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Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons™

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2016

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Articles 211 - 240 of 249

Full-Text Articles in Immunology and Infectious Disease

Role Of Vav2 In Podocyte Inflammasome Activation And Glomerular Injury During Hyperhomocysteinemia, Sabena Conley Jan 2016

Role Of Vav2 In Podocyte Inflammasome Activation And Glomerular Injury During Hyperhomocysteinemia, Sabena Conley

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperhomocysteinemia (hHcys) is a widely known pathogenic factor in the progression of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and it is also associated with an increased risk for injurious cardiovascular pathologies during ESRD. HHcys is linked to the formation and activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, characterized as a critical early mechanism initiating the inflammatory response. NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in podocytes in response to elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcys) in vitro and in vivo. However, it remains unknown how NLRP3 inflammasome activation is triggered by NOX. The …


Resolution Of Inflammation Rescues Axon Initial Segment Disruption, Nicholas M. George Jan 2016

Resolution Of Inflammation Rescues Axon Initial Segment Disruption, Nicholas M. George

Theses and Dissertations

Axonal domains are required for proper neuron function. These domains are unstable and degenerate concurrent with the inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and the inflammatory disease models experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that the axon initial segment (AIS) is maintained independently of the presence of myelin, but that AIS disruption is seen in MS as well as EAE and LPS-mediated inflammation. AIS loss can be interrupted in the early stage of EAE using the anti-inflammatory drug Didox. However, the potential for Didox directed repair of the AIS in later …


Calponin And Cytoskeleton Dynamics In Macrophage Functions And The Pathogenesis Of Atherosclerosis, Rong Liu Jan 2016

Calponin And Cytoskeleton Dynamics In Macrophage Functions And The Pathogenesis Of Atherosclerosis, Rong Liu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Arterial atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Macrophages play a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Modulation of macrophage function is a therapeutic target for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Calponin is an actin-filament-associated regulatory protein that inhibits the activity of myosin-ATPase and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton. Encoded by the Cnn2 gene, calponin isoform 2 is expressed at significant levels in macrophages. Deletion of calponin 2 increases macrophage migration and phagocytosis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of deletion of calponin 2 in macrophages on the pathogenesis and development of atherosclerosis. The results showed that …


Determining The Role Of Poly [Adp-Ribose] Polymerase 1 (Parp-1) In Retroviral Infection, Luis Valdes Rodriguez Jan 2016

Determining The Role Of Poly [Adp-Ribose] Polymerase 1 (Parp-1) In Retroviral Infection, Luis Valdes Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Possible links between PARP-1 and HIV-1 have been previously reported but the role of this protein during viral infection has remained elusive. Based on the high evolutionary conservation of PARP-1, from Drosophila to humans, we have been able to counteract the difficulties related with the functional redundancy manifested in the PARP family by studying the influence of PARP-1 on the expression of an endogenous retrovirus using the chicken B lymphoblastoid cell line DT40, this cell line exhibits low PARP-1 functional redundancy and is viable after PARP-1 knockout. We have determined that the transcription level of the endogenous retrovirus RAV-1 is …


Synthesis Of Neoglycoproteins/Neoglycopeptides And Their Immunological Evaluation In The Context Of Chagas Disease, Nathaniel Scott Schocker Jan 2016

Synthesis Of Neoglycoproteins/Neoglycopeptides And Their Immunological Evaluation In The Context Of Chagas Disease, Nathaniel Scott Schocker

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease (ChD), has a cell surface covered by immunogenic glycoconjugates. A synthetic glycoarray containing non-reducing α-galactopyranosyl moieties related to mucin O-glycans of the parasite T. cruzi was evaluated by a chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CL-ELISA) with sera from patients with chronic ChD, revealing the disaccharide Galα(1,3)Galβ as the immunodominant glycotope (Chapter 2). This disaccharide comprises the two terminal sugars of the known immunodominant glycotope Galα(1,3)Galβ(1,4)GlcNAcα, which is expressed on glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored mucins of the infective trypomastigote stage of T. cruzi and triggers high levels of protective anti-α-Gal antibodies (Abs) in infected …


Mechanism By Which Commensal Bacteria Limit Inflammation, Mallory Paynich Jan 2016

Mechanism By Which Commensal Bacteria Limit Inflammation, Mallory Paynich

Dissertations

Trillions of bacteria live within the gastrointestinal tract and are critical for maintaining intestinal homeostasis; however, the mechanisms utilized by specific bacterial molecules to contribute to homeostasis are not well understood. We utilize a mouse model in which a single oral dose of the probiotic, Bacillus subtilis, protects mice from acute colitis induced by the enteric pathogen Citrobacter rodentium. Our goal is to elucidate the mechanism by which B. subtilis prevents inflammation.

We identified exopolysaccharides (EPS) to be the active molecule of B. subtilis, and a single dose of EPS protects mice from disease. EPS binds F4/80+CD11b+ peritoneal macrophages, and …


A Study Of Immune-Regulation Of Microbiota Supernatant On Macrophage Function, An N. Nguyen Jan 2016

A Study Of Immune-Regulation Of Microbiota Supernatant On Macrophage Function, An N. Nguyen

Master's Theses

The diverse human microbial ecosystem colonizes many different body sites. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract, especially, is a major region that that harbors a complex microbial community composed of trillions of commensal bacteria. Interactions between the commensal bacteria and the host immune system begin at birth and continue through the human lifespan. In the gut, commensal bacteria help the host to ensure the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis as well as the mucosal barrier structure through host stimulation of mucus and antimicrobial molecules. The secretion of these host factors functions to inhibit pathogenic invasion and maintain the population of commensal bacteria. The …


Characterization Of Il-22-Producing Cells In The Human Thymus And The Mechanism By Which Il-22 Expression Is Modulated By Thymic Epithelial Cells., Nadine N. Morgan Jan 2016

Characterization Of Il-22-Producing Cells In The Human Thymus And The Mechanism By Which Il-22 Expression Is Modulated By Thymic Epithelial Cells., Nadine N. Morgan

Master's Theses

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are indispensable for T cell development and maturation. Therefore, damages to the thymic epithelial cells are detrimental to thymic function and immune response. In young healthy individuals, TECs have a high regenerative potential and are capable of renewal from serious damage; however, the molecular mechanism of this recovery is unclear. A recent study has shown that IL-22-producing ILCs are present in the mouse thymus and can regenerate thymic epithelial cells following radiation induced injuries. However, it is unknown whether IL-22-producing cells are also found in the human thymus. Thus, the goal of this study is to …


Defining The Role Of A Putative Peptidase In Staphylococcus Aureus Quorum Sensing And Pathogenesis, Chelsea Rose White Jan 2016

Defining The Role Of A Putative Peptidase In Staphylococcus Aureus Quorum Sensing And Pathogenesis, Chelsea Rose White

Master's Theses

The pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus encounters a variety of immune cells that restrict bacterial growth and dissemination during infection. However, S. aureus counters these immune cell functions by producing myriad virulence factors that facilitate evasion of host defenses. Therefore, it is important to understand S. aureus-immune cell interactions and the virulence factors that perturb normal immune function to promote pathogenesis. In a genetic screen designed to identify S. aureus secreted factors that modulate macrophage activity our lab identified a transposon insertion mutant in the gene SAUSA300_1984, encoding a putative membrane spanning peptidase. To investigate the role of 1984 in pathogenesis, …


Expression And Functions Of Il-24 And Socs3 In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Keratitis In A C57bl/6 Mouse Model, Bing Xu Jan 2016

Expression And Functions Of Il-24 And Socs3 In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Keratitis In A C57bl/6 Mouse Model, Bing Xu

Wayne State University Dissertations

The aim of this study was to elucidate the expression and functions of interleukin (IL)-24 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), and their regulatory relationship in C57BL/6 mouse corneas in response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection. Among IL-20R cytokines, only IL-24 was induced at both mRNA and protein levels by the infection, and this upregulation was dampened by flagellin pretreatment. Time course studies revealed that IL-24 expression was markedly elevated, followed by a subsidence and second elevation, a pattern shared with SOCS3 but not IL-1β or IL-6. Silencing of IL-24 enhanced S100A8/A9 expression, and suppressed SOCS3, IL-1β, IL-1RN, and …


Characterization Of The Interaction Between Basigin And The Pattern Recognition Receptor Tlr4, Josephine Michelle Brown Jan 2016

Characterization Of The Interaction Between Basigin And The Pattern Recognition Receptor Tlr4, Josephine Michelle Brown

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a major group of pattern recognition receptors expressed on the surface of immune cells that recognize molecular patterns associated with all classes of pathogenic microorganisms. TLR4 recognizes the lipopolysaccharide component of Gram-negative bacterial cell walls and is the only TLR known to induce signaling through both the MyD88 and TRIF pathways. Basigin, a ubiquitous cell adhesion molecule, is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that has the ability to influence cell signaling mediated by the MyD88 and TRIF pathways, the same signaling pathways induced by the TLR4 receptor protein. Analysis of the Basigin protein sequence indicates …


Taxonomic Review Of The Wingmite Genus Cameronieta (Acari: Spinturnicidae) On Neotropical Bats, With A New Species From Northeastern Brazil, Juliana C. Almeida, Donald D. Gettinger, Scott Lyell Gardner Jan 2016

Taxonomic Review Of The Wingmite Genus Cameronieta (Acari: Spinturnicidae) On Neotropical Bats, With A New Species From Northeastern Brazil, Juliana C. Almeida, Donald D. Gettinger, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

The ectoparasitic mite genus Cameronieta (Acari: Mesostigmata: Spinturnicidae) is endemic to the New World and associated exclusively with bats of the family Mormoopidae. The genus consists of 7 species, 4 broadly distributed through the Caribbean and mainland of North and South America, and 3 species limited to the Greater Antilles archipelago. We present a brief review of the taxonomic history, redefine the genus, and consider some questions that remain concerning the biology and systematics of the group. A new species, Cameronieta almaensis n. sp., is described from the wings of Pteronotus parnellii collected from the Serra das Almas Reserve, in …


Phylogeny And Biogeography Of Species Of Syphacia Seurat, 1916 (Nemata : Oxyurida : Oxyuridae) From The Australian Bioregion, Haylee J. Weaver, Scott Monks, Scott Gardner Jan 2016

Phylogeny And Biogeography Of Species Of Syphacia Seurat, 1916 (Nemata : Oxyurida : Oxyuridae) From The Australian Bioregion, Haylee J. Weaver, Scott Monks, Scott Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Pinworm nematodes of the genus Syphacia (Nemata : Oxyurida : Oxyuridae) have a global distribution, and infect the caecum of rodents. Within the Australian Bioregion, 17 species of Syphacia infect a range of rodent hosts. Pinworms are traditionally thought to have coevolutionary relationships with their hosts, but the evolution and dispersal of Australian rodents and their helminths remains unclear. This combination of factors allowed us to investigate the likely relationships of Australian Syphacia species based on phylogenetic analysis, overlaid with the ecology and relationships of host species. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis using morphological characters of the species of Syphacia …


Inhibition Of Bacterial Growth And Prevention Of Bacterial Adhesion With Localized Nitric Oxide Delivery, Julia Osborne Jan 2016

Inhibition Of Bacterial Growth And Prevention Of Bacterial Adhesion With Localized Nitric Oxide Delivery, Julia Osborne

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Bacterial infections continue to be a problem at the site of an indwelling medical device, and over the years, various bacterial strains have become more resistant to current antibiotic treatments. Bacterial infection at an indwelling medical device can be dangerous and affect the performance of the medical device which can ultimately lead to the failure of the device due to bacterial resistance to treatment.

Nitric Oxide (NO) has been shown to possess antibacterial properties to prevent and inhibit bacterial growth. NO releasing coatings on indwelling medical devices could provide a reduction in bacterial infections that occur at the device site …


Mosquito Host Choices On Livestock Amplifiers Of Rift Valley Fever Virus In Kenya, David P. Tchouassi, Robinson O. Okiro, Rosemary Sang, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, D. Scott Mcvey, Baldwyn Torto Jan 2016

Mosquito Host Choices On Livestock Amplifiers Of Rift Valley Fever Virus In Kenya, David P. Tchouassi, Robinson O. Okiro, Rosemary Sang, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, D. Scott Mcvey, Baldwyn Torto

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Animal hosts may vary in their attraction and acceptability as components of the host location process for assessing preference, and biting rates of vectors and risk of exposure to pathogens. However, these parameters remain poorly understood for mosquito vectors of the Rift Valley fever (RVF), an arboviral disease, and for a community of mosquitoes.

Methods: Using three known livestock amplifiers of RVF virus including sheep, goat and cattle as bait in enclosure traps, we investigated the host-feeding patterns for a community of mosquitoes in Naivasha, an endemic area of Rift Valley fever (RVF), in a longitudinal study for six …


Analysis Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Mutant Libraries Reveals Loci-Dependent Transposition Biases And Strategies For Novel Mutant Discovery, Govardhan Rathnaiah, John Bannantine, Darrell O. Bayles, Denise K. Zinniel, Judith R. Stabel, Yrjö T. Gröhn, Raúl G. Barletta Jan 2016

Analysis Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Mutant Libraries Reveals Loci-Dependent Transposition Biases And Strategies For Novel Mutant Discovery, Govardhan Rathnaiah, John Bannantine, Darrell O. Bayles, Denise K. Zinniel, Judith R. Stabel, Yrjö T. Gröhn, Raúl G. Barletta

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), the aetiological agent of Johne’s disease, is one of the most important bacterial pathogens in ruminants. A thorough understanding of MAP pathogenesis is needed to develop new vaccines and diagnostic tests. The generation of comprehensive random transposon mutant libraries is a fundamental genetic technology to determine the role of genes in physiology and pathogenesis. In this study, whole MAP genome analysis compared the insertion sites for the mycobacterial transposon Tn5367 derived from the Mycobacterium smegmatis insertion sequence IS1096 and the mariner transposon MycoMarT7 carrying the Himar1 transposase. We determined that only MycoMarT7 provides …


Identification Of Taenia Metacestodes From Mongolian Mammals Using Multivariate Morphometrics Of The Rostellar Hooks, Danielle M. Tufts, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Michael Pitner, Gábor R. Rácz, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Scott Lyell Gardner Jan 2016

Identification Of Taenia Metacestodes From Mongolian Mammals Using Multivariate Morphometrics Of The Rostellar Hooks, Danielle M. Tufts, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Michael Pitner, Gábor R. Rácz, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Scott Lyell Gardner

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Parasite diversity in and among various species of mammals within Mongolia is still poorly understood. The current paper focusses on a small part of the results of the Mongolian Vertebrate Parasite Project (MVPP), which entailed a broad-scale biodiversity survey of the vertebrates and their parasites of the Gobi and Altai regions of Mongolia. We report on the prevalence and morphological variation of larval cestodes of the family Taeniidae that occurred in small mammals that were collected from 2009-2012 from various locations in southern Mongolia. From these metacestodes, we studied both large and small rostellar hooks and analyzed both size and …


A Synthetic Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Unprecedented Levels Of Heterologous Protection, Hiep Vu, Fangrui Ma, William W. Laegreid, Asit K. Pattnaik, David Steffen, Alan R. Doster, Fernando A. Osorio Jan 2016

A Synthetic Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Unprecedented Levels Of Heterologous Protection, Hiep Vu, Fangrui Ma, William W. Laegreid, Asit K. Pattnaik, David Steffen, Alan R. Doster, Fernando A. Osorio

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Current vaccines do not provide sufficient levels of protection against divergent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strains circulating in the field, mainly due to the substantial variation of the viral genome. We describe here a novel approach to generate a PRRSV vaccine candidate that could confer unprecedented levels of heterologous protection against divergent PRRSV isolates. Using a set of 59 non-redundant, full genome sequences of type-2 PRRSV, a consensus genome (designated as PRRSV-CON) was these 59 PRRSV full genome sequences, followed by selecting the most common nucleotide found at each position of the alignment. Next, the synthetic PRRSV-CON …


Overview Of Rhabdo- And Filoviruses, Asit K. Pattnaik, Michael A. Whitt Jan 2016

Overview Of Rhabdo- And Filoviruses, Asit K. Pattnaik, Michael A. Whitt

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Enveloped viruses with a negative-sense, single-stranded monopartite RNA genome have been classified into the order Mononegavirales. Five families of viruses that constitute the order are: Rhabdoviridae, Filoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Bornaviridae and Nyamiviridae. Members of these families possess a helical nucleocapsid core containing the viral genome and a host-derived lipid envelope containing viral proteins. This introductory chapter provides a brief overview of the Rhabdoviridae and the Filoviridae, the two families of viruses that are the subject of this book. Many members of these two families are highly significant human and animal pathogens. The rationale and goal of the book is to …


On And Off Retinal Ganglion Cells Differentially Regulate Serotonergic And Gabaergic Activity In The Dorsal Raphe Nucleus, Ting Zhang, Lu Huang, Li Zhang, Minjie Tan, Mingliang Pu, Gary E. Pickard, Kwok -Fai So, Chaoran Ren Jan 2016

On And Off Retinal Ganglion Cells Differentially Regulate Serotonergic And Gabaergic Activity In The Dorsal Raphe Nucleus, Ting Zhang, Lu Huang, Li Zhang, Minjie Tan, Mingliang Pu, Gary E. Pickard, Kwok -Fai So, Chaoran Ren

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), the major source of serotonergic input to the forebrain, receives excitatory input from the retina that can modulate serotonin levels and depressive-like behavior. In the Mongolian gerbil, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with alpha-like morphological and Y-like physiological properties innervate the DRN with ON DRN-projecting RGCs out numbering OFF DRN-projecting RGCs. The DRN neurons targeted by ON and OFF RGCs are unknown. To explore retino-raphe anatomical organization, retinal afferents labeled with Cholera toxin B were examined for association with the postsynaptic protein PSD-95. Synaptic associations between retinal afferents and DRN serotonergic and GABAergic neurons were observed. …


Host Cell Functions In Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Replication, Phat X. Dinh, Anshuman Das, Asit K. Pattnaik Jan 2016

Host Cell Functions In Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Replication, Phat X. Dinh, Anshuman Das, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), the prototypic rhabdovirus, has been used as an excellent paradigm for understanding the mechanisms of virus replication, pathogenesis, host response to virus infection and also for myriads of studies on cellular and molecular biology. Biochemical studies as well as high-throughput genomics, proteomics, and chemical approaches have revealed a plethora of cellular factors and pathways that regulate replication of VSV. These factors include those that support virus replication and also those that restrict its replication. This chapter discusses the role(s) of many of these host cell factors and pathways involved in VSV replication. Although mechanistic understanding of …


Resolving Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Subtypes From Persistently Infected U.S. Beef Calves With Complete Genome Sequence, Aspen M. Workman, Michael P. Heaton, Gregory P. Harhay, Timothy P.L. Smith, Dale M. Grotelueschen, David Sjeklocha, Bruce Brodersen, Jessica L. Petersen, Carol G. Chitko-Mckown Jan 2016

Resolving Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Subtypes From Persistently Infected U.S. Beef Calves With Complete Genome Sequence, Aspen M. Workman, Michael P. Heaton, Gregory P. Harhay, Timothy P.L. Smith, Dale M. Grotelueschen, David Sjeklocha, Bruce Brodersen, Jessica L. Petersen, Carol G. Chitko-Mckown

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is classified into 2 genotypes, BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, each of which contains distinct subtypes with genetic and antigenic variation. To effectively control BVDV by vaccination, it is important to know which subtypes of the virus are circulating and how their prevalence is changing over time. Accordingly, the purpose of our study was to estimate the current prevalence and diversity of BVDV subtypes from persistently infected (PI) beef calves in the central United States. Phylogenetic analysis of the 5′-UTR (5′ untranslated region) for 119 virus strains revealed that a majority (82%) belonged to genotype 1b, and …


New Tools To Convert Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes To A Self-Excising Design And Their Application To A Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infectious Clone, Alexsia L. Richards, Patricia J. Sollars, Gregory A. Smith Jan 2016

New Tools To Convert Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes To A Self-Excising Design And Their Application To A Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infectious Clone, Alexsia L. Richards, Patricia J. Sollars, Gregory A. Smith

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Infectious clones are fundamental tools for the study of many viruses, allowing for efficient mutagenesis and reproducible production of genetically-defined strains. For the large dsDNA genomes of the herpesviridae, bacterial artificial chromosomes have become the cloning vector of choice due to their capacity to house full-length herpesvirus genomes as single contiguous inserts. Furthermore, while maintained as plasmids in Escherichia coli, the clones can be mutated using robust prokaryotic recombination systems. An important consideration in the design of these clones is the means by which the vector backbone is removed from the virus genome upon delivery into mammalian cells. …


The Mechanistic Basis Of Hemoglobin Adaptation In The High-Flying Barheaded Goose: Insights From Ancestral Protein Resurrection, Chandrasekhar Natarajan, Amit Kumar, Hideaki Moriyama, Roy E. Weber, Angela Fago, Jay F. Storz Jan 2016

The Mechanistic Basis Of Hemoglobin Adaptation In The High-Flying Barheaded Goose: Insights From Ancestral Protein Resurrection, Chandrasekhar Natarajan, Amit Kumar, Hideaki Moriyama, Roy E. Weber, Angela Fago, Jay F. Storz

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The bar-headed goose (‘BHG’, Anser indicus) is renowned for its trans-Himalayan migratory flights, and the elevated hemoglobin (Hb)-O2 affinity of this species is thought to make a key contribution to its capacity for powered flight at elevations of ~9000 m. Here we revisit the molecular basis of this text-book example of biochemical adaptation. Previous hypotheses about the molecular basis of the evolved increase in Hb-O2 affinity were tested by engineering BHGspecific mutations into recombinant human Hb. This approach can provide important insights, but one problem with such ‘horizontal’ comparisons – swapping residues between proteins of contemporary species – is that …


Maporal Hantavirus Causes Mild Pathology In Deer Mice (Peromyscus Maniculatus), Amanda Mcguire, Kaitlyn Miedema, Joseph R. Fauver, Amber Rico, Tawfik Aboellail, Sandra L. Quackenbush, Ann Hawkinson, Tony Schountz Jan 2016

Maporal Hantavirus Causes Mild Pathology In Deer Mice (Peromyscus Maniculatus), Amanda Mcguire, Kaitlyn Miedema, Joseph R. Fauver, Amber Rico, Tawfik Aboellail, Sandra L. Quackenbush, Ann Hawkinson, Tony Schountz

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rodent-borne hantaviruses can cause two human diseases with many pathological similarities: hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the western hemisphere and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the eastern hemisphere. Each virus is hosted by specific reservoir species without conspicuous disease. HCPS-causing hantaviruses require animal biosafety level-4 (ABSL-4) containment, which substantially limits experimental research of interactions between the viruses and their reservoir hosts. Maporal virus (MAPV) is a South American hantavirus not known to cause disease in humans, thus it can be manipulated under ABSL-3 conditions. The aim of this study was to develop an ABSL-3 hantavirus infection model using the …


Localization Of Cd8 T Cell Epitope Within Cardiac Myosin Heavy Chain-Α334-352 That Induces Autoimmune Myocarditis In A/J Mice, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Rakesh H. Basavalingappa, Rajkumar A. Rajasekaran, Vahid Khalilzad-Sharghi, Zhongji Han, Shadi F. Othman, David Steffen, Jay Reddy Jan 2016

Localization Of Cd8 T Cell Epitope Within Cardiac Myosin Heavy Chain-Α334-352 That Induces Autoimmune Myocarditis In A/J Mice, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Rakesh H. Basavalingappa, Rajkumar A. Rajasekaran, Vahid Khalilzad-Sharghi, Zhongji Han, Shadi F. Othman, David Steffen, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background—Cardiac myosin heavy chain-α (Myhc), an intracellular protein expressed in the cardiomyocytes, has been identified as a major autoantigen in cardiac autoimmunity. In our studies with Myhc334-352-induced experimental autoimmune myocarditis in A/J mice (H-2a), we discovered that Myhc334-352, supposedly a CD4 T cell epitope, also induced antigen-specific CD8 T cells that transfer disease to naïve animals.

Methods and Results—In our efforts to identify the CD8 T cell determinants, we localized Myhc338-348 within the full length-Myhc334-352, leading to four key findings. (1) By acting as a dual epitope, Myhc338-348 induces both …


Note On Ehrlichia Chaffeensis, Ehrlichia Ewingii, And “Borrelia Lonestari” Infection In Lone Star Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), Nebraska, Usa, Amanda Maegli, J. Dustin Loy, Roberto Cortinas Jan 2016

Note On Ehrlichia Chaffeensis, Ehrlichia Ewingii, And “Borrelia Lonestari” Infection In Lone Star Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), Nebraska, Usa, Amanda Maegli, J. Dustin Loy, Roberto Cortinas

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae), is established in southeastern Nebraska, yet the prevalence of tick-associated microorganisms is not known. An initial PCR-based analysis for Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Borrelia infection in host-seeking adult ticks collected in southeast Nebraska was conducted. A total of 251 adult ticks collected in six sites in southeast Nebraska were tested. E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, and Borrelia spp. were present, and the prevalence of each was approximately 1.6%. This study demonstrates that Ehrlichia spp. are present in Nebraska lone star tick populations.


Expression And Distribution Of Thiol-Regulating Enzyme Glutaredoxin 2 (Grx2) In Porcine Ocular Tissues, Bijaya Upadhyaya, Xiaoli Tian, Hongli Wu, Marjorie F. Lou Jan 2016

Expression And Distribution Of Thiol-Regulating Enzyme Glutaredoxin 2 (Grx2) In Porcine Ocular Tissues, Bijaya Upadhyaya, Xiaoli Tian, Hongli Wu, Marjorie F. Lou

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Glutaredoxin2 (Grx2) is a mitochondrial isozyme of the cytosolic glutaredoxin1 (thioltransferase or TTase). Both belong to the large oxidoreductase family and play an important role in maintaining thiol/disulfide redox homeostasis in the cells. Grx2 is recently found in the lens where its activities of disulfide reductase and peroxidase, similar to TTase, can protect the lens against oxidative stress. Since other eye tissues are also highly sensitive to oxidative stress, and TTase’s distribution in the eye is known, we focused on this study by investigating the Grx2 distribution in the ocular tissues in comparison to the lens. Fresh porcine eyes were …


Autoimmunity In Picornavirus Infections, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Andreas Koenig, Jay Reddy, Sally Huber, Iwona Buskiewicz Jan 2016

Autoimmunity In Picornavirus Infections, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Andreas Koenig, Jay Reddy, Sally Huber, Iwona Buskiewicz

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Enteroviruses are small, non-enveloped, positive-sense singlestrand RNA viruses, and are ubiquitously found throughout the world. These viruses usually cause asymptomatic or mild febrile illnesses, but have a propensity to induce severe diseases including type 1 diabetes and pancreatitis, paralysis and neuroinflammatory disease, myocarditis, or hepatitis. This pathogenicity may result from induction of autoimmunity to organ-specific antigens. While enterovirus-triggered autoimmunity can arise from multiple mechanisms including antigenic mimicry and release of sequestered antigens, the recent demonstration of T cells expressing dual T cell receptors arising as a natural consequence of Theiler’s virus infection is the first demonstration of this autoimmune mechanism.


Genome-Wide Search For Host Association Factors During Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Virus Infection, Jesse Thompson, Fangrui Ma, Meghan Quinn, Shi-Hua Xiang Jan 2016

Genome-Wide Search For Host Association Factors During Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Virus Infection, Jesse Thompson, Fangrui Ma, Meghan Quinn, Shi-Hua Xiang

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Ovine progressive pneumonia virus (OPPV) is an important virus that causes serious diseases in sheep and goats with a prevalence of 36% in the USA. Although OPPV was discovered more than half of a century ago, little is known about the infection and pathogenesis of this virus. In this report, we used RNA-seq technology to conduct a genome-wide probe for cellular factors that are associated with OPPV infection. A total of approximately 22,000 goat host genes were detected of which 657 were found to have been significantly up-regulated and 889 down-regulated at 12 hours post-infection. In addition to previously known …