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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Increased Mitochondrial Calcium Sensitivity And Abnormal Expression Of Innate Immunity Genes Precede Dopaminergic Defects In Pink1-Deficient Mice, Ravi S. Akundi, Zhenyu Huang, Joshua Eason, Jignesh D. Pandya, Lianteng Zhi, Wayne A. Cass, Patrick G. Sullivan, Hansruedi Büeler Jan 2011

Increased Mitochondrial Calcium Sensitivity And Abnormal Expression Of Innate Immunity Genes Precede Dopaminergic Defects In Pink1-Deficient Mice, Ravi S. Akundi, Zhenyu Huang, Joshua Eason, Jignesh D. Pandya, Lianteng Zhi, Wayne A. Cass, Patrick G. Sullivan, Hansruedi Büeler

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) is linked to recessive Parkinsonism (EOPD). Pink1 deletion results in impaired dopamine (DA) release and decreased mitochondrial respiration in the striatum of mice. To reveal additional mechanisms of Pink1-related dopaminergic dysfunction, we studied Ca²+ vulnerability of purified brain mitochondria, DA levels and metabolism and whether signaling pathways implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD) display altered activity in the nigrostriatal system of Pink1⁻/⁻ mice.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: Purified brain mitochondria of Pink1⁻/⁻ mice showed impaired Ca²+ storage capacity, resulting in increased Ca²+ induced mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) that was rescued by cyclosporine A. …


Superparamagnetic Nanoparticle Capture Of Prions For Amplification, Michael B. Miller, Surachai Supattapone Jan 2011

Superparamagnetic Nanoparticle Capture Of Prions For Amplification, Michael B. Miller, Surachai Supattapone

Dartmouth Scholarship

Prion diseases are associated with the presence of PrP(Sc), a disease-associated misfolded conformer of the prion protein. We report that superparamagnetic nanoparticles bind PrP(Sc) molecules efficiently and specifically, permitting magnetic separation of prions from a sample mixture. Captured PrP(Sc) molecules retain the activity to seed protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) reactions, enabling the rapid concentration of dilute prions to improve detection. Furthermore, superparamagnetic nanoparticles clear contaminated solutions of PrP(Sc). Our findings suggest that coupling magnetic nanoparticle capture with PMCA could accelerate and improve prion detection. Magnetic nanoparticles may also be useful for developing a nontoxic prion decontamination method for biologically …


Direct Cloning Of Double-Stranded Rnas From Rnase Protection Analysis Reveals Processing Patterns Of C/D Box Snornas And Provides Evidence For Widespread Antisense Transcript Expression, Manli Shen, Eduardo Eyras, Jie Wu, Amit Khanna, Serene Josiah, Mathieu Rederstorff, Michael Q. Zhang, Stefan Stamm Jan 2011

Direct Cloning Of Double-Stranded Rnas From Rnase Protection Analysis Reveals Processing Patterns Of C/D Box Snornas And Provides Evidence For Widespread Antisense Transcript Expression, Manli Shen, Eduardo Eyras, Jie Wu, Amit Khanna, Serene Josiah, Mathieu Rederstorff, Michael Q. Zhang, Stefan Stamm

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We describe a new method that allows cloning of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) that are generated in RNase protection experiments. We demonstrate that the mouse C/D box snoRNA MBII-85 (SNORD116) is processed into at least five shorter RNAs using processing sites near known functional elements of C/D box snoRNAs. Surprisingly, the majority of cloned RNAs from RNase protection experiments were derived from endogenous cellular RNA, indicating widespread antisense expression. The cloned dsRNAs could be mapped to genome areas that show RNA expression on both DNA strands and partially overlapped with experimentally determined argonaute-binding sites. The data suggest a conserved processing pattern …


The Incidence Of Type-1 Diabetes In Nod Mice Is Modulated By Restricted Flora Not Germ-Free Conditions., Cecile King, Nora Sarvetnick Jan 2011

The Incidence Of Type-1 Diabetes In Nod Mice Is Modulated By Restricted Flora Not Germ-Free Conditions., Cecile King, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

In the NOD mouse, the incidence of type-1 diabetes is thought to be influenced by the degree of cleanliness of the mouse colony. Studies collectively demonstrate that exposure to bacterial antigen or infection in the neonatal period prevents diabetes [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], supporting the notion that immunostimulation can benefit the maturation of the postnatal immune system [11]. A widely accepted extrapolation from this data has been the notion that NOD mice maintained under germ-free conditions have an increased incidence of diabetes. However, evidence supporting this influential concept is surprisingly limited [12]. In this …


Expression Of Functional Bacterial Undecaprenyl Pyrophosphate Synthase In The Yeast Rer2{Delta} Mutant And Cho Cells., Jeffrey S. Rush, Sergey Matveev, Ziqiang Guan, Christian R H Raetz, C J Waechter Dec 2010

Expression Of Functional Bacterial Undecaprenyl Pyrophosphate Synthase In The Yeast Rer2{Delta} Mutant And Cho Cells., Jeffrey S. Rush, Sergey Matveev, Ziqiang Guan, Christian R H Raetz, C J Waechter

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

During evolution the average chain length of polyisoprenoid glycosyl carrier lipids increased from C55 (prokaryotes) to C75 (yeast) to C95 (mammalian cells). In this study, the ability of the E. coli enzyme, undecaprenyl pyrophosphate synthase (UPPS), to complement the loss of the yeast cis-isoprenyltransferase in the rer2Δ mutant was tested to determine if (55)dolichyl phosphate (Dol-P) could functionally substitute in the protein N-glycosylation pathway for (75)Dol-P, the normal isoprenologue synthesized in S. cerevisiae. First, expression of UPPS in the yeast mutant was found to complement the growth and the hypoglycosylation of carboxypeptidase Y defects suggesting that the (55)polyprenyl-P-P intermediate was …


Leishmania Major Survival In Selective Phlebotomus Papatasi Sand Fly Vector Requires A Specific Scg-Encoded Lipophosphoglycan Galactosylation Pattern, Deborah E. Dobson, Shaden Kamhawi, Phillip Lawyer, Salvatore J. Turco, Stephen M. Beverley, David L. Sacks Nov 2010

Leishmania Major Survival In Selective Phlebotomus Papatasi Sand Fly Vector Requires A Specific Scg-Encoded Lipophosphoglycan Galactosylation Pattern, Deborah E. Dobson, Shaden Kamhawi, Phillip Lawyer, Salvatore J. Turco, Stephen M. Beverley, David L. Sacks

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Phlebotomine sand flies that transmit the protozoan parasite Leishmania differ greatly in their ability to support different parasite species or strains in the laboratory: while some show considerable selectivity, others are more permissive. In "selective" sand flies, Leishmania binding and survival in the fly midgut typically depends upon the abundant promastigote surface adhesin lipophosphoglycan (LPG), which exhibits species- and strain-specific modifications of the dominant phosphoglycan (PG) repeat units. For the "selective" fly Phlebotomus papatasi PpapJ, side chain galactosyl-modifications (scGal) of PG repeats play key roles in parasite binding. We probed the specificity and properties of this scGal-LPG PAMP (Pathogen Associated …


Micrornas Reveal The Interrelationships Of Hagfish, Lampreys, And Gnathostomes And The Nature Of The Ancestral Vertebrate, Alysha M. Heimberg, Richard Cowper-Sal{Middle Dot}Lari, Marie Semon, Philip C. J. Donoghue, Kevin J. Peterson Nov 2010

Micrornas Reveal The Interrelationships Of Hagfish, Lampreys, And Gnathostomes And The Nature Of The Ancestral Vertebrate, Alysha M. Heimberg, Richard Cowper-Sal{Middle Dot}Lari, Marie Semon, Philip C. J. Donoghue, Kevin J. Peterson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Hagfish and lampreys are the only living representatives of the jawless vertebrates (agnathans), and compared with jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes), they provide insight into the embryology, genomics, and body plan of the ancestral vertebrate. However, this insight has been obscured by controversy over their interrelationships. Morphological cladistic analyses have identified lampreys and gnathostomes as closest relatives, whereas molecular phylogenetic studies recover a monophyletic Cyclostomata (hagfish and lampreys as closest relatives). Here, we show through deep sequencing of small RNA libraries, coupled with genomic surveys, that Cyclostomata is monophyletic: hagfish and lampreys share 4 unique microRNA families, 15 unique paralogues of more …


Plant Phenolics: Extraction, Analysis And Their Antioxidant And Anticancer Properties, Jin Dai, Russell J. Mumper Oct 2010

Plant Phenolics: Extraction, Analysis And Their Antioxidant And Anticancer Properties, Jin Dai, Russell J. Mumper

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Phenolics are broadly distributed in the plant kingdom and are the most abundant secondary metabolites of plants. Plant polyphenols have drawn increasing attention due to their potent antioxidant properties and their marked effects in the prevention of various oxidative stress associated diseases such as cancer. In the last few years, the identification and development of phenolic compounds or extracts from different plants has become a major area of health- and medical-related research. This review provides an updated and comprehensive overview on phenolic extraction, purification, analysis and quantification as well as their antioxidant properties. Furthermore, the anticancer effects of phenolics in-vitro …


Simvastatin Enhances Immune Responses To Aβ Vaccination And Attenuates Vaccination-Induced Behavioral Alterations, Jinghong Kou, Hong-Duck Kim, Jingji Jin, Dongfeng Cao, Ling Li, Robert Lalonde, Ken-Ichiro Fukuchi Oct 2010

Simvastatin Enhances Immune Responses To Aβ Vaccination And Attenuates Vaccination-Induced Behavioral Alterations, Jinghong Kou, Hong-Duck Kim, Jingji Jin, Dongfeng Cao, Ling Li, Robert Lalonde, Ken-Ichiro Fukuchi

NYMC Faculty Publications

Statins are widely used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis. Some evidence has indicated that statins might have therapeutic and preventive benefits for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We and others also have shown the beneficial effect of statin treatment in reversing learning and memory deficits in animal models of AD. However, data from clinical trials are inconclusive. We previously documented that the adenovirus vector encoding 11 tandem repeats of Aβ1-6 fused to the receptor-binding domain (Ia) of Pseudomonas exotoxin A, AdPEDI-(Aβ1-6)(11), is effective in inducing an immune response against amyloid-β protein (Aβ) and reducing brain Aβ load in Alzheimer's …


The Mir-15/107 Group Of Microrna Genes: Evolutionary Biology, Cellular Functions, And Roles In Human Diseases, John R. Finnerty, Wang-Xia Wang, Sébastien S. Hébert, Bernard R. Wilfred, Guogen Mao, Peter T. Nelson Sep 2010

The Mir-15/107 Group Of Microrna Genes: Evolutionary Biology, Cellular Functions, And Roles In Human Diseases, John R. Finnerty, Wang-Xia Wang, Sébastien S. Hébert, Bernard R. Wilfred, Guogen Mao, Peter T. Nelson

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

The miR-15/107 group of microRNA (miRNA) gene is increasingly appreciated to serve key functions in humans. These miRNAs regulate gene expression involved in cell division, metabolism, stress response, and angiogenesis in vertebrate species. The miR-15/107 group has also been implicated in human cancers, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer's disease. Here we provide an overview of the following: (1) the evolution of miR-15/107 group member genes; (2) the expression levels of miRNAs in mammalian tissues; (3) evidence for overlapping gene-regulatory functions by different miRNAs; (4) the normal biochemical pathways regulated by miR-15/107 group miRNAs; and (5) the roles played …


The Armadillo Repeat Protein Pf16 Is Essential For Flagellar Structure And Function In Plasmodium Male Gametes, Ursula Straschil, Arthur M. Talman, David J. P. Ferguson, Karen A. Bunting, Zhengyao Xu, Elizabeth Bailes, Robert E. Sinden, Anthony A. Holder, Elizabeth F. Smith Sep 2010

The Armadillo Repeat Protein Pf16 Is Essential For Flagellar Structure And Function In Plasmodium Male Gametes, Ursula Straschil, Arthur M. Talman, David J. P. Ferguson, Karen A. Bunting, Zhengyao Xu, Elizabeth Bailes, Robert E. Sinden, Anthony A. Holder, Elizabeth F. Smith

Dartmouth Scholarship

Malaria, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium, threatens 40% of the world's population. Transmission between vertebrate and insect hosts depends on the sexual stages of the life-cycle. The male gamete of Plasmodium parasite is the only developmental stage that possesses a flagellum. Very little is known about the identity or function of proteins in the parasite's flagellar biology. Here, we characterise a Plasmodium PF16 homologue using reverse genetics in the mouse malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. PF16 is a conserved Armadillo-repeat protein that regulates flagellar structure and motility in organisms as diverse as green algae and mice. We show that …


New Views On Strand Asymmetry In Insect Mitochondrial Genomes, Shu-Jun Wei, Min Shi, Xue-Xin Chen, Michael J. Sharkey, Cornelis Van Achterberg, Gong-Yin Ye, Jun-Hua He Sep 2010

New Views On Strand Asymmetry In Insect Mitochondrial Genomes, Shu-Jun Wei, Min Shi, Xue-Xin Chen, Michael J. Sharkey, Cornelis Van Achterberg, Gong-Yin Ye, Jun-Hua He

Entomology Faculty Publications

Strand asymmetry in nucleotide composition is a remarkable feature of animal mitochondrial genomes. Understanding the mutation processes that shape strand asymmetry is essential for comprehensive knowledge of genome evolution, demographical population history and accurate phylogenetic inference. Previous studies found that the relative contributions of different substitution types to strand asymmetry are associated with replication alone or both replication and transcription. However, the relative contributions of replication and transcription to strand asymmetry remain unclear. Here we conducted a broad survey of strand asymmetry across 120 insect mitochondrial genomes, with special reference to the correlation between the signs of skew values and …


Bed Bug Deterrence, Kenneth F. Haynes, Mark H. Goodman, Michael F. Potter Sep 2010

Bed Bug Deterrence, Kenneth F. Haynes, Mark H. Goodman, Michael F. Potter

Entomology Faculty Publications

A recent study in BMC Biology has determined that the immature stage of the bed bug (the nymph) signals its reproductive status to adult males using pheromones and thus avoids the trauma associated with copulation in this species. The success of this nymphal strategy of deterrence is instructive. Against the background of increasing problems with bed bugs, this research raises the question whether pheromones might be used to control them.

See research article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/121.


Association Between Chronic Liver And Colon Inflammation During The Development Of Murine Syngeneic Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Jason Anthony Brandon, Jacqueline Perez-Rodriguez, C. Darrell Jennings, Donald A. Cohen, Vishal J. Sindhava, Subbarao Bondada, Alan M. Kaplan, J. Scott Bryson Sep 2010

Association Between Chronic Liver And Colon Inflammation During The Development Of Murine Syngeneic Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Jason Anthony Brandon, Jacqueline Perez-Rodriguez, C. Darrell Jennings, Donald A. Cohen, Vishal J. Sindhava, Subbarao Bondada, Alan M. Kaplan, J. Scott Bryson

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

The murine model of cyclosporine A (CsA)-induced syngeneic graft-versus-host disease (SGVHD) is a bone marrow (BM) transplantation model that develops chronic colon inflammation identical to other murine models of CD4+ T cell-mediated colitis. Interestingly, SGVHD animals develop chronic liver lesions that are similar to the early peribiliary inflammatory stages of clinical chronic liver disease, which is frequently associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, studies were initiated to investigate the chronic liver inflammation that develops in the SGVHD model. To induce SGVHD, mice were lethally irradiated, reconstituted with syngeneic BM, and treated with CsA. All of the SGVHD animals …


Mip/Mtmr14 And Muscle Aging, Scott K. Powers, Michael B. Reid Sep 2010

Mip/Mtmr14 And Muscle Aging, Scott K. Powers, Michael B. Reid

Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract.


Mechanisms Of Oxidant Generation By Catalase, Diane E. Heck, Michael Shakarjian, Hong-Duck Kim, Jeffrey Laskin, Anna M. Vetrano Aug 2010

Mechanisms Of Oxidant Generation By Catalase, Diane E. Heck, Michael Shakarjian, Hong-Duck Kim, Jeffrey Laskin, Anna M. Vetrano

NYMC Faculty Publications

The enzyme catalase converts solar radiation into reactive oxidant species (ROS). In this study, we report that several bacterial catalases (hydroperoxidases, HP), including Escherichia coli HP-I and HP-II also generate reactive oxidants in response to ultraviolet B light (UVB). HP-I and HP-II are identical except for the presence of NADPH. We found that only one of the catalases, HPI, produces oxidants in response to UVB light, indicating a potential role for the nucleotide in ROS production. This prompts us to speculate that NADPH may act as a cofactor regulating ROS generation by mammalian catalases. Structural analysis of the NADPH domains …


The Marine Sponge Metabolite Mycothiazole: A Novel Prototype Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitor., J Brian Morgan, Fakhri Mahdi, Yang Liu, Veena Coothankandaswamy, Mika B. Jekabsons, Tyler A. Johnson, Koneni V. Sashidhara, Phillip Crews, Dale G. Nagle, Yu-Dong Zhou Aug 2010

The Marine Sponge Metabolite Mycothiazole: A Novel Prototype Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitor., J Brian Morgan, Fakhri Mahdi, Yang Liu, Veena Coothankandaswamy, Mika B. Jekabsons, Tyler A. Johnson, Koneni V. Sashidhara, Phillip Crews, Dale G. Nagle, Yu-Dong Zhou

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

A natural product chemistry-based approach was applied to discover small-molecule inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). A Petrosaspongia mycofijiensis marine sponge extract yielded mycothiazole (1), a solid tumor selective compound with no known mechanism for its cell line-dependent cytotoxic activity. Compound 1 inhibited hypoxic HIF-1 signaling in tumor cells (IC(50) 1nM) that correlated with the suppression of hypoxia-stimulated tumor angiogenesis in vitro. However, 1 exhibited pronounced neurotoxicity in vitro. Mechanistic studies revealed that 1 selectively suppresses mitochondrial respiration at complex I (NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase). Unlike rotenone, MPP(+), annonaceous acetogenins, piericidin A, and other complex I inhibitors, mycothiazole is a mixed polyketide/peptide-derived compound …


Invasive Predators Deplete Genetic Diversity Of Island Lizards, Amandine Gasc, M. C. Duryea, Robert M. Cox, Andrew Kern, Ryan Calsbeek Aug 2010

Invasive Predators Deplete Genetic Diversity Of Island Lizards, Amandine Gasc, M. C. Duryea, Robert M. Cox, Andrew Kern, Ryan Calsbeek

Dartmouth Scholarship

Invasive species can dramatically impact natural populations, especially those living on islands. Though numerous examples illustrate the ecological impact of invasive predators, no study has examined the genetic consequences for native populations subject to invasion. Here we capitalize on a natural experiment in which a long-term study of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) was interrupted by rat invasion. An island population that was devastated by rats recovered numerically following rat extermination. However, population genetic analyses at six microsatellite loci suggested a possible loss of genetic diversity due to invasion when compared to an uninvaded island studied over …


Interleukin-10 Mediated Autoregulation Of Murine B-1 B-Cells And Its Role In Borrelia Hermsii Infection, Vishal Sindhava, Michael E Woodman, Brian Stevenson, Subbarao Bondada Jul 2010

Interleukin-10 Mediated Autoregulation Of Murine B-1 B-Cells And Its Role In Borrelia Hermsii Infection, Vishal Sindhava, Michael E Woodman, Brian Stevenson, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

B cells are typically characterized as positive regulators of the immune response, primarily by producing antibodies. However, recent studies indicate that various subsets of B cells can perform regulatory functions mainly through IL-10 secretion. Here we discovered that peritoneal B-1 (B-1P) cells produce high levels of IL-10 upon stimulation with several Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands. High levels of IL-10 suppressed B-1P cell proliferation and differentiation response to all TLR ligands studied in an autocrine manner in vitro and in vivo. IL-10 that accumulated in cultures inhibited B-1P cells at second and subsequent cell divisions mainly at the G1/S interphase. …


A Kinesin Motor In A Force-Producing Conformation, Elisabeth Heuston, C. Eric Bronner, F Jon Kull, Sharyn A. Endow Jul 2010

A Kinesin Motor In A Force-Producing Conformation, Elisabeth Heuston, C. Eric Bronner, F Jon Kull, Sharyn A. Endow

Dartmouth Scholarship

Kinesin motors hydrolyze ATP to produce force and move along microtubules, converting chemical energy into work by a mechanism that is only poorly understood. Key transitions and intermediate states in the process are still structurally uncharacterized, and remain outstanding questions in the field. Perturbing the motor by introducing point mutations could stabilize transitional or unstable states, providing critical information about these rarer states.


Microarray Analysis Of A Salamander Hopeful Monster Reveals Transcriptional Signatures Of Paedomorphic Brain Development, Robert B. Page, Meredith A. Boley, Jeramiah J. Smith, Srikrishna Putta, Stephen R. Voss Jun 2010

Microarray Analysis Of A Salamander Hopeful Monster Reveals Transcriptional Signatures Of Paedomorphic Brain Development, Robert B. Page, Meredith A. Boley, Jeramiah J. Smith, Srikrishna Putta, Stephen R. Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is considered a hopeful monster because it exhibits an adaptive and derived mode of development - paedomorphosis - that has evolved rapidly and independently among tiger salamanders. Unlike related tiger salamanders that undergo metamorphosis, axolotls retain larval morphological traits into adulthood and thus present an adult body plan that differs dramatically from the ancestral (metamorphic) form. The basis of paedomorphic development was investigated by comparing temporal patterns of gene transcription between axolotl and tiger salamander larvae (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) that typically undergo a metamorphosis.

RESULTS: Transcript abundances from whole brain and pituitary were estimated …


Entry And Fusion Of Emerging Paramyxoviruses, Rebecca Ellis Dutch Jun 2010

Entry And Fusion Of Emerging Paramyxoviruses, Rebecca Ellis Dutch

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Paramyxoviruses are a family of non-segmented RNA viruses that includes major human pathogens such as measles virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and significant animal viruses like rinderpest. In recent years, several new paramyxoviruses have been identified, further increasing the breadth and importance of this viral family. While many elements of the fusion and entry mechanisms of these recently identified pathogens are conserved, there are interesting differences, including variations in receptor binding, cell tropism, fusion (F) protein proteolytic activation, and triggering of membrane fusion. Thus, study of their entry mechanisms has highlighted the diversity of these critical events in the …


Comparative Mitogenomics Of Braconidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) And The Phylogenetic Utility Of Mitochondrial Genomes With Special Reference To Holometabolous Insects, Shu-Jun Wei, Min Shi, Michael J. Sharkey, Cornelis Van Achterberg, Xue-Xin Chen Jun 2010

Comparative Mitogenomics Of Braconidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) And The Phylogenetic Utility Of Mitochondrial Genomes With Special Reference To Holometabolous Insects, Shu-Jun Wei, Min Shi, Michael J. Sharkey, Cornelis Van Achterberg, Xue-Xin Chen

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Animal mitochondrial genomes are potential models for molecular evolution and markers for phylogenetic and population studies. Previous research has shown interesting features in hymenopteran mitochondrial genomes. Here, we conducted a comparative study of mitochondrial genomes of the family Braconidae, one of the largest families of Hymenoptera, and assessed the utility of mitochondrial genomic data for phylogenetic inference at three different hierarchical levels, i.e., Braconidae, Hymenoptera, and Holometabola.

RESULTS: Seven mitochondrial genomes from seven subfamilies of Braconidae were sequenced. Three of the four sequenced A+T-rich regions are shown to be inverted. Furthermore, all species showed reversal of strand asymmetry, suggesting …


Notch1 Functions As A Tumor Suppressor In A Model Of K-Ras–Induced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Linda Hanlon, Jacqueline L Avila, Renée M Demarest, Scott Troutman, Megan Allen, Francesca Ratti, Anil K Rustgi, Ben Z Stanger, Fred Radtke, Volkan Adsay, Fenella Long, Anthony J Capobianco, Joseph L Kissil Jun 2010

Notch1 Functions As A Tumor Suppressor In A Model Of K-Ras–Induced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Linda Hanlon, Jacqueline L Avila, Renée M Demarest, Scott Troutman, Megan Allen, Francesca Ratti, Anil K Rustgi, Ben Z Stanger, Fred Radtke, Volkan Adsay, Fenella Long, Anthony J Capobianco, Joseph L Kissil

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

K-ras is the most commonly mutated oncogene in pancreatic cancer and its activation in murine models is sufficient to recapitulate the spectrum of lesions seen in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Recent studies suggest that Notch receptor signaling becomes reactivated in a subset of PDACs, leading to the hypothesis that Notch1 functions as an oncogene in this setting. To determine whether Notch1 is required for K-ras-induced tumorigenesis, we used a mouse model in which an oncogenic allele of K-ras is activated and Notch1 is deleted simultaneously in the pancreas. Unexpectedly, the loss of Notch1 in this model resulted in increased …


Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou Jun 2010

Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou

Animal Science

Poisonous Rangeland Plants in San Luis Obispo County is a comprehensive educational guide to rangeland plants that are toxic to domestic livestock. This guide begins with an exploration of how the biological systems are affected by the poisonous plant toxins. The biochemistry behind these toxins is included in the discussion. Next, reference material for fourteen plants that inhabit San Luis Obispo County is provided. This information includes specific toxins found in poisonous plants, affected animals, symptoms of poisoning, stages of growth, lethal dose, and distribution of the plant in California. This section of the guide is filled with helpful photos …


Cannabinoid-Mediated Inhibition Of Recurrent Excitatory Circuitry In The Dentate Gyrus In A Mouse Model Of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Muthu D. Bhaskaran, Bret N. Smith May 2010

Cannabinoid-Mediated Inhibition Of Recurrent Excitatory Circuitry In The Dentate Gyrus In A Mouse Model Of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Muthu D. Bhaskaran, Bret N. Smith

Physiology Faculty Publications

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a neurological condition associated with neuron loss, axon sprouting, and hippocampal sclerosis, which results in modified synaptic circuitry. Cannabinoids appear to be anti-convulsive in patients and animal models of TLE, but the mechanisms of this effect are not known. A pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus mouse model of TLE was used to study the effect of cannabinoid agonists on recurrent excitatory circuits of the dentate gyrus using electrophysiological recordings in hippocampal slices isolated from control mice and mice with TLE. Cannabinoid agonists WIN 55,212-2, anandamide (AEA), or 2-arachydonoylglycerol (2-AG) reduced the frequency of spontaneous and tetrodotoxin-resistant excitatory …


Mimosa: A System For Minimotif Annotation, Jay Vyas, Ronald J. Nowling, Thomas Meusburger, David P. Sargeant, Krishna Kadaveru, Michael R. Gryk, Vamsi Kundeti, Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Martin Schiller May 2010

Mimosa: A System For Minimotif Annotation, Jay Vyas, Ronald J. Nowling, Thomas Meusburger, David P. Sargeant, Krishna Kadaveru, Michael R. Gryk, Vamsi Kundeti, Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Martin Schiller

Life Sciences Faculty Research

BACKGROUND:

Minimotifs are short peptide sequences within one protein, which are recognized by other proteins or molecules. While there are now several minimotif databases, they are incomplete. There are reports of many minimotifs in the primary literature, which have yet to be annotated, while entirely novel minimotifs continue to be published on a weekly basis. Our recently proposed function and sequence syntax for minimotifs enables us to build a general tool that will facilitate structured annotation and management of minimotif data from the biomedical literature.

RESULTS:

We have built the MimoSA application for minimotif annotation. The application supports management of …


A Brain-Specific Cytochrome P450 Responsible For The Majority Of Deltamethrin Resistance In The Qtc279 Strain Of Tribolium Castaneum, Fang Zhu, R. Parthasarathy, Hua Bai, Katharina Woithe, Martin Kaussmann, Ralf Nauen, Douglas A. Harrison, Subba R. Palli May 2010

A Brain-Specific Cytochrome P450 Responsible For The Majority Of Deltamethrin Resistance In The Qtc279 Strain Of Tribolium Castaneum, Fang Zhu, R. Parthasarathy, Hua Bai, Katharina Woithe, Martin Kaussmann, Ralf Nauen, Douglas A. Harrison, Subba R. Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Cytochrome P450-mediated detoxification is one of the most important mechanisms involved in insecticide resistance. However, the molecular basis of this mechanism and the physiological functions of P450s associated with insecticide resistance remain largely unknown. Here, we exploited the functional genomics and reverse genetic approaches to identify and characterize a P450 gene responsible for the majority of deltamethrin resistance observed in the QTC279 strain of Tribolium castaneum. We used recently completed whole-genome sequence of T. castaneum to prepare custom microarrays and identified a P450 gene, CYP6BQ9, which showed more than a 200-fold higher expression in the deltamethrin-resistant QTC279 strain when compared …


Oas1 Polymorphisms Are Associated With Susceptibility To West Nile Encephalitis In Horses, Jonathan J. Rios, Joann G. W. Fleming, Uneeda K. Bryant, Craig N. Carter, John C. Huber Jr., Maureen T. Long, Thomas E. Spencer, David L. Adelson May 2010

Oas1 Polymorphisms Are Associated With Susceptibility To West Nile Encephalitis In Horses, Jonathan J. Rios, Joann G. W. Fleming, Uneeda K. Bryant, Craig N. Carter, John C. Huber Jr., Maureen T. Long, Thomas E. Spencer, David L. Adelson

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Faculty Publications

West Nile virus, first identified within the United States in 1999, has since spread across the continental states and infected birds, humans and domestic animals, resulting in numerous deaths. Previous studies in mice identified the Oas1b gene, a member of the OAS/RNASEL innate immune system, as a determining factor for resistance to West Nile virus (WNV) infection. A recent case-control association study described mutations of human OAS1 associated with clinical susceptibility to WNV infection. Similar studies in horses, a particularly susceptible species, have been lacking, in part, because of the difficulty in collecting populations sufficiently homogenous in their infection and …


Effects Of Long-Term Pioglitazone Treatment On Peripheral And Central Markers Of Aging, Eric M. Blalock, Jeremiah T. Phelps, Tristano Pancani, James L. Searcy, Katie L. Anderson, John C. Gant, Jelena Popovic, Margarita G. Avdiushko, Don A. Cohen, Kuey-Chu Chen, Nada M. Porter, Olivier Thibault Apr 2010

Effects Of Long-Term Pioglitazone Treatment On Peripheral And Central Markers Of Aging, Eric M. Blalock, Jeremiah T. Phelps, Tristano Pancani, James L. Searcy, Katie L. Anderson, John C. Gant, Jelena Popovic, Margarita G. Avdiushko, Don A. Cohen, Kuey-Chu Chen, Nada M. Porter, Olivier Thibault

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and are used clinically to help restore peripheral insulin sensitivity in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Interestingly, long-term treatment of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with TZDs also has been shown to reduce several well-established brain biomarkers of AD including inflammation, oxidative stress and Abeta accumulation. While TZD's actions in AD models help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying their potentially beneficial effects in AD patients, little is known about the functional consequences of TZDs in animal models of normal aging. Because aging is a common risk factor for both AD and …