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Articles 991 - 1020 of 1307

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Different Meal, Same Flavor: Cospeciation And Host Switching Of Haemosporidian Parasites In Some Non-Passerine Birds, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro, Patricia Parker, Robert Ricklefs Jan 2014

Different Meal, Same Flavor: Cospeciation And Host Switching Of Haemosporidian Parasites In Some Non-Passerine Birds, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro, Patricia Parker, Robert Ricklefs

Biology Department Faculty Works

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus(Parahaemoproteus) and Plasmodium) infecting passerine birds have an evolutionary history of host switching with little cospeciation, in particular at low taxonomic levels (e.g., below the family level), which is suggested as the main speciation mechanism of this group of parasites. Recent studies have characterized diverse clades of haemosporidian parasites (H. (Haemoproteus) and H. (Parahaemoproteus)) infecting non-passerine birds (e.g., Columbiformes, Pelecaniiformes). Here, we explore the cospeciation history of H. (Haemoproteus) and H. (Parahaemoproteus) parasites with their non-passerine hosts.MethodsWe sequenced the mtDNA cyt b gene of both haemosporidian parasites and their avian non-passerine hosts. We …

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The Effects Of Sugar Substitutes On The Gut Microbiota Of Mice, Katie A. Lantau Jan 2014

The Effects Of Sugar Substitutes On The Gut Microbiota Of Mice, Katie A. Lantau

All Master's Theses

Obesity has become an ever increasing global problem. This has caused people to turn to sugar substitutes, no calorie sweeteners, to reduce their caloric intake. However, recent studies have shown that it is not just caloric intake that can affect weight, but also the diversity of the bacteria in the gut (Turnbaugh et al., 2009). It has been shown that an increased Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio and an overall decrease in microbial diversity leads to an obesity associated gut microbiome (Turnbaugh et al., 2009; Ley et al., 2005). The purpose of this study was to determine if two of the most popular …

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Role Of The Pkna And Pknb Kinases In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Tripti Anandan Jan 2014

Role Of The Pkna And Pknb Kinases In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Tripti Anandan

Wayne State University Dissertations

To respond to environmental changes, M. tuberculosis possesses eleven "eukaryotic-type" Ser/Thr protein kinases. The aim of the study described in this dissertation was to identify role of two of these kinases; PknA and PknB that are essential in M. tuberculosis. Two approaches are described to screen for potential in vivo substrates of PknA/PknB. First approach is based on proteomic search by over-expressing PknA/PknB in M. tuberculosis. Proteomic search led to identification of proteasome to be a substrate of PknA and PknB in M. tuberculosis. Furthermore, I demonstrate that the phosphorylation of PrcA and PrcB by PknA regulates processing of Pre-PrcB. …

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Remediation Of Tetracycline From Water Sources Using Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon Zizanioides L. Nash) And Tetracycline-Tolerant Root-Associated Bacteria, Aparupa Sengupta Jan 2014

Remediation Of Tetracycline From Water Sources Using Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon Zizanioides L. Nash) And Tetracycline-Tolerant Root-Associated Bacteria, Aparupa Sengupta

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Antibiotics are emerging contaminants worldwide. Due to insufficient policy regulations, public awareness, and the constant exposure of the environment to antibiotic sources has created a major environmental concern. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are not equipped to filter-out these compounds before the discharge of the disinfected effluent into water sources (e.g., lakes and streams) and current available technologies are not equipped to remediate these compounds from environmental sources. Hence, the challenge remains to establish a biological system to remove these antibiotics from wastewater. An invitro hydroponic remediation system was developed using vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L. Nash) to remediate tetracycline …

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A Summary Of Three Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Studies Of Plaster Creek, Yeaeun Lee, David P. Warners Jan 2014

A Summary Of Three Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Studies Of Plaster Creek, Yeaeun Lee, David P. Warners

Faculty and Professional Research

No abstract provided.

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Nine Year Assessment Of Soil Treatment On Aguacatillo (Nectandontisii And Ocotea Austinii, Lauraceae) Seedling Success In The Restoration Of A Costa Rican Cloud Forestra Cufo, Sheila Devries, David Warners Jan 2014

Nine Year Assessment Of Soil Treatment On Aguacatillo (Nectandontisii And Ocotea Austinii, Lauraceae) Seedling Success In The Restoration Of A Costa Rican Cloud Forestra Cufo, Sheila Devries, David Warners

Faculty and Professional Research

We tracked seedling growth of two species of aguacatillo (Nectandra cufodontisii (O. C. Schmidt) C. K. Allen and Ocotea austinii C. K. Allen) that were planted into an early successional cloud forest hillside in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica over nine years. Seedlings were collected from underneath nearby mother trees and transplanted into one of three soil treatments: indigenous soil; a 50:50 mixture of horse manure and indigenous soil; and a 50:50 mixture of kitchen compost and indigenous soil. After seedlings were transplanted they were measured and each specific location was evaluated for light exposure. Two months later seedlings …

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Novel Cul3 Binding Proteins Function To Remodel E3 Ligase Complexes, Wananit Wimuttisuk, Mark West, Brittney Davidge, Kebing Yu, Arthur Salomon, Jeffrey D. Singer Jan 2014

Novel Cul3 Binding Proteins Function To Remodel E3 Ligase Complexes, Wananit Wimuttisuk, Mark West, Brittney Davidge, Kebing Yu, Arthur Salomon, Jeffrey D. Singer

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Cullins belong to a family of scaffold proteins that assemble multi-subunit ubiquitin ligase complexes to recruit protein substrates for ubiquitination via unique sets of substrate adaptor, such as Skp1 or Elongin B, and a substrate-binding protein with a conserved protein-protein interacting domain, such as leucine-rich repeats (LRR), a WD40 domain, or a zinc-finger domain. In the case of the Cullin3 (Cul3), it forms a BTB-Cul3-Rbx1 (BCR) ubiquitin ligase complex where it is believed that a BTB domain-containing protein performs dual functions where it serves as both the substrate adaptor and …

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Effects Of Organic And Conventional Agricultural Practices On Soil Microbial Communities And Molecular Detection Of Soil Borne Disease, Holli K. Milner Jan 2014

Effects Of Organic And Conventional Agricultural Practices On Soil Microbial Communities And Molecular Detection Of Soil Borne Disease, Holli K. Milner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Agricultural practices affect soil microbial communities and health through the input of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and cycling of crop rotation. By examining the microbial community structure, we analyzed how microbial species respond to the environment that individual farms create. Early detection of soil borne disease is essential for agricultural success. However, monitoring incidence of disease based on plant growth response to pathogenic inoculation may not reveal the amount of pathogenic DNA in soil. A comparative study of tomato production systems was conducted by analysis of soil microbial community structure from four farms in Southeast Georgia for the years 2012 and …

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The Prevalence And Effect Of Wolbachia Infection On The Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus Geometricus), Brittany Dane' Arrington Jan 2014

The Prevalence And Effect Of Wolbachia Infection On The Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus Geometricus), Brittany Dane' Arrington

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wolbachia was recently identified in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus). This symbiont has not previously been found in this genus, therefore the consequences on the host’s population dynamics are unknown. The frequency of endosymbiont infection can provide insight into the population dynamics of the host as this bacteria is known to alter host life history. In my 1st chapter I determine the prevalence of Wolbachia pipentis infection in in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus) from five locations in the Southeastern United States. Infection frequency differed significantly among sampling locations, ranging from 20% to …

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Effects Of Elevated Salinity And Oxidative Stress On The Physiology Of The Toxigenic Cyanobacterium Microcystis Aeruginosa, Billy Christopher Warhurst Jan 2014

Effects Of Elevated Salinity And Oxidative Stress On The Physiology Of The Toxigenic Cyanobacterium Microcystis Aeruginosa, Billy Christopher Warhurst

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are found worldwide, particularly in places where warm, well-lit, and stagnant waters are common. HABs can have negative effects on aquatic plants and wildlife due to the reduction in light availability associated with turbidity, decrease in O2 availability, and the production of secondary metabolites that can harm or even prove lethal. Aquatic ecosystems are regularly being affected by elevated salinity because of recent water management strategies, episodes of drought, and salt water intrusion. This research focused on how salinity levels ranging from 0-10ppt affected physiological attributes such as cellular growth and abundance, cell mortality, toxin …

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Characterizing Dsrna Production In Virus-Infected Fish Cells, Amal Brek Aloufi Jan 2014

Characterizing Dsrna Production In Virus-Infected Fish Cells, Amal Brek Aloufi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Viral dsRNA is produced by almost all viruses sometime during their replicative cycle. These viral nucleic acids are potent inducers of both innate and adaptive immune responses, and are therefore considered important immuno-modulators. Previous studies have shown that viruses produce dsRNA when replicating in mammalian cells; however, to date no one has demonstrated viral dsRNA production in virus infected fish cells. Therefore, the goal of this study is to investigate dsRNA production by fish viruses in fish cells, verifying production and performing initial characterization of the dsRNA molecules being produced. Three different rainbow trout cell lines were used in this …

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The Sumoylation Of The Non-Structural Protein 1 Of The Influenza A Virus Plays A Dual Role During Viral Infection, Jason Michael Chacon Jan 2014

The Sumoylation Of The Non-Structural Protein 1 Of The Influenza A Virus Plays A Dual Role During Viral Infection, Jason Michael Chacon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The potential for a highly pathogenic influenza pandemic remains a concern for global health. The ability of the influenza virus to undergo antigenic shift and genetic drift give circulating strains of influenza the high probability of developing resistance to current antiviral therapies. Emerging strains of higher virulence, to which the infected person has not had any previous exposure to viral antigens, pose a greater threat of serious illness and death. Currently, there is no antiviral therapy that is effective against all strains of influenza, emphasizing the need to develop new strategies that target cellular systems required for viral replication to …

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Investigating The Interactions Between Cyanobacteria And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Caroline E. Ward Jan 2014

Investigating The Interactions Between Cyanobacteria And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Caroline E. Ward

Honors Theses and Capstones

One well-known pathogen that has been the topic of many recent studies is Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which causes thousands of foodborne illnesses a year, mostly from the ingestion of raw or undercooked oysters. It has been shown cyanobacteria can act as a long-term reservoir of Vibrio cholerae, another pathogenic Vibrio, by encasing the cells within mucilaginous sheaths during which Vibrios enter a viable but non-culturable state. In this study we investigated the interaction of V. parahaemolyticus with cyanobacteria to determine whether cyanobacteria aid in the longevity and survival of V. parahaemolyticus. We found that non-pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus …

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Nutrient Limitation In Three Lowland Tropical Forests In Southern China Receiving High Nitrogen Deposition: Insights From Fine Root Responses To Nutrient Additions, Feifei Zhu, Muneoki Yoh, Frank S. Gilliam, Xiankai Lu, Jiangming Mo Dec 2013

Nutrient Limitation In Three Lowland Tropical Forests In Southern China Receiving High Nitrogen Deposition: Insights From Fine Root Responses To Nutrient Additions, Feifei Zhu, Muneoki Yoh, Frank S. Gilliam, Xiankai Lu, Jiangming Mo

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Elevated nitrogen (N) deposition to tropical forests may accelerate ecosystem phosphorus (P) limitation. This study examined responses of fine root biomass, nutrient concentrations, and acid phosphatase activity (APA) of bulk soil to five years of N and P additions in one old-growth and two younger lowland tropical forests in southern China. The old-growth forest had higher N capital than the two younger forests from long-term N accumulation. From February 2007 to July 2012, four experimental treatments were established at the following levels: Control, N-addition (150 kg N ha–1 yr–1), P-addition (150 kg P ha–1 yr–1 …

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The Incidence Of Antibiotic Resistance In Mesophilic Aeromonas Isolated From The Buffalo River And From A Non-Urban Site Upstream, Amy L. Chapman Dec 2013

The Incidence Of Antibiotic Resistance In Mesophilic Aeromonas Isolated From The Buffalo River And From A Non-Urban Site Upstream, Amy L. Chapman

Biology Theses

Antibiotics are commonly used in agriculture and industry and their discharge is commonly seen in rivers, like the Buffalo River. This antibiotic discharge may cause a selective environment which favors the growth of antibiotic resistant Aeromonas. To study the effect of urban pollution on the antibiotic resistance in Aeromonas, 229 Aeromonas isolates were collected from fish tissues as well as sediment and water samples collected from the Buffalo River and a non-urban site (Cazenovia Creek). Seven different Aeromonas taxa were identified using biochemical tests. There were 124 (54%) isolates that were classified as atypical, which was the most commonly …

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The Influence Of Hydrogeomorphology, Soil Redox Conditions, And Salinity On The Spatial Zoning Of Saltgrass, Salt Rush, And Cattails In Scotts Creek Marsh, Swanton Pacific Ranch, Ca, Mark D. Gormley Dec 2013

The Influence Of Hydrogeomorphology, Soil Redox Conditions, And Salinity On The Spatial Zoning Of Saltgrass, Salt Rush, And Cattails In Scotts Creek Marsh, Swanton Pacific Ranch, Ca, Mark D. Gormley

Master's Theses

Scotts Creek Marsh (SCM) is a small coastal wetland ecosystem in Davenport, CA. The vegetation of SCM is dominated by three halophytic zones comprised of saltgrass, salt rush, cattails. The objectives of the study were (i) to investigate the variables that influence the zoning of the three dominant halophyte communities in SCM and (ii) to the test the effectiveness of Indicator of Reduction in Soil (IRIS) tubes to indicate the reduction of S. The study examined the following parameters from April 6 to July 21, 2013: (i) the HGM of Scotts Creek Marsh, (ii) soil oxidation and reduction (redox) conditions, …

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Investigating Potential Bioactive Compounds From Rhodococcus And Their Effects On Mcf7 Breast Cancer Cells, Megan N. Crabtree Dec 2013

Investigating Potential Bioactive Compounds From Rhodococcus And Their Effects On Mcf7 Breast Cancer Cells, Megan N. Crabtree

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many drugs used in the treatment of various cancers are derived from or influenced by compounds from nature. The soil bacterium Rhodococcus is of interest because of its identified secondary metabolic pathways and the production of novel natural antibiotics from several strains. In this study, a solid agar extraction method was used to collect compounds from strains of Rhodococcus. These bacterial compound extracts were then tested using a MTT assay in order to evaluate their effectiveness in augmenting MCF7 breast cancer cell death. The results of two way ANOVA analyses revealed 18 compound extracts from 15 strains of Rhodococcus that …

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Taxis Toward Hydrogen Gas By Methanococcus Maripaludis, Kristen A. Brileya, James M. Connolly, Carey Downey, Robin Gerlach, Matthew W. Fields Nov 2013

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 …

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Novel Neuroprotective Function Of Apical-Basal Polarity Genecrumbs In Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration, Andrew Steffensmeier, Meghana Tare, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Rohan Modi, Jaison Nainaparampil, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh Nov 2013

Novel Neuroprotective Function Of Apical-Basal Polarity Genecrumbs In Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration, Andrew Steffensmeier, Meghana Tare, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Rohan Modi, Jaison Nainaparampil, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD, OMIM: 104300), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no cure to date, is caused by the generation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) aggregates that trigger neuronal cell death by unknown mechanism(s). We have developed a transgenic Drosophilaeye model where misexpression of human Aβ42 results in AD-like neuropathology in the neural retina. We have identified an apical-basal polarity gene crumbs (crb) as a genetic modifier of Aβ42-mediated-neuropathology. Misexpression of Aβ42 caused upregulation of Crb expression, whereas downregulation of Crb either by RNAi or null allele approach rescued the Aβ42-mediated-neurodegeneration. Co-expression of full length Crb with Aβ42 increased severity of Aβ42-mediated-neurodegeneration, …

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Reversible Inactivation And Desiccation Tolerance Of Silicified Viruses, James R. Laidler, Jessica A. Shugart, Sherry L. Cady, Keith S. Bahjat, Kenneth M. Stedman Oct 2013

Reversible Inactivation And Desiccation Tolerance Of Silicified Viruses, James R. Laidler, Jessica A. Shugart, Sherry L. Cady, Keith S. Bahjat, Kenneth M. Stedman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Long-distance host-independent virus dispersal is poorly understood, especially for viruses found in isolated ecosystems. To
demonstrate a possible dispersal mechanism, we show that bacteriophage T4, archaeal virus Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus Kamchatka, and vaccinia virus are reversibly inactivated by mineralization in silica under conditions similar to volcanic hot
springs. In contrast, bacteriophage PRD1 is not silicified. Moreover, silicification provides viruses with remarkable desiccation
resistance, which could allow extensive aerial dispersal.

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Do Bacterial And Fungal Communities In Soils Of The Bolivian Altiplano Change Under Shorter Fallow Periods?, L. Gomez-Montano, A. Jumpponen, M. A. Gonzales, J. Cusicanqui, C. Valdivia, P. P. Motavalli, M. Herman, K. A. Garrett Oct 2013

Do Bacterial And Fungal Communities In Soils Of The Bolivian Altiplano Change Under Shorter Fallow Periods?, L. Gomez-Montano, A. Jumpponen, M. A. Gonzales, J. Cusicanqui, C. Valdivia, P. P. Motavalli, M. Herman, K. A. Garrett

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Traditional fallow periods in the Bolivian highlands are being shortened in an effort to increase short-term crop yields, with potential long-term impacts on soil microbial communities and their functions. In addition, native vegetation, such as Parasthrephia sp. or Baccharis sp. (both locally known as “thola”) are often removed as a fuel for cooking. We evaluated the effects of fallow period and thola on soils in 29 farmers’ fields in two municipalities in the Bolivian Altiplano (Umala and Ancoraimes). Soil fungal and bacterial community responses were characterized using 454-pyrosequencing. Soils in Ancoraimes had significantly higher levels of organic matter, nitrogen, and …

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Barrier To Autointegration Factor (Baf) Inhibits Vaccinia Virus Intermediate Transcription In The Absence Of The Viral B1 Kinase, Nouhou Ibrahim, April Wicklund, Augusta Jamin, Matthew S. Wiebe Sep 2013

Barrier To Autointegration Factor (Baf) Inhibits Vaccinia Virus Intermediate Transcription In The Absence Of The Viral B1 Kinase, Nouhou Ibrahim, April Wicklund, Augusta Jamin, Matthew S. Wiebe

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Barrier to autointegration factor (BAF/BANF1) is a cellular DNA-binding protein found in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic BAF binds to foreign DNA and can act as a defense against vaccinia DNA replication. To evade BAF, vaccinia expresses the B1 kinase, which phosphorylates BAF and blocks its ability to bind DNA. Interestingly, B1 is also needed for viral intermediate gene expression via an unknown mechanism. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of B1-BAF signaling on vaccinia transcription. Strikingly, the decrease in vaccinia transcription caused by loss of B1 can be rescued by depletion of BAF. The repressive action of BAF is greatest …

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Mscs-Like Mechanosensitive Channels In Plants And Microbes, Margaret E. Wilson, Grigory Maksaev, Elizabeth S. Haswell Aug 2013

Mscs-Like Mechanosensitive Channels In Plants And Microbes, Margaret E. Wilson, Grigory Maksaev, Elizabeth S. Haswell

Biology Faculty Research

The challenge of osmotic stress is something all living organisms must face as a result of environmental dynamics. Over the past three decades, innovative research and cooperation across disciplines have irrefutably established that cells utilize mechanically gated ion channels to release osmolytes and prevent cell lysis during hypoosmotic stress. Early electrophysiological analysis of the inner membrane of Escherichia coli identified the presence of three distinct mechanosensitive activities. The subsequent discoveries of the genes responsible for two of these activities, the mechanosensitive channels of large (MscL) and small (MscS) conductance, led to the identification of two diverse families of mechanosensitive channels. …

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Life Support: Long Term Storage Of Solid Waste In An Enclosed Membrane System, Emmy O. Trieu, Michael Flynn, Rocco Mancinelli Aug 2013

Life Support: Long Term Storage Of Solid Waste In An Enclosed Membrane System, Emmy O. Trieu, Michael Flynn, Rocco Mancinelli

STAR Program Research Presentations

In deep space missions, maintaining life support is of the utmost priority. In such a closed system, human waste must be stored and treated. Simulated feces (ersatz) will be inoculated with microbes representing normal fecal flora, mixed with urine brine and shredded refuse of products typically used in space missions. Composting methods often use alternating layers of waste with scraps of carboniferous materials (finely shredded refuse). By preparing membrane bags with a homogenized ersatz and carboniferous refuse mixture and membrane bags with alternating layers of ersatz and carboniferous refuse, it may be possible to monitor anaerobic thermophillic digestion of the …

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Defining The Requirements For Early Gene Expression In Bacteriophage Hk639, Amanda L. Seaton Aug 2013

Defining The Requirements For Early Gene Expression In Bacteriophage Hk639, Amanda L. Seaton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Lambdoid phages suppress transcription termination to fully express their genes. Antitermination of early gene expression in most lambdoid phages is mediated by an interaction between the N protein and a number of host-encoded factors. Bacteriophage HK022 does not rely on a protein for antitermination. To promote full expression of early phage genes, the transcripts of the HK022 put sites interact directly with RNA polymerase to convert it to a termination resistant form. Bacteriophage HK639 also uses RNA-mediated antitermination. However, it only possesses a single put-like element in its left operon. Because most lambdoid phages, including HK022, have antiterminator elements in …

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Recurrent Modification Of A Conserved Cis-Regulatory Element Underlies Fruit Fly Pigmentation Diversity, William A. Rogers, Joseph R. Salomone, David J. Tacy, Eric M. Camino, Kristen A. Davis, Mark Rebeiz, Thomas M. Williams Aug 2013

Recurrent Modification Of A Conserved Cis-Regulatory Element Underlies Fruit Fly Pigmentation Diversity, William A. Rogers, Joseph R. Salomone, David J. Tacy, Eric M. Camino, Kristen A. Davis, Mark Rebeiz, Thomas M. Williams

Biology Faculty Publications

The development of morphological traits occurs through the collective action of networks of genes connected at the level of gene expression. As any node in a network may be a target of evolutionary change, the recurrent targeting of the same node would indicate that the path of evolution is biased for the relevant trait and network. Although examples of parallel evolution have implicated recurrent modification of the same gene and cis-regulatory element (CRE), little is known about the mutational and molecular paths of parallel CRE evolution. InDrosophila melanogaster fruit flies, the Bric-à-brac (Bab) transcription factors control the development …

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Antimycobacterial And Cytotoxicity Evaluation Of The Constituents Of Monodora Carolinae, Nyangi Magori, Stephen S Nyandoro, Joan Je Munissi, Matthias Heydenreich Jul 2013

Antimycobacterial And Cytotoxicity Evaluation Of The Constituents Of Monodora Carolinae, Nyangi Magori, Stephen S Nyandoro, Joan Je Munissi, Matthias Heydenreich

Tanzania Journal of Science

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark of the recently described species Monodora carolinae (Annonaceae) afforded prenylindole derivatives (E)-4-(1H-indol-6-yl)-but-3-en-2-one (1), 5-formylindole (2), fatty acid (Z)-hexade-7-enoic acid (3) and the lignanamide cannabisin B (4). The structures of the isolated compounds were established using NMR and MS analyses. The antimycobacterial activities of the extracts and isolated compounds were evaluated against Mycobacterium madagascariense (MM) and M. indicus pranii (MIP) using the two-fold microtitre dilution method. While the extracts exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 500 – 1000 µg/mL, the isolated compounds were 125 – 250 µg/mL, indicating very low activity. Cytotoxic effects were …

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A Simple Assay To Screen Antimicrobial Compounds Potentiating The Activity Of Current Antibiotics, Junaid Iqbal, Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Shahana Urooj Kazmi, Naveed Ahmed Khan Jun 2013

A Simple Assay To Screen Antimicrobial Compounds Potentiating The Activity Of Current Antibiotics, Junaid Iqbal, Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Shahana Urooj Kazmi, Naveed Ahmed Khan

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Antibiotic resistance continues to pose a significant problem in the management of bacterial infections, despite advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and supportive care. Here, we suggest a simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-perform assay to screen antimicrobial compounds from natural products or synthetic chemical libraries for their potential to work in tandem with the available antibiotics against multiple drug-resistant bacteria. The aqueous extract of Juglans regia tree bark was tested against representative multiple drug-resistant bacteria in the aforementioned assay to determine whether it potentiates the activity of selected antibiotics. The aqueous extract of J. regia bark was added to Mueller-Hinton agar, followed by …

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Isolation Of Primary Cilia By Shear Force, Kimberly A. P. Mitchell Jun 2013

Isolation Of Primary Cilia By Shear Force, Kimberly A. P. Mitchell

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The cell’s primary cilium is both a mechanical and chemical sensor involved in many signaling pathways. In order to ascertain protein enrichment in the primary cilium or study sub-ciliary localization of various proteins, it is advantageous to remove the primary cilium from the cell body. The protocol described here gives detailed instructions on purifying primary cilia by separating them from the cell body using shear force. This simple technique avoids using harsh purification conditions that may affect signaling proteins in the cilium or cause the ciliary membrane to disintegrate. In addition, as the cell body remains mostly intact, contamination of …

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The Effects Of Intestinal Microbial Community Structure On Disease Manifestation In Il-10-/- Mice Infected With Helicobacter Hepaticus, Courtney Robinson May 2013

The Effects Of Intestinal Microbial Community Structure On Disease Manifestation In Il-10-/- Mice Infected With Helicobacter Hepaticus, Courtney Robinson

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

BackgroundThe aberrant inflammation that is the hallmark of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is associated with several factors, including changes in the intestinal microbiota. Here, we confirmed that an intestinal microbiota is needed for development of typhlocolitis in Helicobacter hepaticus infected IL-10-/- C57BL/6 mice, and investigated the role of the microbiota in modulating disease.ResultsWe altered the murine microbiota by treatment with the antibiotics vancomycin or cefoperazone prior to H. hepaticus infection. Through surveys of the 16S rRNA encoding-gene, analyses of histology and changes in expression of host mediators, we correlated alterations in the microbiota with host responses. We found that …

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