Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Gestational Dependent Responses To Second Hand Smoke (Shs) In Mouse Pregnancies, Paul Reynolds

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Dna Extraction Methods For Soft Tissue Samples, Steve Guzman, Nathaniel E. Hill, Mujtaba Shah, Jonathon Reynolds, Cole Farnsworth, Molly Henley, Alfred Amendolara, Laura Minor, John Dougherty Jr., John A. Kriak, Kyle B. Bills, David W. Sant

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Vitamin C Contributes To Epigenetic Regulation Of Genes Related To Diabetic Retinopathy In Retinal Endothelial Cells, Elizabeth L. Turner, Jonathon Reynolds, Walker Kay, Marianne Becnel, Matthew Conway, Alexander Kim, John A. Kriak, Kyle B. Bills, David W. Sant

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Detection And Relative Quantitation Of Changes In Gene Expression Of Heat Shock Proteins 27 (Hsp27), Hsp 70, Hsp 90 And Hsp 47 In Doxorubicin-Exposed Human Cells By Rt-Qpcr, Steve Lee, Christopher So Dr.

Annual Research Symposium

Gene expression

Cell cultures

Heat shock proteins

Effects Of B4galnt1 Expression On Metastatic Phenotype And Response To Treatment In Osteosarcoma Cell Lines, Fatemeh Zareihajiabadi

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Two Diagnostic Assays For The Detection Of Serum Neutralizing Antibody To Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, Justin Brown, Korakrit Poonsuk, Ting-Yu Cheng, Chris Rademacher, Erin Kalkwarf, Liying Tian, Lauren A. Mckeen, Chong Wang, Luis Gimenez-Lirola, David Baum, Locke A. Karriker

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Lactogenic immunity is important for the protection of piglets against many pathogens including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Circulating neutralizing antibodies levels in sow sera may help determine if a detectable immune response could confer protection to piglets. Neutralizing antibodies can be detected through various diagnostic assays. This study evaluated the diagnostic characteristics of two neutralizing antibody assays for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus neutralizing antibodies in serum of challenged gilts. Four treatment groups, control, non-vaccinated, vaccinated prior to challenge, and vaccinated following challenge, were comprised of 20 gilts. Serum sample were collected from each gilt prior to and following challenge with …

Comparison Of Two Diagnostic Assays For The Detection Of Serum Neutralizing Antibody To Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, Justin Brown, Korakrit Poonsuk, Ting-Yu Cheng, Chris Rademacher, Erin Kalkwarf, Liying Tian, Lauren A. Mckeen, Chong Wang, Luis Gimenez-Lirola, Gimenez-Lirola Baum, Locke A. Karriker

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Lactogenic immunity is important for the protection of piglets against many pathogens including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Circulating neutralizing antibodies levels in sow sera may help determine if a detectable immune response could confer protection to piglets. Neutralizing antibodies can be detected through various diagnostic assays. This study evaluated the diagnostic characteristics of two neutralizing antibody assays for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus neutralizing antibodies in serum of challenged gilts. Four treatment groups, control, non-vaccinated, vaccinated prior to challenge, and vaccinated following challenge, were comprised of 20 gilts. Serum sample were collected from each gilt prior to and following challenge with …

Was Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Introduced Into China Via The Ancient Silk Road? An Evolutionary Perspective, Zhenqiu Liu, Qiwen Fang, Jialu Zuo, Veenu Minhas, Charles Wood, Na He, Tiejun Zhang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has become widely dispersed worldwide since it was first reported in 1994, but the seroprevalence of KSHV varies geographically. KSHV is relatively ubiquitous in Mediterranean areas and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The origin of KSHV has long been puzzling. In the present study, we collected and analysed 154 KSHV ORF-K1 sequences obtained from samples originating from Xinjiang, Italy, Greece, Iran and southern Siberia using Bayesian evolutionary analysis in BEAST to test the hypothesis that KSHV was introduced into Xinjiang via the ancient Silk Road. According to the phylogenetic analysis, 72 sequences were subtype A …

Characterizing Maternal Isolation-Induced Ultrasonic Vocalizations In A Gene-Environment Interaction Rat Model For Autism., Dorit Möhrle, Megan Yuen, Alice Zheng, Faraj L Haddad, Brian L Allman, Susanne Schmid

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Deficits in social communication and language development belong to the earliest diagnostic criteria of autism spectrum disorders. Of the many risk factors for autism spectrum disorder, the contactin-associated protein-like 2 gene, CNTNAP2, is thought to be important for language development. The present study used a rat model to investigate the potential compounding effects of autism spectrum disorder risk gene mutation and environmental challenges, including breeding conditions or maternal immune activation during pregnancy, on early vocal communication in the offspring. Maternal isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations from Cntnap2 wildtype and knockout rats at selected postnatal days were analyzed for their acoustic, temporal and …

Comparison Of Two Diagnostic Assays For The Detection Of Serum Neutralizing Antibody To Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, Justin Brown, Korakrit Poonsuk, Ting-Yu Cheng, Chris Rademacher, Erin Kalkwarf, Liying Tian, Lauren A. Mckeen, Chong Wang, Luis Gimenez-Lirola, David Baum, Locke A. Karriker

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Lactogenic immunity is important for the protection of piglets against many pathogens including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Circulating neutralizing antibodies levels in sow sera may help determine if a detectable immune response could confer protection to piglets. Neutralizing antibodies can be detected through various diagnostic assays. This study evaluated the diagnostic characteristics of two neutralizing antibody assays for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus neutralizing antibodies in serum of challenged gilts. Four treatment groups, control, non-vaccinated, vaccinated prior to challenge, and vaccinated following challenge, were comprised of 20 gilts. Serum sample were collected from each gilt prior to and following challenge with …

Critical Role Of The Sulfiredoxin-Peroxiredoxin Iv Axis In Urethane-Induced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Yanning Hao, Hong Jiang, Pratik Thapa, Na Ding, Aziza Alshahrani, Junichi Fujii, Michel B. Toledano, Qiou Wei

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer, etiologically associates with tobacco smoking which mechanistically contributes to oxidative stress to facilitate the occurrence of mutations, oncogenic transformation and aberrantly activated signaling pathways. Our previous reports suggested an essential role of Sulfiredoxin (Srx) in promoting the development of lung cancer in humans, and was causally related to Peroxiredoxin IV (Prx4), the major downstream substrate and mediator of Srx-enhanced signaling. To further explore the role of the Srx-Prx4 axis in de novo lung tumorigenesis, we established Prx4−/− and Srx−/−/Prx4−/− mice in pure FVB/N background. Together with wild-type litter …

Production And Characterization Of Monoclonal Antibodies To Xenopus Proteins, Brett Horr, Ryan Kurtz, Ankit Pandey, Benjamin G. Hoffstrom, Elizabeth Schock, Carole Labonne, Dominique Alfandari

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Monoclonal antibodies are powerful and versatile tools that enable the study of proteins in diverse contexts. They are often utilized to assist with identification of subcellular localization and characterization of the function of target proteins of interest. However, because there can be considerable sequence diversity between orthologous proteins in Xenopus and mammals, antibodies produced against mouse or human proteins often do not recognize Xenopus counterparts. To address this issue, we refined existing mouse monoclonal antibody production protocols to generate antibodies against Xenopus proteins of interest. Here, we describe several approaches for the generation of useful mouse anti-Xenopus antibodies to multiple …

A Brief Overview Of Triple A Syndrome, Jamaal Khan

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Triple A Syndrome, also known as AAA Syndrome, is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by any mutation in the AAAS gene on chromosome 12q13, whose main function is to code for the WD-repeat family regulatory protein, ALADIN. It typically occurs as a group of diseases that are characterized by alacrima, Addison's disease, and achalasia. Alacrima can be defined by a decrease in the amount of tears produced while achalasia is nerve damage in the esophagus that can cause difficulty swallowing. Lastly, Addison's disease is the insufficient production of cortisol and aldosterone produced by the adrenal cortex. There is no …

Displaying And Delivering Viral Membrane Antigens Via Ww Domain–Activated Extracellular Vesicles, Sengjin Choi, Zhiping Yang, Qiyu Wang, Zhi Qiao, Maoyun Sun, Joshua Wiggins, Shi-Hua Xiang, Quan Lu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Membrane proteins expressed on the surface of enveloped viruses are conformational antigens readily recognized by B cells of the immune system. An effective vaccine would require the synthesis and delivery of these native conformational antigens in lipid membranes that preserve specific epitope structures. We have created an extracellular vesicle–based technology that allows viral membrane antigens to be selectively recruited onto the surface of WW domain–activated extracellular vesicles (WAEVs). Budding of WAEVs requires secretory carrier-associated membrane protein 3, which through its proline-proline-alanine-tyrosine motif interacts with WW domains to recruit fused viral membrane antigens onto WAEVs. Immunization with influenza and HIV viral …

Displaying And Delivering Viral Membrane Antigens Via Ww Domain–Activated Extracellular Vesicles, Sengjin Choi, Zhiping Yang, Qiyu Wang, Zhi Qiao, Maoyun Sun, Joshua Wiggins, Shi-Hua Xiang, Quan Lu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Membrane proteins expressed on the surface of enveloped viruses are conformational antigens readily recognized by B cells of the immune system. An effective vaccine would require the synthesis and delivery of these native conformational antigens in lipid membranes that preserve specific epitope structures. We have created an extracellular vesicle–based technology that allows viral membrane antigens to be selectively recruited onto the surface of WW domain–activated extracellular vesicles (WAEVs). Budding of WAEVs requires secretory carrier-associated membrane protein 3, which through its proline-proline-alanine-tyrosine motif interacts with WW domains to recruit fused viral membrane antigens onto WAEVs. Immunization with influenza and HIV viral …

Displaying And Delivering Viral Membrane Antigens Via Ww Domain–Activated Extracellular Vesicles, Sengjin Choi, Zhiping Yang, Qiyu Wang, Zhi Qiao, Maoyun Sun, Joshua Wiggins, Shi-Hua Xiang, Quan Lu

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Membrane proteins expressed on the surface of enveloped viruses are conformational antigens readily recognized by B cells of the immune system. An effective vaccine would require the synthesis and delivery of these native conformational antigens in lipid membranes that preserve specific epitope structures. We have created an extracellular vesicle–based technology that allows viral membrane antigens to be selectively recruited onto the surface of WW domain–activated extracellular vesicles (WAEVs). Budding of WAEVs requires secretory carrier-associated membrane protein 3, which through its proline-proline-alanine-tyrosine motif interacts with WW domains to recruit fused viral membrane antigens onto WAEVs. Immunization with influenza and HIV viral …

Vaccines Against Group B Coxsackieviruses And Their Importance, Kiruthiga Mone, Ninaad Lasrado, Meghna Sur, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The group B coxsackieviruses (CVBs) exist in six serotypes (CVB1 to CVB6). Disease associations have been reported for most serotypes, and multiple serotypes can cause similar diseases. For example, CVB1, CVB3, and CVB5 are generally implicated in the causation of myocarditis, whereas CVB1 and CVB4 could accelerate the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Yet, no vaccines against these viruses are currently available. In this review, we have analyzed the attributes of experimentally tested vaccines and discussed their merits and demerits or limitations, as well as their impact in preventing infections, most importantly myocarditis and T1D.

Personalized Matched Targeted Therapy In Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Pilot Cohort Analysis, Justin Shaya, Shumei Kato, Jacob J. Adashek, Hitendra Patel, Paul T. Fanta, Gregory P. Botta, Jason K. Sicklick, Razelle Kurzrock

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Despite progress, 2-year pancreatic cancer survival remains dismal. We evaluated a biomarker-driven, combination/N-of-one strategy in 18 patients (advanced/metastatic pancreatic cancer) (from Molecular Tumor Board). Targeted agents administered/ patient = 2.5 (median) (range, 1–4); first-line therapy (N = 5); second line, (N = 13). Comparing patients (high versus low degrees of matching) (matching score ≥50% versus <50%; reflecting number of alterations matched to targeted agents divided by number of pathogenic alterations), survival was significantly longer (hazard ratio [HR] 0.24 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.078–0.76, P = 0.016); clinical benefit rates (CBR) (stable disease ≥6 months/partial/complete response) trended higher (45.5 vs 0.0%, P = 0.10); progression-free survival, HR, 95% CI, 0.36 (0.12–1.10) (p = 0.075). First versus ≥2nd-line therapy had higher CBRs (80.0 vs 7.7%, P = …

Parental Instincts: The Neurological And Biological Factors Associated With Parenthood, Jared Reeder

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The following project involves a systematic review of the scientific literature on neural and biological changes of mothers and fathers in parenthood. Until very recently, little scientific research was devoted to studying how bearing children affects a man or woman’s long-term biology. Over the last twenty years, studies of neuroplastic changes in new mothers show specific neural mechanisms responsible for altering the behaviors of mothers during and after pregnancy. These changes in neuroplasticity alter behavior in such a way that led to mothers requiring less sleep and being more prone to hearing the cries of their children. In addition to …

Combined 3d Bioprinting And Tissue-Specific Ecm System Reveals The Influence Of Brain Matrix On Stem Cell Differentiation, Martina Zamponi, Peter A. Mollica, Yara Khodour, Julie S. Bjerring, Robert D. Bruno, Patrick C. Sachs

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

We have previously shown that human and murine breast extracellular matrix (ECM) can significantly impact cellular behavior, including stem cell fate determination. It has been established that tissue-specific extracellular matrix from the central nervous system has the capacity to support neuronal survival. However, the characterization of its influence on stem cell differentiation and its adaptation to robust 3D culture models is underdeveloped. To address these issues, we combined our 3D bioprinter with hydrogels containing porcine brain extracellular matrix (BMX) to test the influence of the extracellular matrix on stem cell differentiation. Our 3D bioprinting system generated reproducible 3D neural structures …

Gene Expression Under Combined Hypoxia And Acidosis In Chondrosarcoma, Michael Stacey, Kostika Vangjeli, Christopher Osgood

Bioelectrics Publications

Chondrosarcomas are the second most common cause of bone cancer and are removed surgically with wide margins. On recurrence, they are resistant to chemo and radiation therapy and new treatment options are critically required. This tumor type produces hyaline cartilage, a cartilage normally formed under hypoxic and acidic environment due to lack of vasculature in cartilage. Paradoxically, chondrosarcomas arise in the well vascularized, oxygen rich environment of the bone. Hypoxia and acidosis are two stressors where the cellular effects are typically reported separately even though cells experience combined effects of hypoxia and acidosis. Given the mechanistic links between hypoxia and …

Identification Of Novel Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Encoding For Polyketide/Nrps-Producing Chemotherapeutic Compounds From Marine-Derived Streptomyces Hygroscopicus From A Marine Sanctuary, Hannah Ruth Flaherty

Honors Theses and Capstones

Nearly one out of six deaths in 2020, around ten million people, were caused by cancer, making it a leading cause of death worldwide (WHO, 2022). This major public health issue, in addition to the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, provides a high demand for the discovery of new pharmaceutical drugs to be used clinically to treat these conditions. The Streptomyces genus accounts to produce 39% of all microbial metabolites currently approved for human health, indicating its potential as an important species to study for antimicrobial and anticancer agents. The long linear genome of Streptomyces contains specialized sequences known as …

Presumptive Hepatogenous Photosensitization In Beef Cattle Winter Grazing A Cover Crop Containing Brassica Spp. Turnips, Matthew M. Hille, Scott A. Fritz, Breanna C. Brown

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Over a period of ~2 wk, 5 adult beef cows developed severe necrotizing skin lesions on the face and neck shortly after being moved to a field with a cover crop of Brassica spp. turnips. We describe here the clinical signs, hematology, and serum chemistry results, as well as gross and histopathologic findings, from this outbreak. We made a presumptive diagnosis of Brassica-associated liver disease (BALD) based on the similarities in the history and diagnostic findings observed with previously reported cases of BALD from elsewhere in the world. BALD has not been reported previously in cattle in North America, …

Role Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response In Parainfluenza Virus Acute To Persistent Infections, Lauren L. Abbitt

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Persistent viral infections are a major health concern, with persistently infected (PI) cells being a source of continued shedding of virus and generation of viral mutants. Here, we hypothesized that cells persistently infected with the enveloped virus parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) would show altered expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress proteins and increased resistance to death caused by drug-induced ER stress. To test this, lysates of mock-infected, PIV5 acute-infected, and PIV5 PI human lung A549 cells were collected and levels of ER stress proteins were compared. Western blotting revealed that immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP/GRP78) was present in higher …

Bioinformatic Analysis Of Proteomic And Genomic Data From Nsclc Tumors On Prognostic And Predictive Factors Of Immunotherapy Treatment, Mark Wuenschel

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Recent lung cancer research has led to advancements in molecular immunology, resulting in development of small molecule inhibitors, or immune checkpoint inhibitors, that propagate an anti-tumor T cell response. Despite increased overall and progression-free survival with reduced adverse effects compared to traditional chemotherapy, treating advanced stage lung adenocarcinoma patients remains non-curative, and evidence of non-responders or tumor recurrence to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy is growing. Also, compared to traditional chemotherapy, there is a lower percentage of patients who respond to small molecule inhibitors. In this analysis of proteomic and genomic data from The Cancer Proteome Atlas and Global Data Commons …

Best3-Mediated Mekk2/3 Activation: A Novel Therapeutic Target In Aortopathies, Tatiana Zyrianova, Benjamin Lopez, Kathlyn Zou, Charles Gu, Dayna Pham, Sriharsha Talapaneni, Christopher M. Waters, Riccardo Olcese, Andreas Schwingshackl

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Influenza-A virus (IAV) infects yearly an estimated one billion people worldwide, resulting in 300,000–650,000 deaths. Preventive vaccination programs and antiviral medications represent the mainstay of therapy, but with unacceptably high morbidity and mortality rates, new targeted therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Since inflammatory processes are commonly associated with measurable changes in the cell membrane potential (Em), we investigated whether Em hyperpolarization via TREK-1 (K2P 2.1) K þ channel activation can protect against influenza-A virus (IAV)-induced pneumonia. We infected mice with IAV, which after 5 days caused 10–15% weight loss and a decrease in spontaneous activity, representing a clinically relevant infection. …

Evaluation Of Leishmanicidal Activities Of 4-Thiazolidinones Against Leishmania Major, The Causative Agent Of Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Kiera Bush

All Master's Theses

The leishmaniases are a group of vector-borne parasitic diseases that affect many developing countries including parts of Africa, India, and the Middle East in addition to Southern Europe and the Americas. It is estimated that worldwide, there are about 3 million new cases of leishmaniases each year leading to as many as 50,000 fatalities annually. The parasites that cause leishmaniasis belong to the genus Leishmania spp and are transmitted by the female phlebotomine sand fly. There are three clinical forms of the infection: visceral, mucocutaneous, and cutaneous. However, the focus of this paper is on cutaneous leishmaniasis that causes skin …

Detection Of Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Antibodies In Retropharyngeal Lymph Node Exudates Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) From Nebraska, Usa, Korakrit Poonsuk, Duan S. Loy, Rachael Birn, Bryan Buss, Matthew Donahue, Todd Nordeen, Kylie Sinclair, Luke Meduna, Bruce Brodersen, John Dustin Loy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Disease surveillance testing for emerging zoonotic pathogens in wildlife is a key component in understanding the epidemiology of these agents and potential risk to human populations. Recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in humans, and subsequent detection of this virus in wildlife, highlights the need for developing new One Health surveillance strategies. We used lymph node exudate, a sample type that is routinely collected in hunter-harvested white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus) for surveillance of chronic wasting disease, to assess anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. A total of 132 pairs of retropharyngeal lymph nodes collected from Nebraska WTD harvested in Nebraska, US, in 2019 …

Characterizing Cellular Injury And Inflammation With Aldob-/-Mouse Model Of Mafld, Andy Rashid

All Master's Theses

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) affects 1 in 3 people in the US and is a healthcare burden on the order of billions of dollars. MAFLD is characterized by pathological lipid accumulation in the liver, excess production of triglycerides and cholesterol, and export of LDL particles that raise serum lipid levels. These metabolic perturbations can lead to the development of liver fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance. Diagnosing MAFLD prior to fibrosis is crucial for successful intervention and prevention of advanced liver disease and other metabolic complications. Fructose-1Phospahte (F1P) accumulation from fructose overconsumption can drive hepatic lipogenesis and MAFLD progression. …

Enhancing The Conformational Stability Of The Cl-Par-4 Tumor Suppressor Via Site-Directed Mutagenesis, Samjhana Pandey, Krishna K. Raut, Antoine Baudin, Lamya Djemri, David S. Libich, Komala Ponniah, Steven M. Pascal

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Intrinsically disordered proteins play important roles in cell signaling, and dysregulation of these proteins is associated with several diseases. Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4), an approximately 40 kilodalton proapoptotic tumor suppressor, is a predominantly intrinsically disordered protein whose downregulation has been observed in various cancers. The caspase-cleaved fragment of Par-4 (cl-Par-4) is active and plays a role in tumor suppression by inhibiting cell survival pathways. Here, we employed site-directed mutagenesis to create a cl-Par-4 point mutant (D313K). The expressed and purified D313K protein was characterized using biophysical techniques, and the results were compared to that of the wild-type (WT). We have …