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Evidence That Talin Alternative Splice Variants From Ciona Intestinalis Have Different Roles In Cell Adhesion, Richard H. Singiser, Richard O. Mccann Dec 2006

Evidence That Talin Alternative Splice Variants From Ciona Intestinalis Have Different Roles In Cell Adhesion, Richard H. Singiser, Richard O. Mccann

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Talins are large, modular cytoskeletal proteins found in animals and amoebozoans such as Dictyostelium discoideum. Since the identification of a second talin gene in vertebrates, it has become increasingly clear that vertebrate Talin1 and Talin2 have non-redundant roles as essential links between integrins and the actin cytoskeleton in distinct plasma membrane-associated adhesion complexes. The conserved C-terminal I/LWEQ module is important for talin function. This structural element mediates the interaction of talins with F-actin. The I/LWEQ module also targets mammalian Talin1 to focal adhesion complexes, which are dynamic multicomponent assemblies required for cell adhesion and cell motility. Although Talin1 is …


Androgen-Regulated Formation And Degradation Of Gap Junctions In Androgen-Responsive Human Prostate Cancer Cells., Shalini Mitra, Lakshmanan Annamalai, Souvik Chakraborty, Kristen E. Johnson, Xiao-Hong Song, Surinder K. Batra, Parmender P. Mehta Dec 2006

Androgen-Regulated Formation And Degradation Of Gap Junctions In Androgen-Responsive Human Prostate Cancer Cells., Shalini Mitra, Lakshmanan Annamalai, Souvik Chakraborty, Kristen E. Johnson, Xiao-Hong Song, Surinder K. Batra, Parmender P. Mehta

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

The constituent proteins of gap junctions, called connexins (Cxs), have a short half-life. Despite this, the physiological stimuli that control the assembly of Cxs into gap junctions and their degradation have remained poorly understood. We show here that in androgen-responsive human prostate cancer cells, androgens control the expression level of Cx32-and hence the extent of gap junction formation-post-translationally. In the absence of androgens, a major fraction of Cx32 is degraded presumably by endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation, whereas in their presence, this fraction is rescued from degradation. We also show that Cx32 and Cx43 degrade by a similar mechanism. Thus, androgens regulate …


Proteomic Identification Of In Vivo Substrates For Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 And 9 Reveals A Mechanism For Resolution Of Inflammation, Kendra J Greenlee, David B Corry, David A Engler, Risë K Matsunami, Philippe Tessier, Richard G Cook, Zena Werb, Farrah Kheradmand Nov 2006

Proteomic Identification Of In Vivo Substrates For Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 And 9 Reveals A Mechanism For Resolution Of Inflammation, Kendra J Greenlee, David B Corry, David A Engler, Risë K Matsunami, Philippe Tessier, Richard G Cook, Zena Werb, Farrah Kheradmand

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clearance of allergic inflammatory cells from the lung through matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is necessary to prevent lethal asphyxiation, but mechanistic insight into this essential homeostatic process is lacking. In this study, we have used a proteomics approach to determine how MMPs promote egression of lung inflammatory cells through the airway. MMP2- and MMP9-dependent cleavage of individual Th2 chemokines modulated their chemotactic activity; however, the net effect of complementing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of allergen-challenged MMP2(-/-)/MMP9(-/-) mice with active MMP2 and MMP9 was to markedly enhance its overall chemotactic activity. In the bronchoalveolar fluid of MMP2(-/-)/MMP9(-/-) allergic mice, we identified several chemotactic …


Insights Into Transcription Enhancer Factor 1 (Tef-1) Activity From The Solution Structure Of The Tea Domain, Asokan Anbanandam, Diana C Albarado, Catherine T Nguyen, Georg Halder, Xiaolian Gao, Sudha Veeraraghavan Nov 2006

Insights Into Transcription Enhancer Factor 1 (Tef-1) Activity From The Solution Structure Of The Tea Domain, Asokan Anbanandam, Diana C Albarado, Catherine T Nguyen, Georg Halder, Xiaolian Gao, Sudha Veeraraghavan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transcription enhancer factor 1 is essential for cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle development and uses its N-terminal TEA domain (TEAD) to bind M-CAT elements. Here, we present the first structure of TEAD and show that it is a three-helix bundle with a homeodomain fold. Structural data reveal how TEAD binds DNA. Using structure-function correlations, we find that the L1 loop is essential for cooperative loading of TEAD molecules on to tandemly duplicated M-CAT sites. Furthermore, using a microarray chip-based assay, we establish that known binding sites of the full-length protein are only a subset of DNA elements recognized by TEAD. …


Vulnerability Of Pathogenic Biofilms To Micavibrio Aeruginosavorus, Daniel Kadouri, Nel C. Venzon, George A. O'Toole Nov 2006

Vulnerability Of Pathogenic Biofilms To Micavibrio Aeruginosavorus, Daniel Kadouri, Nel C. Venzon, George A. O'Toole

Dartmouth Scholarship

The host specificity of the gram-negative exoparasitic predatory bacterium Micavibrio aeruginosavorus was examined. M. aeruginosavorus preyed on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as previously reported, as well as Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and numerous clinical isolates of these species. In a static assay, a reduction in biofilm biomass was observed as early as 3 hours after exposure to M. aeruginosavorus, and an ∼100-fold reduction in biofilm cell viability was detected following a a 24-h exposure to the predator. We observed that an initial titer of Micavibrio as low as 10 PFU/well or a time of exposure to the predator as short as 30 …


Epigenetics And The Estrogen Receptor, Jennifer E. Leader, Chenuang Wang, Vladimir M. Popov, Maofu Fu, Richard G. Pestell Nov 2006

Epigenetics And The Estrogen Receptor, Jennifer E. Leader, Chenuang Wang, Vladimir M. Popov, Maofu Fu, Richard G. Pestell

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The position effect variegation in Drosophila and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and higher-order chromatin structure regulation in yeast, is orchestrated by modifier genes of the Su(var) group, (e.g., histone deacetylases ([HDACs]), protein phosphatases) and enhancer E(Var) group (e.g., ATP [adenosine 5'-triphosphate]-dependent nucleosome remodeling proteins). Higher-order chromatin structure is regulated in part by covalent modification of the N-terminal histone tails of chromatin, and histone tails in turn serve as platforms for recruitment of signaling modules that include nonhistone proteins such as heterochromatin protein (HP1) and NuRD. Because the enzymes governing chromatin structure through covalent modifications of histones (acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination) can also …


The Allantois And Chorion, When Isolated Before Circulation Or Chorio-Allantoic Fusion, Have Hematopoietic Potential, Brandon M. Zeigler, Daisuke Sugiyama, Michael Chen, Yalin Guo, K. M. Downs, N. A. Speck Nov 2006

The Allantois And Chorion, When Isolated Before Circulation Or Chorio-Allantoic Fusion, Have Hematopoietic Potential, Brandon M. Zeigler, Daisuke Sugiyama, Michael Chen, Yalin Guo, K. M. Downs, N. A. Speck

Dartmouth Scholarship

The chorio-allantoic placenta forms through the fusion of the allantois (progenitor tissue of the umbilical cord), with the chorionic plate. The murine placenta contains high levels of hematopoietic stem cells, and is therefore a stem cell niche. However, it is not known whether the placenta is a site of hematopoietic cell emergence, or whether hematopoietic cells originate from other sites in the conceptus and then colonize the placenta. Here, we show that the allantois and chorion, isolated prior to the establishment of circulation, have the potential to give rise to myeloid and definitive erythroid cells following explant culture. We further …


The Role Of Mapks In B Cell Receptor-Induced Down-Regulation Of Egr-1 In Immature B Lymphoma Cells, Jiyuan Ke, Murali Gururajan, Anupam Kumar, Alan Simmons, Lilia Turcios, Ralph Lakshman Chelvarajan, David M. Cohen, David L. Wiest, John G. Monroe, Subbarao Bondada Oct 2006

The Role Of Mapks In B Cell Receptor-Induced Down-Regulation Of Egr-1 In Immature B Lymphoma Cells, Jiyuan Ke, Murali Gururajan, Anupam Kumar, Alan Simmons, Lilia Turcios, Ralph Lakshman Chelvarajan, David M. Cohen, David L. Wiest, John G. Monroe, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Cross-linking of the B cell receptor (BCR) on the immature B lymphoma cell line BKS-2 induces growth inhibition and apoptosis accompanied by rapid down-regulation of the immediate-early gene egr-1. In these lymphoma cells, egr-1 is expressed constitutively and has a prosurvival role, as Egr-1-specific antisense oligonucleotides or expression of a dominant-negative inhibitor of Egr-1 also prevented the growth of BKS-2 cells. Moreover, enhancement of Egr-1 protein with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or an egr-1 expression vector rescued BKS-2 cells from BCR signal-induced growth inhibition. Nuclear run-on and mRNA stability assays indicated that BCR-derived signals act at the transcriptional level to …


Dictyostelium Myosin-Ie Is A Fast Molecular Motor Involved In Phagocytosis, Ulrike Durrwang, Setsuko Fujita-Becker, Muriel Erent, F. Jon Kull Oct 2006

Dictyostelium Myosin-Ie Is A Fast Molecular Motor Involved In Phagocytosis, Ulrike Durrwang, Setsuko Fujita-Becker, Muriel Erent, F. Jon Kull

Dartmouth Scholarship

Class I myosins are single-headed motor proteins, implicated in various motile processes including organelle translocation, ion-channel gating, and cytoskeleton reorganization. Here we describe the cellular localization of myosin-IE and its role in the phagocytic uptake of solid particles and cells. A complete analysis of the kinetic and motor properties of Dictyostelium discoideum myosin-IE was achieved by the use of motor domain constructs with artificial lever arms. Class I myosins belonging to subclass IC like myosin-IE are thought to be tuned for tension maintenance or stress sensing. In contrast to this prediction, our results show myosin-IE to be a fast motor. …


A Missense Mutation In Pmel17 Is Associated With The Silver Coat Color In The Horse, Emma Brunberg, Leif Andersson, Gus Cothran, Kaj Sandberg, Sofia Mikko, Gabriella Lindgren Oct 2006

A Missense Mutation In Pmel17 Is Associated With The Silver Coat Color In The Horse, Emma Brunberg, Leif Andersson, Gus Cothran, Kaj Sandberg, Sofia Mikko, Gabriella Lindgren

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The Silver coat color, also called Silver dapple, in the horse is characterized by dilution of the black pigment in the hair. This phenotype shows an autosomal dominant inheritance. The effect of the mutation is most visible in the long hairs of the mane and tail, which are diluted to a mixture of white and gray hairs. Herein we describe the identification of the responsible gene and a missense mutation associated with the Silver phenotype.

RESULTS: Segregation data on the Silver locus (Z) were obtained within one half-sib family that consisted of a heterozygous Silver colored stallion with 34 …


Aluminum Bioavailability From The Approved Food Additive Leavening Agent Acidic Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Incorporated Into A Baked Good, Is Lower Than From Water, Robert A. Yokel, Rebecca L. Florence Oct 2006

Aluminum Bioavailability From The Approved Food Additive Leavening Agent Acidic Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Incorporated Into A Baked Good, Is Lower Than From Water, Robert A. Yokel, Rebecca L. Florence

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

There are estimates of oral aluminum (Al) bioavailability from drinking water, but little information on Al bioavailability from foods. Foods contribute ∼95% and drinking water 1–2% of the typical human's daily Al intake. The objectives were to estimate oral Al bioavailability from a representative food containing the food additive acidic sodium aluminum phosphate (acidic SALP), a leavening agent in baked goods. Rats were acclimated to a special diet that resulted in no stomach contents 14 h after its withdrawal. They were trained to rapidly consume a biscuit containing 1.5% acidic SALP. Oral Al bioavailability was then determined from a biscuit …


Endocarditis And Biofilm-Associated Pili Of Enterococcus Faecalis, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Kavindra V Singh, Jouko Sillanpää, Danielle A Garsin, Magnus Höök, Stanley L Erlandsen, Barbara E Murray Oct 2006

Endocarditis And Biofilm-Associated Pili Of Enterococcus Faecalis, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Kavindra V Singh, Jouko Sillanpää, Danielle A Garsin, Magnus Höök, Stanley L Erlandsen, Barbara E Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Increasing multidrug resistance in Enterococcus faecalis, a nosocomial opportunist and common cause of bacterial endocarditis, emphasizes the need for alternative therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy or immunoprophylaxis. In an earlier study, we demonstrated the presence of antibodies in E. faecalis endocarditis patient sera to recombinant forms of 9 E. faecalis cell wall-anchored proteins; of these, we have now characterized an in vivo-expressed locus of 3 genes and an associated sortase gene (encoding sortase C; SrtC). Here, using mutation analyses and complementation, we demonstrated that both the ebp (encoding endocarditis and biofilm-associated pili) operon and srtC are important for biofilm production …


Comparative Analysis Of Vertebrate Eif2ak2 (Pkr) Genes And Assignment Of The Equine Gene To Eca15q24-Q25 And The Bovine Gene To Bta11q12-Q15, Andrey A. Perelygin, Teri L. Lear, Andrey A. Zharkikh, Margo A Brinton Sep 2006

Comparative Analysis Of Vertebrate Eif2ak2 (Pkr) Genes And Assignment Of The Equine Gene To Eca15q24-Q25 And The Bovine Gene To Bta11q12-Q15, Andrey A. Perelygin, Teri L. Lear, Andrey A. Zharkikh, Margo A Brinton

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The structures of the canine, rabbit, bovine and equine EIF2AK2 genes were determined. Each of these genes has a 5' non-coding exon as well as 15 coding exons. All of the canine, bovine and equine EIF2AK2 introns have consensus donor and acceptor splice sites. In the equine EIF2AK2 gene, a unique single nucleotide polymorphism that encoded a Tyr329Cys substitution was detected. Regulatory elements predicted in the promoter region were conserved in ungulates, primates, rodents, Afrotheria (elephant) and Insectifora (shrew). Western clawed frog and fugu EIF2AK2 gene sequences were detected in the USCS Genome Browser and compared to those of other …


Gammaherpesvirus Persistence Alters Key Cd8 T-Cell Memory Characteristics And Enhances Antiviral Protection, Joshua J. Obar, Shinichiro Fuse, Erica K. Leung, Sarah C. Bellfy, Edward J. Usherwood Sep 2006

Gammaherpesvirus Persistence Alters Key Cd8 T-Cell Memory Characteristics And Enhances Antiviral Protection, Joshua J. Obar, Shinichiro Fuse, Erica K. Leung, Sarah C. Bellfy, Edward J. Usherwood

Dartmouth Scholarship

In herpesvirus infections, the virus persists for life but is contained through T-cell-mediated immune surveillance. How this immune surveillance operates is poorly understood. Recent studies of other persistent infections have indicated that virus persistence is associated with functional deficits in the CD8(+) T-cell response. To test whether this is the case in a herpesvirus infection, we used a mutant murine gammaherpesvirus that is defective in its ability to persist in the host. By comparing the immune response to this virus with a revertant virus that can persist, we were able to dissect the changes in the antiviral CD8(+) T-cell response …


Cd80 And Cd86 Control Antiviral Cd8+ T-Cell Function And Immune Surveillance Of Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68, Shinichiro Fuse, Joshua J. Obar, Sarah Bellfy, Erica K. Leung, Weijun Zhang, Edward J. Usherwood Sep 2006

Cd80 And Cd86 Control Antiviral Cd8+ T-Cell Function And Immune Surveillance Of Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68, Shinichiro Fuse, Joshua J. Obar, Sarah Bellfy, Erica K. Leung, Weijun Zhang, Edward J. Usherwood

Dartmouth Scholarship

The interactions between CD80 and CD86 on antigen-presenting cells and CD28 on T cells serve as an important costimulatory signal in the activation of T cells. Although the simplistic two-signal hypothesis has been challenged in recent years by the identification of different costimulators, this classical pathway has been shown to significantly impact antiviral humoral and cellular immune responses. How the CD80/CD86-CD28 pathway affects the control of chronic or latent infections has been less well characterized. In this study, we investigated its role in antiviral immune responses against murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) and immune surveillance using CD80/CD86−/− mice. In the …


Platelet-Activating Factor Is Crucial In Psoralen And Ultraviolet A-Induced Immune Suppression, Inflammation, And Apoptosis, Peter Wolf, Dat X Nghiem, Jeffrey P Walterscheid, Scott Byrne, Yumi Matsumura, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Cora Bucana, Honnavara N Ananthaswamy, Stephen E Ullrich Sep 2006

Platelet-Activating Factor Is Crucial In Psoralen And Ultraviolet A-Induced Immune Suppression, Inflammation, And Apoptosis, Peter Wolf, Dat X Nghiem, Jeffrey P Walterscheid, Scott Byrne, Yumi Matsumura, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Cora Bucana, Honnavara N Ananthaswamy, Stephen E Ullrich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) is used as a very effective treatment modality for various diseases, including psoriasis and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. PUVA-induced immune suppression and/or apoptosis are thought to be responsible for the therapeutic action. However, the molecular mechanisms by which PUVA acts are not well understood. We have previously identified platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent phospholipid mediator, as a crucial substance triggering ultraviolet B radiation-induced immune suppression. In this study, we used PAF receptor knockout mice, a selective PAF receptor antagonist, a COX-2 inhibitor (presumably blocking downstream effects of PAF), and PAF-like molecules to test the role of PAF …


Ligand-Signaled Upregulation Of Enterococcus Faecalis Ace Transcription, A Mechanism For Modulating Host-E Faecalis Interaction, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Barbara E Murray Sep 2006

Ligand-Signaled Upregulation Of Enterococcus Faecalis Ace Transcription, A Mechanism For Modulating Host-E Faecalis Interaction, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Barbara E Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Enterococcus faecalis, the third most frequent cause of bacterial endocarditis, appears to be equipped with diverse surface-associated proteins showing structural-fold similarity to the immunoglobulin-fold family of staphylococcal adhesins. Among the putative E. faecalis surface proteins, the previously characterized adhesin Ace, which shows specific binding to collagen and laminin, was detectable in surface protein preparations only after growth at 46 degrees C, mirroring the finding that adherence was observed in 46 degrees C, but not 37 degrees C, grown E. faecalis cultures. To elucidate the influence of different growth and host parameters on ace expression, we investigated ace expression using E. …


Binding Of Internalized Receptors To The Pdz Domain Of Gipc/Synectin Recruits Myosin Vi To Endocytic Vesicles, Samia N. Naccache, Tama Hasson, Arie Horowitz Aug 2006

Binding Of Internalized Receptors To The Pdz Domain Of Gipc/Synectin Recruits Myosin Vi To Endocytic Vesicles, Samia N. Naccache, Tama Hasson, Arie Horowitz

Dartmouth Scholarship

Myosin VI (myo6) is the only actin-based molecular motor that translocates along actin filaments toward the minus end. Myo6 participates in two steps of endocytic trafficking; it is recruited to both clathrin-coated pits and to ensuing uncoated endocytic vesicles (UCV). Although there is evidence suggesting that the PDZ adaptor protein GIPC/synectin is involved in the association of myo6 with UCV, the recruitment mechanism is unknown. We show that GIPC/synectin is required for both internalization of cell surface receptors and for coupling of myo6 to UCV. This coupling occurs via a mechanism wherein engagement of the GIPC/synectin PDZ domain by C …


Cyclin D1 Repression Of Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1 Integrates Nuclear Dna Synthesis And Mitochondrial Function., Chenguang Wang, Zhiping Li, Yinan Lu, Runlei Du, Sanjay Katiyar, Jianguo Yang, Maofu Fu, Jennifer E Leader, Andrew Quong, Phyllis M Novikoff, Richard Pestell Aug 2006

Cyclin D1 Repression Of Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1 Integrates Nuclear Dna Synthesis And Mitochondrial Function., Chenguang Wang, Zhiping Li, Yinan Lu, Runlei Du, Sanjay Katiyar, Jianguo Yang, Maofu Fu, Jennifer E Leader, Andrew Quong, Phyllis M Novikoff, Richard Pestell

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Cyclin D1 promotes nuclear DNA synthesis through phosphorylation and inactivation of the pRb tumor suppressor. Herein, cyclin D1 deficiency increased mitochondrial size and activity that was rescued by cyclin D1 in a Cdk-dependent manner. Nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1), which induces nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes, was repressed in expression and activity by cyclin D1. Cyclin D1-dependent kinase phosphorylates NRF-1 at S47. Cyclin D1 abundance thus coordinates nuclear DNA synthesis and mitochondrial function.


Role Of A2b Adenosine Receptor Signaling In Adenosine-Dependent Pulmonary Inflammation And Injury, Chun-Xiao Sun, Hongyan Zhong, Amir Mohsenin, Eva Morschl, Janci L Chunn, Jose G Molina, Luiz Belardinelli, Dewan Zeng, Michael R Blackburn Aug 2006

Role Of A2b Adenosine Receptor Signaling In Adenosine-Dependent Pulmonary Inflammation And Injury, Chun-Xiao Sun, Hongyan Zhong, Amir Mohsenin, Eva Morschl, Janci L Chunn, Jose G Molina, Luiz Belardinelli, Dewan Zeng, Michael R Blackburn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adenosine has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In vitro studies suggest that activation of the A2B adenosine receptor (A2BAR) results in proinflammatory and profibrotic effects relevant to the progression of lung diseases; however, in vivo data supporting these observations are lacking. Adenosine deaminase-deficient (ADA-deficient) mice develop pulmonary inflammation and injury that are dependent on increased lung adenosine levels. To investigate the role of the A2BAR in vivo, ADA-deficient mice were treated with the selective A2BAR antagonist CVT-6883, and pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis, and airspace integrity were assessed. Untreated and …


Natriuretic Peptides And Nitric Oxide Stimulate Cgmp Synthesis In Different Cellular Compartments, Leslie A Piggott, Kathryn A Hassell, Zuzana Berkova, Andrew P Morris, Michael Silberbach, Thomas C Rich Jul 2006

Natriuretic Peptides And Nitric Oxide Stimulate Cgmp Synthesis In Different Cellular Compartments, Leslie A Piggott, Kathryn A Hassell, Zuzana Berkova, Andrew P Morris, Michael Silberbach, Thomas C Rich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are a family of ion channels activated by the binding of cyclic nucleotides. Endogenous channels have been used to measure cyclic nucleotide signals in photoreceptor outer segments and olfactory cilia for decades. Here we have investigated the subcellular localization of cGMP signals by monitoring CNG channel activity in response to agonists that activate either particulate or soluble guanylyl cyclase. CNG channels were heterologously expressed in either human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells that stably overexpress a particulate guanylyl cyclase (HEK-NPRA cells), or cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was used to activate the …


Transcriptional Regulation Of The Borrelia Burgdorferi Antigenically Variable Vlse Surface Protein, Tomasz Bykowski, Kelly Babb, Kate Von Lackum, Sean P Riley, Steven J Norris, Brian Stevenson Jul 2006

Transcriptional Regulation Of The Borrelia Burgdorferi Antigenically Variable Vlse Surface Protein, Tomasz Bykowski, Kelly Babb, Kate Von Lackum, Sean P Riley, Steven J Norris, Brian Stevenson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi can persistently infect humans and other animals despite host active immune responses. This is facilitated, in part, by the vls locus, a complex system consisting of the vlsE expression site and an adjacent set of 11 to 15 silent vls cassettes. Segments of nonexpressed cassettes recombine with the vlsE region during infection of mammalian hosts, resulting in combinatorial antigenic variation of the VlsE outer surface protein. We now demonstrate that synthesis of VlsE is regulated during the natural mammal-tick infectious cycle, being activated in mammals but repressed during tick colonization. Examination of cultured B. …


An Essential Role For Endocytosis Of Rhodopsin Through Interaction Of Visual Arrestin With The Ap-2 Adaptor, Nicholas R. Orem, Luxi Xia, Patrick J. Dolph May 2006

An Essential Role For Endocytosis Of Rhodopsin Through Interaction Of Visual Arrestin With The Ap-2 Adaptor, Nicholas R. Orem, Luxi Xia, Patrick J. Dolph

Dartmouth Scholarship

Previously, we have identified a class of retinal degeneration mutants in Drosophila in which the normally transient interaction between arrestin2 (Arr2) and rhodopsin is stabilized and the complexes are rapidly internalized into the cell body by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The accumulation of protein complexes in the cytoplasm eventually results in photoreceptor cell death. We now show that the endocytic adapter protein AP-2 is essential for rhodopsin endocytosis through an Arr2-AP-2beta interaction, and mutations in Arr2 that disrupt its interaction with the beta subunit of AP-2 prevent endocytosis-induced retinal degeneration. We further demonstrate that if the interaction between Arr2 and AP-2 is …


Mutations Affecting Beta-Tubulin Folding And Degradation, Yaqing Wang, Guoling Tian, Nicholas J Cowan, Fernando Cabral May 2006

Mutations Affecting Beta-Tubulin Folding And Degradation, Yaqing Wang, Guoling Tian, Nicholas J Cowan, Fernando Cabral

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Revertants of a colcemid-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line with an altered (D45Y) beta-tubulin have allowed the identification of four cis-acting mutations (L187R, Y398C, a 12-amino acid in-frame deletion, and a C-terminal truncation) that act by destabilizing the mutant tubulin and preventing it from incorporating into microtubules. These unstable beta-tubulins fail to form heterodimers and are predominantly found in association with the chaperonin CCT, suggesting that they cannot undergo productive folding. In agreement with these in vivo observations, we show that the defective beta-tubulins do not stably interact with cofactors involved in the tubulin folding pathway and, hence, fail to …


Defocused Orientation And Position Imaging (Dopi) Of Myosin V, Rolfe G. Petschek Apr 2006

Defocused Orientation And Position Imaging (Dopi) Of Myosin V, Rolfe G. Petschek

Faculty Scholarship

The centroid of a fluorophore can be determined within 1.5-nm accuracy from its focused image through fluorescence imaging with one-nanometer accuracy (FIONA). If, instead, the sample is moved away from the focus, the point-spread-function depends on both the position and 3D orientation of the fluorophore, which can be calculated by defocused orientation and position imaging (DOPI). DOPI does not always yield position accurately, but it is possible to switch back and forth between focused and defocused imaging, thereby getting the centroid and the orientation with precision. We have measured the 3D orientation and stepping behavior of single bifunctional rhodamine probes …


Lack Of Il-15 Results In The Suboptimal Priming Of Cd4+ T Cell Response Against An Intracellular Parasite, Crescent L. Combe, Magali M. Moretto, Joseph D. Schwartzman, Jason P. Gigley, David J. Bzik, Imtiaz A. Khan Apr 2006

Lack Of Il-15 Results In The Suboptimal Priming Of Cd4+ T Cell Response Against An Intracellular Parasite, Crescent L. Combe, Magali M. Moretto, Joseph D. Schwartzman, Jason P. Gigley, David J. Bzik, Imtiaz A. Khan

Dartmouth Scholarship

IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells, although important for protection against acute Toxoplasma gondii infection, can cause gut pathology, which may prove to be detrimental for host survival. Here we show that mice lacking IL-15 gene develop a down-regulated IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cell response against the parasite, which leads to a reduction in gut necrosis and increased level of survival against infection. Moreover, transfer of immune CD4+ T cells from WT to IL-15-/- mice reversed inhibition of gut pathology and caused mortality equivalent to levels of parental WT mice. Down-regulated CD4+ T cell response in the absence of IL-15, manifested as reduced …


Shelling Out For Genomics, Timothy S. Mcclintock, Charles D. Derby Apr 2006

Shelling Out For Genomics, Timothy S. Mcclintock, Charles D. Derby

Physiology Faculty Publications

A report on the symposium 'Genomic and Proteomic Approaches to Crustacean Biology' held as part of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2006 Annual Meeting, Orlando, USA, 4-8 January 2006.


Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Alters Alpha2 Receptor Expression In Adolescent Rats, Rosemarie M. Booze, David R. Wallace, Janelle M. Silvers, Barbara J. Strupp, Diane M. Snow, Charles F. Mactutus Apr 2006

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Alters Alpha2 Receptor Expression In Adolescent Rats, Rosemarie M. Booze, David R. Wallace, Janelle M. Silvers, Barbara J. Strupp, Diane M. Snow, Charles F. Mactutus

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Prenatal cocaine exposure produces attentional deficits which to persist through early childhood. Given the role of norepinephrine (NE) in attentional processes, we examined the forebrain NE systems from prenatal cocaine exposed rats. Cocaine was administered during pregnancy via the clinically relevant intravenous route of administration. Specifically, we measured alpha2-adrenergic receptor (alpha2-AR) density in adolescent (35-days-old) rats, using [3H]RX821002 (5 nM).

RESULTS: Sex-specific alterations of alpha2-AR were found in the hippocampus and amygdala of the cocaine-exposed animals, as well as an upregulation of alpha2-AR in parietal cortex.

CONCLUSION: These data suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure results in a persistent alteration …


Professional And Vocational Opportunities In Animal Care, Alicia Voss Apr 2006

Professional And Vocational Opportunities In Animal Care, Alicia Voss

ESSAI

No abstract provided.


Bifurcation And Singularity Analysis Of A Molecular Network For The Induction Of Long-Term Memory, Hao Song, Paul Smolen, Evyatar Av-Ron, Douglas A. Baxter, John H H. Byrne Apr 2006

Bifurcation And Singularity Analysis Of A Molecular Network For The Induction Of Long-Term Memory, Hao Song, Paul Smolen, Evyatar Av-Ron, Douglas A. Baxter, John H H. Byrne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Withdrawal reflexes of the mollusk Aplysia exhibit sensitization, a simple form of long-term memory (LTM). Sensitization is due, in part, to long-term facilitation (LTF) of sensorimotor neuron synapses. LTF is induced by the modulatory actions of serotonin (5-HT). Pettigrew et al. developed a computational model of the nonlinear intracellular signaling and gene network that underlies the induction of 5-HT-induced LTF. The model simulated empirical observations that repeated applications of 5-HT induce persistent activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and that this persistent activation requires a suprathreshold exposure of 5-HT. This study extends the analysis of the Pettigrew model by applying …