commonly used in studies of reward, metabolism, and circadian biology. Common approaches for measuring liquid intake in real time include computer-tethered lickometers or video-based systems. Additionally, liquids can be measured or weighed to determine the amount consumed without real-time sensing. Here, we built a photobeam-based sipper device that has the following advantages over traditional methods: (1) it is battery powered and fits in vivarium caging to allow home-cage measurements; (2) it quantifies the intake of two different liquids simultaneously for preference studies; (3) it is low cost and easily constructed, enabling high-throughput …


Tyk2 Promotes Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Progression Through Inhibition Of Cell Death, Wenjing Qin, Abigail Godec, Xiaochun Zhang, Cuige Zhu, Jieya Shao, Yu Tao, Xianzhang Bu, Angela C Hirbe Sep 2019

Tyk2 Promotes Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Progression Through Inhibition Of Cell Death, Wenjing Qin, Abigail Godec, Xiaochun Zhang, Cuige Zhu, Jieya Shao, Yu Tao, Xianzhang Bu, Angela C Hirbe

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive sarcomas that arise most commonly in the setting of the Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) cancer predisposition syndrome. Despite aggressive multimodality therapy, outcomes are dismal and most patients die within 5 years of diagnosis. Prior genomic studies in our laboratory identified tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) as a frequently mutated gene in MPNST. Herein, we explored the function of TYK2 in MPNST pathogenesis.

METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was utilized to examine expression of TYK2 in MPNSTs and other sarcomas. To establish a role for TYK2 in MPNST pathogenesis, murine and human TYK2 knockdown and knockout …


Relation Between Central Venous, Peripheral Venous And Arterial Lactate Levels In Patients With Sepsis In The Emergency Department, Dimitrios Velissaris, Vasileios Karamouzos, Nikolaos Dimitrios Pantzaris, Ourania Kyriakopoulou, Charalampos Gogos, Menelaos Karanikolas Sep 2019

Relation Between Central Venous, Peripheral Venous And Arterial Lactate Levels In Patients With Sepsis In The Emergency Department, Dimitrios Velissaris, Vasileios Karamouzos, Nikolaos Dimitrios Pantzaris, Ourania Kyriakopoulou, Charalampos Gogos, Menelaos Karanikolas

Open Access Publications

Background: Sepsis and multi-organ failure remain a major clinical problem with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lactate measurement remains part of the initial assessment and management of patients with sepsis. Although arterial blood is most commonly used for lactate measurement, there is increasing use of peripheral venous lactate for initial assessment and for monitoring of response to treatment in patients with sepsis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between lactate levels measured from central line, peripheral vein and arterial line in patients treated for sepsis in the emergency department (ED).

Methods: This prospective study enrolled 31 …


Dhx33 Interacts With Ap-2Β To Regulate Bcl-2 Gene Expression And Promote Cancer Cell Survival, Jiuling Wang, Weimin Feng, Zhen Yuan, Jason D. Weber, Yandong Zhang Sep 2019

Dhx33 Interacts With Ap-2Β To Regulate Bcl-2 Gene Expression And Promote Cancer Cell Survival, Jiuling Wang, Weimin Feng, Zhen Yuan, Jason D. Weber, Yandong Zhang

Open Access Publications

The RNA helicase DHX33 has been found to be overexpressed in human cancers, where it promotes cancer development. Previous reports have shown that DHX33 deficiency caused cancer cell apoptosis, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we discovered that DHX33 regulates Bcl-2 family protein expression. In multiple human cancer cell lines, DHX33 was found to stimulate the transcription of


Omnipresence Of Inflammasome Activities In Inflammatory Bone Diseases, Yael Alippe, Gabriel Mbalaviele Sep 2019

Omnipresence Of Inflammasome Activities In Inflammatory Bone Diseases, Yael Alippe, Gabriel Mbalaviele

Open Access Publications

The inflammasomes are intracellular protein complexes that are assembled in response to a variety of perturbations including infections and injuries. Failure of the inflammasomes to rapidly clear the insults or restore tissue homeostasis can result in chronic inflammation. Recurring inflammation is also provoked by mutations that cause the constitutive assembly of the components of these protein platforms. Evidence suggests that chronic inflammation is a shared mechanism in bone loss associated with aging, dysregulated metabolism, autoinflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. Mechanistically, inflammatory mediators promote bone resorption while suppressing bone formation, an imbalance which over time leads to bone loss and increased fracture …


Four-Jointed Knock-Out Delays Renal Failure In An Adpkd Model With Kidney Injury, Chiara Formica, Hester Happé, Kimberley Am Veraar, Andrea Vortkamp, Marion Scharpfenecker, Helen Mcneill, Dorien Jm Peters Sep 2019

Four-Jointed Knock-Out Delays Renal Failure In An Adpkd Model With Kidney Injury, Chiara Formica, Hester Happé, Kimberley Am Veraar, Andrea Vortkamp, Marion Scharpfenecker, Helen Mcneill, Dorien Jm Peters

Open Access Publications

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease is characterised by the development of fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys which lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In the majority of cases, the disease is caused by a mutation in the Pkd1 gene. In a previous study, we demonstrated that renal injury can accelerate cyst formation in Pkd1 knock-out (KO) mice. In that study, we found that after injury four-jointed (Fjx1), an upstream regulator of planar cell polarity and the Hippo pathway, was aberrantly expressed in Pkd1 KO mice compared to WT. Therefore, we hypothesised a role for Fjx1 in injury/repair and cyst formation. …


Best Practices For Bioinformatic Characterization Of Neoantigens For Clinical Utility, Megan M Richters, Huiming Xia, Katie M Campbell, William E Gillanders, Obi L Griffith, Malachi Griffith Aug 2019

Best Practices For Bioinformatic Characterization Of Neoantigens For Clinical Utility, Megan M Richters, Huiming Xia, Katie M Campbell, William E Gillanders, Obi L Griffith, Malachi Griffith

Open Access Publications

Neoantigens are newly formed peptides created from somatic mutations that are capable of inducing tumor-specific T cell recognition. Recently, researchers and clinicians have leveraged next generation sequencing technologies to identify neoantigens and to create personalized immunotherapies for cancer treatment. To create a personalized cancer vaccine, neoantigens must be computationally predicted from matched tumor-normal sequencing data, and then ranked according to their predicted capability in stimulating a T cell response. This candidate neoantigen prediction process involves multiple steps, including somatic mutation identification, HLA typing, peptide processing, and peptide-MHC binding prediction. The general workflow has been utilized for many preclinical and clinical …


Comparative Genomics Of Antibiotic-Resistant Uropathogens Implicates Three Routes For Recurrence Of Urinary Tract Infections, Robert Thänert, Kimberly A Reske, Tiffany Hink, Meghan A Wallace, Bin Wang, Drew J Schwartz, Sondra Seiler, Candice Cass, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Erik R Dubberke, Jennie H Kwon, Gautam Dantas Aug 2019

Comparative Genomics Of Antibiotic-Resistant Uropathogens Implicates Three Routes For Recurrence Of Urinary Tract Infections, Robert Thänert, Kimberly A Reske, Tiffany Hink, Meghan A Wallace, Bin Wang, Drew J Schwartz, Sondra Seiler, Candice Cass, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Erik R Dubberke, Jennie H Kwon, Gautam Dantas

Open Access Publications

The rise of antimicrobial resistance in uropathogens has complicated the management of urinary tract infections (UTIs), particularly in patients who are afflicted by recurrent episodes of UTIs. Antimicrobial-resistant (AR) uropathogens persistently colonizing individuals at asymptomatic time points have been implicated in the pathophysiology of UTIs. The dynamics of uropathogen persistence following the resolution of symptomatic disease are, however, mostly unclear. To further our understanding, we determined longitudinal AR uropathogen carriage and clonal persistence of uropathogenic


Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, Positive Airway Pressure Treatment And Postoperative Delirium: Protocol For A Retrospective Observational Study, Christopher R King, Krisztina E Escallier, Yo-El S Ju, Nan Lin, Ben Julian Palanca, Sherry Lynn Mckinnon, Michael Simon Avidan Aug 2019

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, Positive Airway Pressure Treatment And Postoperative Delirium: Protocol For A Retrospective Observational Study, Christopher R King, Krisztina E Escallier, Yo-El S Ju, Nan Lin, Ben Julian Palanca, Sherry Lynn Mckinnon, Michael Simon Avidan

Open Access Publications

INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is common among older surgical patients, and delirium is a frequent and serious postoperative complication. Emerging evidence suggests that OSA increases the risk for postoperative delirium. We hypothesise that OSA is an independent risk factor for postoperative delirium, and that in patients with OSA, perioperative adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy decreases the incidence of postoperative delirium and its sequelae. The proposed retrospective cohort analysis study will use existing datasets to: (i) describe and compare the incidence of postoperative delirium in surgical patients based on OSA diagnosis and treatment with PAP; (ii) assess whether …