Digital Commons Network^™

The Association Between Supervisory Alliance, Counterproductive Events During Psychotherapy Supervision, And Trainee Self-Efficacy, Holly E. Kirk

ETD Archive

The supervisory alliance between psychology trainee and clinical supervisor plays an important role in the growth and development of the psychologist in training. There are numerous factors that relate to the supervisory alliance. Previous research has indicated that both positive and negative supervision experiences occur during supervision and they act to influence the supervisory working alliance. A counterproductive event is an example of a negative supervision event in which the trainee perceives that an experience in supervision either harmed or hindered his or her growth and development as a therapist. Because counterproductive events regularly happen during a supervision experience, it …

Men Making Meaning Of Eating Disorders: A Qualitative Study, Robin Leichtman

ETD Archive

There is a stark contrast between the research and published accounts reflecting women's experiences in coping with an eating disorder in comparison to men's narratives. Because of this, many medical and mental health providers do not consider an eating disorder as a possible diagnosis when men present with symptoms associated with an eating disorder. This notion was confirmed by Menstuff┬« (2012), who reported men are often not diagnosed and/or are embarrassed by being diagnosed with an eating disorder because eating disorders have become more associated with a problem women or gay men experience. Assumptions that eating disorders are a female …

Combinatorial Activation Of Stat3 By Egf And Thrombin In Endothelial Cells, Matthew S. Waitkus

ETD Archive

Endothelial cells line the luminal surface of blood vessels and form a regulatory interface between the bloodstream and underlying tissues. The endothelium responds to diverse, and potentially conflicting, environmental signals to regulate vessel growth, leukocyte adhesion, thrombogenicity, and vascular tone. Signaling pathways may interact, or "crosstalk," in combinatorial signaling environments to enable cells to process disparate extracellular information at downstream signaling nodes and formulate appropriate biological responses based on combinations of extracellular stimuli. We have reported that simultaneous stimulation of endothelial cells with EGF and thrombin synergistically induces expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) associated with growth and angiogenesis. We …

Design Of Recombinant Tenebrio Molitor Antifreeze Protein For Purification Using Elastin-Like Polypeptide Tag, Joongseok Oh

ETD Archive

Fusion protein technologies can aid to improve solubility of recombinant protein from microorganisms and help recombinant protein purification. Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) as a fusion tag can be utilized to facilitate the purification of recombinant proteins because ELP can provide its thermally responsive behavior to ELP tagged proteins. An ELP tag can be used as the purification carrier through inverse transition cycling (ITC), which is a simple and non chromatographic separation process. The purification through ITC can reduce cost and can be quickly performed compared to other purification methods. However, we further considered ELP tag removal because it may possibly hinder …

Conformational Regulation Of Membrane Localization And Activation Of Talin, Pallavi Dwivedi

ETD Archive

Talin is a cytosolic protein which is known to be one of the key players involved in integrin mediated cell adhesion dependent processes, including blood coagulation, and tissue remodeling. It connects the extracellular matrix with the actin cytoskeleton. Talin comprises of a head domain (talin-H) and a rod domain (talin-R). Talin-H is further subdivided in F0, F1, F2 and F3 domains. Talin-R contains 13 contiguous helical bundle domains (R1-R13) followed by an actin binding dimerization domain (DD). The F3 domain contains a key integrin binding site that regulates integrin activation. In our previous studies, we have shown that cytosolic talin …

Human Hair Keratin Protein, Hair Fibers And Hydroxyapatite (Ha) Composite Scaffold For Bone Tissue Regeneration, Samuel Siyum

ETD Archive

The field of tissue engineering aims at promoting the regeneration of tissues or replacement of failing or malfunctioning tissue by means of combining a scaffold material, adequate cells and bioactive molecules. Different materials have been proposed for use as three-dimensional porous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering procedures. Among them, polymers of natural origin are one of the most attractive options mainly due to their similarities with the extracellular matrix (ECM), chemical versatility as well as typically good biological performance. In this study, two biocompatible composite scaffolds were developed from natural polymer by tissue engineering approach and tested in vitro. The …

Validation Of An Accelerometry Based Method Of Human Gait Analysis, Obinna Nwanna

ETD Archive

Gait analysis is the quantification of locomotion. Understanding the science behind the way we move is of interest to a wide variety of fields. Medical professionals might use gait analysis to track the rehabilitation progress of a patient. An engineer may want to design wearable robotics to augment a human operator. Use cases even extend into the sport and entertainment industries. Typically, a gait analysis is performed in a highly specialized laboratory containing cumbersome expensive equipment. The process is tedious and requires specially trained operators. Continued development of small and cheap inertial measurement units (IMUs) over an alternative to current …

The Influence Of Schizotypal Traits On Active Display Recognition, Lucinda V. Rohde

ETD Archive

Accurate recognition of changes in scene layout is necessary to function in everyday life. Self-motion sensitivity, comprised of efference copy and afferent signals, is employed to respond to these changes, however little is known about how these signals may influence active display recognition. Previous spatial perception experimentation has shown that individuals with high schizotypal traits perform differently than those with low schizotypal traits while estimating walked distance in non-visual walking and imagined walking tasks (Rohde & Yamamoto, 2013). It is postulated that this result could be attributed to a presumable dysfunction of efference copy associated with schizotypy. It was hypothesized …

Ortega: Secrecy And The World, Stephen D. Gingerich

World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2014-2015. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Inhibition Of The Mdm2 E3 Ligase Induces Apoptosis And Autophagy In Wild-Type And Mutant P53 Models Of Multiple Myeloma, And Acts Synergistically With Abt-737, Dongmin Gu, Shuhong Wang, Isere Kuiatse, Hua Wang, Jin He, Yun Dai, Richard J. Jones, Chad C. Bjorklund, Jing Yang, Steven Grant, Robert Z. Orlowski

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Publications

Intracellular proteolytic pathways have been validated as rational targets in multiple myeloma with the approval of two proteasome inhibitors in this disease, and with the finding that immunomodulatory agents work through an E3 ubiquitin ligase containing Cereblon. Another E3 ligase that could be a rational target is the murine double minute (MDM) 2 protein, which plays a role in p53 turnover. A novel inhibitor of this complex, MI-63, was found to induce apoptosis in p53 wild-type myeloma models in association with activation of a p53-mediated cell death program. MI-63 overcame adhesion-mediated drug resistance, showed anti-tumor activity in vivo, enhanced …

Live Cell Interferometry Quantifies Dynamics Of Biomass Partitioning During Cytokinesis, Thomas A. Zangle, Michael A. Teitell, Jason Reed

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Publications

The equal partitioning of cell mass between daughters is the usual and expected outcome of cytokinesis for self-renewing cells. However, most studies of partitioning during cell division have focused on daughter cell shape symmetry or segregation of chromosomes. Here, we use live cell interferometry (LCI) to quantify the partitioning of daughter cell mass during and following cytokinesis. We use adherent and non-adherent mouse fibroblast and mouse and human lymphocyte cell lines as models and show that, on average, mass asymmetries present at the time of cleavage furrow formation persist through cytokinesis. The addition of multiple cytoskeleton-disrupting agents leads to increased …

Adjuvant Exemestane With Ovarian Suppression In Premenopausal Breast Cancer, Olivia Pagani, Meredith M. Regan, Barbara A. Walley, Gini F. Fleming, Marco Colleoni, István Láng, Henry L. Gomez, Carlo Tondini, Harold J. Burstein, Edith A. Perez, Eva Ciruelos, Vered Stearns, Hervé R. Bonnefoi, Silvana Martino, Charles E. Geyer Jr., Graziella Pinotti, Fabio Puglisi, Diana Crivellari, Thomas Ruhstaller, Eric P. Winer, Manuela Rabaglio-Poretti, Rudolf Maibach, Barbara Ruepp, Anita Giobbie-Hurder, Karen N. Price, Jürg Bernhard, Weixiu Luo, Karin Ribi, Giuseppe Viale, Alan S. Coates, Richard D. Gelber, Aron Goldhirsch, Prudence A. Francis

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Publications

BACKGROUND Adjuvant therapy with an aromatase inhibitor improves outcomes, as compared with tamoxifen, in postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. METHODS In two phase 3 trials, we randomly assigned premenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive early breast cancer to the aromatase inhibitor exemestane plus ovarian suppression or tamoxifen plus ovarian suppression for a period of 5 years. Suppression of ovarian estrogen production was achieved with the use of the gonadotropin-releasing-hormone agonist triptorelin, oophorectomy, or ovarian irradiation. The primary analysis combined data from 4690 patients in the two trials. RESULTS After a median follow-up of 68 months, disease-free survival at 5 years was …

Crystal Structures Of Influenza A Virus Matrix Protein M1: Variations On A Theme, Martin K. Safo, Faik N. Musayev, Philip D. Mosier, Qibing Zhou, Hang Xie, Umesh R. Desai

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Matrix protein 1 (M1) of the influenza A virus plays multiple roles in virion assembly and infection. Interest in the pH dependence of M1's multiple functions led us to study the effect of subtle pH changes on M1 structure, resulting in the elucidation of a unique low-pH crystal structure of the N1-165-domain of A/WSN/33 (H1N1) M1 that has never been reported. Although the 2.2 Å crystal structure of M1 N-terminus shows a dimer with the two monomers interacting in a face-to-face fashion at low pH as observed earlier, a 44° rotation of the second monomer has led to a significantly …

Bioinformatics And Biomedical Informatics, Kayvan Najarian, Rachid Deriche, Mark A. Kon, Nina S. T. Hirata

Computer Science Publications

No abstract provided.

Regional And Scale-Specific Effects Of Land Use On Amphibian Diversity [Poster], James R. Vonesh, David Marsh, J. J. Apodaca, Karen H. Beard, Jane M. Bell, Christine Bozarth, Derrick Carper, Julie Charbonnier, Bradley J. Cosentino, Andreia Dantas, Elizabeth A. Forys, Miranda Foster, Jaquelyn General, Kristen S. Genet, Macie Hanneken, Kyle Hess, Shane Hill, Faisal Iqbal, Kara Jones, Nancy E. Karraker, Eran Kilpatrick, Tom A. Langen, James Langford, Katherine Lauer, Alison J. Mccarthy, Joseph Neale, Saumya Patel, Austin Patton, Cherie Southwick, Nathaniel Stearrett, Nick Steijn, Mohammad Tasleem, Joseph Taylor

Biology Presentations

Background/Question/Methods

Habitat loss and degradation influence amphibian distributions and are important drivers of population declines. Our previous research demonstrated that road disturbance, development and wetland area consistently influence amphibian richness across regions of the U.S. Here, we examined the relative importance of these factors in different regions and at multiple spatial scales. Understanding the scales at which habitat disturbance may be affecting amphibian distributions is important for conservation planning. Specifically, we asked: 1) Over what spatial scales do distinct landscape features affect amphibian richness? and 2) Do road types (non-rural and rural) have similar effects on amphibian richness? This is …

Arabidopsis Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Key Roles Of Melatonin In Plant Defense Systems, Sarah Weeda, Na Zhang, Xiaolei Zhao, Grace Ndip, Yangdong Guo, Gregory A. Buck, Conggui Fu, Shuxin Ren

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Melatonin is a ubiquitous molecule and exists across kingdoms including plant species. Studies on melatonin in plants have mainly focused on its physiological influence on growth and development, and on its biosynthesis. Much less attention has been drawn to its affect on genome-wide gene expression. To comprehensively investigate the role(s) of melatonin at the genomics level, we utilized mRNA-seq technology to analyze Arabidopsis plants subjected to a 16-hour 100 pM (low) and 1 mM (high) melatonin treatment. The expression profiles were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes. 100 pM melatonin treatment significantly affected the expression of only 81 genes with …

Identification Of Novel Regulatory Cholesterol Metabolite, 5-Cholesten, 3Β,25-Diol, Disulfate, Shunlin Ren, Jin Koung Kim, Genta Kakiyama, Daniel Rodriguez-Agudo, William M. Pandak, Hae-Ki Min, Yanxia Ning

VCU Health Publications

Oxysterol sulfation plays an important role in regulation of lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses. In the present study, we report the discovery of a novel regulatory sulfated oxysterol in nuclei of primary rat hepatocytes after overexpression of the gene encoding mitochondrial cholesterol delivery protein (StarD1). Forty-eight hours after infection of the hepatocytes with recombinant StarD1 adenovirus, a water-soluble oxysterol product was isolated and purified by chemical extraction and reverse-phase HPLC. Tandem mass spectrometry analysis identified the oxysterol as 5-cholesten-3β, 25-diol, disulfate (25HCDS), and confirmed the structure by comparing with a chemically synthesized compound. Administration of 25HCDS to human THP-1-derived macrophages …

A Metagenomic Assessment Of The Bacteria Associated With Lucilia Sericata And Lucilia Cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Baneshwar Singh, Tawni L. Crippen, Longyu Zheng, Andrew T. Fields, Ziniu Yu, Qun Ma, Thomas K. Wood, Scot E. Dowd, Micah Flores, Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Aaron M. Tarone

Forensic Science Publications

Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is a blow fly genus of forensic, medical, veterinary, and agricultural importance. This genus is also famous because of its beneficial uses in maggot debridement therapy (MDT). Although the genus is of considerable economic importance, our knowledge about microbes associated with these flies and how these bacteria are horizontally and trans-generationally transmitted is limited. In this study, we characterized bacteria associated with different life stages of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) and Lucilia cuprina(Wiedemann) and in the salivary gland of L. sericata by using 16S rDNA 454 pyrosequencing. Bacteria associated with the salivary gland of …

Neuropathological Responses To Chronic Nmda In Rats Are Worsened By Dietary N-3 Pufa Deprivation But Are Not Ameliorated By Fish Oil Supplementation, Vasken L. Keleshian, Matthew Kellom, Hyung-Wook Kim, Ameer Y. Taha, Yewon Cheon, Miki Igarashi, Stanley I. Rapoport, Jagadeesh S. Rao

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

Dietary long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation may be beneficial for chronic brain illnesses, but the issue is not agreed on. We examined effects of dietary n-3 PUFA deprivation or supplementation, compared with an n-3 PUFA adequate diet (containing alpha-linolenic acid [18:3 n-3] but not docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 22:6n-3]), on brain markers of lipid metabolism and excitotoxicity, in rats treated chronically with NMDA or saline.

Methods

Male rats after weaning were maintained on one of three diets for 15 weeks. After 12 weeks, each diet group was injected i.p. daily with saline (1 ml/kg) or a subconvulsive dose …

Impaired Bone Formation In Pdia3 Deficient Mice, Yun Wang, Alexandr Nizkorodov, Kelsie Riemenschneider, Christopher S. D. Lee, Rene Olivares-Navarrete, Zvi Schwartz, Barbara D. Boyan

Biomedical Engineering Publications

1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] is crucial for normal skeletal development and bone homeostasis. Protein disulfide isomerase family A, member 3 (PDIA3) mediates 1α,25(OH)2D3initiated-rapid membrane signaling in several cell types. To understand its role in regulating skeletal development, we generated Pdia3-deficient mice and examined the physiologic consequence of Pdia3-disruption in embryos and Pdia3+/− heterozygotes at different ages. No mice homozygous for the Pdia3-deletion were found at birth nor were there embryos after E12.5, indicating that targeted disruption of the Pdia3 gene resulted in early embryonic lethality.Pdia3-deficiency also resulted in skeletal manifestations as revealed by µCT analysis …

Rock Inhibitor Is Not Required For Embryoid Body Formation From Singularized Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Giuseppe Pettinato, Wendy S. Vanden Berg-Foels, Ning Zhang, Xuejun Wen

Biomedical Engineering Publications

We report a technology to form human embryoid bodies (hEBs) from singularized human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) without the use of the p160 rho-associated coiled-coil kinase inhibitor (ROCKi) or centrifugation (spin). hEB formation was tested under four conditions: +ROCKi/+spin, +ROCKi/-spin, -ROCKi/+spin, and -ROCKi/-spin. Cell suspensions of BG01V/hOG and H9 hESC lines were pipetted into non-adherent hydrogel substrates containing defined microwell arrays. hEBs of consistent size and spherical geometry can be formed in each of the four conditions, including the -ROCKi/-spin condition. The hEBs formed under the -ROCKi/-spin condition differentiated to develop the three embryonic germ layers and tissues derived from …

Sjl Mice Infected With Acanthamoeba Castellanii Develop Central Nervous System Autoimmunity Through The Generation Of Cross-Reactive T Cells For Myelin Antigens, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Francine Marciano-Cabral, Bruno Da Rocha-Azevedo, Melissa Jamerson, Arunakumar Gangaplara, David Steffen, Rana Zabad, Zsolt Illes, Raymond A. Sobel, Jay Reddy

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

We recently reported that Acanthamoeba castellanii (ACA), an opportunistic pathogen of the central nervous system (CNS) possesses mimicry epitopes for proteolipid protein (PLP) 139–151 and myelin basic protein 89–101, and that the epitopes induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in SJL mice reminiscent of the diseases induced with their corresponding cognate peptides. We now demonstrate that mice infected with ACA also show the generation of cross-reactive T cells, predominantly for PLP 139–151, as evaluated by T cell proliferation and IAs/dextramer staining. We verified that PLP 139–151-sensitized lymphocytes generated in infected mice contained a high proportion of T helper 1 cytokine-producing cells, …

Reduction Of The Hiv Protease Inhibitor-Induced Er Stress And Inflammatory Response By Raltegravir In Macrophages, Xiaoxuan Zhang, Risheng Cao, Ruping Liu, Renping Zhao, Yi Huang, Emily C. Gurley, Phillip B. Hylemon, William M. Pandak, Guangji Wang, Luyong Zhang, Xiaokun Li, Huiping Zhou

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Background

HIV protease inhibitor (PI), the core component of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) for HIV infection, has been implicated in HAART-associated cardiovascular complications. Our previous studies have demonstrated that activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is linked to HIV PI-induced inflammation and foam cell formation in macrophages. Raltegravir is a first-in-its-class HIV integrase inhibitor, the newest class of anti-HIV agents. We have recently reported that raltegravir has less hepatic toxicity and could prevent HIV PI-induced dysregulation of hepatic lipid metabolism by inhibiting ER stress. However, little information is available as to whether raltegravir would also prevent HIV PI-induced inflammatory …

Phase Variation Of Poly-N-Acetylglucosamine Expression In Staphylococcus Aureus, Jamie L. Brooks, Kimberly K. Jefferson

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), also known as poly-N-acetyl-β-(1–6)-glucosamine (PIA/PNAG) is an important component of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms and also contributes to resistance to phagocytosis. The proteins IcaA, IcaD, IcaB, and IcaC are encoded within the intercellular adhesin (ica) operon and synthesize PIA/PNAG. We discovered a mechanism of phase variation in PIA/PNAG expression that appears to involve slipped-strand mispairing. The process is reversible and RecA-independent, and involves the expansion and contraction of a simple tetranucleotide tandem repeat within icaC. Inactivation of IcaC results in a PIA/PNAG-negative phenotype. A PIA/PNAG-hyperproducing strain gained a fitness advantage in vitro following the …

P. Aeruginosa Sgnh Hydrolase-Like Proteins Algj And Algx Have Similar Topology But Separate And Distinct Roles In Alginate Acetylation, Perrin Baker, Tyler Ricer, Patrick J. Moynihan, Elena N. Kitova, Marthe T. C. Walvoort, Dustin J. Little, John C. Whitney, Karen Dawson, Joel T. Weadge, Howard Robinson, Dennis E. Ohman, Jeroen D. C. Codee, John S. Klassen, Anthony J. Clarke, P. Lynne Howell

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

The O-acetylation of polysaccharides is a common modification used by pathogenic organisms to protect against external forces. Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes the anionic, O-acetylated exopolysaccharide alginate during chronic infection in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients to form the major constituent of a protective biofilm matrix. Four proteins have been implicated in the O-acetylation of alginate, AlgIJF and AlgX. To probe the biological function of AlgJ, we determined its structure to 1.83 Å resolution. AlgJ is a SGNH hydrolase-like protein, which while structurally similar to the N-terminal domain of AlgX exhibits a distinctly different electrostatic surface potential. Consistent with other SGNH …

Antigen Transfer From Exosomes To Dendritic Cells As An Explanation For The Immune Enhancement Seen By Ige Immune Complexes, Rebecca K. Martin, Keith B. Brooks, Frida Henningsson, Birgitta Heyman, Daniel H. Conrad

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

IgE antigen complexes induce increased specific T cell proliferation and increased specific IgG production. Immediately after immunization, CD23+ B cells capture IgE antigen complexes, transport them to the spleen where, via unknown mechanisms, dendritic cells capture the antigen and present it to T cells. CD23, the low affinity IgE receptor, binds IgE antigen complexes and internalizes them. In this study, we show that these complexes are processed onto B-cell derived exosomes (bexosomes) in a CD23 dependent manner. The bexosomes carry CD23, IgE and MHC II and stimulate antigen specific T-cell proliferation in vitro. When IgE antigen complex stimulated bexosomes …

Antigen Transfer From Exosomes To Dendritic Cells As An Explanation For The Immune Enhancement Seen By Ige Immune Complexes, Rebecca K. Martin, Keith B. Brooks, Frida Henningsson, Birgitta Heyman, Daniel H. Conrad

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

IgE antigen complexes induce increased specific T cell proliferation and increased specific IgG production. Immediately after immunization, CD23+ B cells capture IgE antigen complexes, transport them to the spleen where, via unknown mechanisms, dendritic cells capture the antigen and present it to T cells. CD23, the low affinity IgE receptor, binds IgE antigen complexes and internalizes them. In this study, we show that these complexes are processed onto B-cell derived exosomes (bexosomes) in a CD23 dependent manner. The bexosomes carry CD23, IgE and MHC II and stimulate antigen specific T-cell proliferation in vitro. When IgE antigen complex stimulated bexosomes …

An Emerging Mycoplasma Associated With Trichomoniasis, Vaginal Infection And Disease, Jennifer M. Fettweis, Myrna G. Serrano, Bernice Huang, J. Paul Brooks, Abigail L. Glascock, Nihar U. Sheth, Vaginal Microbiome Consortium, Jerome F. Strauss Iii, Kimberly K. Jefferson, Gregory A. Buck

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Humans are colonized by thousands of bacterial species, but it is difficult to assess the metabolic and pathogenic potential of the majority of these because they have yet to be cultured. Here, we characterize an uncultivated vaginal mycoplasma tightly associated with trichomoniasis that was previously known by its 16S rRNA sequence as “Mnola.” In this study, the mycoplasma was found almost exclusively in women infected with the sexually transmitted pathogen Trichomonas vaginalis, but rarely observed in women with no diagnosed disease. The genomes of four strains of this species were reconstructed using metagenome sequencing and assembly of DNA from …

An Emerging Mycoplasma Associated With Trichomoniasis, Vaginal Infection And Disease, Jennifer M. Fettweis, Myrna G. Serrano, Bernice Huang, J. Paul Brooks, Abigail L. Glascock, Nihar U. Sheth, Vaginal Microbiome Consortium, Jerome F. Strauss Iii, Kimberly K. Jefferson, Gregory A. Buck

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Humans are colonized by thousands of bacterial species, but it is difficult to assess the metabolic and pathogenic potential of the majority of these because they have yet to be cultured. Here, we characterize an uncultivated vaginal mycoplasma tightly associated with trichomoniasis that was previously known by its 16S rRNA sequence as “Mnola.” In this study, the mycoplasma was found almost exclusively in women infected with the sexually transmitted pathogen Trichomonas vaginalis, but rarely observed in women with no diagnosed disease. The genomes of four strains of this species were reconstructed using metagenome sequencing and assembly of DNA from four …