Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Case 71: Lactate Dehydrogenase As A Therapeutic Target To Treat Parasitic Disease, Dr. Kathleen Cornely

Chemistry & Biochemistry Case Studies

In this case study, researchers use their knowledge of lactate dehydrogenase in parasites and humans to investigate inhibitors that are selective for the parasite agent.

Endogenous Cftr Expression In Human Epithelial Cell Lines, Zithlaly Amezquita

Undergraduate Research Conference

CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane-conductance Regulator) is a plasma membrane protein that functions as a chloride ion channel on many epithelial cells. There are over 1000 mutations that affect the function of this protein; however, the most common mutation is DF508. CFTR mutations target many secretory organs like pancreas and lungs causing the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF), common among Caucasians of northern European origin. Detection of endogenous CFTR expression is possible by a difficult and costly immunoprecipitation method but not by the most used western blotting method. Therefore, the goal of this project was to detect the endogenous CFTR expression …

Analyzing Inhibitors Of The Sars-Cov-2 Endoribonuclease Nsp15, Mary Staunton

Honors Scholar Theses

The global pandemic caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 has devastated the world. A flurry of research into the structures and activities of the virus have identified several viable targets for drug therapy, including the endoribonuclease nsp15, also known as EndoU. EndoU has been shown to play a role in diminishing the host cell’s immune response to the virus by cleaving signaling dsRNA, specifically targeting uridine sequences. The development of the crystal structure nsp15 allowed our lab along with others to perform virtual screenings to identify inhibitors that might be able to dock at the active site and inhibit the activity …

Amelioration Of Cr (Vi) Into Cr (Iii) By Some Heavy Metal Resistant Bacterial Strains Isolated From Naran Valley, Ifrah Fayyaz, Asma Kalsoom, Rida Batool

Journal of Bioresource Management

Total thirty-two strains were isolated from both water and soil samples collected from Naran Valley which is surrounded by the rugged mountains, located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Streak plate method was used to screen the bacterial strains for resistance against selected heavy metals like chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn). Resistance against multiple heavy metals was shown by all the strains, but S15 and W15 were significant as they exhibited a maximum resistance to chromium and copper (1200 µg/ml). These strains also presented multiple antibiotic (ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin) resistance patterns. …

The Role Of Eicosanoid Metabolism In Mammalian Wound Healing And Inflammation, Kenneth D. Maus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory wounds, both chronic and acute, lead to increased morbidity and mortality rates, especially in the elderly population. The annual healthcare cost for chronic wound care alone is over $39B in the US and the demographic of susceptible patients is steadily increasing due to an aging population and lifestyle-related diseases (e.g., hyperlipidemia, obesity, and type 2 diabetes). In fact, many chronic wounds currently have a worse 5-year outlook than certain types of cancers. This shows the need for expediting the wound healing process in such a way that compresses inflammatory signaling and encourages wound resolution without sacrificing pathogen removal and …

Inhibition Of Nuclear Transport Of Perilipin 5, Hope Lewis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Obesity, type II diabetes mellitus, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are all conditions related to aberrant lipid storage in humans. Nearly all cells have the capacity to store neutral lipids in lipid storage droplets, organelles that regulate the storage of their hydrophobic contents. All lipid storage droplets are coated with at least one member of the perilipin family of proteins. Perilipin 5 is expressed in oxidative tissues including oxidative muscleand fasted liver and has been shown to play important roles in neutral lipid metabolism in these tissues. Perilipin 5’s involvement in gene expression was discovered during catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis, where the …

Delineating The Exocytic Fusion Machinery Required For Mast Cell Exocytosis, Pratikshya Adhikari

Dissertations

Mast cells undergo exocytosis to release a wide array of inflammatory mediators by utilizing membrane fusion proteins-SNAREs (soluble-N-ethyl-maleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) along with essential regulatory Munc18 and Munc13 proteins. Accumulating evidence in mast cell biology suggests the existence of distinct pools of mast cell mediators. However, the precise mechanism underlying the release of each mast cell mediator is not clear. To determine whether different exocytic machineries are required for differential mediator release, I used reconstitution to investigate the differential role of Munc18s in fusion machinery regulation. Munc18a and Munc18c stimulated VAMP2 and VAMP3-mediated lipid mixing, whereas Munc18b only …

Effects Of Pore-Forming Peptides (Melittin And Magainin 2) On The Phospholipid Bilayer Interior, Elmukhtar Ehmed Alhatmi

Dissertations and Theses

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the most promising solutions to drug-resistant bacteria. Melittin and magainin 2 are two of the most representative and extensively studied AMPs. In this research, I investigated the interaction of these two AMPs with three models of cell membranes: 80% POPC 20% POPG, 40%POPC 40% POPE and 20% POPG, and 80%POPC 20%POPG plus 30% mole fraction of cholesterol. Time-resolved fluorescence emission and fluorescence anisotropy decays of the fluorescent probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) were analyzed to determine the effects of AMPs on the bilayer headgroup packing and changes in the interior of the phospholipid bilayer during the …

Repurposing Lansoprazole And Posaconazole To Treat Leishmaniasis: Integration Of In Vitro Testing, Pharmacological Corroboration, And Mechanisms Of Action, Yash Gupta, Steven Goicoechea, Jesus G. Romero, Raman Mathur, Thomas R. Caulfield, Daniel P. Becker, Ravi Durvasula, Prakasha Kempaiah

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Leishmaniasis remains a serious public health problem in many tropical regions of the world. Among neglected tropical diseases, the mortality rate of leishmaniasis is second only to malaria. All currently approved therapeutics have toxic side effects and face rapidly increasing resistance. To identify existing drugs with antileishmanial activity and predict the mechanism of action, we designed a drug-discovery pipeline utilizing both in-silico and in-vitro methods. First, we screened compounds from the Selleckchem Bio-Active Compound Library containing ~1622 FDA-approved drugs and narrowed these down to 96 candidates based on data mining for possible anti-parasitic properties. Next, we completed preliminary in-vitro testing …

Impact Of Arginine Metabolism And Sensing In Mouse Models Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Chao Ma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains the most common neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system (CNS), with amyloidosis and tauopathy as their two main hallmarks. Typical AD pathologies include cerebral plaques deposited by amyloid-β, neurofibrillary tangles aggregated by tau, and neuroinflammation caused by activated brain myeloid cells. A critical theme is centered on impaired brain metabolism. Emerging evidence showed that impaired arginine metabolism was a novel biomarker pathway for AD. The manipulation of arginine metabolism by a critical enzyme arginase 1 (ARG1) in neurons indicated therapeutic benefits in alleviating tau pathology. Balanced cellular proteostasis was governed by the mechanistic target of …

Investigations Into The Improvement Of Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, Austin W. Nenninger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disease caused by interruption of the function of the ubiquitin ligase UBE3A gene. Patients experience an early life onset of symptoms which include pronounced intellectual disability, drastic speech impairmentor inability to speak, severe movement disorders, seizures, aggression, disruptive sleep impairment, and unusual personality traits. Estimates of prevalence show that approximately 1:15000 births are affected.

The disease is severe, and the burden can be devastating to the patients and the caregivers that they require for the duration of their relatively normal lifespan. Current treatments for the disease are lacking. Many are expensive and …

Assessment Of Diversity Of Antimicrobial Resistance Phenotypes And Genotypes Of Mannheimia Haemolytica Isolates From Bovine Nasopharyngeal Swabs, Hannah F. Carter, Robert W. Wills, Matthew A. Scott, Alexis C. Thompson, Randall S. Singer, John Dustin Loy, Brandi B. Karisch, William B. Epperson, Amelia R. Woolums

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The threat of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) for cattle operations is exacerbated by increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Mannheimia haemolytica, a leading cause of BRD. Characterization of AMR in M. haemolytica by culture and susceptibility testing is complicated by uncertainty regarding the number of colonies that must be selected to accurately characterize AMR phenotypes (antibiograms) and genotypes in a culture. The study objective was to assess phenotypic and genotypic diversity of M. haemolytica isolates on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) from 28 cattle at risk for BRD or with BRD. NPS were swabbed onto five consecutive blood agar plates; …

Reduction Of Stabilin-2 Contributes To A Protection Against Atherosclerosisstabilin, Yukako Kayashima1*,, Conner A. Clanton, Amanda M. Lewis, Xinghui Sun, Sylvia Hiller, Phillip Huynh, Jennifer Wilder, John Hagaman, Feng Li, Nobuyo Maeda-Smithies, Edward N. Harris

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

We have previously identified a novel atherosclerosis quantitative trait locus (QTL), Arch atherosclerosis 5 (Aath5), on mouse chromosome 10 by three-way QTL analyses between Apoe^−/− mice on a DBA/2J, 129S6 and C57BL/6J background. The DBA/2J haplotype at the Aath5 locus was associated with smaller plaque size. One of the candidate genes underlying Aath5 was Stabilin-2 (Stab2), which encodes a clearance receptor for hyaluronan (HA) predominantly expressed in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). However, the role of Stab2 in atherosclerosis is unknown. A congenic line of Apoe^−/− mice carrying Aath5 covering the Stab2^DBA allele …

Reduction Of Stabilin-2 Contributes To A Protection Against Atherosclerosis, Yukako Kayashima, Connor A. Clanton, Amanda M. Lewis, Xinghui Sun, Sylvia Hiller, Phillip Huynh, Jennifer Wilder, John Hagaman, Feng Li, Nobuyo Maeda-Smithies, Ed Harris

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

We have previously identified a novel atherosclerosis quantitative trait locus (QTL), Arch atherosclerosis 5 (Aath5), on mouse chromosome 10 by three-way QTL analyses between Apoe^−/− mice on a DBA/2J, 129S6 and C57BL/6J background. The DBA/2J haplotype at the Aath5 locus was associated with smaller plaque size. One of the candidate genes underlying Aath5 was Stabilin-2 (Stab2), which encodes a clearance receptor for hyaluronan (HA) predominantly expressed in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). However, the role of Stab2 in atherosclerosis is unknown. A congenic line of Apoe^−/− mice carrying Aath5 covering the Stab2 …

Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins, Apolipoprotein C-Iii, Angiopoietin-Like Protein 3, And Cardiovascular Events In Older Adults: Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (Aric) Study, Aliza Hussain, Caroline Sun, Elizabeth Selvin, Vijay Nambi, Josef Coresh, Xiaoming Jia, Christie M Ballantyne, Ron C Hoogeveen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

AIMS: Despite statin and antihypertensive therapies, older Americans have high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. Novel measures of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, low-density lipoprotein triglycerides (LDL-TG), and remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C), are associated with ASCVD in middle-aged adults. Polymorphisms in genes encoding angiopoietin-related protein 3 (ANGPTL3) and apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III), two proteins involved in triglyceride catabolism, are associated with increased risk for hypertriglyceridaemia and ASCVD and are potential therapeutic targets. We examined associations of LDL-TG, RLP-C, apoC-III, and ANGPTL3 levels with ASCVD events in older adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In 6359 participants (mean age …

Plants Used By Nyamwezi Traditional Health Practitioners To Remedy Sexually Transmitted Infections In Sikonge, Tanzania, David S. Kacholi, Halima Amir

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aims to document medicinal plants used by Nyamwezi traditional health practitioners (NTHPs) in managing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Sikonge District. The data on medicinal plants were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 23 NTHPs were interviewed. The findings revealed that 28 medicinal plants, belonging to 16 families and 25 genera, are used for the management of STIs in Sikonge. Most species belonged to family Fabaceae (17.9%), Apocynaceae, Combretaceae and Euphorbiaceae (10.7% each), and Olacaceae and Rutaceae (7.1% each). Out of the recorded plants, 45.7% are used to manage gonorrhoea, 25.7% syphilis, 17.1% vaginal candidiasis, 8.6% …

Role Of Bmi1 In Acute Lung Injury, María Helena Hernández-Cuervo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acute Lung Injury (ALI) is a set of signs and symptoms that lead to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure characterized by bilateral pulmonary infiltrates not attributed to cardiogenic origin. It is caused by a massive innate immune response, with the migration of white blood cells (neutrophils and macrophages principally) and a cytokine storm, followed by alterations in mitochondrial function, increase in reactive oxygen species production, and oxidative stress that in turn induces more mitochondrial damage. Several studies have shown that mitochondrial alterations are key events in the mechanism of ALI and reducing mitochondrial dysfunction could be a possible target in the …

One Planet: One Health. A Call To Support The Initiative On A Global Science-Policy Body On Chemicals And Waste, Werner Brack, Damia Barcelo Culleres, Alistair B.A. Boxall, Helene Budzinski, Sara Castiglioni, Adrian Covaci, Valeria Dulio, Beate I. Escher, Peter Fantke, Faith Kandie, Despo Fatta-Kassinos, Felix J. Hernandez, Klara Hilscherova, Juliane Hollender, Henner Hollert, Annika Jahnke, Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern, Stuart J. Khan, Andreas Kortenkamp, Klaus Kuemmerer, Brice Lalonde, Marja H. Lamoree, Yves Levi, Pablo Antonio Lara Martin, Cassiana C. Montagner, Christian Mougin, Titus Msagati, Joerg Oehlmann, Leo Posthuma, Malcolm Reid, Martin Reinhard, Susan D. Richardson, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

The chemical pollution crisis severely threatens human and environmental health globally. To tackle this challenge the establishment of an overarching international science–policy body has recently been suggested. We strongly support this initiative based on the awareness that humanity has already likely left the safe operating space within planetary boundaries for novel entities including chemical pollution. Immediate action is essential and needs to be informed by sound scientific knowledge and data compiled and critically evaluated by an overarching science–policy interface body. Major challenges for such a body are (i) to foster global knowledge production on exposure, impacts and governance going beyond …

Identification Of The Global Mir-130a Targetome Reveals A Role For Tbl1xr1 In Hematopoietic Stem Cell Self-Renewal And T(8; 21) Aml, Gabriela Krivdova, Veronique Voisin, Erwin M Schoof, Sajid A Marhon, Alex Murison, Jessica L Mcleod, Martino M Gabra, Andy G X Zeng, Stefan Aigner, Brian A Yee, Alexander A Shishkin, Eric L Van Nostrand, Karin G Hermans, Aaron C Trotman-Grant, Nathan Mbong, James A Kennedy, Olga I Gan, Elvin Wagenblast, Daniel D De Carvalho, Leonardo Salmena, Mark D Minden, Gary D Bader, Gene W Yeo, John E Dick, Eric R Lechman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Gene expression profiling and proteome analysis of normal and malignant hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) point to shared core stemness properties. However, discordance between mRNA and protein signatures highlights an important role for post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs) in governing this critical nexus. Here, we identify miR-130a as a regulator of HSC self-renewal and differentiation. Enforced expression of miR-130a impairs B lymphoid differentiation and expands long-term HSCs. Integration of protein mass spectrometry and chimeric AGO2 crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) identifies TBL1XR1 as a primary miR-130a target, whose loss of function phenocopies miR-130a overexpression. Moreover, we report that miR-130a is highly expressed …

Structural And Computational Studies Of The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein Binding Mechanisms With Nanobodies: From Structure And Dynamics To Avidity-Driven Nanobody Engineering, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Nanobodies provide important advantages over traditional antibodies, including their smaller size and robust biochemical properties such as high thermal stability, high solubility, and the ability to be bioengineered into novel multivalent, multi-specific, and high-affinity molecules, making them a class of emerging powerful therapies against SARS-CoV-2. Recent research efforts on the design, protein engineering, and structure-functional characterization of nanobodies and their binding with SARS-CoV-2 S proteins reflected a growing realization that nanobody combinations can exploit distinct binding epitopes and leverage the intrinsic plasticity of the conformational landscape for the SARS-CoV-2 S protein to produce efficient neutralizing and mutation resistant characteristics. Structural …

A Red Fluorescent Protein With Improved Monomericity Enables Ratiometric Voltage Imaging With Asap3, Benjamin B Kim, Haodi Wu, Yukun A Hao, Michael Pan, Mariya Chavarha, Yufeng Zhao, Michael Westberg, François St-Pierre, Joseph C Wu, Michael Z Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A ratiometric genetically encoded voltage indicator (GEVI) would be desirable for tracking transmembrane voltage changes in the presence of sample motion. We performed combinatorial multi-site mutagenesis on a cyan-excitable red fluorescent protein to create the bright and monomeric mCyRFP3, which proved to be uniquely non-perturbing when fused to the GEVI ASAP3. The green/red ratio from ASAP3-mCyRFP3 (ASAP3-R3) reported voltage while correcting for motion artifacts, allowing the visualization of membrane voltage changes in contracting cardiomyocytes and throughout the cell cycle of motile cells.

Depletion Of Transmembrane Mucin 4 (Muc4) Alters Intestinal Homeostasis In A Genetically Engineered Mouse Model Of Colorectal Cancer, Ramesh Pothuraju, Priya Pai, Sanjib Chaudhary, Jawed A Siddiqui, Jesse L Cox, Sukhwinder Kaur, Satyanarayana Rachagani, Hemant K Roy, Michael Bouvet, Surinder K Batra

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mucins are components of the mucus layer overlying the intestinal epithelial cells, which maintains physiological homeostasis. Altered mucin expression is associated with disease progression. Expression of MUC4 decreases in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, its functional role and implications in the intestinal pathology in CRC are not studied well. Therefore, we generated a genetically engineered Muc4 knockout (Muc4-/-) CRC mouse model by crossing with Muc4-/- and Apc^flox/flox mice in the presence of colon-specific inducible Cre. We observed that deficiency of Muc4 results in an increased number of macroscopic tumors in the colon and rectal region and leads to poor survival. …

A Glass Bead Semi‑Hydroponic System For Intact Maize Root Exudate Analysis And Phenotyping, Martha G. Lopez-Guerrero, Peng Wang, Felicia Phares4, Daniel P. Schachtman, Sophie Alvarez, Karin Van Dijk

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: Although there have been numerous studies describing plant growth systems for root exudate collection, a common limitation is that these systems require disruption of the plant root system to facilitate exudate collection. Here, we present a newly designed semi-hydroponic system that uses glass beads as solid support to simulate soil impedance, which combined with drip irrigation, facilitates growth of healthy maize plants, collection and analysis of root exudates, and phenotyping of the roots with minimal growth disturbance or root damage.

Results: This system was used to collect root exudates from seven maize genotypes using water or 1 mM CaCl …

Disruption Of Claudin-Made Tight Junction Barriers By Clostridium Perfringens Enterotoxin: Insights From Structural Biology, Chinemerem P. Ogbu, Sourav Roy, Alex J. Vecchio

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Claudins are a family of integral membrane proteins that enable epithelial cell/cell interactions by localizing to and driving the formation of tight junctions. Via claudin self-assembly within the membranes of adjoining cells, their extracellular domains interact, forming barriers to the paracellular transport of small molecules and ions. The bacterium Clostridium perfringens causes prevalent gastrointestinal disorders in mammals by employing an enterotoxin (CpE) that targets claudins. CpE binds to claudins at or near tight junctions in the gut and disrupts their barrier function, potentially by disabling their assembly or via cell signaling means—the mechanism(s) remain unclear. CpE ultimately destroys claudin-expressing cells …

Sesamum Indicum Diet Prevents Hyperlipidemia In Experimental Rats, Muinat M. Adeyanju, Idris A. Saheed, Oluwaseun I. Oyelekan, Taiwo A. Dele-Osibanjo, Ayodeji A. Adelegan, Adekunle J. Raimi, Samuel O. Olalekan, Olugbenga S. Alabi, Khadijat M. Alli

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular diseases and metabolic complications caused by hyperlipidemia are the leading cause of death globally. In this study, the hypolipidemic potency of Sesamum indicum (SI) seeds was investigated. Of the thirty-five (35) male rats used in the study, five (5) were randomly selected for baseline measurements and thirty (30) were fed high fat diet (HFD) for four (4) weeks before random assignment into three (3) groups. The experimental group was treated with 50% SI seed, the positive control group was given a hypolipidemic drug, atorvastatin (5 mg/kg/day) while the untreated group served as the negative control. With SI administration, the …

Aerosolization Of Catalytic Rna For Prebiotic Transport And In Situ Reactivity, Brennan Roland Farrell

Dissertations and Theses

Recent theoretical and experimental work suggests that aqueous aerosols in the early Earth's atmosphere might have been an essential component to the development of life. These complex droplets would have served to compartmentalize emerging biomolecules, thereby concentrating them, increasing reactivity, and facilitating transport and exchange between ocean and atmosphere. This project tests an underexplored but potentially important environmental paradigm for the RNA world hypothesis of prebiotic evolution, probing the effects of aerosolization on catalytic RNA using a model ribozyme. Here we demonstrate the successful transport and in situ self-assembly of the Azoarcus ribozyme from multiple independent fragments via a laboratory-constructed …

Salicylic Acid And N-Hydroxypipecolic Acid At The Fulcrum Of The Plant Immunity-Growth Equilibrium, Alyssa Shields, Vanessa Shivnauth, Christian Danve M. Castroverde

Biology Faculty Publications

Salicylic acid (SA) and N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP) are two central plant immune signals involved in both resistance at local sites of pathogen infection (basal resistance) and at distal uninfected sites after primary infection (systemic acquired resistance). Major discoveries and advances have led to deeper understanding of their biosynthesis and signaling during plant defense responses. In addition to their well-defined roles in immunity, recent research is emerging on their direct mechanistic impacts on plant growth and development. In this review, we will first provide an overview of how SA and NHP regulate local and systemic immune responses in plants. We …

The Role Of Cd5 In Cd4+ T Cell Metabolism, Joshua Bennett, Kiara Whitley, Claudia Freitas Phd, Christopher Haynie, Carlos Moreno, Scott Weber

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

T cells serve a key role in the immunological response in the adaptive system. Different receptors present on the T cell have certain roles and are able to either inhibit or stimulate signaling which consequently regulates the function and metabolism of the cell. CD5 is an inhibitory co receptor expressed on the surface of T cells known to regulate thymocyte selection and TCR signaling . Our goal is to better understand the effects of CD5 regulation in metabolism. Using metabolic flux assays, we found that CD5KO naïve T cells have increased glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration in comparison to wild type …

Isolation Of The Mustard Napin Protein Allergen Sin A 1 And Characterisation Of Its Antifungal Activity, Giulia Mignone, Laila N. Shwaiki, Elke K. Arendt, Aidan Coffey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Proteins and peptides belonging to the plant immune system can possess natural antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Due to their broad range of activity and stability, they represent promising novel alternatives to commonly used antifungal agents to fight the emergence of resistant strains. An isolation protocol was optimised to target proteins found in plants’ defence system, and it was applied to white mustard (Brassica hirta) seeds. Firstly, a ∼14 kDa protein with activity against S. cerevisiae was extracted and purified; secondly, the protein was identified as the mustard Napin protein named Allergen Sin a 1. Napin is the name given …

Potential Regulation Of Breast Cancer Invasion By Thymidine Kinase 1, Eliza E. Bitter, Rachel M. Morris, Toni O. Mortimer, Kai Barlow, Abigail Schekall, Michelle H. Townsend, Jonathan Skidmore, Brett E. Pickett, Kim L. O'Neill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is largely treatable within the early stages of the disease. However, patient mortality drastically declines as the tumor begins to invade other tissues and metastasize, making aggressive phenotypes especially problematic to treat. Such treatment typically requires an aggressive and decisive multidisciplinary approach. The recent expansion of immunotherapy as a viable treatment option has greatly improved treatment outcomes, especially with aggressive breast cancer phenotypes. Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is a DNA salvage pathway enzyme that is highly expressed during S phase and involved in cell cycle repair. Past studies indicated that …