Biology Commons^™

Diel Activity Patterns Of Vector Mosquito Species In The Urban Environment: Implications For Vector Control Strategies, André Barretto B. Wilke, Adequate Mhlanga, Allisandra G. Kummer, Chalmers Vasquez, Maday Moreno, William D. Petrie, Art Rodriguez, Christopher Vitek, Gabriel L. Hamer, John-Paul Mutebi, Marco Ajelli

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mathematical models have been widely used to study the population dynamics of mosquitoes as well as to test and validate the effectiveness of arbovirus outbreak responses and mosquito control strategies. The objective of this study is to assess the diel activity of mosquitoes in Miami-Dade, Florida, and Brownsville, Texas, the most affected areas during the Zika outbreak in 2016–2017, and to evaluate the effectiveness of simulated adulticide treatments on local mosquito populations. To assess variations in the diel activity patterns, mosquitoes were collected hourly for 96 hours once a month from May through November 2019 in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and …

Increasing Public Health Mosquito Surveillance In Hidalgo County, Texas To Monitor Vector And Arboviral Presence, Clarissa D. Guerrero, Steven Hinojosa, Diana Vanegas, Niko Tapangan, Matthew Guajardo, Sara Alaniz, Narda Cano, Christopher Vitek, John Thomas, Valerie Hernandez, Juan Garcia Jr.

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

From 2016 to 2018, Hidalgo County observed the emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) infections along with sporadic cases of Dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile virus (WNV). Due to the emergence of ZIKV and the historical presence of other mosquito-borne illnesses, Hidalgo County obtained funding to enhance mosquito surveillance and educate residents on arboviruses and travel risks. During this time period, Hidalgo County mosquito surveillance efforts increased by 1.275%. This increase resulted in >8000 mosquitoes collected, and 28 mosquito species identified. Aedes aegypti, Ae albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus made up approximately two-thirds of the mosquitoes collected in 2018 (4122/6171). Spatiotemporal …

Infectious Disease Transmission By Arline Travel, Daniele Provenzano, Sofy Barocio

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Improvements in aviation technology have led to considerable growth of domestic and international flights worldwide especially during the past four decades. Commercial flights have increased the movement of and have connected people from virtually all corners of the globe since the end of World War II to exceed 3 billion passengers a year since 2013: a sizable proportion of the global human population. Flight times have decreased considerably from the onset of commercial aviation and the range of airliners has extended substantially. A passenger harboring an infectious agent embarking a flight on one continent can be deplaning on another continent …

Nvp-Bez235 Or Jaki Treatment Leads To Decreased Survival Of Examined Gbm And Bbc Cells, Neftali Vazquez, Alma Lopez, Victoria Cuello, Michael W. Persans, Erin Schuenzel, Wendy Innis-Whitehouse, Megan Keniry

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cancer cells almost universally harbor constitutively active Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase (PI3K) Pathway ac-tivity via mutation of key signaling components and/or epigenetic mechanisms. Scores of PI3K Pathway in-hibitors are currently under investigation as putative chemotherapeutics. However, feedback and stem cell mechanisms induced by PI3K Pathway inhibition can lead to reduced treatment efficacy. To address therapeutic barriers, we examined whether JAKi would reduce stem gene expression in a setting of PI3K Pathway inhibition in order to improve treatment efficacy. We targeted the PI3K Pathway with NVP-BEZ235 (dual PI3K and mTOR inhibitor) in combination with the Janus Kinase inhibitor JAKi in glioblastoma (GBM) and …

Crispr Cas9 Genome Editing In Human Cell Lines With Donor Vector Made By Gibson Assembly, Nirakar Sahoo, Victoria Cuello, Shreya Udawant, Carl Litif, Julie A. Mustard, Megan Keniry

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

CRISPR Cas9 genome editing allows researchers to modify genesin a multitude of ways including to obtain deletions, epitope-tagged loci, and knock-in mutations. Within six years of its initial application, CRISPR Cas9 genome editing has become widely employed, but disadvantages to this method, such as low modification efficiencies and off-target effects,need careful consideration. Obtaining custom donor vectors can also be expensive and time consuming. This chapter details strategies to overcome barriers to CRISPR Cas9 genome editing as well as recent developments in employing this technique.

Small-Molecule Activation Of Lysosomal Trp Channels Ameliorates Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy In Mouse Models, Lu Yu, Xiaoli Zhang, Yexin Yang, Dan Li, Kaiyuan Tang, Zifan Zhao, Wanwan He, Ce Wang, Nirakar Sahoo

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating disease caused by mutations in dystrophin that compromise sarcolemma integrity. Currently, there is no treatment for DMD. Mutations in transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (ML1), a lysosomal Ca2+ channel required for lysosomal exocytosis, produce a DMD-like phenotype. Here, we show that transgenic overexpression or pharmacological activation of ML1 in vivo facilitates sarcolemma repair and alleviates the dystrophic phenotypes in both skeletal and cardiac muscles of mdx mice (a mouse model of DMD). Hallmark dystrophic features of DMD, including myofiber necrosis, central nucleation, fibrosis, elevated serum creatine kinase levels, reduced muscle force, impaired motor …

Complex History Of Codiversification And Host Switching Of A Newfound Soricid-Borne Orthohantavirus In North America, Schuyler W. Liphardt, Hae Ji Kang, Laurie J. Dizney, Luis A. Ruedas, Joseph A. Cook, Richard Yanagihara

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Orthohantaviruses are tightly linked to the ecology and evolutionary history of their mammalian hosts. We hypothesized that in regions with dramatic climate shifts throughout the Quaternary, orthohantavirus diversity and evolution are shaped by dynamic host responses to environmental change through processes such as host isolation, host switching, and reassortment. Jemez Springs virus (JMSV), an orthohantavirus harbored by the dusky shrew (Sorex monticola) and five close relatives distributed widely in western North America, was used to test this hypothesis. Total RNAs, extracted from liver or lung tissue from 164 shrews collected from western North America during 1983–2007, were analyzed for orthohantavirus …

Rapid Identification Of Phospholipase A2 Transcripts From Snake Venoms, Ying Jia, Pablo Olvera, Frida Rangel, Bianca Mendez, Samir Reddy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) is a major component in snake venoms and it is found in many different isoforms. To identify transcripts encoding different PLA₂ isoforms, we developed a simple, rapid procedure. Total RNA was extracted from the venoms of three cottonmouth snakes and two diamondback rattlesnakes, and further reverse-transcribed into complementary DNA (cDNA). Using one pair of cottonmouth PLA₂-specific primers and Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) technique, we identified 27 unique full-length PLA₂ transcripts, including nine sequences identical to the previously documented ones in the database and one novel GIII-like PLA_{2 …}

A Disturbance In The Force: Cellular Stress Sensing By The Mitochondrial Network, Robert Gilkerson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

As a highly dynamic organellar network, mitochondria are maintained as an organellar network by delicately balancing fission and fusion pathways. This homeostatic balance of organellar dynamics is increasingly revealed to play an integral role in sensing cellular stress stimuli. Mitochondrial fission/fusion balance is highly sensitive to perturbations such as loss of bioenergetic function, oxidative stress, and other stimuli, with mechanistic contribution to subsequent cell-wide cascades including inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis. The overlapping activity with m-AAA protease 1 (OMA1) metallopeptidase, a stress-sensitive modulator of mitochondrial fusion, and dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), a regulator of mitochondrial fission, are key factors that shape …

Comparative Genetic And Genomic Analysis Of The Novel Fusellovirus Sulfolobus Spindle-Shaped Virus 10, David Andrew Goodman, Kenneth M. Stedman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Viruses that infect thermophilic Archaea are unique in both their structure and genetic makeup. The lemon-shaped fuselloviruses—which infect members of the order Sulfolobales, growing optimally at 80 C and pH 3—are some of the most ubiquitous and best studied viruses of the thermoacidophilic Archaea. Nonetheless, much remains to be learned about these viruses. In order to investigate fusellovirus evolution, we have isolated and characterized a novel fusellovirus, Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 10 (formerly SSV-L1). Comparative genomic analyses highlight significant similarity with both SSV8 and SSV9, as well as conservation of promoter elements within the Fuselloviridae. SSV10 encodes five ORFs with no …

Gastrin Induces Nuclear Export And Proteasomal Degradation Of Menin In Enteric Glial Cells, Sinju Sundaresan, Cameron A. Meininger, Anthony J. Kang, Amanda L. Photenhauer, Michael M. Hayes, Nirakar Sahoo, Jolanda Lindenberg, Jolanta Grembecka, Tomasz Cierpicki, Lin Ding

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background & aims: The multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 1 (MEN1) locus encodes the nuclear protein and tumor suppressor menin. MEN1 mutations frequently cause neuroendocrine tumors such as gastrinomas, characterized by their predominant duodenal location and local metastasis at time of diagnosis. Diffuse gastrin cell hyperplasia precedes the appearance of MEN1 gastrinomas, which develop within submucosal Brunner's glands. We investigated how menin regulates expression of the gastrin gene and induces generation of submucosal gastrin-expressing cell hyperplasia.

Methods: Primary enteric glial cultures were generated from the VillinCre:Men1FL/FL:Sst-/- mice or C57BL/6 mice (controls), with or without inhibition of gastric acid by omeprazole. Primary …

Co-Independent Modification Of K+ Channels By Tricarbonyldichlororuthenium(Ii) Dimer (Corm-2), Guido Gessner, Nirakar Sahoo, Sandip M. Swain, Gianna Hirth, Roland Schönherr, Ralf Mede, Matthias Westerhausen, Hans Henning Brewitz, Pascal Heimer, Diana Imhof

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although toxic when inhaled in high concentrations, the gas carbon monoxide (CO) is endogenously produced in mammals, and various beneficial effects are reported. For potential medicinal applications and studying the molecular processes underlying the pharmacological action of CO, so-called CO-releasing molecules (CORMs), such as tricabonyldichlororuthenium(II) dimer (CORM-2), have been developed and widely used. Yet, it is not readily discriminated whether an observed effect of a CORM is caused by the released CO gas, the CORM itself, or any of its intermediate or final breakdown products. Focusing on Ca2+- and voltage-dependent K+ channels (KCa1.1) and voltage-gated K+ channels (Kv1.5, Kv11.1) relevant …

Fish Oil With Higher Dha Content And Voluntary Exercise Decreases Postmenopausal Bone Loss, Jameela Banu, Gabriel Fernandes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

There is increasing evidence suggesting that fish oil (FO) decreases bone resorption by reducing osteoclastogenesis and regular exercise (EX) increases bone mass. EX is associated with increasing bone formation. Therefore, the combined effects of FO intake and EX may have additive effects by both increasing bone formation and decreasing bone resorption. To demonstrate this, we studied the effects of FO and EX on the bone of mice after an ovariectomyinduced bone loss.

Twelve months old C57BL/6 female mice were either sham operated or ovariectomized, divided into different dietary and EX group and maintained for 3 months before sacrifice.

The distal …

Lack Of Interaction Between Erbb2 And Insulin Receptor Substrate Signaling In Breast Cancer, Sarah M. Farabaugh, Bonita T. Chan, Xiaojiang Cui, Robert Dearth, Adrian V. Lee

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: ErbB2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 2 (ErbB2, HER2/Neu) is amplified in breast cancer and associated with poor prognosis. Growing evidence suggests interplay between ErbB2 and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling. For example, ErbB2 inhibitors can block IGF-induced signaling while, conversely, IGF1R inhibitors can inhibit ErbB2 action. ErbB receptors can bind and phosphorylate insulin receptor substrates (IRS) and this may be critical for ErbBmediated anti-estrogen resistance in breast cancer. Herein, we examined crosstalk between ErbB2 and IRSs using cancer cell lines and transgenic mouse models.

Methods: MMTV-ErbB2 and MMTV-IRS2 transgenic mice were crossed to create hemizygous MMTV-ErbB2/MMTVIRS2 bigenic mice. Signaling crosstalk …

Early-Onset Alzheimer’S: Should You Worry?, Troy Rohn

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

You have forgotten where you put your car keys, or you can’t seem to remember the name of your colleague you saw in the grocery store the other day. You fear the worst, that maybe these are signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

A Review On The Respiratory System Toxicity Of Carbon Nanoparticles, Maricica Pacurari, Kristine L. Lowe, Paul B. Tchounwou, Ramzi Kafoury

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The respiratory system represents the main gateway for nanoparticles’ entry into the human body. Although there is a myriad of engineered nanoparticles, carbon nanoparticles/nanotubes (CNPs/CNTs) have received much attention mainly due to their light weight, very high surface area, durability, and their diverse applications. Since their discovery and manufacture over two decades ago, much has been learned about nanoparticles’ interactions with diverse biological system models. In particular, the respiratory system has been of great interest because various natural and man-made fibrous particles are known to be responsible for chronic and debilitating lung diseases. In this review, we present up-to-date the …

Diabetes And Physical Activity, Jameela Banu

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Diabetes has been on the rise globally. Although many factors contribute to the increasing risk and manifestation of this disease lack and decreased physical activity/ exercise stands out as one of the major factors. Treatment interventions for prediabetic and diabetic patients include diet and lifestyle changes with enhanced physical activity/ exercise. Several types of physical activity are available for these patients but, recommendations have to be made on an individual basis after giving due consideration to the comorbidities and other risks and barriers. Implementation of progressive resistance therapy may be successful in maintaining glucose homeostasis in diabetic patients.

Metformin And Erlotinib Synergize To Inhibit Basal Breast Cancer, Ying-Ka Ingar Lau, Xing Du, Vinayak Rayannavar, Benjamin Hopkins, Jacquelyn Shaw, Eliana Bessler, Tiffany Thomas, Maira M. Pires, Megan Keniry

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Basal-like breast cancers (BBCs) are enriched for increased EGFR expression and decreased expression of PTEN. We found that treatment with metformin and erlotinib synergistically induced apoptosis in a subset of BBC cell lines. The drug combination led to enhanced reduction of EGFR, AKT, S6 and 4EBP1 phosphorylation, as well as prevented colony formation and inhibited mammosphere outgrowth. Our data with other compounds suggested that biguanides combined with EGFR inhibitors have the potential to outperform other targeted drug combinations and could be employed in other breast cancer subtypes, as well as other tumor types, with activated EGFR and PI3K signaling. Analysis …

Analysis Of High Fat Diet Induced Genes During Mammary Gland Development: Identifying Role Players In Poor Prognosis Of Breast Cancer, Raquel C. Martinez-Chacin, Megan Keniry, Robert Dearth

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) increases the risk of developing breast cancer (BC). Studies in rodents have shown HFD causes changes in the genetic programming of the maturing mammary gland (MG) increasing the susceptibility of developing the disease. Less is known about how HFD induced genes impact BC development. HFD exposure two weeks before conception to six weeks of age was previously shown to dramatically change MG gene expression in 10 week old mice. Therefore, we investigated these differentially expressed HFD-induced genes for their expression in BC using the NKI 295 breast tumor …

Taxis Toward Hydrogen Gas By Methanococcus Maripaludis, Kristen A. Brileya, James M. Connolly, Carey Downey, Robin Gerlach, Matthew W. Fields

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Knowledge of taxis (directed swimming) in the Archaea is currently expanding through identification of novel receptors, effectors, and proteins involved in signal transduction to the flagellar motor. Although the ability for biological cells to sense and swim toward hydrogen gas has been hypothesized for many years, this capacity has yet to be observed and demonstrated. Here we show that the average swimming velocity increases in the direction of a source of hydrogen gas for the methanogen, Methanococcus maripaludis using a capillary assay with anoxic gas-phase control and time-lapse microscopy. The results indicate that a methanogen couples motility to hydrogen concentration …

Multistate Mark-Recapture Analysis Reveals No Effect Of Blood Sampling On Survival And Recapture Of Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus Tyrannus), Lucas J. Redmond, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The experimentally supported and prevailing opinion is that blood sampling has few to no long-term effects on survival of birds when conducted properly, and blood sampling has become a vital addition to the toolbox of many ornithologists. However, many of the studies that concluded that blood sampling had negligible effects on birds used approaches that did not account for temporary emigration and probability of capture. To date, the only study to have done so found that blood sampling had a strong negative effect on survival. We conducted a mark–recapture analysis of 8 years of banding and bleeding data on Eastern …

Pcif1 Modulates Pdx1 Protein Stability And Pancreatic Β Cell Function And Survival In Mice, Kathryn C. Claiborn, Mira M. Sachdeva, Corey E. Cannon, David N. Groff, Jeffrey D. Singer, Doris A. Stoffers

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The homeodomain transcription factor pancreatic duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1) is a major mediator of insulin transcription and a key regulator of the β cell phenotype. Heterozygous mutations in PDX1 are associated with the development of diabetes in humans. Understanding how Pdx1 expression levels are controlled is therefore of intense interest in the study and treatment of diabetes. Pdx1 C terminus–interacting factor-1 (Pcif1, also known as SPOP) is a nuclear protein that inhibits Pdx1 transactivation. Here, we show that Pcif1 targets Pdx1 for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Silencing of Pcif1 increased Pdx1 protein levels in cultured mouse β cells, and Pcif1 …

Parity-Induced Decrease In Systemic Growth Hormone Alters Mammary Gland Signaling: A Potential Role In Pregnancy Protection From Breast Cancer, Robert K. Dearth, David A. Delgado, Jill K. Hiney, Thushangi Pathiraja, Steffi Oesterreich, Dan Medina, W. Les Dees, Adrian V. Lee

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Early full-term pregnancy is an effective natural protection against breast cancer in both humans and experimental rodents. The protective effect of an early pregnancy is in part linked to changes in circulating hormones that are involved in both normal breast development and breast cancer. For example, a reduction in circulating growth hormone (GH) has been shown to protect rats from carcinogen-induced mammary tumors. We examined the ability of a full-term pregnancy to alter the endocrine GH/IGF-I axis and how this change affected normal mammary gland function in two commonly used rat models (Sprague-Dawley and Wistar-Furth). Circulating GH and IGF-I were …

The Isolation Of Viruses Infecting Archaea, Kenneth M. Stedman, Kate Porter, Mike L. Dyall-Smith

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A mere 50 viruses of Archaea have been reported to date; these have been investigated mostly by adapting methods used to isolate bacteriophages to the unique growth conditions of their archaeal hosts. The most numerous are viruses of thermophilic Archaea. These viruses have been discovered by screening enrichment cultures and novel isolates from environmental samples for their ability to form halos of growth inhibition, or by using electron microscopy to screen enrichment cultures for virus-like particles. Direct isolation without enrichment has not yet been successful for viruses of extreme thermophiles. On the other hand, most viruses of extreme halophiles, the …