Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

Suppression Of Inflammation Of Cytokine Following Induced Francisella Tularensis Infection, Nicole Renee Setzu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Francisella tularensis is intracellular bacteria which is the causative agent of the disease Tularemia. Highly virulent in both humans and animals, it takes only as few as 10 microorganisms to cause a lethal infection. The bacteria can enter via direct or indirect routes causing the activations of the host innate inflammatory response to ensue. The bacteria invade host dendritic cells and neutrophils but predominately macrophages. This causes a mass inflammatory response resulting in the cytokine storm. Activation of Natural Killer T (NKT) cells has been shown to suppress inflammation in in vivo studies. Development and optimization of an in vitro …

B25: Generation And Characterization Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein-Pseudotyped Lentivirus Particles For Use In Neutralizing Antibody Titer Testing Of Human Serum, Luis Sanchez

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

B16: Chikungunya Virus Time Course Infection Of Human Macrophages, Madison Gray, Israel Guerrero-Arguero, Antonio Solis Leal, Richard Robison, Brad Burges, Brett Pickett

Annual Research Symposium

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an Alphavirus spread by Aedes spp. mosquitoes and is responsible for infecting 1.1 million people per year worldwide, including a large epidemic in the western hemisphere in 2014-2015. During the body’s immune response to CHIKV, human macrophages become infected after phagocytosis of CHIKV and undergo induced apoptosis, catalyzing the virus spread in the body. It is presently unclear what macrophage genes, functions, and intracellular signaling pathways are impacted during the early, intermediate, and late stages of CHIKV infection. Therefore we quantified the transcriptional response of human macrophage cells infected with CHIKV at two different timepoints.

Effectiveness Of Pathogen-Specific Passive Antibodies To Mitigate Infectious Diseases In Apis Mellifera, Tanner Nordseth

Honors Thesis

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are widely recognized as a vital part of the global ecosystem and the world's food supply due to their pivotal role in the pollination of both natural and agricultural flora. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is an emerging phenomenon characterized by a colony's worker bees deserting the hive and leaving the queen behind. This usually results in colony failure. CCD is a multifactorial issue, with many environmental stressors and pathogens playing a role. Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) has been identified as a leading cause in this phenomenon. Paenibacillus larvae (P. larvae) is another lethal pathogen that is …

Cloning Of Pe11 (Lipx, Rv1169c) Gene Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Beijing Strain To Pcdna3.1 Plasmid Vector, Lulut Azmi Supardi, Andriansjah Rukmana, Fithriyah Sjatha

Makara Journal of Science

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is a persistent global health problem with a high mortality rate. Currently, TB is controlled by administering the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, but the effectiveness of its protection varies among individuals in a population. The pe/ppe gene family comprises a typical group of genes that play a role in avoiding the host immune response and inducing persistent TB infection. Based on in silico analysis, the pe11 gene has estimated immunogenicity and potential as a TB seed vaccine candidate. The pe11 gene from an Indonesian isolate of an M. …

The International Scientific Association For Probiotics And Prebiotics (Isapp) Consensus Statement On Fermented Foods, Maria L. Marco, Mary Ellen Sanders, Michael Gänzle, Marie Claire Arrieta, Paul D. Cotter, Luc De Vuyst, Colin Hill, Wilhelm Holzapfel, Sarah Lebeer, Dan Merenstein, Gregor Reid, Benjamin E. Wolfe, Robert Hutkins

Microbiology & Immunology Publications

An expert panel was convened in September 2019 by The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) to develop a definition for fermented foods and to describe their role in the human diet. Although these foods have been consumed for thousands of years, they are receiving increased attention among biologists, nutritionists, technologists, clinicians and consumers. Despite this interest, inconsistencies related to the use of the term ‘fermented’ led the panel to define fermented foods and beverages as “foods made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions of food components”. This definition, encompassing the many varieties of fermented foods, is …

Optimized Microbial Recombinant Production Of Hiv-1 Anti-Envelope Antibody Fragments With Applications To Single Particle Tracking Of Virus Assembly, Merissa Michelle Bruns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In my findings, I have established a set series of protocols to recombinantly produce, purify and apply various fluorescent probes in vitro for the fluorescent labeling and study of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env) protein during HIV viral assembly. There remains insufficient knowledge about the molecular dynamics and interactions of HIV-1 Env protein with its counterpart, Gag, on the inner host cell surface during assembly of a mature virus particle. There also remains an insufficient amount of data for the understanding and clarification of the mechanism of action of a known host cell HIV-1 restriction factor, …

Passive Immunization Against Invasive Salmonella Enterica, Angelene Richards

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The Gram-negative bacterium, Salmonella enterica is a prominent etiologic agent of both diarrheal disease and enteric fever that encompasses over 2500 serovars, including S. Typhimurium (STm) and S. Typhi (STy). S. enterica is transmitted through contaminated food and water and, following ingestion, invades the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa. The bacterium uses flagellar-based motility to target microfold (M) cells overlying gut-associated lymphoid tissues known as Peyer’s patches in the small intestine. Entry into Peyer’s patch tissues is a pivotal step in the infection process, as the bacterium can then disseminate systemically in the host. Given the rise in antibiotic resistance amongst S. …

Il-10 And Tgf-Beta Increase Connexin-43 Expression And Membrane Potential Of Hl-1 Cardiomyocytes Coupled With Raw 264.7 Macrophages, Cora B. Cox

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cardiomyocytes and macrophages have been found to interact via connexin-43 hemichannels. The role of connexin-43, however, is not fully understood. This study shows that these interactions aid in increasing the membrane potential of cardiomyocytes allowing contraction of the cells. HL-1 cardiomyocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages in coculture increased expression of connexin-43 compared to cardiomyocytes alone. Co-cultures also increased the fluorescence of Di-8-ANEPPS potentiometric dye indicating an increase in cardiomyocyte membrane potential. Treatment with IL-10 and TGF-beta further increased connexin-43 expression and membrane potential. Treatment with SOCS3 inhibited the effects of TGF-beta and IL-10 while having no effect on its own. …

Biology And Molecular Biology Of Ixodes Scapularis, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Ladislav Šimo, Justin D. Radolf (Ed.), D. Scott Samuels (Ed.)

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

This chapter describes the biology of the tick Ixodes scapularis in relation to its role as the vector of the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi. Following a review of the internal anatomy of the tick, we review basic molecular processes that contribute to an understanding of the dynamics of the tick's specialized parasitic processes, including attachment behavior, salivation; silencing of host anti-inflammatory responses to enable blood ingestion at the dermal feeding site; hemoglobin digestion and reproduction. The chapter is divided into three parts: 1) systematic and anatomical characteristics of ticks; 2) host finding, attachment, salivary disruption of host defenses, blood …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Vaccine Development Using Dual-Species Whole Cell And Subunit Vaccines, Catherine Bell Blackwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen which can cause severe, recurrent, and chronic infections. The pathogen is highly adaptable, and pneumonia caused by it is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in individuals with the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis. Antibiotic resistance amongst clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa is steadily increasing, and multi-drug resistant strains are prevalent. There is currently no vaccine available for commercial use against P. aeruginosa. For these reasons, we sought to understand the immunity to P. aeruginosa induced by whole cell vaccination and identify antigens for development of future subunit vaccines. In this dissertation, …

Il-10 And Tgf-Beta Increase Connexin-43 Expression And Membrane Potential Of Hl-1 Cardiomyocytes Coupled With Raw 264.7 Macrophages, Cora B. Cox

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cardiomyocytes and macrophages have been found to interact via connexin-43 hemichannels. The role of connexin-43, however, is not fully understood. This study shows that these interactions aid in increasing the membrane potential of cardiomyocytes allowing contraction of the cells. HL-1 cardiomyocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages in coculture increased expression of connexin-43 compared to cardiomyocytes alone. Co-cultures also increased the fluorescence of Di-8-ANEPPS potentiometric dye indicating an increase in cardiomyocyte membrane potential. Treatment with IL-10 and TGF-beta further increased connexin-43 expression and membrane potential. Treatment with SOCS3 inhibited the effects of TGF-beta and IL-10 while having no effect on its own. …

Investigating Streptococcus Pneumoniae And Adenovirus Co-Infections Of Lung Epithelial Cells, Mark Nicholas Calabro

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Co-infection is common among viruses and bacteria in the human respiratory system. Adenovirus (AdV) and Streptococcus pneumoniae are clinically relevant respiratory pathogens that cause morbidity and mortality in a variety of patient populations with the highest morbidity occurring among immunocompromised individuals, but also prevalent in infants and the elderly. Acute respiratory distress syndrome may become severe in healthy individuals when co-infection with S. pneumoniae and AdV occurs due to synergistic effects of the pathogens on the host. I hypothesized that S. pneumoniae infection decreases AdV transduction of airway epithelia. To test this hypothesis, we utilized the polarized immortalized airway epithelial …

Investigating Streptococcus Pneumoniae And Adenovirus Co-Infections Of Lung Epithelial Cells, Mark Nicholas Calabro

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Co-infection is common among viruses and bacteria in the human respiratory system. Adenovirus (AdV) and Streptococcus pneumoniae are clinically relevant respiratory pathogens that cause morbidity and mortality in a variety of patient populations with the highest morbidity occurring among immunocompromised individuals, but also prevalent in infants and the elderly. Acute respiratory distress syndrome may become severe in healthy individuals when co-infection with S. pneumoniae and AdV occurs due to synergistic effects of the pathogens on the host. I hypothesized that S. pneumoniae infection decreases AdV transduction of airway epithelia. To test this hypothesis, we utilized the polarized immortalized airway epithelial …

Molecular And Genetic Studies On A Sipd/Ipad-Related Virulence Spike Protein From Immune-Suppressive Particles Of A Drosophila Parasitoid, Carlo Miguel A. Sevilla

Dissertations and Theses

Parasitoid wasps are effective biological control agents that have evolved intricate host immune suppression strategies to overcome host immune defenses. The most important anti-parasite defense mechanism is encapsulation, where the host’s blood cells surround the wasp egg. In the Drosophila/Leptopilina host-parasitoid system, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are oviposited along with the wasp egg. The EVs possess spikes and contain hundreds of proteins, some of which enable wasp eggs to escape encapsulation by changing the morphology and function of hemocytes, or killing them. Previous studies have identified an abundant surface/spike protein (SSp40) from Leptopilina heterotoma EVs. While p40, a predicted …

Il-36g Cytokine Induction In Oral Epithelial Cells Triggered By Treponema Denticola And Their Role In Chronic Periodontitis, Christopher Blake

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a polymicrobial disease affecting 10-15% of the population. Periodontal disease affects the quality of life by reducing mastication and potentially causing tooth loss. Periodontal disease is also linked to more severe, systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Development of the diseased state occurs when the plaque biofilm shifts from healthy to dysbiotic. The shift to a dysbiotic biome brings with it a shift in bacterial presence, specifically an increase in gram-negative bacteria, such as T. denticola. T. denticola is a gram-negative, anaerobic spirochete whose relationship with oral epithelial cells is poorly understood. Preliminary data …

Multistrain Hiv-1 Elimination: A Crispr-Cas9 And Theranostics-Based Approach, Jonathan Herskovitz

Theses & Dissertations

A critical barrier to achieving a functional cure for infection by human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) rests in the presence of latent proviral DNA integrated in the nuclei of host CD4+ T cells and mononuclear phagocytes. Accordingly, HIV-1-infected patients must adhere to lifelong regimens of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to prevent viral rebound, CD4+ T cell decline, and progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Gene editing using clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas9 technology stands as one means to inactivate integrated proviral DNA. We devised a mosaic gRNA CRISPR-Cas9 system- TatDE- that targets viral transcriptional regulator genes tat / …

Impact Of Endangered Animal Protection Rights, Policies, And Practices On Zoonotic Disease Spread, Daniella Fedak-Lengel

Honors Projects

Building on field research in Costa Rica and Belize, this honors project analyzes environmental and endangered animal protection policies, rights, and practices in Central America and the Caribbean, and assesses the impact of veterinary science and biological research and practice, particularly conservation biology, on animal welfare concerns. Informed by the recent surge in awareness regarding zoonoses and zoonotic disease transmission, prevention and control, resulting from the current global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the project assesses the need for new and innovative types of collaboration, particularly involving conservation biologists, environmental scientists, public health experts, law and policy makers, and global trade and …

Malaria, Microbes, And Mice: The Role Of The Gut Microbiota On The Immune Response To Plasmodium Infection And The Treatment Potential Of Microbiota Modulation., Morgan L. Waide

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plasmodium infection leads to over 200 million cases of malaria and 400,000 deaths worldwide each year. These deaths are largely in children under the age of five and pregnant women [1]. Caused by transmission of Plasmodium parasites by the female Anopheles mosquito, malaria poses a risk for over 40 percent of the world’s population [1]. Despite worldwide efforts to eradicate malaria leading to a decrease in malaria-associated mortalities in the early 2000s [2], growing resistance to the available antimalarials and the lack of an effective, long-lasting vaccine has caused this decrease to plateau in recent years [1, 3-6]. Furthermore, malaria …

Role Of Β-Glucan Structure In Dectin-1 Homo- And Hetero-Oligomerization In Innate Anti-Fungal Immunity, Eduardo U. Anaya

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Dectin-1A is a C-type Lectin innate immunoreceptor that recognizes β-(1,3)-glucan, a structural component of Candida species cell walls. Dectin-1 has eight alternative splice isoforms including, A and B. Innate immunocytes can express one or both isoforms, but neither their relative responsiveness to β-glucan nor the potential for inter-isoform signaling cross-talk is well understood. In this study, we determine how the different structures of soluble β-glucans affect both isoforms and unravel how differences in glucan structure impact the earliest events in Dectin-1 signaling. Using quantitative microscopy techniques, we explored the role of glucan structure on Dectin-1A oligomerization, which is thought to …

Copper And Cobalt Metal Conjugation Enhances Flaviviral Replication, And Denv/Zikv Caused Thrombocytopenia Suppresses Integrin Signaling, Shovan Dutta

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vector control is a global concern, and effective strategies have been on the way. Among the many different strategies, insect repellents to protect us from blood-feeding arthropods are very common. Food processing or preservatives in food expose us to several chemicals associated with insect repellents, insecticides, and pesticides. Using metallic conjugation with plant extracts or essential oils has become a widespread strategy to increase their efficacy. But it is worth it to be aware that some of those metallic compounds like Cobalt or Copper upon conjugation with thiosemicarbazone ligands derived from Citral and 2-acetylethiazole at the center coordination enhance both …

Comprehensive Survey Of The Litter Bacterial Communities In Commercial Turkey Farms, Bishnu Adhikari, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Tieshan Jiang, Brian Wooming, Young Min Kwon

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The importance of microbiota in the health and diseases of farm animals has been well-documented for diverse animal species. However, studies on microbiotas in turkey and turkey farms are relatively limited as compared to other farm animal species. In this study, we performed a comprehensive survey of the litter microbiotas in 5 commercial turkey farms in the Northwest Arkansas (H, M, V, K, and R farms) including one farm with positive incidence of cellulitis (R farm). Altogether 246 boot swabs were used for 16S rRNA gene profiling of bacterial communities. At phylum level, 11 major bacterial phyla (≥0.01%) were recovered. …

Increasing Antibiotic Resistance In Shigella Bacteria In The United States, William J. Pharr

The Corinthian

Shigella bacteria cause half a million infections, 6,000 hospitalizations, and 70 deaths annually in the United States. These bacteria are of particular concern due to their high survivability, low infectious dose, and high adaptability. Cases of shigellosis from Shigella sonnei are becoming a more prevalent issue in the U.S. as the bacteria continues to develop higher resistance to today’s strongest antibiotics. Much of this resistance is connected to the exchange of genes between strains of Shigella due to insertion sequences (IS), intercontinental travel, and men who have sex with men (MSM). As a result of increased resistance, the use of …

Investigating Microbial And Host Factors That Modulate Severity Of Clostridioides Difficile Associated Disease, Armando Lerma

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Clostridioides difficile is recognized as one of the most important pathogens in hospital and community healthcare settings. The clinical outcome of infection of toxigenic C. difficile infection (CDI) ranges from asymptomatic colonization to fulminant pseudomembranous colitis and death. In recent studies, it has been suggested that a high proportion of nosocomial CDI cases are transmitted from asymptomatic carriers which might be acting as infection reservoirs. Understanding what causes the different responses to infection could lead to the development of novel prevention and treatment strategies. Although several explanations have been proposed to explain variations in susceptibility, understanding of the exact mechanisms …

Varroa Destructor Mites Vector And Transmit Pathogenic Honey Bee Viruses Acquired From An Artificial Diet, Francisco Posada-Florez, Eugene V. Ryabov, Matthew C. Heerman, Yanping Chen, Jay D. Evans, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Steven C. Cook

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructoris one of the most destructive pests of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the primary biotic cause of colony collapse in many regions of the world. These mites inflict physical injury on their honey bee hosts from feeding on host hemolymph and fat body cells/cellular components, and serve as the vector for deadly honey bee viruses, including Deformed wing virus (DWV) and the related Varroa destructor virus-1 (VDV-1) (i.e., DWV-like viruses). Studies focused on elucidating the dynamics of Varroa-mediated vectoring and transmission of DWV-like viruses may be confounded by viruses present in …

Endothelial Cell Contributions To Covid-19, Alexandra E. Oxford, Fabio Halla, Evan B. Robertson, Brad E. Morrison

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding of the clinical, histological and molecular features of the novel coronavirus 2019 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) has remained elusive. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by this virus has unusual clinical presentation with regard to other related coronaviruses. Recent reports suggest that SARS-CoV-2, unlike other related viruses, infects and replicates within endothelial cells, which may explain a significant portion of the observed clinical pathology. Likewise, mounting evidence associates vascular and endothelial cell dysfunction with increased mortality. This review focuses on understanding how endothelial cell pathology is caused by SARS-CoV-2 at the molecular and cellular levels and how …

The Investigation Of Surface Structures On Various Pathogens And Their Interactions With The Human Immune System, Carmen M. Villalobos

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

The cell surface is the first interface the host immune system encounters and

its investigation has led to a better understanding of cellular biology and types of

pathways that pathogens target in a host cell. The cell surface has evolved to include

many functions such as manipulation of the cytoskeleton, cell signaling, membrane

trafficking, adhesion, and integration into host tissue. The pathogens of interest are

the pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans, and the parasite, Giardia lamblia and we

investigate the consequences of drug treatments on the cell surface, leading to

promising new targets.

Development, Expansion And Role Of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells In Post-Sepsis Immune Suppression, Tuqa Alkhateeb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) numbers increase significantly in sepsis and are associated with high mortality rates. These myeloid cell precursors promote immunosuppression, especially in the late (post sepsis) stage. However, the mechanisms that underlie MDSC expansion and programming are not completely understood. To investigate these mechanisms, we used a cecal-ligation and puncture (CLP) mouse model of polymicrobial sepsis that progresses from an early/acute proinflammatory phase to a late/chronic immunosuppressive phase. Previous studies in our laboratory showed that microRNA (miR)-21 and miR-181b elevate levels of the transcription factor nuclear factor 1 (NFI-A) that promotes MDSC expansion. We report here that miR-21 …

Plasmodium Impairs Antibacterial Innate Immunity To Systemic Infections In Part Through Hemozoin-Bound Bioactive Molecules., Christopher Lynn Harding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts to decrease the global health burden of malaria, infections with Plasmodium species continue to cause over 200 million episodes of malaria each year which resulted in 405,000 deaths in 2018 [1]. One complication of malaria is increased susceptibility to invasive bacterial infections. Plasmodium infections impair host immunity to non-Typhoid Salmonella (NTS) through activities of heme oxygenase I (HO-I) )-induced release of immature granulocytes and myeloid cell-derived IL-10. Yet, it is not known if these mechanisms are specific to NTS. We show here, that Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL (Py) infected mice had impaired clearance of systemic Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) during …

Utility Of Molecular Tools For The Identification And Characterization Of Infectious Agents, Shih Keng Loong

Student Works (2020-2029)

Molecular tools involving nucleic acid sequence-based detection offer rapid, sensitive and specific identification of bacterial infections, all together instrumental in timely patient management and infection control. Analyses of DNA sequences played a pivotal role in the discovery of novel or uncommon bacterial pathogens. This method can be applied to detect and identify rare and potentially pathogenic bacterial infectious diseases emerging from the interactions between human, animal and the environment. In this study, the 16S rDNA sequencing demonstrated superior utility against the conventional phenotypic identification systems for the identification of rare pathogenic bacteria. Its inability to differentiate between certain bacterial species …