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Allergenicity Assessment Of A Genetically Modified Protein-Recombinant Human Lactoferrin, Cui Zhou, Na Sun, Jing Wang, Jing Lu, Jing Tian, Richard E. Goodman, Ning Li, Huilian Che, Kunlun Huang

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Recombinant human lactoferrin (rhLF) has previously suggested serving as food additive due to the natural iron binding properties that provide anti-microbial activity. Recombinant cows have been produced that express hLf in milk. However, the potential allergenicity of hLf has not been previously assessed. This research is conducted to evaluate the potential allergenicity of rhLF as a prerequisite for food use.

Methods: A comparison was made of the bioactivity, physicochemical properties and glycosylation profile between rhLF and natural hLF. The amino acid sequence of hLf was compared to known allergens. Additionally, the stability of hLf in pepsin and a human …

Evaluation Of Endogenous Allergens For The Safety Evaluation Of Genetically Engineered Food Crops: Review Of Potential Risks, Test Methods, Examples And Relevance, Richard E. Goodman, Rakhi Panda, Harsha Ariyarathna

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The safety of food produced from genetically engineered (GE) crops is assessed for potential risks of food allergy on the basis of an international consensus guideline outlined by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (2003). The assessment focuses on evaluation of the potential allergenicity of the newly expressed protein(s) as the primary potential risk using a process that markedly limits risks to allergic consumers. However, Codex also recommended evaluating a second concern, potential increases in endogenous allergens of commonly allergenic food crops that might occur due to insertion of the gene. Unfortunately, potential risks and natural variation of endogenous allergens in non-GE …

Digestibility And Ige-Binding Of Glycosylated Codfish Parvalbumin, Harmen H. J. De Jongh, Carlos López Robles, Eefjan Timmerman, Julie A. Nordlee, Poi-Wah Lee, Joseph L. Baumert, Robert G. Hamilton, Steve L. Taylor, Stef J. Koppelman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Food-processing conditions may alter the allergenicity of food proteins by different means. In this study, the effect of the glycosylation as a result of thermal treatment on the digestibility and IgE-binding of codfish parvalbumin is investigated. Native and glycosylated parvalbumins were digested with pepsin at various conditions relevant for the gastrointestinal tract. Intact proteins and peptides were analysed for apparent molecular weight and IgE-binding. Glycosylation did not substantially affect the digestion. Although the peptides resulting from digestion were relatively large (3 and 4 kDa), the IgE-binding was strongly diminished. However, the glycosylated parvalbumin had a strong propensity to form dimers …

A Systematic Review Of The Effect Of Thermal Processing On The Allergenicity Of Tree Nuts, L. J. Masthoff, R. Hoff, K. C. M. Verhoeckx, H. Van Os-Medendorp, A. Michelsen-Huisman, Joseph L. Baumert, S. G. Pasmans, Y. Meijer, A. C. Knulst

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Allergenicity of foods can be influenced by processing. Tree nuts are an important source of nutrition and increasingly consumed; however, processing methods are quite variable and data are currently lacking on the effects of processing on allergenicity.

Objective: To perform a systematic literature review on the effects of food processing on the allergenicity of tree nuts.

Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed and Embase databases was performed, with screening of references, related articles and citations. Studies were included if they assessed the allergenicity or immunogenicity of processed nuts.

Results: The search resulted in 32 articles suitable for …

Pinto Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) As A Functional Food: Implications On Human Health, Cristiane R. S. Câmara, Carlos A. Urrea, Vicki Schlegel

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Most foods are considered functional in terms of providing nutrients and energy to sustain daily life, but dietary systems that are capable of preventing or remediating a stressed or diseased state are classified as functional foods. Dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) contain high levels of chemically diverse components (phenols, resistance starch, vitamins, fructooligosaccharides) that have shown to protect against such conditions as oxidative stress, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and many types of cancer, thereby positioning this legume as an excellent functional food. Moreover, the United States has a rich dry bean history and is currently a top producer …

Neisseria Oralis Sp. Nov., Isolated From Healthy Gingival Plaque And Clinical Samples, William J. Wolfgang, Teresa V. Passaretti, Reashma Jose, Jocelyn Cole, An Coorevits, Andrea N. Carpenter, Sherly Jose, Anita Van Landschoot, Jacques Izard, Donna J. Kohlerschmidt, Peter Vandamme, Floyd E. Dewhirst, Mark A. Fisher, Kimberlee A. Musser

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A polyphasic analysis was undertaken of seven independent isolates of gram-negative cocci collected from pathological clinical samples from New York, Louisiana, Florida, and Illinois and healthy subgingival plaque from a patient in Virginia, USA. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity among these isolates was 99.7–100 %, and the closest species with a validly published name was Neisseria lactamica (96.9 % similarity to the type strain). DNA–DNA hybridization confirmed that these isolates are of the same species and are distinct from their nearest phylogenetic neighbor, N. lactamica. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the …

The Costs Of Tax Policy Uncertainty And The Need For Tax Reform, Seth H. Giertz, Jacob Feldman

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA, P.L. 112-240) may be more significant for what it does not do than for what it does. Hopes for a ‘‘grand bargain’’ were not realized. In fact, ATRA does (almost) nothing to address the major fiscal problems that the United States continues to face.

No one seems pleased with ATRA. Noticeably absent were the self-congratulations among members of Congress that usually accompany the passage of significant legislation — and for good reason. Even the bill’s title leaves something to be desired. The ‘‘Act of 2012’’ was not passed by Congress until 2013. …

Gifted Students’ Perceptions Of Parenting Styles: Associations With Cognitive Ability, Sex, Race, And Age, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Jill L. Adelson, Carolyn M. Callahan, Deanna Vogt Houlihan, Benjamion M. Keizer

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Children whose parents are warm and responsive yet also set limits and have reasonable expectations for their children tend to have better outcomes than their peers whose parents show less warmth and responsiveness, have low expectations, or both. Parenting behavior is related to family race and children’s sex, age, and cognitive ability. However, there is no work that examines how children’s cognitive abilities are related to their perceptions of their mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles and the extent to which these relationships are moderated by race, sex, and age in a sample of gifted students. Participants (N = 332, ages …

The Association Between Cultural Orientation And Drinking Behaviors Among University Students In Wuhan, China, Hongxiu Tang, Weibin Cai, Hongjing Wang, Qing Zhang, Ling Qian, Duane F. Shell, Ian Newman, Ping Yin

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study examines the association between cultural orientation and drinking behaviors among university students. Cultural orientation is the measure of how the cultural values of individuals living in their own society are influenced by cultural values introduced from the outside.

Methods: In 2011, a cross-sectional survey collected data from 1279 university students from six universities in central China. Participants used a likert scale to rank a series of statements reflecting cultural values from the previously validated Chinese Cultural Orientation Scale and answered questions about their drinking behaviors and socio-demographic characteristics.

Results: Statistically significant differences in cultural …

Wire Electro-Discharge Machining Of Titanium Alloy, Farnaz Nourbakhsh, Kamlakar P. Rajurkar, Ajay P. Malshe, Jian Cao

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper presents an experimental investigation of wire electro-discharge machining (WEDM) of titanium alloy. The objective is to investigate the effect of seven process parameters including pulse width, servo reference voltage, pulse current, and wire tension on process performance parameters (such as cutting speed, wire rupture and surface integrity). A Taguchi L18 design of experiment (DOE) has been applied. All experiments have been conducted using Charmilles WEDM. It was also found that the cutting speed increases with peak current and pulse interval. Surface roughness was found to increase with pulse width and decrease with pulse interval. The Analysis of Variance …

Selective Detection And Automated Counting Of Fluorescently-Labeled Chrysotile Asbestos Using A Dual-Mode High-Throughput Microscopy (Dm-Htm) Method, Myoung-Ock Cho, Hyo Mi Chang, Donghee Lee, Yeon Gyu Yu, Hwataik Han, Jung Kyung Kim

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Phase contrast microscopy (PCM) is a widely used analytical method for airborne asbestos, but it is unable to distinguish asbestos from non-asbestos fibers and requires time-consuming and laborious manual counting of fibers. Previously, we developed a high-throughput microscopy (HTM) method that could greatly reduce human intervention and analysis time through automated image acquisition and counting of fibers. In this study, we designed a dual-mode HTM (DM-HTM) device for the combined reflection and fluorescence imaging of asbestos, and automated a series of built-in image processing commands of ImageJ software to test its capabilities. We used DksA, a chrysotile-adhesive protein, for selective …

Comparison Of Bird Community Indices For Riparian Restoration Planning And Monitoring, Jock S. Young, Elisabeth M. Ammon, Peter J. Weisberg, Thomas E. Dilts, Wesley E. Newton, Diane C. Wong-Kone, Lisa G. Heki

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The use of a bird community index that characterizes ecosystem integrity is very attractive to conservation planners and habitat managers, particularly in the absence of any single focal species. In riparian areas of the western USA, several attempts at arriving at a community index signifying a functioning riparian bird community have been made previously, mostly resorting to expert opinions or national conservation rankings for species weights. Because extensive local and regional bird monitoring data were available for Nevada, we were able to develop three different indices that were derived empirically, rather than from expert opinion. We formally examined the use …

Global Neuroaids Roundtable, Jeymohan Joseph, Cristian L. Achim, Michael J. Boivin, Bruce J. Brew, David B. Clifford, Deborah A. Colosi, Ronald J. Ellis, Robert K. Heaton, Amadou Gallo-Diop, Igor Grant, Georgette Kanmogne, Mahendra Kumar, Scott Letendre, Thomas D. Marcotte, Avindra Nath, Carlos A. Pardo, Robert H. Paul, Lynn Pulliam, Kevin Robertson, Walter Royal Iii, Ned Sacktor, Pasiri Sithinamsuwan, Davey M. Smith, Victor Valcour, Brian Wigdahl, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

In May 2012, the Division of AIDS Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) organized the “Global NeuroAIDS Roundtable” in conjunction with the 11th International Symposium on Neurovirology and the 2012 Conference on HIV in the Nervous System. The meeting was held in New York, NY, USA and brought together NIMH-funded investigators who are currently working on projects related to the neurological complications of AIDS (NeuroAIDS) in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America in order to provide an opportunity to share their recent findings and discuss the challenges encountered within each country. The major goals of the …

Towards Defining The Chloroviruses: A Genomic Journey Through A Genus Of Large Dna Viruses, Adrien Jeanniard, David D. Dunigan, James Gurnon, Irina V. Agarkova, Ming Kang, Jason Vitek, Garry Duncan, O William Mcclung, Megan Larsen, Jean-Michel Claverie, James L. Van Etten, Guillaume Blanc

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background: Giant viruses in the genus Chlorovirus (family Phycodnaviridae) infect eukaryotic green microalgae. The prototype member of the genus, Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1, was sequenced more than 15 years ago, and to date there are only 6 fully sequenced chloroviruses in public databases. Presented here are the draft genome sequences of 35 additional chloroviruses (287 – 348 Kb/319 – 381 predicted protein encoding genes) collected across the globe; they infect one of three different green algal species. These new data allowed us to analyze the genomic landscape of 41 chloroviruses, which revealed some remarkable features about these viruses. …

Evaluation Of Higher Plant Virus Resistance Genes In The Green Alga, Chlorella Variabilis Nc64a, During The Early Phase Of Infection With Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus-1, Janet M. Rowe, David D. Dunigan, Guillaume Blanc, James R. Gurnon, Yuannan Xia, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

With growing industrial interest in algae plus their critical roles in aquatic systems, the need to understand the effects of algal pathogens is increasing. We examined a model algal host–virus system, Chlorella variabilis NC64A and virus, PBCV-1. C. variabilis encodes 375 homologs to genes involved in RNA silencing and in response to virus infection in higher plants. Illumina RNA-Seq data showed that 325 of these homologs were expressed in healthy and early PBCV-1 infected (≤60 min) cells. For each of the RNA silencing genes to which homologs were found, mRNA transcripts were detected in healthy and infected cells. C. variabilis …

A Twin-Cysteine Motif In The V2 Region Of Gp120 Is Associated With Siv Envelope Trimer Stabilization, Christopher Bohl, Dane Bowder, Jesse Thompson, Levon Abrahamyan, Sandra Gonzalez-Ramirez, Youdong Mao, Joseph Sodroski, Charles Wood, Shi-Hua Xiang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The V1 and V2 variable regions of the primate immunodeficiency viruses contribute to the trimer association domain of the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein. A pair of V2 cysteine residues at 183 and 191 (‘‘twin cysteines’’) is present in several simian immunodeficiency viruses, human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) and some SIV_cpz lineages, but not in HIV-1. To examine the role of this potentially disulfide-bonded twin-cysteine motif, the cysteine residues in the SIVmac239 envelope glycoproteins were individually and pairwise substituted by alanine residues. All of the twin-cysteine mutants exhibited decreases in gp120 association with the Env trimer, membrane-fusing activity, and …

Hiv-1 Env C2-V4 Diversification In A Slow-Progressor Infant Reveals A Flat But Rugged Fitness Landscape, S. Abigail Smith, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) fitness has been associated with virus entry, a process mediated by the envelope glycoprotein (Env). We previously described Env genetic diversification in a Zambian, subtype C infected, slow-progressor child (1157i) in parallel with an evolving neutralizing antibody response. Because of the role the Variable-3 loop (V3) plays in transmission, cell tropism, neutralization sensitivity, and fitness, longitudinally isolated 1157i C2-V4 alleles were cloned into HIV-1_NL4-3-eGFP and -DsRed2 infectious molecular clones. The fluorescent reporters allowed for dual-infection competitions between all patient-derived C2-V4 chimeras to quantify the effect of V3 diversification and selection on fitness. ‘Winners’ …

‘‘Megavirales’’, A Proposed New Order For Eukaryotic Nucleocytoplasmic Large Dna Viruses, Philippe Colson, Xavier De Lamballerie, Natalya Yutin, Sassan Asgari, Yves Bigot, Dennis K. Bideshi, Xiao-Wen Cheng, Brian A. Federici, James L. Van Etten, Eugene V. Koonin, Bernard La Scola, Didier Raoult

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) comprise a monophyletic group of viruses that infect animals and diverse unicellular eukaryotes. The NCLDV group includes the families Poxviridae, Asfarviridae, Iridoviridae, Ascoviridae, Phycodnaviridae, Mimiviridae and the proposed family ‘‘Marseilleviridae’’. The family Mimiviridae includes the largest known viruses, with genomes in excess of one megabase, whereas the genome size in the other NCLDV families varies from 100 to 400 kilobase pairs. Most of the NCLDVs replicate in the cytoplasm of infected cells, within so-called virus factories. The NCLDVs share a common ancient origin, as demonstrated by evolutionary reconstructions that trace approximately 50 genes encoding …

Supporting Diversity In Science Through Social Networking, Giovanna Guerrero-Medina, Monica Feliu-Mojer, Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, Greetchen Diaz-Munoz, Marcos Lopez, Samuel L. Diaz-Munoz, Yaihara Fortis-Santiago, Jacqueline Flores-Otero, David Craig, Daniel A. Colon-Ramos

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Science is disproportionately produced at research centers within a few select regions [1,2]. This distribution contributes to ‘‘brain drain’’—the cultural and geographical separation of researchers from their communities of origin [3]. In places lacking research centers, brain drain precludes achieving a critical mass of scientific expertise and the development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Displaced scientists gradually become disconnected from their home communities and colleagues, presenting a challenge to maintaining research collaborations that could benefit their communities of origin. Insidiously, dispersion also presents socio-cognitive challenges to scientists who see themselves as underrepresented in the larger culture of science …

Recent Advances On The Use Of Structural Biology For The Design Of Novel Envelope Immunogens Of Hiv-1, Shi-Hua Xiang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Many efforts have been made in the worldwide quest for a prophylactic HIV vaccine to end the AIDS pandemic, but none has yet succeeded. The lessons learned have repeatedly informed us that the traditional or conventional approaches directly using the pathogens or subunits will not be sufficient for an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine. Recent advances in structure-based technology have shown some promise in the quest for a better immunogen in HIV vaccine development. According to the basic binding structural relationship of an antigen and an antibody, structure-based antigen design could bring some hope for the development of an effective vaccine against …

The Highly Conserved Layer-3 Component Of The Hiv-1 Gp120 Inner Domain Is Critical For Cd4-Required Conformational Transitions, Anik Désormeaux, Mathieu Coutu, Halima Medjahed, Beatriz Pacheco, Alon Herschhorn, Christopher Gu, Shi-Hua Xiang, Youdong Mao, Joseph Sodroski, Andrés Finzi

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The trimeric envelope glycoprotein (Env) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mediates virus entry into host cells. CD4 engagement with the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein subunit represents the first step during HIV-1 entry. CD4-induced conformational changes in the gp120 inner domain involve three potentially flexible topological layers (layers 1, 2, and 3). Structural rearrangements between layer 1 and layer 2 have been shown to facilitate the transition of the envelope glycoprotein trimer from the unliganded to the CD4-bound state and to stabilize gp120-CD4 interaction. However, our understanding of CD4-induced conformational changes in the gp120 inner domain remains incomplete. Here, …

Analysis Of Primary Resistance Mutations To Hiv-1 Entry Inhibitors In Therapy Naive Subtype C Hiv-1 Infected Mother– Infant Pairs From Zambia, Hongyan Guo, Chang Liu, Bin Liu, Charles Wood, Xiaohong Kong

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background—Small molecular CCR5 inhibitors represent a new class of drugs for treating HIV-1 infection. The evaluation of the primary resistance mutations associated with entry inhibitors during HIV-1 perinatal transmission is required because they may have a profound impact on the clinical management in MTCT.

Objectives—To evaluate the primary resistance mutations to maraviroc and vicriviroc during perinatal transmission and analyze the sensitivity of Env derived from mother–infant pairs to maraviroc.

Study design—Nine MIPs infected by subtype C HIV-1 were recruited to analyze the prevalence and transmission of primary resistance mutations to maraviroc and vicriviroc. Moreover, Env derived from six MIPs were …

Early Childhood Infection Of Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus In Zambian Households: A Molecular Analysis, Landon Olp, Danielle M. Shea, Maxine K. White, Clement Gondwe, Chipepo Kankasa, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Sub-Saharan Africa is endemic for Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and there is a high rate of early childhood infection; however, the transmission sources are not well characterized. We examined household members as potential KSHV transmission sources to young children in the KSHV-endemic country of Zambia. To this end, we enrolled and followed Zambian households with at least one KSHV-seropositive child and collected longitudinal buccal swab samples. KSHV burden was evaluated and K1 sequences from the children were determined and analyzed for differences to K1 sequences from household members. The K1 sequences were also analyzed for evolution over time. We generated …

Variants Of Triticum Mosaic Virus Isolated From Wheat In Colorado Show Divergent Biological Behavior, Dallas L. Seifers, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Roy French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) is a recently discovered virus infecting wheat. We compared Colorado isolates C10-492 and C11-775 with the 06-123 isolate. Comparisons were made using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), infectivity assay, host range, dry weight (DW), inoculation of ‘Mace’ wheat with temperature-sensitive resistance to Wheat streak mosaic virus, and the deduced amino acid sequence of the coat proteins (CP) and P1 proteins. Both C10-492 and C11-775 infected ‘Gallatin’ barley and, when compared with 06-123, had significantly reduced ELISA values and virus titers in wheat. Both Colorado isolates caused symptomless infections in Mace, whereas 06- 123 caused mosaic symptoms. …

Spatio-Temporal Patterns Of Pre-Harvest Brown Rot Epidemics Within Individual Peach Tree Canopies, Sydney E. Everhart, A. Askew, L. Seymour, H. Scherm

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Tree canopies are architecturally complex and pose several challenges for measuring and character-izing spatial patterns of disease. Recently developed methods for fine-scale canopy mapping and three-dimensional spatial pattern analysis were applied in a 3-year study to characterize spatio-temporal development of pre-harvest brown rot of peach, caused by Monilinia fructicola, in 13 trees of different maturity classes. We observed a negative correlation between an index of disease aggregation and disease incidence in the same tree (r = −0.653, P < 0.0001), showing that trees with higher brown rot incidence had lower aggregation of affected fruit in their canopies. Significant (P ≤ 0.05) within-canopy aggregation among symptomatic fruit was most pronounced for early-maturing cultivars and/or early in the epidemic. This is consistent with the notion of a greater importance of localized, within-tree sources of inoculum at the beginning of the epidemic. Four of five trees having >10 blossom blight symptoms per tree showed a significant positive spatial association of pre-harvest fruit rot to blossom blight within the …

The Lives Of Others: Social Rationality In Animals, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Andrew J. King

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Darwin (1871) boldly claimed that humans and other animals differ very little in their cognition; a statement that has raised the ire of many scientists (Bolhuis & Wynne, 2009; Penn, Holyoak, & Povinelli, 2008). Rather than stating this continuity as a fact, we will explore the similarities and differences between humans and animals in the social rationality of their decision making. We find this a fruitful exercise because it can profit researchers of both humans and animals. Our purpose here is to provide an evolutionary background of social rationality: Why do animals attend to the lives of others? To this …

A Dysfunctional Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Enhances Fitness Of Staphylococcus Epidermidis During Β-Lactam Stress, Vinai Chittenzham Thomas, Lauren Kinkhead, Ashley Janssen, Carolyn Schaeffer, Keith Woods, Jill Lindgren, Johnathan Peaster, Sujata Chaudhari, Marat Sadykov, Joselyn Jones, Sameh Mohamadi Abdelghani, Matthew Zimmerman, Kenneth W. Bayles, Greg Somerville, Paul Fey

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

A recent controversial hypothesis suggested that the bactericidal action of antibiotics is due to the generation of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS), a process requiring the citric acid cycle (tricarboxylic acid [TCA] cycle). To test this hypothesis, we assessed the ability of oxacillin to induce ROS production and cell death in Staphylococcus epidermidis strain 1457 and an isogenic citric acid cycle mutant. Our results confirm a contributory role for TCA-dependent ROS in enhancing susceptibility of S. epidermidis toward β-lactam antibiotics and also revealed a propensity for clinical isolates to accumulate TCA cycle dysfunctions presumably as a way to tolerate these …

Manipulation Of Cellular Processing Bodies And Their Constituents By Viruses, Asit K. Pattnaik, Phat X. Dinh

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The processing bodies (PBs) are a form of cytoplasmic aggregates that house the cellular RNA decay machinery as well as many RNA-binding proteins and mRNAs. The PBs are constitutively present in eukaryotic cells and are involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis by regulating RNA metabolism, cell signaling, and survival. Virus infections result in modification of the PBs and their constituents. Many viruses induce compositionally altered PBs, while many others use specific components of the PBs for their replication. PB constituents are also known to restrict virus replication by a variety of mechanisms. Further, continuing studies in this rapidly emerging field of …

Characterization Of A Serologic Marker Candidate For Development Of A Live-Attenuated Diva Vaccine Against Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Hiep Vu, Byungjoon Kwon, Marcelo De Lima, Asit K. Pattnaik, Fernando A. Osorio

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) vaccines have proven extremely useful for control and eradication of infectious diseases in livestock. We describe here the characterization of a serologic marker epitope, so-called epitope-M201, which can be a potential target for development of a live-attenuated DIVA vaccine against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Epitope-M201 is located at the carboxyl terminus (residues 161-174) of the viral M protein. The epitope is highly immunodominant and well-conserved among type-II PRRSV isolates. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies prepared against this epitope are non-neutralizing; thus, the epitope does not seem to contribute to the protective immunity against …

Trex1 Regulates Lysosomal Biogenesis And Interferon-Independent Activation Of Antiviral Genes, Maroof Hasan, James Koch, Dinesh Rakheja, Asit K. Pattnaik, James Brugarolas, Igor Dozmorov, Beth Levine, Edward K. Wakeland, Min Ae Lee-Kirsch, Nan Yan

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Innate immune sensing of viral nucleic acids triggers type I interferon (IFN) production, which activates interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and directs a multifaceted antiviral response. ISGs can also be activated through IFN-independent pathways, although the precise mechanisms remain elusive. Here we found that the cytosolic exonuclease Trex1 regulates the activation of a subset of ISGs independently of IFN. Both Trex1−/− mouse and TREX1-mutant human cells express high levels of antiviral genes and are refractory to viral infections. The IFN-independent activation of antiviral genes in Trex1−/− cells requires STING, TBK1 and IRF3 and IRF7. We also found that Trex1-deficient cells display expanded …