Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Animal Anti-Apoptotic Genes Ameliorate The Loss Of Turgor In Water-Stressed Transgenic Tobacco, Tala Awada, D. D. Dunigan, M. B. Dickman

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Nicotiana tabacum L. ‘Glurk’ plants were transformed with antiapoptotic animal genes [chicken Bcl-xl; nematode CED-9; chicken Bcl-xl(GA) a mutant of Bcl-xl; and a 3’ non-coding region of human Bcl-2, referred to as 161-1]. Our objectives were to determine whether plant transformation with anti-apoptotic genes ameliorates drought tolerance in tobacco plants by subjecting the plants to a dry-down period. The non-transformed Glurk and the transgenic Glurk harboring G115, which expresses β-glucuronidase, served as controls. Transformation of tobacco plants with animal anti-apoptotic genes significantly impacted the rates of photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (g_s), but not to the same extent …

Identification Of Novel Domains Within Sox-2 And Sox-11 Involved In Autoinhibition Of Dna Binding And Partnership Specificity, Matthew S. Wiebe, Tamara K. Nowling, Angie Rizzino

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Sox transcription factors play key regulatory roles throughout development, binding DNA through a consensus (A/T)(A/T)CAA(A/T)G sequence. Although many different Sox proteins bind to this se-quence, it has been observed that gene regulatory elements are commonly responsive to only a small subset of the entire family, implying that regulatory mechanisms exist to permit selective DNA bind-ing and/or transactivation by Sox family members. To identify and explore the mechanisms modu-lating gene activation by Sox proteins further, we compared the function of Sox-2 and Sox-11. This led to the discovery that Sox proteins are regulated differentially at multiple levels, including trans-activation, protein partnerships …

Osmosensitive Taurine Release: Does Taurine Share The Same Efflux Pathway With Chloride And Other Amino Acid Osmolytes?, Rodrigo Franco

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Swelling subsequent to hyposmotic conditions activates a process of volume regulation present in most cell types. This volume adjustment is accomplished by osmolyte translocation toward the extracellular space to reach a new osmotic equilibrium. Molecules involved in this homeostatic mechanism have been broadly classified into two categories: organic and inorganic osmolytes. Inorganic osmolytes comprise mainly the intracellular ions K⁺ and Cl^–. Cell swelling–induced activation of separate K⁺ and Cl^– channels has been described in most preparations. Organic osmolytes are grouped in three categories: amino acids, polyalcohols, and methylamines. These osmolytes, particularly taurine, are present in …

Role Of Activator Protein-1 In The Down-Regulation Of The Human Cyp2j2 Gene In Hypoxia, Nicole Y. Marden, Eva Fiala-Beer, Shi-Hua Xiang, Michael Murray

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2J2 arachidonic acid epoxygenase gene was down-regulated at a pre-translational level in human hepatoma-derived HepG2 cells incubated in a hypoxic environment; under these conditions, the expression of c-Jun and c-Fos mRNA and protein was increased. The 5′-upstream region of the CYP2J2 gene was isolated by amplification of a 2341 bp fragment and putative regulatory elements that resembled activator protein-1 (AP-1)-like sequences were identified. From transient transfection analysis, c-Jun was found to strongly activate a CYP2J2–luciferase reporter construct, but co-transfection with plasmids encoding c-Fos or c-Fos-related antigens, Fra-1 and -2, abrogated reporter activity. Using a series …

Mucosal Priming Of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Responses In Rhesus Macaques By The Salmonella Type Iii Secretion Antigen Delivery System, David T. Evans, Li-Mei Chen, Jacqueline Gillis, Kuei-Chin Lin, Brian Harty, Gail P. Mazzara, Ruben O. Donis, Keith G. Mansfield, Jeffrey D. Lifson, Ronald C. Desrosiers, Jorge E. Galán, R. Paul Johnson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Nearly all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are acquired mucosally, and the gut-associated lymphoid tissues are important sites for early virus replication. Thus, vaccine strategies designed to prime virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses that home to mucosal compartments may be particularly effective at preventing or containing HIV infection. The Salmonella type III secretion system has been shown to be an effective approach for stimulating mucosal CTL responses in mice. We therefore tested ∆phoP-phoQ attenuated strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and S. enterica serovar Typhi expressing fragments of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag protein fused to the …

Method To Detect The Presence Of A Microorganism Or Agent In An Animal, David R. Smith, Laura L. Hungerford, Rodney A. Moxley, Susanne Hinkley, Terry Klopfenstein, Jeff Gray

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The present invention provides a method to detect the presence of a microorganism or agent in an animal. The method encompasses placement of devices at various locations where the animal resides so as to induce the animal to initiate contact with the device. As a result of this contact, the animal deposits various microorganisms and agents on the device. The device is then tested for the presence of the particular microorganism or agent of interest.

Regulation Of Zebrafish Hindbrain Development By Fibroblast Growth Factor And Retinoic Acid: A Dissertation, Nicole M. Roy

Biology Faculty Publications

A thesis submitted to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Massachusetts, Worcester in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology.

Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) and Retinoic acid (RA) are known to be involved in patterning the posterior embryo. Work has shown that Fgf can convert anterior tissue into posterior fates and that embryos deficient in Fgf signaling lack posterior trunk and tail structures. Likewise, studies performed on RA have shown that overexpression of RA posteriorizes anterior tissue, while disrupting …