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Articles 181 - 210 of 671

Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry

Changes In Lipid Profiles Of Epileptic Mouse Mode, Alicia Johnson, Ryan A. Grove, Deepak Madhavan, Cory H.T. Boone, Camila Pereira Braga, Hannah Kyllo, Kaeli K. Samson, Kristina A. Simeone, Timothy A. Simeone, Tomáš Helikar, Corrine K. Hanson, Jiri Adamec Oct 2020

Changes In Lipid Profiles Of Epileptic Mouse Mode, Alicia Johnson, Ryan A. Grove, Deepak Madhavan, Cory H.T. Boone, Camila Pereira Braga, Hannah Kyllo, Kaeli K. Samson, Kristina A. Simeone, Timothy A. Simeone, Tomáš Helikar, Corrine K. Hanson, Jiri Adamec

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Introduction Approximately 1% of the world’s population is impacted by epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. One-third of epileptic patients are resistant to AEDs, or have medically refractory epilepsy (MRE). One non-invasive treatment that exists for MRE includes the ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. Despite the KD’s success in seizure attenuation, it has a few risks and its mechanisms remain poorly understood. The KD has been shown to improve metabolism and mitochondrial function in epileptic phenotypes. Potassium channels have implications in epileptic conditions as they have dual roles as metabolic sensors and control neuronal excitation.

Objectives …


A Practical Guide To Mechanistic Systems Modeling In Biology Using A Logic-Based Approach, Anna Niarakis, Tomáš Helikar Sep 2020

A Practical Guide To Mechanistic Systems Modeling In Biology Using A Logic-Based Approach, Anna Niarakis, Tomáš Helikar

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Mechanistic computational models enable the study of regulatory mechanisms implicated in various biological processes. These models provide a means to analyze the dynamics of the systems they describe, and to study and interrogate their properties, and provide insights about the emerging behavior of the system in the presence of single or combined perturbations. Aimed at those who are new to computational modeling, we present here a practical hands-on protocol breaking down the process of mechanistic modeling of biological systems in a succession of precise steps. The protocol provides a framework that includes defining the model scope, choosing validation criteria, selecting …


Cautionary Tale Of Using Tris(Alkyl)Phosphine Reducing Agents With Nad+-Dependent Enzymes, Sagar M. Patel, Thomas G. Smith, Martha Morton, Kyle M. Stiers, Javier Seravalli, Stephen J. Mayclin, Thomas E. Edwards, John J. Tanner, Donald F. Becker Sep 2020

Cautionary Tale Of Using Tris(Alkyl)Phosphine Reducing Agents With Nad+-Dependent Enzymes, Sagar M. Patel, Thomas G. Smith, Martha Morton, Kyle M. Stiers, Javier Seravalli, Stephen J. Mayclin, Thomas E. Edwards, John J. Tanner, Donald F. Becker

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Protein biochemistry protocols typically include disulfide bond reducing agents to guard against unwanted thiol oxidation and protein aggregation. Commonly used disulfide bond reducing agents include dithiothreitol, β-mercaptoethanol, glutathione, and the tris(alkyl)phosphine compounds tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) and tris(3-hydroxypropyl)phosphine (THPP). While studying the catalytic activity of the NAD(P)H-dependent enzyme Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, we unexpectedly observed a rapid non-enzymatic chemical reaction between NAD+ and the reducing agents TCEP and THPP. The product of the reaction exhibits a maximum ultraviolet absorbance peak at 334 nm and forms with an apparent association rate constant of 231–491 M−1 s−1. The reaction is …


Investigating Photosynthetic Stability: Relation Between Thylakoid Lipid Content And The Stability Of The Cytochrome B6f Complex, Marina Mehling Aug 2020

Investigating Photosynthetic Stability: Relation Between Thylakoid Lipid Content And The Stability Of The Cytochrome B6f Complex, Marina Mehling

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

The cytochrome b6f complex is an enzyme found in plants, cyanobacteria, and green algae that catalyzes the transport of electrons in the rate-limiting step of oxygenic photosynthesis. This dimeric complex has an extensive lipid architecture that is primarily composed of five distinct lipid classes: monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyl diacylglycerol (DGDG), phosphatidyl glycerol (PG), monoglucosyl diacylglycerol (GlcDG), and sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol (SQDG). While these lipid classes have been identified, their precise role in the function of the cytochrome complex are only beginning to be understood. Mechanisms describing the relation between thylakoid lipid content on the stability of the b6 …


Modulation Of Escherichia Coli Translation By The Specific Inactivation Of TrnaGly Under Oxidative Stress, Lorenzo Eugenio Leiva, Andrea Pincheira, Sara Elgamal, Sandra D. Kienast, Verónica Bravo, Johannes Leufken, Daniela Gutiérrez, Sebastian A. Leidel, Michael Ibba, Assaf Katz Aug 2020

Modulation Of Escherichia Coli Translation By The Specific Inactivation Of TrnaGly Under Oxidative Stress, Lorenzo Eugenio Leiva, Andrea Pincheira, Sara Elgamal, Sandra D. Kienast, Verónica Bravo, Johannes Leufken, Daniela Gutiérrez, Sebastian A. Leidel, Michael Ibba, Assaf Katz

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Bacterial oxidative stress responses are generally controlled by transcription factors that modulate the synthesis of RNAs with the aid of some sRNAs that control the stability, and in some cases the translation, of specific mRNAs. Here, we report that oxidative stress additionally leads to inactivation of tRNAGly in Escherichia coli, inducing a series of physiological changes. The observed inactivation of tRNAGly correlated with altered efficiency of translation of Gly codons, suggesting a possible mechanism of translational control of gene expression under oxidative stress. Changes in translation also depended on the availability of glycine, revealing a mechanism whereby bacteria …


Translational Regulation Of Environmental Adaptation In Bacteria, Rodney Tollerson Ii, Michael Ibba Jun 2020

Translational Regulation Of Environmental Adaptation In Bacteria, Rodney Tollerson Ii, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Bacteria must rapidly respond to both intracellular and environmental changes to survive. One critical mechanism to rapidly detect and adapt to changes in environmental conditions is control of gene expression at the level of protein synthesis. At each of the three major steps of translation—initiation, elongation, and termination—cells use stimuli to tune translation rate and cellular protein concentrations. For example, changes in nutrient concentrations in the cell can lead to translational responses involving mechanisms such as dynamic folding of riboswitches during translation initiation or the synthesis of alarmones, which drastically alter cell physiology. Moreover, the cell can fine-tune the levels …


Role Of The Hyaluronan Receptor, Stabilin-2/Hare, In Health And Disease, Edward N. Harris, Erika Baker Jun 2020

Role Of The Hyaluronan Receptor, Stabilin-2/Hare, In Health And Disease, Edward N. Harris, Erika Baker

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Stabilin-2/HARE is the primary clearance receptor for circulating hyaluronan (HA), a polysaccharide found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of metazoans. HA has many biological functions including joint lubrication, ocular turgor pressure, skin elasticity and hydration, cell motility, and intercellular signaling, among many others. The regulatory system for HA content in the tissues, lymphatics, and circulatory systems is due, in part, to Stabilin-2/HARE. The activity of this receptor was discovered about 40 years ago (early 1980s), cloned in the mid-1990s, and has been characterized since then. Here, we discuss the overall domain organization of this receptor and how it correlates to …


Integrated Unicellular/Filamentous Algal Production, Harvesting And Remediation System, Paul N. Black, James Allen, Timothy J Nicodemus May 2020

Integrated Unicellular/Filamentous Algal Production, Harvesting And Remediation System, Paul N. Black, James Allen, Timothy J Nicodemus

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

A method of removing nitrogen-bound nitrate from at least one of groundwater, surface water, or waste water is disclosed. The method includes providing contaminant-containing water from groundwater, surface water, and/or waste water sources. The method further includes adding the contaminant-containing water to an algal photobioreactor system. The method further includes adding an alga culture to the alga photobioreactor system. The method further includes adjusting temperature, CO2 concentration, pH, light wavelength, and/or light intensity in the algal photobioreactor system to optimize the growth of the algea. The method further includes separating the aglae from the water and harvesting algal biomass.


The Effects Of Largazole, A Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, On Breast Cancer Cell Viability And Metastasis, Hannah Mccowan May 2020

The Effects Of Largazole, A Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, On Breast Cancer Cell Viability And Metastasis, Hannah Mccowan

Honors Theses

Histone deacetylase enzymes modify epigenetic characteristics of a genome by removing acetyl groups from histone proteins in chromatin. Histone deacetylase inhibitors work by stopping this activity which can have various results in a cell including apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and migration. The purpose of these experiments was to see how largazole, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, affected cell viability for breast cancer and associated metastatic cell lines in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The experiment was completed by setting up two 96-well plates with varying concentrations of largazole and conducting a sulforhodamine viability assay. The specific cell lines used in …


Chemoenzymatic Study Of Coa-Linked Rna In Bacteria, Krishna Sapkota May 2020

Chemoenzymatic Study Of Coa-Linked Rna In Bacteria, Krishna Sapkota

Dissertations

The ability of RNA to store genetic information and to catalyze biochemical transformations led to the speculation of the existence of RNA world before the evolution of contemporary ribonucleoprotein (RNP) world. Recent discovery of RNA molecules containing metabolic cofactors including coenzyme A and its various thioesters at their 5’ end further supported the RNA world hypothesis as these CoA-linked RNA molecules could be the molecular fossils with very ancient origin. As both RNA and Coenzyme A are believed to have co-existed since last universal common ancestor (LUCA) or even before, the CoA-RNA conjugates in current biology may reveal fundamental molecular …


Alternative Polyadenylation Modulates Expression Of Pro-Fibrotic Proteins And Contributes To Lung Fibrosis, Junsuk Ko May 2020

Alternative Polyadenylation Modulates Expression Of Pro-Fibrotic Proteins And Contributes To Lung Fibrosis, Junsuk Ko

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease which affects about 5 to 8 million individuals in the world. Despite the high prevalence, there is currently no cure for IPF, and the cause of this disease is still unclear. Our laboratory and collaborators have shown that nudix hydrolase 21 (NUDT21, which is also known as cleavage factor 25, CFIm25) is a key regulator of alternative polyadenylation (APA). NUDT21 depletion causes 3’UTR shortening via APA leading to enhanced mRNA stability and protein translation. This NUDT21 reduction promotes tumor growth in glioblastoma by enhancing expression of oncogenes. Cancer and IPF share …


A Study Of The Antioxidant Versus Pro-Oxidant Nature Of The Amyloid Beta Peptide And An Analysis Of The Natural Products, Isorhamnetin And Narignenin, As Antioxidants, Kaylee Holmes Apr 2020

A Study Of The Antioxidant Versus Pro-Oxidant Nature Of The Amyloid Beta Peptide And An Analysis Of The Natural Products, Isorhamnetin And Narignenin, As Antioxidants, Kaylee Holmes

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with no cure. Due to the widespread effects of this disease, abundant research efforts have gone towards finding a cure. The amyloid beta (Ab) peptide has been shown to be a potential cause of the disease due to destructive effects on tissues that it can have both by itself and through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. This study was performed in order to assess the structural properties of Ab42monomers, fibrils and oligomers, to assess the antioxidant versus pro-oxidant behavior of the Ab peptide, and to assess the antioxidant nature of the natural …


Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetases, Miguel Angel Rubio Gomez, Michael Ibba Apr 2020

Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetases, Miguel Angel Rubio Gomez, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are an essential and universally distributed family of enzymes that plays a critical role in protein synthesis, pairing tRNAs with their cognate amino acids for decoding mRNAs according to the genetic code. Synthetases help to ensure accurate translation of the genetic code by using both highly accurate cognate substrate recognition and stringent proofreading of noncognate products. While alterations in the quality control mechanisms of synthetases are generally detrimental to cellular viability, recent studies suggest that in some instances such changes facilitate adaption to stress conditions. Beyond their central role in translation, synthetases are also emerging as key …


Transcriptome Analysis-Identified Long Noncoding Rna Crnde In Maintaining Endothelial Cell Proliferation, Migration, And Tube Formation, Matthew Moran, Xiao Cheng Zeng, Mohamed Sham Shihabudeen Haider Ali, Nishikant Wase, Nghi Nguyen, Weilong Yang, Chi Zhang, Concetta C. Dirusso, Xinghui Sun Mar 2020

Transcriptome Analysis-Identified Long Noncoding Rna Crnde In Maintaining Endothelial Cell Proliferation, Migration, And Tube Formation, Matthew Moran, Xiao Cheng Zeng, Mohamed Sham Shihabudeen Haider Ali, Nishikant Wase, Nghi Nguyen, Weilong Yang, Chi Zhang, Concetta C. Dirusso, Xinghui Sun

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Obesity is a leading risk factor for type-2 diabetes. Diabetes often leads to the dysregulation of angiogenesis, although the mechanism is not fully understood. Previously, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to modulate angiogenesis. In this study, we asked how the expression levels of lncRNAs change in endothelial cells in response to excessive palmitic acid treatment, an obesitylike condition. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that 305 protein-coding transcripts were upregulated and 70 were downregulated, while 64 lncRNAs were upregulated and 46 were downregulated. Gene ontology and pathway analysis identified endoplasmic reticulum stress, HIF-1 signaling, and Toll-like receptor signaling as enriched after …


Compounds For Increasing Lipid Synthesis And Storage, Concetta C. Dirusso, Nishikant Wase Mar 2020

Compounds For Increasing Lipid Synthesis And Storage, Concetta C. Dirusso, Nishikant Wase

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

This invention relates to methods for increasing lipid production in cells. Methods of producing biofuel from cells and preparing mutraceuticals comprising lipids produced according to a method provided herein are also provided.


Targeting Trna-Synthetase Interactions Towards Novel Therapeutic Discovery Against Eukaryotic Pathogens, Paul Kelly, Fatemeh Hadi-Nezhad, Dennis Y. Liu, Travis J. Lawrence, Roger G. Linington, Michael Ibba, David H. Ardell Feb 2020

Targeting Trna-Synthetase Interactions Towards Novel Therapeutic Discovery Against Eukaryotic Pathogens, Paul Kelly, Fatemeh Hadi-Nezhad, Dennis Y. Liu, Travis J. Lawrence, Roger G. Linington, Michael Ibba, David H. Ardell

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The development of chemotherapies against eukaryotic pathogens is especially challenging because of both the evolutionary conservation of drug targets between host and parasite, and the evolution of strain-dependent drug resistance. There is a strong need for new nontoxic drugs with broad-spectrum activity against trypanosome parasites such as Leishmania and Trypanosoma. A relatively untested approach is to target macromolecular interactions in parasites rather than small molecular interactions, under the hypothesis that the features specifying macromolecular interactions diverge more rapidly through coevolution. We computed tRNA Class-Informative Features in humans and independently in eight distinct clades of trypanosomes, identifying parasite-specific informative features, …


Mutational Analysis And Domain Characterization Of The Apolipoprotein L-1 Ion Channel, Charles M. Schaub Feb 2020

Mutational Analysis And Domain Characterization Of The Apolipoprotein L-1 Ion Channel, Charles M. Schaub

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The human innate immunity factor Apolipoprotein L-1 (APOL1) protects against Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection. Recent studies have shown recombinant APOL1 (rAPOL1) inserts into planar lipid bilayers at an acidic pH 5.6 and forms a cation-selective channel, which opens upon subsequent neutralization, pH 7.2. This corresponds with the pH changes APOL1 would encounter during endosome recycling, suggesting that APOL1 forms a pH-gated ion channel in the plasma membrane of the parasite, leading to uncontrolled ion flux and osmotic imbalance. However, structural and domain characteristics of the APOL1 channel are poorly understood, despite potential similarities to diphtheria and colicin toxins. Utilizing E. …


Case 34: Kinetics Of Alkaline Phosphatase, Dr. Kathleen Cornely Jan 2020

Case 34: Kinetics Of Alkaline Phosphatase, Dr. Kathleen Cornely

Chemistry & Biochemistry Case Studies

Kinetic studies are carried out using the alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme that has an important role in skeletal mineralization.


Validity Of Plasma Collection Cards For Ferritin Assessment—A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Karsten Koehler, Eileen Marks-Nelson, Camila Pereira Braga, Safiya E. Beckford, Jiri Adamec Jan 2020

Validity Of Plasma Collection Cards For Ferritin Assessment—A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Karsten Koehler, Eileen Marks-Nelson, Camila Pereira Braga, Safiya E. Beckford, Jiri Adamec

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Iron depletion is common around the world and among certain risk groups in developed countries. The overall purpose was to test the suitability of a novel plasma collection card for minimally invasive iron status assessment.

Methods: Twenty participants (10 f/10 m) participated in this cross-sectional study. Ferritin and hemoglobin were measured from blood collected from a forearm vein, serving as reference method. Blood was also collected from the fingertip using the NoviplexTM Plasma Prep Card as well as capillary collection tubes.

Results: There was substantial concordance between ferritin measured from samples collected via NoviplexTM and venous ferritin (concordance correlation …


Sestrin2 Phosphorylation By Ulk1 Induces Autophagic Degradation Of Mitochondria Damaged By Copper-Induced Oxidative Stress, Heejeong Kim, Byeong Tak Jeon, Isaac M. Kim, Sydney Townsend, Carolyn M. Lorch, Martonio Viana, Jacob F. Myers, Caroline J. Trupp, Zachary T. Whipps, Mondira Kundu, Soonkyu Chung, Xinghui Sun, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Jaekwon Lee, Seung-Hyun Ro Jan 2020

Sestrin2 Phosphorylation By Ulk1 Induces Autophagic Degradation Of Mitochondria Damaged By Copper-Induced Oxidative Stress, Heejeong Kim, Byeong Tak Jeon, Isaac M. Kim, Sydney Townsend, Carolyn M. Lorch, Martonio Viana, Jacob F. Myers, Caroline J. Trupp, Zachary T. Whipps, Mondira Kundu, Soonkyu Chung, Xinghui Sun, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Jaekwon Lee, Seung-Hyun Ro

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Selective autolysosomal degradation of damaged mitochondria, also called mitophagy, is an indispensable process for maintaining integrity and homeostasis of mitochondria. One well-established mechanism mediating selective removal of mitochondria under relatively mild mitochondria-depolarizing stress is PINK1-Parkin-mediated or ubiquitin-dependent mitophagy. However, additional mechanisms such as LC3-mediated or ubiquitin-independent mitophagy induction by heavy environmental stress exist and remain poorly understood. The present study unravels a novel role of stress-inducible protein Sestrin2 in degradation of mitochondria damaged by transition metal stress. By utilizing proteomic methods and studies in cell culture and rodent models, we identify autophagy kinase ULK1-mediated phosphorylation sites of Sestrin2 and demonstrate …


Insights From The Inclusive Environments And Metrics In Biology Education And Research Network: Our Experience Organizing Inclusive Biology Education Research Events, Rebecca A. Campbell-Montalvo, Natalia Caporale, Gary S. Mcdowell, Candice Idlebird, Katie M. Wiens, Kimberly M. Jackson, Jana D. Marcette, Michael E. Moore Jan 2020

Insights From The Inclusive Environments And Metrics In Biology Education And Research Network: Our Experience Organizing Inclusive Biology Education Research Events, Rebecca A. Campbell-Montalvo, Natalia Caporale, Gary S. Mcdowell, Candice Idlebird, Katie M. Wiens, Kimberly M. Jackson, Jana D. Marcette, Michael E. Moore

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

In contrast to efforts focusing on improving inclusion in STEM classrooms from kindergarten through un-dergraduate (K–16), efforts to improve inclusion in scientific meetings and conferences, important hubs of STEM culture, are more recent. Markers of inclusion that are sometimes overlooked at these events can include the composition of panels, how workshops are run, the affordability of conferences, and various other mechanisms that maintain pre-existing hierarchies and norms that limit the participation of early-career researchers and individuals of minoritized cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds. The Inclusive Environments and Metrics in Biology Education and Research (iEMBER) network coordinates efforts of researchers from …


Genome Biology Of The Paleotetraploid Perennial Biomass Crop Miscanthus, Therese Mitros, Adam M. Session, Brandon T. James, Guohong Albert Wu, Katarzyna Glowacka, Kankshita Swaminathan, Daniel S. Rokhsar, 35 Additional Co-Authors Jan 2020

Genome Biology Of The Paleotetraploid Perennial Biomass Crop Miscanthus, Therese Mitros, Adam M. Session, Brandon T. James, Guohong Albert Wu, Katarzyna Glowacka, Kankshita Swaminathan, Daniel S. Rokhsar, 35 Additional Co-Authors

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Miscanthus is a perennial wild grass that is of global importance for paper production, roofing, horticultural plantings, and an emerging highly productive temperate biomass crop. We report a chromosome-scale assembly of the paleotetraploid M. sinensis genome, providing a resource for Miscanthus that links its chromosomes to the related diploid Sorghum and complex polyploid sugarcanes. The asymmetric distribution of transposons across the two homoeologous subgenomes proves Miscanthus paleo-allotetraploidy and identifies several balanced reciprocal homoeologous exchanges. Analysis of M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus populations demonstrates extensive interspecific admixture and hybridization, and documents the origin of the highly productive triploid bioenergy crop M. …


The Genome Evolution And Domestication Of Tropical Fruit Mango, Peng Wang, Yingfeng Luo, Jianfeng Huang, Shenghan Gao, Guopeng Zhu, Zhiguo Dang, Jiangtao Gai, Meng Yang, Min Zhu, Huangkai Zhang, Xiuxu Ye, Aiping Gao, Xinyu Tan, Sen Wang, Shuangyang Wu, Edgar B. Cahoon, Beibei Bai, Zhichang Zhao, Qian Li, Junya Wei, Huarui Chen, Ruixiong Luo, Deyong Gong, Kexuan Tang, Bing Zhang, Zhangguang Ni, Guodi Huang, Songnian Hu, Yeyuan Chen Jan 2020

The Genome Evolution And Domestication Of Tropical Fruit Mango, Peng Wang, Yingfeng Luo, Jianfeng Huang, Shenghan Gao, Guopeng Zhu, Zhiguo Dang, Jiangtao Gai, Meng Yang, Min Zhu, Huangkai Zhang, Xiuxu Ye, Aiping Gao, Xinyu Tan, Sen Wang, Shuangyang Wu, Edgar B. Cahoon, Beibei Bai, Zhichang Zhao, Qian Li, Junya Wei, Huarui Chen, Ruixiong Luo, Deyong Gong, Kexuan Tang, Bing Zhang, Zhangguang Ni, Guodi Huang, Songnian Hu, Yeyuan Chen

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: Mango is one of the world’s most important tropical fruits. It belongs to the family Anacardiaceae, which includes several other economically important species, notably cashew, sumac and pistachio from other genera. Many species in this family produce family-specific urushiols and related phenols, which can induce contact dermatitis.

Results: We generate a chromosome-scale genome assembly of mango, providing a reference genome for the Anacardiaceae family. Our results indicate the occurrence of a recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) event in mango. Duplicated genes preferentially retained include photosynthetic, photorespiration, and lipid metabolic genes that may have provided adaptive advantages to sharp historical decreases …


From Synthesis To Utilization: The Ins And Outs Of Mitochondrial Heme, Samantha A. Swenson, Courtney M. Moore, Jason R. Marcero, Amy E. Medlock, Amit R. Reddi, Oleh Khalimonchuk Jan 2020

From Synthesis To Utilization: The Ins And Outs Of Mitochondrial Heme, Samantha A. Swenson, Courtney M. Moore, Jason R. Marcero, Amy E. Medlock, Amit R. Reddi, Oleh Khalimonchuk

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Heme is a ubiquitous and essential iron containing metallo-organic cofactor required for virtually all aerobic life. Heme synthesis is initiated and completed in mitochondria, followed by certain covalent modifications and/or its delivery to apo-hemoproteins residing throughout the cell. While the biochemical aspects of heme biosynthetic reactions are well understood, the trafficking of newly synthesized heme—a highly reactive and inherently toxic compound—and its subsequent delivery to target proteins remain far from clear. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about heme biosynthesis and trafficking within and outside of the mitochondria.


Connecting Theory To Practice: Using Self-Determination Theory To Better Understand Inclusion In Stem, Michael E. Moore, Dulce M. Vega, Katie M. Wiens, Natalia Caporale Jan 2020

Connecting Theory To Practice: Using Self-Determination Theory To Better Understand Inclusion In Stem, Michael E. Moore, Dulce M. Vega, Katie M. Wiens, Natalia Caporale

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

In the United States, persistence for women and ethnic minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers is strongly impacted by affective factors such as science identity, agency, and sense of belonging. Policies aimed at increasing the diversity of the national STEM student population and workforce have recently focused on fostering inclusive learning environments that can positively impact the experi-ences of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in STEM, thus increasing their retention. While research on inclusion in STEM in higher education is relatively new, inclusion research has a rich history in several other disciplines. These fields have developed theoretical frameworks and …


Systematic Age-, Organ-, And Diet-Associated Ionome Remodeling And The Development Of Ionomic Aging Clocks, Bohan Zhang, Dmitriy I. Podolskiy, Marco Mariotti, Javier Seravalli, Vadim N. Gladyshev Jan 2020

Systematic Age-, Organ-, And Diet-Associated Ionome Remodeling And The Development Of Ionomic Aging Clocks, Bohan Zhang, Dmitriy I. Podolskiy, Marco Mariotti, Javier Seravalli, Vadim N. Gladyshev

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Aging involves coordinated yet distinct changes in organs and systems throughout life, including changes in essential trace elements. However, how aging affects tissue element composition (ionome) and how these changes lead to dysfunction and dis-ease remain unclear. Here, we quantified changes in the ionome across eight organs and 16 age groups of mice. This global profiling revealed novel interactions between elements at the level of tissue, age, and diet, and allowed us to achieve a broader, organismal view of the aging process. We found that while the entire ionome stead-ily transitions along the young-to-old trajectory, individual organs are characterized by …


Training Population Optimization For Genomic Selection In Miscanthus, Marcus O. Olatoye, Lindsay V. Clark, Nicholas R. Labonte, Hongxu Dong, Maria S. Dwiyanti, Kossonou G. Anzoua, Joe E. Brummer, Bimal K. Ghimire, Elena Dzyubenko, Nikolay Dzyubenko, Larisa Bagmet, Andrey Sabitov, Pavel Chebukin, Katarzyna Głowacka, Kweon Heo, Xiaoli Jin, Hironori Nagano, Junhua Peng, Chang Y. Yu, Ji H. Yoo, Hua Zhao, Stephen P. Long, Toshihiko Yamada, Erik J. Sacks, Alexander E. Lipka Jan 2020

Training Population Optimization For Genomic Selection In Miscanthus, Marcus O. Olatoye, Lindsay V. Clark, Nicholas R. Labonte, Hongxu Dong, Maria S. Dwiyanti, Kossonou G. Anzoua, Joe E. Brummer, Bimal K. Ghimire, Elena Dzyubenko, Nikolay Dzyubenko, Larisa Bagmet, Andrey Sabitov, Pavel Chebukin, Katarzyna Głowacka, Kweon Heo, Xiaoli Jin, Hironori Nagano, Junhua Peng, Chang Y. Yu, Ji H. Yoo, Hua Zhao, Stephen P. Long, Toshihiko Yamada, Erik J. Sacks, Alexander E. Lipka

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Miscanthus is a perennial grass with potential for lignocellulosic ethanol production. To ensure its utility for this purpose, breeding efforts should focus on increasing genetic diversity of the nothospecies Miscanthus x giganteus (M·g) beyond the single clone used in many programs. Germplasm from the corresponding parental speciesM. sinensis (Msi) and M. sacchariflorus (Msa) could theoretically be used as training sets for genomic prediction of M·g clones with optimal genomic estimated breeding values for biofuel traits. To this end, we first showed that subpopulation structure makes a substantial contribution to the genomic selection (GS) prediction accuracies within a 538-member diversity panel …


Differences In Blood-Derived Francisella Tularensis Type B Strains From Clinical Cases Of Tularemia, Marilyn A. Larson, Baha Abdalhamid, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Tomáš Helikar, David W. Kelley, Peter C. Iwen Jan 2020

Differences In Blood-Derived Francisella Tularensis Type B Strains From Clinical Cases Of Tularemia, Marilyn A. Larson, Baha Abdalhamid, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Tomáš Helikar, David W. Kelley, Peter C. Iwen

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Francisella tularensis can cause the zoonotic disease tularemia and is partitioned into subspecies due to differences in chromosomal organization and virulence. The subspecies holarctica (type B) is generally considered more clonal than the other subpopulations with moderate virulence compared to the hypervirulent A.I clade. We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) on six type B strains isolated from the blood of patients with tularemia within a one-year period from the same United States region, to better understand the associated pathogenicity. The WGS data were compared to the prototype strain for this subspecies, specifically FSC200, which was isolated from a patient with …


Metabolic Feedback Inhibition Influences Metabolite Secretion By The Human Gut Symbiont Bacteroides Thetaiotaomicron, Jennie L. Catlett, Jonathan Catazaro, Mikaela Cashman, Sean Carr, Robert Powers, Myra B. Cohen, Nicole R. Buan Jan 2020

Metabolic Feedback Inhibition Influences Metabolite Secretion By The Human Gut Symbiont Bacteroides Thetaiotaomicron, Jennie L. Catlett, Jonathan Catazaro, Mikaela Cashman, Sean Carr, Robert Powers, Myra B. Cohen, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Microbial metabolism and trophic interactions between microbes give rise to complex multispecies communities in microbe-host systems. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B. theta) is a human gut symbiont thought to play an important role in maintaining host health. Untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics revealed B. theta secretes specific organic acids and amino acids in defined minimal medium. Physiological concentrations of acetate and formate found in the human intestinal tract were shown to cause dose-dependent changes in secretion of metabolites known to play roles in host nutrition and pathogenesis. While secretion fluxes varied, biomass yield was unchanged, suggesting feedback inhibition does not affect metabolic …


Amphiphiliccyclobutenes And Cylobutanes, Wantanee Sittiwong, Patrick H. Dussault, Raul Barletta, Robert Power Jan 2020

Amphiphiliccyclobutenes And Cylobutanes, Wantanee Sittiwong, Patrick H. Dussault, Raul Barletta, Robert Power

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

This disclosure relates to amphiphilic compounds containing a cyclobutene or cyclobutane moiety. In some embodiments, the compounds are useful for treating infection by Mycobacterium such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Cyclobutene containing compounds are also useful as monomers in the preparation of amphiphilic polymers.