Digital Commons Network^™

Caenorhabditis Elegans Endorse Bacterial Nanocellulose Fibers As Functional Dietary Fiber Reducing Lipid Markers, Amanda Muñoz-Juan, Adrien Assié, Anna Esteve-Codina, Marta Gut, Núria Benseny-Cases, Buck S Samuel, Esther Dalfó, Anna Laromaine

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a promising dietary fiber with potential as a functional food additive. We evaluated BNC fibers (BNCf) in the Caenorhabditis elegans model to obtain insight into the BNCf's biointeraction with its gastrointestinal tract while reducing the variables of higher complex animals. BNCf were uptaken and excreted by worms without crossing the intestinal barrier, confirming its biosafety regarding survival rate, reproduction, and aging for concentrations up to 34 μg/ml BNCf. However, a slight decrease in the worms' length was detected. A possible nutrient shortage or stress produced by BNCf was discarded by measuring stress and chemotactic response pathways. …

The Hepatokine Orosomucoid 2 Mediates Beneficial Metabolic Effects Of Bile Acids, Sung Ho Lee, Ji Ho Suh, Mi Jeong Heo, Jong Min Choi, Yang Yang, Hyun-Jung Jung, Zhanguo Gao, Yongmei Yu, Sung Yun Jung, Mikhail G Kolonin, Aaron R Cox, Sean M Hartig, Holger K Eltzschig, Cynthia Ju, David D Moore, Kang Ho Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bile acids (BAs) are pleiotropic regulators of metabolism. Elevated levels of hepatic and circulating BAs improve energy metabolism in peripheral organs, but the precise mechanisms underlying the metabolic benefits and harm still need to be fully understood. In the current study, we identified orosomucoid 2 (ORM2) as a liver-secreted hormone (i.e., hepatokine) induced by BAs and investigated its role in BA-induced metabolic improvements in mouse models of diet-induced obesity. Contrary to our expectation, under a high-fat diet (HFD), our Orm2 knockout (Orm2-KO) exhibited a lean phenotype compared with C57BL/6J control, partly due to the increased energy expenditure. However, when challenged …

Age-Related Differences In The Mouse Corneal Epithelial Transcriptome And Their Impact On Corneal Wound Healing, Anmar Abu-Romman, Kaitlin K Scholand, Gowthaman Govindarajan, Zhiyuan Yu, Sonali Pal-Ghosh, Mary A Stepp, Cintia S De Paiva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: Aging is a risk factor for dry eye. We sought to identify changes in the aged mouse corneal epithelial transcriptome and determine how age affects corneal sensitivity, re-epithelialization, and barrier reformation after corneal debridement.

METHODS: Corneal epithelium of female C57BL/6J (B6) mice of different ages (2, 12, 18, and 24 months) was collected, RNA extracted, and bulk RNA sequencing performed. Cornea sensitivity was measured with an esthesiometer in 2- to 3-month-old, 12- to 13-month-old, 18- to 19-month-old, and 22- to 25-month-old female and male mice. The 2-month-old and 18-month-old female and male mice underwent unilateral corneal debridement using a …

Sialic Acid-Siglec-E Interactions Regulate The Response Of Neonatal Macrophages To Group B Streptococcus, Sean J Lund, Pamela G B Del Rosario, Asami Honda, Kaitlin J Caoili, Marten A Hoeksema, Victor Nizet, Kathryn A Patras, Lawrence S Prince

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The mammalian Siglec receptor sialoadhesin (Siglec1, CD169) confers innate immunity against the encapsulated pathogen group B Streptococcus (GBS). Newborn lung macrophages have lower expression levels of sialoadhesin at birth compared with the postnatal period, increasing their susceptibility to GBS infection. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms regulating sialoadhesin expression in the newborn mouse lung. In both neonatal and adult mice, GBS lung infection reduced Siglec1 expression, potentially delaying acquisition of immunity in neonates. Suppression of Siglec1 expression required interactions between sialic acid on the GBS capsule and the inhibitory host receptor Siglec-E. The Siglec1 gene contains multiple STAT binding …

Use Of Topical Methylene Blue To Image Nuclear Morphometry With A Low-Cost Scanning Darkfield Microendoscope, Huayu Hou, Jennifer Carns, Richard A Schwarz, Ann M Gillenwater, Sharmila Anandasabapathy, Rebecca R Richards-Kortum

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

SIGNIFICANCE: Fiber-optic microendoscopy is a promising approach to noninvasively visualize epithelial nuclear morphometry for early cancer and precancer detection. However, the broader clinical application of this approach is limited by a lack of topical contrast agents available for

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability to image nuclear morphometry in vivo with a novel fiber-optic microendoscope used together with topical application of methylene blue (MB), a dye with FDA approval for use in chromoendoscopy in the gastrointestinal tract.

APPROACH: The low-cost, high-resolution microendoscope implements scanning darkfield imaging without complex optomechanical components by leveraging programmable illumination and …

Impact Of Obesity And Age On Mouse Corneal Innervation At The Epithelial-Stromal Interface, Justin A Courson, Rolando E Rumbaut, Alan R Burns

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: The corneal epithelium is the most highly innervated structure in the body. Previously, we reported a novel event whereby stromal axons fuse with basal epithelial cells, limiting nerve penetration into the epithelium. Although corneal-epithelial nerves undergo changes in sensitivity and distribution throughout life and in response to an obesogenic diet, it is unknown if neuronal-epithelial cell fusion is altered. Here, we sought to determine if neuronal-epithelial cell fusion frequency correlates with obesogenic diet consumption and age.

METHODS: Corneas were collected from C57BL/6 mice and evaluated for neuronal-epithelial cell fusion frequency using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy. To assess the …

Altered Myocardial Lipid Regulation In Junctophilin-2-Associated Familial Cardiomyopathies, Satadru K Lahiri, Feng Jin, Yue Zhou, Ann P Quick, Carlos F Kramm, Meng C Wang, Xander Ht Wehrens

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Myocardial lipid metabolism is critical to normal heart function, whereas altered lipid regulation has been linked to cardiac diseases including cardiomyopathies. Genetic variants in the JPH2 gene can cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and, in some cases, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that JPH2 variants identified in patients with HCM and DCM, respectively, cause distinct alterations in myocardial lipid profiles. Echocardiography revealed clinically significant cardiac dysfunction in both knock-in mouse models of cardiomyopathy. Unbiased myocardial lipidomic analysis demonstrated significantly reduced levels of total unsaturated fatty acids, ceramides, and various phospholipids in both mice with HCM and …

Loss Of Katnal2 Leads To Ependymal Ciliary Hyperfunction And Autism-Related Phenotypes In Mice, Ryeonghwa Kang, Zachary Papadopoulos, Jonathan Kipnis, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently accompany macrocephaly, which often involves hydrocephalic enlargement of brain ventricles. Katnal2 is a microtubule-regulatory protein strongly linked to ASD, but it remains unclear whether Katnal2 knockout (KO) in mice leads to microtubule- and ASD-related molecular, synaptic, brain, and behavioral phenotypes. We found that Katnal2-KO mice display ASD-like social communication deficits and age-dependent progressive ventricular enlargements. The latter involves increased length and beating frequency of motile cilia on ependymal cells lining ventricles. Katnal2-KO hippocampal neurons surrounded by enlarged lateral ventricles show progressive synaptic deficits that correlate with ASD-like transcriptomic changes involving synaptic gene down-regulation. Importantly, early …

Astrocytes As A Mechanism For Contextually-Guided Network Dynamics And Function, Lulu Gong, Fabio Pasqualetti, Thomas Papouin, Shinung Ching

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Astrocytes are a ubiquitous and enigmatic type of non-neuronal cell and are found in the brain of all vertebrates. While traditionally viewed as being supportive of neurons, it is increasingly recognized that astrocytes play a more direct and active role in brain function and neural computation. On account of their sensitivity to a host of physiological covariates and ability to modulate neuronal activity and connectivity on slower time scales, astrocytes may be particularly well poised to modulate the dynamics of neural circuits in functionally salient ways. In the current paper, we seek to capture these features via actionable abstractions within …

Computationally Restoring The Potency Of A Clinical Antibody Against Omicron, Thomas A Desautels, Suzanne M Scheaffer, Bradley Whitener, James B Case, Larissa B Thackray, Michael S Diamond, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the promise of monoclonal antibody-based prophylactic and therapeutic drugs

Disruption Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Biosynthesis Drives Sting-Dependent Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Maturation And Death, Joice Kanefsky, Mary Basse, Judith Sokei, Orsola Di Martino, Liana Valin, Jeffrey A Magee, Francesca Ferraro, Stephen M Sykes, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The role of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biosynthesis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains largely undefined. A comparative expression analysis of 35 genes encoding fatty acid biosynthesis enzymes showed that fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) was highly expressed across multiple AML subtypes relative to healthy controls and that elevated FADS1 expression correlates with worse overall AML patient survival. Functionally, shRNA-mediated inhibition of FADS1 reduced AML cell growth in vitro and significantly delayed leukemia onset in an AML mouse model. AML cell lines depleted of FADS1 arrested in the G1/S-phase of the cell cycle, acquired characteristics of myeloid maturation and subsequently …

Modulation Of Host Immunity By Sensory Neurons, Telma Saraiva-Santos, Tiago H Zaninelli, Felipe A Pinho-Ribeiro

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Recent studies have uncovered a new role for sensory neurons in influencing mammalian host immunity, challenging conventional notions of the nervous and immune systems as separate entities. In this review we delve into this groundbreaking paradigm of neuroimmunology and discuss recent scientific evidence for the impact of sensory neurons on host responses against a wide range of pathogens and diseases, encompassing microbial infections and cancers. These valuable insights enhance our understanding of the interactions between the nervous and immune systems, and also pave the way for developing candidate innovative therapeutic interventions in immune-mediated diseases highlighting the importance of this interdisciplinary …

Tabernanthalog And Ibogainalog Inhibit The Α7 And Α9Α10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Via Different Mechanisms And With Higher Potency Than The Gabaa Receptor And Cav2.2 Channel, Han-Shen Tae, Marcelo O Ortells, Arsalan Yousuf, Sophia Q Xu, Gustav Akk, David J Adams, Hugo R Arias

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In this study, we have investigated the pharmacological activity and structural interaction of two novel psychoplastogens, tabernanthalog (TBG) and ibogainalog (IBG) at heterologously-expressed rat (r) and human (h) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), the rα1β2γ2L γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABA

Complement Regulation In The Eye: Implications For Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Georgia A. Wilke, Rajendra S. Apte

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Careful regulation of the complement system is critical for enabling complement proteins to titrate immune defense while also preventing collateral tissue damage from poorly controlled inflammation. In the eye, this balance between complement activity and inhibition is crucial, as a low level of basal complement activity is necessary to support ocular immune privilege, a prerequisite for maintaining vision. Dysregulated complement activation contributes to parainflammation, a low level of inflammation triggered by cellular damage that functions to reestablish homeostasis, or outright inflammation that disrupts the visual axis. Complement dysregulation has been implicated in many ocular diseases, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and …

Targeting Dendritic Cell Dysfunction To Circumvent Anti-Pd1 Resistance In Head And Neck Cancer, Shin Saito, Michihisa Kono, Hoang C B Nguyen, Ann Marie Egloff, Cameron Messier, Patrick Lizotte, Cloud Paweletz, Douglas Adkins, Ravindra Uppaluri

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Neoadjuvant anti-PD1 (aPD1) therapies are being explored in surgically resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Encouraging responses have been observed, but further insights into the mechanisms underlying resistance and approaches to improve responses are needed.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We integrated data from syngeneic mouse oral carcinoma (MOC) models and neoadjuvant pembrolizumab HNSCC patient tumor RNA-sequencing data to explore the mechanism of aPD1 resistance. Tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes (DLN) from MOC models were analyzed for antigen-specific priming. CCL5 expression was enforced in an aPD1-resistant model.

RESULTS: An aPD1-resistant mouse model showed poor priming in the tumor DLN due …

Bmp4 And Grem1 Are Targets Of Shh Signaling And Downstream Regulators Of Collagen In The Penis, Jiangping Deng, Timothy Searl, Samuel Ohlander, Danuta Dynda, Daniel A Harrington, Kevin T Mcvary, Carol A Podlasek

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cavernous nerve (CN) injury, caused by prostatectomy and diabetes, initiates a remodeling process (smooth muscle apoptosis and increased collagen) in the corpora cavernosa of the penis of patients and animal models that is an underlying cause of erectile dysfunction (ED), and the Sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway plays an essential role in the response of the penis to denervation, as collagen increases with SHH inhibition and decreases with SHH treatment.

Aim: We examined if part of the mechanism of how SHH prevents penile remodeling and increased collagen with CN injury involves bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and gremlin1 (GREM1) and …

Decorin Suppresses Tumor Lymphangiogenesis: A Mechanism To Curtail Cancer Progression, Dipon K. Mondal, Christopher Xie, Gabriel J. Pascal, Simone Buraschi, Renato V. Iozzo

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

The complex interplay between malignant cells and the cellular and molecular components of the tumor stroma is a key aspect of cancer growth and development. These tumor-host interactions are often affected by soluble bioactive molecules such as proteoglycans. Decorin, an archetypical small leucine-rich proteoglycan primarily expressed by stromal cells, affects cancer growth in its soluble form by interacting with several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK). Overall, decorin leads to a context-dependent and protracted cessation of oncogenic RTK activity by attenuating their ability to drive a prosurvival program and to sustain a proangiogenic network. Through an unbiased transcriptomic analysis using deep RNAseq, …

Quorum-Sensing Agr System Of Staphylococcus Aureus Primes Gene Expression For Protection From Lethal Oxidative Stress, Magdalena Podkowik, Andrew I Perault, Gregory Putzel, Andrew Pountain, Jisun Kim, Ashley L Dumont, Erin E Zwack, Robert J Ulrich, Theodora K Karagounis, Chunyi Zhou, Andreas F Haag, Julia Shenderovich, Gregory A Wasserman, Junbeom Kwon, John Chen, Anthony R Richardson, Jeffrey N Weiser, Carla R Nowosad, Desmond S Lun, Dane Parker, Alejandro Pironti, Xilin Zhao, Karl Drlica, Itai Yanai, Victor J Torres, Bo Shopsin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The agr quorum-sensing system links Staphylococcus aureus metabolism to virulence, in part by increasing bacterial survival during exposure to lethal concentrations of H2O2, a crucial host defense against S. aureus. We now report that protection by agr surprisingly extends beyond post-exponential growth to the exit from stationary phase when the agr system is no longer turned on. Thus, agr can be considered a constitutive protective factor. Deletion of agr resulted in decreased ATP levels and growth, despite increased rates of respiration or fermentation at appropriate oxygen tensions, suggesting that Δagr cells undergo a shift towards a hyperactive metabolic …

Shh Regulates Penile Morphology And Smooth Muscle Through A Mechanism Involving Bmp4 And Grem1, Jiangping Deng, Sarah Martin, Timothy Searl, Samuel Ohlander, Daniel A Harrington, Kevin T Mcvary, Carol A Podlasek

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The cavernous nerve (CN) is frequently damaged in prostatectomy and diabetic patients with erectile dysfunction (ED), initiating changes in penile morphology including an acute and intense phase of apoptosis in penile smooth muscle and increased collagen, which alter penile architecture and make corpora cavernosa smooth muscle less able to relax in response to neurotransmitters, resulting in ED.

Aim: Sonic hedgehog (SHH) is a critical regulator of penile smooth muscle, and SHH treatment suppresses penile remodeling after CN injury through an unknown mechanism; we examine if part of the mechanism of how SHH preserves smooth muscle after CN injury involves …

Quorum-Sensing Agr System Of Staphylococcus Aureus Primes Gene Expression For Protection From Lethal Oxidative Stress, Magdalena Podkowik, Andrew I Perault, Gregory Putzel, Andrew Pountain, Jisun Kim, Ashley L Dumont, Erin E Zwack, Robert J Ulrich, Theodora K Karagounis, Chunyi Zhou, Andreas F Haag, Julia Shenderovich, Gregory A Wasserman, Junbeom Kwon, John Chen, Anthony R Richardson, Jeffrey N Weiser, Carla R Nowosad, Desmond S Lun, Dane Parker, Alejandro Pironti, Xilin Zhao, Karl Drlica, Itai Yanai, Victor J Torres, Bo Shopsin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The agr quorum-sensing system links Staphylococcus aureus metabolism to virulence, in part by increasing bacterial survival during exposure to lethal concentrations of H2O2, a crucial host defense against S. aureus. We now report that protection by agr surprisingly extends beyond post-exponential growth to the exit from stationary phase when the agr system is no longer turned on. Thus, agr can be considered a constitutive protective factor. Deletion of agr resulted in decreased ATP levels and growth, despite increased rates of respiration or fermentation at appropriate oxygen tensions, suggesting that Δagr cells undergo a shift towards a hyperactive metabolic …

Core Planar Cell Polarity Genes Vangl1 And Vangl2 In Predisposition To Congenital Vertebral Malformations, Xin Feng, Yongyu Ye, Jianan Zhang, Yuanqiang Zhang, Sen Zhao, Judith C W Mak, Nao Otomo, Zhengye Zhao, Yuchen Niu, Yoshiro Yonezawa, Guozhuang Li, Mao Lin, Xiaoxin Li, Prudence Wing Hang Cheung, Kexin Xu, Kazuki Takeda, Shengru Wang, Junjie Xie, Toshiaki Kotani, Vanessa N T Choi, You-Qiang Song, Yang Yang, Keith Dip Kei Luk, Kin Shing Lee, Ziquan Li, Pik Shan Li, Connie Y H Leung, Xiaochen Lin, Xiaolu Wang, Guixing Qiu, Disco (Deciphering Disorders Involving Scoliosis And Comorbidities) Study Group, Kota Watanabe, Japanese Early Onset Scoliosis Research Group, Zhihong Wu, Jennifer E Posey, Shiro Ikegawa, James R Lupski, Jason Pui Yin Cheung, Terry Jianguo Zhang, Bo Gao, Nan Wu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Congenital scoliosis (CS) is the most common congenital spinal disorder caused by congenital vertebral malformations (CVMs), influenced by genetic and environmental factors and exhibiting diverse clinical presentations. Here, we identified the critical roles of Vangl1 and Vangl2, two core components in the Wnt/planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) signaling pathway, in vertebral development and in predisposition to CVMs in CS patients. We found that in Vangl mutant mouse models, the CVMs present in a Vangl gene dose- and gestational hypoxia-dependent manner. Our studies reveal a complex etiology of CS and its association with Wnt/PCP signaling.

The Variety Of Mechanosensitive Ion Channels In R/Etinal Neurons, Ji-Jie Pang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Alterations in intraocular and external pressure critically involve the pathogenesis of glaucoma, traumatic retinal injury (TRI), and other retinal disorders, and retinal neurons have been reported to express multiple mechanical-sensitive channels (MSCs) in recent decades. However, the role of MSCs in visual functions and pressure-related retinal conditions has been unclear. This review will focus on the variety and functional significance of the MSCs permeable to K+, Na+, and Ca2+, primarily including the big potassium channel (BK); the two-pore domain potassium channels TRAAK and TREK; Piezo; the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC); and the transient receptor potential channels vanilloid TRPV1, TRPV2, and …

Pml::Rara And Gata2 Proteins Interact Via Dna Templates To Induce Aberrant Self-Renewal In Mouse And Human Hematopoietic Cells, Casey D S Katerndahl, Olivia R S Rogers, Ryan B Day, Ziheng Xu, Nichole M Helton, Sai Mukund Ramakrishnan, Christopher A Miller, Timothy J Ley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The underlying mechanism(s) by which the PML::RARA fusion protein initiates acute promyelocytic leukemia is not yet clear. We defined the genomic binding sites of PML::RARA in primary mouse and human hematopoietic progenitor cells with V5-tagged PML::RARA, using anti-V5-PML::RARA chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and CUT&RUN approaches. Most genomic PML::RARA binding sites were found in regions that were already chromatin-accessible (defined by ATAC-seq) in unmanipulated, wild-type promyelocytes, suggesting that these regions are "open" prior to PML::RARA expression. We found that GATA binding motifs, and the direct binding of the chromatin "pioneering factor" GATA2, were significantly enriched near PML::RARA binding sites. Proximity labeling studies …

Interaction Of High-Fat Diet And Brain Trauma Alters Adipose Tissue Macrophages And Brain Microglia Associated With Exacerbated Cognitive Dysfunction, Rebecca J Henry, James P Barrett, Maria Vaida, Niaz Z Khan, Oleg Makarevich, Rodney M Ritzel, Alan I Faden, Bogdan A Stoica

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Obesity increases the morbidity and mortality of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Detailed analyses of transcriptomic changes in the brain and adipose tissue were performed to elucidate the interactive effects between high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) and TBI. Adult male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks prior to experimental TBI and continuing after injury. High-throughput transcriptomic analysis using Nanostring panels of the total visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and cellular components in the brain, followed by unsupervised clustering, principal component analysis, and IPA pathway analysis were used to determine shifts in gene expression patterns and molecular pathway activity. Cellular …

Interaction Of High-Fat Diet And Brain Trauma Alters Adipose Tissue Macrophages And Brain Microglia Associated With Exacerbated Cognitive Dysfunction, Rebecca J Henry, James P Barrett, Maria Vaida, Niaz Z Khan, Oleg Makarevich, Rodney M Ritzel, Alan I Faden, Bogdan A Stoica

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Obesity increases the morbidity and mortality of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Detailed analyses of transcriptomic changes in the brain and adipose tissue were performed to elucidate the interactive effects between high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) and TBI. Adult male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks prior to experimental TBI and continuing after injury. High-throughput transcriptomic analysis using Nanostring panels of the total visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and cellular components in the brain, followed by unsupervised clustering, principal component analysis, and IPA pathway analysis were used to determine shifts in gene expression patterns and molecular pathway activity. Cellular …

Sars-Cov-2 Omicron: Viral Evolution, Immune Evasion, And Alternative Durable Therapeutic Strategies, Hailong Guo, Sha Ha, Jason W Botten, Kai Xu, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, William R Strohl, John W Shiver, Tong-Ming Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Since the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus has gained dominance worldwide, its continual evolution with unpredictable mutations and patterns has revoked all authorized immunotherapeutics. Rapid viral evolution has also necessitated several rounds of vaccine updates in order to provide adequate immune protection. It remains imperative to understand how Omicron evolves into different subvariants and causes immune escape as this could help reevaluate the current intervention strategies mostly implemented in the clinics as emergency measures to counter the pandemic and, importantly, develop new solutions. Here, we provide a review focusing on the major events of Omicron viral evolution, including the features of spike …

Histone Proteoform Analysis Reveals Epigenetic Changes In Adult Mouse Brown Adipose Tissue In Response To Cold Stress, Bethany C Taylor, Loic H Steinthal, Michelle Dias, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Scott A Ochsner, Gladys E Zapata, Nitesh R Mehta, Neil J Mckenna, Nicolas L Young, Alli M Nuotio-Antar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Regulation of the thermogenic response by brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an important component of energy homeostasis with implications for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Our preliminary analyses of RNA-Seq data uncovered many nodes representing epigenetic modifiers that are altered in BAT in response to chronic thermogenic activation. Thus, we hypothesized that chronic thermogenic activation broadly alters epigenetic modifications of DNA and histones in BAT.

RESULTS: Motivated to understand how BAT function is regulated epigenetically, we developed a novel method for the first-ever unbiased top-down proteomic quantitation of histone modifications in BAT and validated our results with a …

Tailoring Fxr Modulators For Intestinal Specificity: Recent Progress And Insights, Amanda Morrison, Bahaa Elgendy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

While FXR has shown promise in regulating bile acid synthesis and maintaining glucose and lipid homeostasis, undesired side effects have been observed in clinical trials. To address this issue, the development of intestinally restricted FXR modulators has gained attention as a new avenue for drug design with the potential for safer systematic effects. Our review examines all currently known intestinally restricted FXR ligands and provides insights into the steps taken to enhance intestinal selectivity.

Imputation Of 3d Genome Structure By Genetic-Epigenetic Interaction Modeling In Mice., Lauren Kuffler, Daniel A Skelly, Anne M Czechanski, Haley J Fortin, Steven C. Munger, Christopher L. Baker, Laura G Reinholdt, Gregory W. Carter

Faculty Research 2024

Gene expression is known to be affected by interactions between local genetic variation and DNA accessibility, with the latter organized into three-dimensional chromatin structures. Analyses of these interactions have previously been limited, obscuring their regulatory context, and the extent to which they occur throughout the genome. Here, we undertake a genome-scale analysis of these interactions in a genetically diverse population to systematically identify global genetic-epigenetic interaction, and reveal constraints imposed by chromatin structure. We establish the extent and structure of genotype-by-epigenotype interaction using embryonic stem cells derived from Diversity Outbred mice. This mouse population segregates millions of variants from eight …

Type 2 Cannabinoid Receptor Expression On Microglial Cells Regulates Neuroinflammation During Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Alison Moe, Aditya Rayasam, Garrett Sauber, Ravi K. Shah, Ashley Doherty, Cheng-Yin Yuan, Aniko Szabo, Bob M. Moore Ii, Marco Colonna, Weiguo Cui, Julian Romero, Anthony E. Zamora, Cecilia J Hillard, William R. Drobyski

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Neuroinflammation is a recognized complication of immunotherapeutic approaches such as immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, chimeric antigen receptor therapy, and graft versus host disease (GVHD) occurring after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. While T cells and inflammatory cytokines play a role in this process, the precise interplay between the adaptive and innate arms of the immune system that propagates inflammation in the central nervous system remains incompletely understood. Using a murine model of GVHD, we demonstrate that type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2R) signaling plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of neuroinflammation. In these studies, we identify that CB2R expression on …