Life Sciences Commons^™

Applied And Mechanistic Studies Of Microbial 17beta-Estradiol Degradation, Zhongtian Li

Z Li

The presence of natural estrogens, a class of endocrine disrupting compounds, in water has caused increasing concerns over their adverse impacts on the health of aquatic eco-systems and human beings. In this study, adsorption characteristics of two natural estrogens, 17β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1), on granular activated carbon (GAC) were investigated in isotherm tests and in a GAC column. The GAC column was then converted to a biologically active carbon (BAC) column and the removal efficiency of E2 and its primary biodegradation intermediate E1 were monitored. During BAC operation, the impacts of various reactor operation parameters, such as the carbon …

Artemether-Lumefantrine Selects For Malaria Parasites With Decreased Lumefantrine Sensitivity Although Parasites Remain Sensitive To This Regimen In Tororo, Uganda, P. Tumwebaze, J. Bloome, O. Byaruhanga, C. Nakazibwe, A. Walakira, J. Okiring, S. L. Nsobya, Roland A. Cooper, P. J. Rosenthal

Roland A. Cooper

Inhibition Of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 With The Modified Green Tea Polyphenol Pamitoyl-Epigallocatechin Gallate., Aline De Oliveira, Sandra Adams, Lee Lee, Sean Murray, Stephen Hsu, Jeffrey Hammond, Douglas Dickinson, Ping Chen, Tin-Chun Chu

Tin-Chun Chu, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Modulates Oxidative Stress In Exocrine Glands Of A Primary Sjogren’S Syndrome Mouse Model Prior To Disease Onset, Seiji Ohno, Hongfang Yu, Douglas Dickinson, Tin-Chun Chu, Kalu Ogbureke, Scott Derossi, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Stephen Hsu

Tin-Chun Chu, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Canola And Corn Oil Mimetic On Jurkat Cells, Gabriela Ion, Kayla Fazio, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Gabriela Ion

BACKGROUND: The Western diet is high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil contains a healthier omega 3 to omega 6 ratio than corn oil. Jurkat T leukemia cells were treated with free fatty acids mixtures in ratios mimicking that found in commercially available canola oil (7% α-linolenic, 30% linoleic, 54% oleic) or corn oil (59% linoleic, 24% oleic) to determine the cell survival or cell death and changes in expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and receptors following oil treatment. METHODS: Fatty acid uptake was assessed by gas chromatography. Cell survival and cell death were …

Maternal Consumption Of Canola Oil Suppressed Mammary Gland Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice Offspring, Gabriela Ion, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Gabriela Ion

Background: Maternal consumption of a diet high in omega 6 polyunsaturated fats (n-6 PUFA) has been shown to increase risk whereas a diet high in omega 3 polyunsaturated fats (n-3 PUFA) from fish oil has been shown to decrease risk for mammary gland cancer in female offspring of rats. The aim of this study was to determine whether increasing n-3 PUFA and reducing n-6 PUFA by using canola oil instead of corn oil in the maternal diet might reduce the risk for breast cancer in female offspring. Methods: Female SV 129 mice were divided into two groups and placed on …

Consumption Of High Ω-3 Fatty Acid Diet Suppressed Prostate Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice, Juliana Akinsete, Gabriela Ion, Theodore Witte, W. Hardman

Gabriela Ion

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality are high in the Western world and high ω-6/ω-3 PUFA in the Western diet may be a contributing factor. We investigated whether changing from a diet that approximates ω-6 fat content of the Western diet to a high ω-3 fat diet at adulthood might reduce prostate cancer risk. Female SV 129 mice that had consumed a high ω-6 diet containing corn oil for 2 weeks were bred with homozygous C3(1)Tag transgenic male mice. All male offspring were weaned to the corn oil diet (CO) until postpuberty when half of the male offspring were transferred to …

Comparison Of Phenolic Compounds And Antioxidant Capacities Of Traditional Sorghum Beers With Other Alcoholic Beverages, Fatouma Abdoul-Latif, Romaric G. Bayili, Louis C. Obame, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Thirty samples of sorghum beers “dolo” were selected from traditionally fermented household manufacturers from Burkina Faso. Dolo samples were screened for their total phenolic content, proanthocyanidins and putative antioxidant capacities, and were compared with industrial beers and wines. Total phenols were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Proanthocyanidins content were determined by the method of HCl-butanol hydrolysis. Antioxidant activities were evaluated both with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and by the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) using 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical) (ABTS•+). The average contents of total phenols and proanthocyanidins were 506 μg GAE/ml of dolo and 45 μg APE/ml of dolo, respectively. An …

Microbial Sunscreens: Opportunities And Obstacles, Tanya Soule

Tanya Soule

No abstract provided.

Cryptococcal Genotype Influences Immunologic Response And Human Clinical Outcome After Meningitis, Darin L. Wiesner, Oleksandr Moskalenko, Jennifer M. Corcoran, Tami Mcdonald, Melissa A. Rolfes, David B. Meya, Henry Kajumbula, Andrew Kambugu, Paul R. Bohjanen, Joseph F. Knight, David R. Boulware, Kirsten Nielsen

Tami McDonald

No abstract provided.

Serotyping Group B Streptococci In A Small Community Hospital: An Analysis Of Distribution And Site Of Isolation, Jennifer M. Smith, Jason A. Rexroth, David G. Chaffin, Susan H. Jackman

Susan H. Jackman

Objective: To determine the prevalence and site of isolation of different serotypes of group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization or infection at a small community hospital. Methods: GBS isolates were obtained from a small community hospital and were then serotyped as la, Ib, II, III, IV, V or non-typeable. Hospital records were reviewed for patient sex, age and pregnancy status as well as the site of GBS isolation. Results: GBS serotypes Ia, III and V were most common and accounted for over 60% of the total number of isolates. Serotype Ia was most prevalent in reproductive-age females, while serotypes V and …

Murine Epidermal Cell Antigen (Skn)-Directed Autoimmunity Induced By Transfer Of Cd4+ T Cells, Susan H. Jackman, Shivaleela Keerthy, Giselle Perry

Susan H. Jackman

While pathogenic T cells have been identified for several diseases with epithelial cell damage, an autoimmune T cell-mediated response targeted against a known keratinocyte antigen has not been reported. Previously we described an autoimmune response directed to the mouse epidermal cell antigens, Skn. For our murine model, primed Skn-immune lymphocytes are adoptively transferred to recipients, which develop lesions at the site of mild skin trauma. In this study we investigated the nature of the autoimmune component of the Skn response. A time-course study demonstrated a relationship between the number of primed Sknimmune cells injected and the severity of skin lesions …

Purification And Characterization Of Novel Nucleases From A Thermophilic Fungus, Kyle Landry

Kyle S Landry

A thermophilic fungus was isolated from composted horse manure. The organism was as a Chaetomium sp. by sequencing the highly conserved ITS region of the fungus and comparing to known regions in a genomic database and was referred to as TM-417. TM-417 was found to have an optimal growth temperature of 45 ^oC and an optimal pH of 7.0. An extracellular DNase and RNase was found to be produced by the isolate and were purified 145.58-fold and 127.6-fold respectively using a combination of size exclusion chromatography and a novel affinity membrane purification system. The extent of purification was determined …

Serotyping Group B Streptococci In A Small Community Hospital: An Analysis Of Distribution And Site Of Isolation, Jennifer M. Smith, Jason A. Rexroth, David G. Chaffin, Susan H. Jackman

David G. Chaffin

Objective: To determine the prevalence and site of isolation of different serotypes of group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization or infection at a small community hospital. Methods: GBS isolates were obtained from a small community hospital and were then serotyped as la, Ib, II, III, IV, V or non-typeable. Hospital records were reviewed for patient sex, age and pregnancy status as well as the site of GBS isolation. Results: GBS serotypes Ia, III and V were most common and accounted for over 60% of the total number of isolates. Serotype Ia was most prevalent in reproductive-age females, while serotypes V and …

Global Analysis Of Gene Expression Changes During Retinoic Acid-Induced Growth Arrest And Differentiation Of Melanoma: Comparison To Differentially Expressed Genes In Melanocytes Vs Melanoma, Mary Estler, Goran Boskovic, James Denvir, Sarah Miles, Donald Primerano, Richard Niles

James Denvir

BACKGROUND: The incidence of malignant melanoma has significantly increased over the last decade. Some of these malignancies are susceptible to the growth inhibitory and pro-differentiating effects of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA). The molecular changes responsible for the biological activity of RA in melanoma are not well understood. RESULTS: In an analysis of sequential global gene expression changes during a 4-48 h RA treatment of B16 mouse melanoma cells, we found that RA increased the expression of 757 genes and decreased the expression of 737 genes. We also compared the gene expression profile (no RA treatment) between non-malignant melan-a mouse melanocytes and …

Maternal Consumption Of Canola Oil Suppressed Mammary Gland Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice Offspring, Gabriela Ion, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Elaine Hardman Ph.D.

Background: Maternal consumption of a diet high in omega 6 polyunsaturated fats (n-6 PUFA) has been shown to increase risk whereas a diet high in omega 3 polyunsaturated fats (n-3 PUFA) from fish oil has been shown to decrease risk for mammary gland cancer in female offspring of rats. The aim of this study was to determine whether increasing n-3 PUFA and reducing n-6 PUFA by using canola oil instead of corn oil in the maternal diet might reduce the risk for breast cancer in female offspring. Methods: Female SV 129 mice were divided into two groups and placed on …

Effects Of Canola And Corn Oil Mimetic On Jurkat Cells, Gabriela Ion, Kayla Fazio, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Elaine Hardman Ph.D.

BACKGROUND: The Western diet is high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil contains a healthier omega 3 to omega 6 ratio than corn oil. Jurkat T leukemia cells were treated with free fatty acids mixtures in ratios mimicking that found in commercially available canola oil (7% α-linolenic, 30% linoleic, 54% oleic) or corn oil (59% linoleic, 24% oleic) to determine the cell survival or cell death and changes in expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and receptors following oil treatment. METHODS: Fatty acid uptake was assessed by gas chromatography. Cell survival and cell death were …

Consumption Of High Ω-3 Fatty Acid Diet Suppressed Prostate Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice, Juliana A. Akinsete, Gabriela Ion, Theodore R. Witte, W. Elaine Hardman

Elaine Hardman Ph.D.

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality are high in the Western world and high ω-6/ω-3 PUFA in the Western diet may be a contributing factor. We investigated whether changing from a diet that approximates ω-6 fat content of the Western diet to a high ω-3 fat diet at adulthood might reduce prostate cancer risk. Female SV 129 mice that had consumed a high ω-6 diet containing corn oil for 2 weeks were bred with homozygous C3(1)Tag transgenic male mice. All male offspring were weaned to the corn oil diet (CO) until postpuberty when half of the male offspring were transferred to …

A High Omega-3 Fatty Acid Diet Has Different Effects On Early And Late Stage Myeloid Progenitors, Melinda Varney, James Buchanan, Yulia Dementieva, W. Hardman, Vincent Sollars

Elaine Hardman Ph.D.

The effects of the polyunsaturated omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids (FA) on hematopoiesis are complex in that both FA forms are processed into leukotrienes, eicosanoids, and prostaglandins, which can have independent effects. These FA have antagonistic effects in that n-6 FA prostaglandins tend to be pro-proliferative and pro-inflammatory, while the effects of n-3 FA prostaglandins are the opposite. We have previously shown that diets high in n-3 FA reduce the size of the middle to later stage myeloid progenitor compartment in FVB X sv129 F1hybrid mice. To assay the effects of high n-3 FA diets on earlier stages …

Epigenetic Modification As An Enabling Mechanism For Leukemic Transformation, Vincent Sollars

Vincent E Sollars

Cancer is now thought of as a fundamentally genetic disease, in that changes in the genome result in aberrant gene expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes to promote oncogenesis. However, with our increasing knowledge of gene regulation, it is becoming obvious that changes in nucleotide sequence are not the sole mechanism for eliciting changes in transcription. An additional layer of regulation of gene expression, called epigenetics, is now being realized as increasingly important in oncogenesis. Epigenetics is defined as non-sequence based changes in chromatin that elicit changes in gene expression that are propagated through mitosis and/or meiosis. The alleles …

Membrane Fusion Proteins Are Required For Oskar Mrna Localization In The Drosophila Egg Chamber, Douglas Ruden, Vincent Sollars, Xiaoyan Wang, Daisuke Mori, Marina Alterman, Xiangyi Lu

Vincent E Sollars

We used a genetic screen in Drosophila to identify mutations which disrupt the localization of oskar mRNA during oogenesis. Based on the hypothesis that some cytoskeletal components which are required during the mitotic divisions will also be required for oskar mRNA localization during oogenesis, we designed the following genetic screen. We screened for P-element insertions in genes which slow down the blastoderm mitotic divisions. A secondary genetic screen was to generate female germ-line clones of these potential cell division cycle genes and to identify those which cause the mislocalization of oskar mRNA. We identified mutations in ter94 which disrupt the …

Diversity In Secreted Pla2-Iia Activity Among Inbred Mouse Strains That Are Resistant Or Susceptible To Apcmin/+ Tumorigenesis, Marina Markova, Revati Koratkar, Karen Silverman, Vincent Sollars, Melina Macphee-Pellini, Rhonda Walters, Juan Palazzo, Arthur Buchberg, Linda Siracusa, Steven Farber

Vincent E Sollars

The secreted phospholipase A₂ type IIA (Pla2g2a) gene was previously identified as a modifier of intestinal adenoma multiplicity in Apc^Min/+ mice. To determine if intestinal secreted phospholipase A₂ (sPLA₂) activity was also attenuated in susceptible strains, we developed a sensitive assay to directly quantitate sPLA₂ activity in the murine intestinal tract utilizing a fluorescent BODIPY-labeled phospholipid substrate. Here, we report assay conditions that distinguish between secreted and cytosolic PLA₂ enzyme activities in extracts of intestinal tissue. The small intestine exhibited higher activity levels than the large intestine. Consistent with predictions from the sPLA …

A Drosophila Kinesin-Like Protein, Klp38b, Functions During Meiosis, Mitosis, And Segmentation, Douglas Ruden, Wei Cui, Vincent Sollars, Marina Alterman

Vincent E Sollars

We show that klp38B, isolated as a mutation that dominantly prolongs blastoderm mitotic cycles in Drosophila, encodes a Drosophila kinesin-like protein. Further genetic analyses show that Klp38B not only functions during mitosis, but is also required for meiosis and abdominal segmentation. Sequence comparisons suggest that Klp38B encodes an aminoterminal microtubule motor domain, a central a-helical coiled-coil domain, and a C-terminal globular domain. Evidence that Klp38B is required during meiosis is that flies transheterozygous for mutations in both klp38B and nod have a high frequency of 4th chromosome meiotic nondisjunction. Nod is a chromokinesin, a chromosome binding kinesin, that is believed …

17-N-Allylamino-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin Induces A Diverse Response In Human Acute Myelogenous Cells, Jennifer Napper, Vincent Sollars

Vincent E Sollars

The goal of this study was to ascertain the specific effects of 17-N-Allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) treatment in human acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Four human leukemia cell lines were treated with varying doses of 17-AAG followed by analysis of toxicity, apoptosis, proliferation, and cell cycle. Cell cycle analysis revealed that the cells accumulate in G2/M phase within 96 hours of treatment, although the effect was not equivalent among the cell lines. p21, p53 expression and MDR1 activity were among the possible mechanisms uncovered for the differing responses. Exploiting these differences may allow for more effective combinatory treatments in patients with AML.

Evidence For An Epigenetic Mechanism By Which Hsp90 Acts As A Capacitor For Morphological Evolution, Vincent E. Sollars, Xiangyi Lu, Li Xiao, Xiaoyan Wang, Mark D. Garfinkel, Douglas M. Ruden

Vincent E Sollars

Morphological alterations have been shown to occur in Drosophila melanogaster when function of Hsp90 (heat shock 0-kDa protein 1α, encoded by Hsp83) is compromised during development1. Genetic selection maintains the altered phenotypes in subsequent generations1. Recent experiments have shown, however, that phenotypic variation still occurs in nearly isogenic recombinant inbred strains of Arabidopsis thaliana2. Using a sensitized isogenic D. melanogaster strain, iso-KrIf-1, we confirm this finding and present evidence supporting an epigenetic mechanism for Hsp90’s capacitor function, whereby reduced activity of Hsp90 induces a heritably altered chromatin state. The altered chromatin state is evidenced by ectopic expression of the morphogen …

The Epigenomic Viewpoint On Cellular Differentiation Of Myeloid Progenitor Cells As It Pertains To Leukemogenesis, Vincent E. Sollars

Vincent E Sollars

The new millennium has brought with it a surge of research in the field of epigenetics. This has included advances in our understanding of stem cell characteristics and mechanisms of commitment to cell lineages prior to differentiation. The nature of stem cells is similar to that of malignant cells in that they have unlimited self-renewal and protection from apoptosis, leading researchers to suspect that stem cells are the target of oncogenesis. This review will explore the idea of how epigenetic control of gene expression may contribute to mechanisms controlling differentiation of myeloid progenitor cells and its importance to our understanding …

A High Omega-3 Fatty Acid Diet Has Different Effects On Early And Late Stage Myeloid Progenitors, Melinda Varney, James Buchanan, Yulia Dementieva, W. Hardman, Vincent Sollars

Vincent E Sollars

The effects of the polyunsaturated omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids (FA) on hematopoiesis are complex in that both FA forms are processed into leukotrienes, eicosanoids, and prostaglandins, which can have independent effects. These FA have antagonistic effects in that n-6 FA prostaglandins tend to be pro-proliferative and pro-inflammatory, while the effects of n-3 FA prostaglandins are the opposite. We have previously shown that diets high in n-3 FA reduce the size of the middle to later stage myeloid progenitor compartment in FVB X sv129 F1hybrid mice. To assay the effects of high n-3 FA diets on earlier stages …

The Mycoplasma Genitalium Mg_454 Gene Product Resists Killing By Organic Hydroperoxides, Sankaralingam Saikolappan, Smitha Sasindran, Hongwei Yu, Joel Basema, Subramanian Dhandayuthapani

Hongwei Yu

Mycoplasma genitalium is the smallest self-replicating organism and a successful human pathogen associated with a range of genitourinary maladies. As a consequence of its restricted genome size, genes that are highly conserved in other bacteria are absent in M. genitalium. Significantly, genes that encode antioxidants like superoxide dismutase and catalase-peroxidase are lacking. Nevertheless, comparative genomics has revealed that MG_454 of M. genitalium encodes a protein with putative function as an organic hydroperoxide reductase (Ohr). In this study, we found that an M. genitalium transposon mutant that lacks expression of MG_454 was sensitive to killing by t-butyl hydroperoxide and cumene hydroperoxide. …

Lipotoxin F Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Is An Algu-Dependent And Alginate-Independent Outer Membrane Protein Involved In Resistance To Oxidative Stress And Adhesion To A549 Human Lung Epithelia, F. Damron, Jennifer Napper, M. Teter, Hongwei Yu

Hongwei Yu

Chronic lung infection with P. aeruginosa and excessive neutrophil-associated inflammation are major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Overproduction of an exopolysaccharide known as alginate leads to the formation of mucoid biofilms that are resistant to antibiotics and host defences. Alginate overproduction or mucoidy is controlled by a stress-related ECF sigma factor AlgU/T. Mutation in the anti-sigma factor MucA is a known mechanism for conversion to mucoidy. Recently, we showed that inactivation of a kinase (KinB) in nonmucoid strain PAO1 results in overproduction of alginate. Here, we report the initial characterization of lipotoxin F (LptF, …

Global Analysis Of Gene Expression Changes During Retinoic Acid-Induced Growth Arrest And Differentiation Of Melanoma: Comparison To Differentially Expressed Genes In Melanocytes Vs Melanoma, Mary H. Estler, Goran Boskovic, James Denvir, Sarah Miles, Donald A. Primerano, Richard M. Niles

Donald A. Primerano

BACKGROUND: The incidence of malignant melanoma has significantly increased over the last decade. Some of these malignancies are susceptible to the growth inhibitory and pro-differentiating effects of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA). The molecular changes responsible for the biological activity of RA in melanoma are not well understood. RESULTS: In an analysis of sequential global gene expression changes during a 4-48 h RA treatment of B16 mouse melanoma cells, we found that RA increased the expression of 757 genes and decreased the expression of 737 genes. We also compared the gene expression profile (no RA treatment) between non-malignant melan-a mouse melanocytes and …