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Articles 151 - 180 of 474

Full-Text Articles in Microbiology

Studies Of Phou In Escherichia Coli: Metal Binding, Dimerization,Protein/Protein Interactions, And A Signaling Complex Model, Stewart G. Gardner Dec 2014

Studies Of Phou In Escherichia Coli: Metal Binding, Dimerization,Protein/Protein Interactions, And A Signaling Complex Model, Stewart G. Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

Phosphate is an essential nutrient for all forms of life. Escherichia coli has a PhoR/PhoB two component regulatory system that controls the expression of various genes whose products allow the cell to thrive in low phosphate environments. The signaling mechanism of the PhoR/PhoB system has been studied and the phosphorylation cascade that controls gene expression is well understood. What is still unknown is how PhoR senses the phosphate level of the environment. The PstS, PstC, PstA, PstB, and PhoU proteins play a role in this signal sensing. This work confirms the hypothesis that the PstSCAB complex senses the environmental phosphate …

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Pharmacologic Immunomodulation Of Macrophage Activation By Caffeine, Ryan Perry Steck Oct 2014

Pharmacologic Immunomodulation Of Macrophage Activation By Caffeine, Ryan Perry Steck

Theses and Dissertations

Caffeine is one of the most widely used neurostimulants in the world and there is considerable debate on its effect in immune cells. One of its main targets is proposed to be adenosine receptors which mediate an anti-inflammatory switch in activated immune cells while another target is phosphodiesterase where it acts as an inhibitor. In macrophages, caffeine has been shown to cause both pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes. If the primary effect of caffeine on macrophages were to antagonize adenosine receptors we would expect cells exposed to caffeine to have a prolonged M1 response. However, we show that caffeine …

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Snf1 Mediated Phosphorylation And Activation Of Pas Kinase, Bryan D. Badal Sep 2014

Snf1 Mediated Phosphorylation And Activation Of Pas Kinase, Bryan D. Badal

Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient sensing kinases sense available nutrients and regulate cell activity accordingly. Three of these enzymes are AMP regulated kinase (AMPK, or Snf1 in yeast), PAS kinase, and target of rapamycin (TOR), are conserved from yeast to man and have overlapping function. AMPK and Snf1 are important in sensing when nutrient status in the cell is low and down regulating energy consuming pathways. PAS kinase is required for glucose homeostasis in the cell, and responds to glucose levels. TOR senses nutrients such as amino acids and upregulates cell growth pathways primarily through protein synthesis. Due to the varying nature of these …

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Tissue Specific Isolation Of Nucleosomes In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Hyrum Shumway, Dr. Steven Johnson Jun 2014

Tissue Specific Isolation Of Nucleosomes In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Hyrum Shumway, Dr. Steven Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Hershey and Chase proved DNA to be the genetic material of life in 1952. The structure of DNA largely eluded investigators until Watson and Crick discovered it a year later. These two landmark experiments laid a foundation so that questions in transcription, translation, gene regulation, and inheritance could be answered.

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Analysis Of Nucleosome Mobility, Fragility, And Recovery: From Embryonic Stem Cells To Invitrosomes, Ashley Nicolle Wright Jun 2014

Analysis Of Nucleosome Mobility, Fragility, And Recovery: From Embryonic Stem Cells To Invitrosomes, Ashley Nicolle Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Several factors direct the placement of specific nucleosomes, which in turn have the ability to regulate DNA accessibility. These factors include, but are not limited to, nucleotide sequence preference, nucleotide modifications, the type of histones present within the nucleosome, and the presence of additional transcription factor or chromatin remodelers. A combination of these and other factors are responsible for tightly controlled efficient transcription within the eukaryotic cell. In order to contribute to the understanding of these complicated processes, three separate hypothesis-driven investigations were carried out. First, we looked into nucleosome positioning and phasing within closely related cells lines. Second, we …

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Knockout Nbmp2 Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast Cell Line, Josh Yates, Dr. Laura Bridgewater Apr 2014

Knockout Nbmp2 Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast Cell Line, Josh Yates, Dr. Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) contribute to many different aspects of development including mesoderm formation, heart development, neurogenesis, skeletal development, and axis formation. They have previously been recognized only as secreted growth factors. Recently, researchers in the Bridgewater lab discovered a nuclear variant of Bone Morphogenic Protein 2 (nBMP2). To better understand the function of nBMP2, our lab generated a mutant mouse line in which nBMP2 is missing from the nucleus. These mice display learning and memory deficits, muscle dysfunction, and abnormal immune responses. In order to validate the mouse model and to study the molecular mechanisms of nBMP2 we have …

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Inhibition Of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection By Kalanchoe Pinnata Extract, Lance A. Stutz, Dr. Brian Poole Apr 2014

Inhibition Of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection By Kalanchoe Pinnata Extract, Lance A. Stutz, Dr. Brian Poole

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common infectious agent which infects more than 95% of adults worldwide (1). EBV is related to a number of diseases, including cancers such as Burkitt’s lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis (2). Upon infection, EBV invades antibody-producing immune cells known as B cells. Most people do not show signs or symptoms of the infection because EBV tends to hide in B cells in a latent state. Latent EBV infection contributes to the development of EBV-associated cancers. However, EBV can also be in an active or lytic state. In this …

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Ebi2 Expression In Different Latency Stages And Primary B Cells, Jillian Markham, Dr. Brian Poole Apr 2014

Ebi2 Expression In Different Latency Stages And Primary B Cells, Jillian Markham, Dr. Brian Poole

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Epstein-­‐Barr Virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis upon primary infection, commonly known as “mono.” Less commonly known is that EBV doesn’t get eradicated from your body after you recover from mono. EBV quietly occupies a small portion of B cells in 90% of human adults [1]. Besides mononucleosis, EBV infection is linked to cancers, lymphomas, and several autoimmune diseases [2.3].

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The Effects Of Dna Methylation On Nucleosome Positioning, Marcus Vranes, Dr. Steven Johnson Apr 2014

The Effects Of Dna Methylation On Nucleosome Positioning, Marcus Vranes, Dr. Steven Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent studies have attempted to discover the correlation that exists between DNA methylation and nucleosome positioning, but none have explored the direct effect of DNA methylation on nucleosome formation and positioning. This research is directly testing the effects of DNA methylation on nucleosome positioning, and whether the histone octamer has preferred sequences to which it binds, which will add to our understanding of gene expression and regulation. A better understanding of these concepts will help to aid efforts in gene therapy to improve the quality of life for many people who suffer from various genetic conditions.

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Biofilm Regulation In Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis Through Elements Downstream Of The Bara/Uvry Two-Component System, Jeffrey Schachterle, Dr. David Erickson Apr 2014

Biofilm Regulation In Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis Through Elements Downstream Of The Bara/Uvry Two-Component System, Jeffrey Schachterle, Dr. David Erickson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The bacteria Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of bubonic plague, and its ability to form biofilm in fleas is essential for plague transmission by fleas [1]. Y. pestis recently evolved from Y. pseudotuberculosis (Y. pstb), and the two have nearly identical genomes. Y. pestis forms a biofilm in fleas that is capable of blocking the flea’s feeding. These biofilms are made up of bacteria stuck to a polysaccharide matrix that is made by the hmsHFRS gene products. Y. pstb is capable of infecting fleas, but will block the flea’s feeding [1]. Since the hmsHFRS genes themselves are identical, this …

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Detecting Endogenous Ccl28, Sara Mason, Dr. Eric Wilson Apr 2014

Detecting Endogenous Ccl28, Sara Mason, Dr. Eric Wilson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Chemokines play a well-characterized and significant role in the immune system as chemoattractants for white blood cells. Some chemokines have also been shown to have antimicrobial properties in addition to their chemoattractant functions. CCL28 is a chemokine that aids in the recruitment of antibody secreting cells to mucosal surfaces of the body, especially in the large intestine and lactating mammary glands.1 Recent research has shown that, in addition to recruiting lymphocytes, CCL28 also exhibits antimicrobial activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria, and antifungal activity.2

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Development Of A Traveler’S Vaccine Against Dengue Infection, Arthur Lee, Dr. Bradford Berges Apr 2014

Development Of A Traveler’S Vaccine Against Dengue Infection, Arthur Lee, Dr. Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

There are currently no vaccines available against dengue virus. Each year, about 400 million people become infected and half a million of them, especially children, develop complications such as dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome.

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Genome Annotation Of Novel Viruses And Discovery Of Critical Sequences In Genes Via Comparative Analysis Of B4 Mycobacteriophage, Cameron Sargent, Dr. Sandra Burnett Apr 2014

Genome Annotation Of Novel Viruses And Discovery Of Critical Sequences In Genes Via Comparative Analysis Of B4 Mycobacteriophage, Cameron Sargent, Dr. Sandra Burnett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the past few years at Brigham Young University and other colleges nationwide, members of the Phage Hunters program have endeavored to find and analyze novel mycobacteriophage in an attempt to create new treatment and research methods for the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis

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Comparative Genome Analysis Of Novel Paenibacillus Larvae Bacteriophage, Bryan Merrill, Dr. Sandra Burnett Apr 2014

Comparative Genome Analysis Of Novel Paenibacillus Larvae Bacteriophage, Bryan Merrill, Dr. Sandra Burnett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Honey bees pollinate one third of the crops in the U.S. diet. The spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae causes American Foulbrood (AFB), a highly contagious disease that is lethal in honey bee larvae. P. larvae is the most serious pathogen affecting honey bees. The spores can be found in any healthy beehive, are stable for 40 years or more, and cannot be killed by antibiotics. The disease manifests itself when worker bees feed P. larvae spores to larvae and the spores germinate. The bacteria then consume the larvae and turns back into a spore that the worker bees then transfer throughout …

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Determining Gene Expression Levels In Healthy And Degraded Alpaca Spinal Discs, Loyd Christensen, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater Apr 2014

Determining Gene Expression Levels In Healthy And Degraded Alpaca Spinal Discs, Loyd Christensen, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration (IDD) is a disease estimated to affect between 60 and 90 percent of the total population at some point in life. Evidence of spinal disc degeneration has been shown in 30 percent of individuals under 40 years old, with earliest symptoms visible at 21 years of age; its prevalence only increases with age. Symptoms of spinal disc degeneration account for more than 13 million doctor visits each year and result in costs of more than $200 billion in lost productivity and health-care related expenses in the US alone. Unfortunately, despite these staggering costs, no widely effective treatment …

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Understanding The Irf5 Gene Through Characterization Of Its Four Promoters, Lissenya Argueta, Dr. Brian Poole Apr 2014

Understanding The Irf5 Gene Through Characterization Of Its Four Promoters, Lissenya Argueta, Dr. Brian Poole

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 (IRF5) is a transcription factor involved with the innate antiviral immune response and primarily expressed in immune cells1. This protein is responsible for the regulation of interferon activity and cytokine signaling, namely that of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These processes play major roles in autoimmune diseases. IRF5 is also involved with control of cell cycle and apoptosis upon activation2, therefore in certain cancers it can be inactivated3,4. The IRF5 gene has four different promoters for each first exon: 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. Each promoter is distinct, displaying unique correlations with certain proteins. However, the resulting IRF5 protein …

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The Wall-E Effect: Testing How Long-Term Growth Under Ideal Conditions Affects Bacterial Traits, Kevin Johnson, Dr. Joel Griffitts Apr 2014

The Wall-E Effect: Testing How Long-Term Growth Under Ideal Conditions Affects Bacterial Traits, Kevin Johnson, Dr. Joel Griffitts

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Organisms removed from their wild environment that are subjected to long term laboratory conditions can experience drastic change. We have specifically used Sinorhizobium meliloti as a model bacterium to address this topic. If soil bacteria containing large genomes necessary to survive in nutrient deficient and stressful conditions were suddenly subjected to nutrient rich and luxurious conditions for 2,500 generations, would they lose some survival based function? We hypothesize that without natural environmental stress, these bacteria would lose the metabolic flexibility previously required for survival resulting in large scale genome reduction.

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Engineering Pathogen Specific High Affinity T-Cell Receptors Linked To Cytokines For Targeting Of Antigen Presenting Cells, Bryce Anderson, Dr. Scott Weber Apr 2014

Engineering Pathogen Specific High Affinity T-Cell Receptors Linked To Cytokines For Targeting Of Antigen Presenting Cells, Bryce Anderson, Dr. Scott Weber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In February last year I was awarded an ORCA grant which turned out to be the starting of one of my biggest learning experiences here at BYU. My research mentor, Dr. Weber, and I work with the immune system. This semester I have been able to see firsthand exactly how things in my field are moved forward. Along with that I have learned many numerous, invaluable techniques that I will no doubt continue to use for many years to come through post undergraduate school along with my career. Also, I was able to work one on one with my research …

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Irf7 Expression In B Cells Infected With Ebv, Michael Ahlborn, Dr. Brian Poole Apr 2014

Irf7 Expression In B Cells Infected With Ebv, Michael Ahlborn, Dr. Brian Poole

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly known simply as lupus, is an incurable autoimmune disorder that can cause inflammation and tissue damage in virtually any part of the body. Many studies have shown a correlation between lupus diagnosis and positive infection with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). Scientists currently estimate that greater than 90% of the adult US population is infected with this human herpesvirus, probably because it is easily transferred through saliva. Although we do not entirely understand how it contributes to lupus it is apparent there is a link between the two. Other research has shown that EBV may also play a …

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Recombination And Evolution Of Hiv In Vivo, Sterling Adams, Dr. Bradford Berges Apr 2014

Recombination And Evolution Of Hiv In Vivo, Sterling Adams, Dr. Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Worldwide we have known about the Human Immunodeficiency Virus since the early 80’s, and since that time there has been research to find different “cures” for the disease that the virus causes called: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Since the epidemic has started nearly 30 million people have died from AIDS related causes, and there are nearly 34 million people worldwide that are HIV positive. One of the striking features of the virus that makes it so difficult to treat is its rapid ability to evolve. When looking at an HIV positive patient, statistically speaking, if you were to take every …

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Understanding Chemokine Binding And Bacterial Response, Brittany Kartchner, Dr. Eric Wilson Apr 2014

Understanding Chemokine Binding And Bacterial Response, Brittany Kartchner, Dr. Eric Wilson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For this project, I hypothesized that the amino acid composition of the C terminus of chemokine proteins allows some chemokines to bind to specific proteins on the cell membrane of bacteria. Previous research has shown that the C terminal region of the chemokine CCL28 is largely responsible for the antimicrobial activity (Liu, 2010). However, it has not been shown what the C terminus region of the chemokine binds to. The C terminus region could bind to the negatively charged LPS on the bacterial membrane, or have a specific protein target on the cell membrane. Polymyxin B, another antimicrobial protein that …

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Characterizing The Role Of Hspb2, Whitney Hoopes, Dr. Julianne Grose Apr 2014

Characterizing The Role Of Hspb2, Whitney Hoopes, Dr. Julianne Grose

Journal of Undergraduate Research

HSPB2 is one of ten known small Heat Shock Proteins (sHSP) that share a conserved structural element called the alpha-crystallin domain. Extreme heat or cold, oxidative & reductive stress, and heavy metal exposure can induce the expression of these sHSP. HSPB2 is located on Chromosome 11, only 958 base pairs upstream of CYRAB. The protein homology and proximity of these two genes suggests they share structural and regulatory elements and serve as a model of inverted gene duplication. Both CRYAB and HSPB2 act as molecular chaperones to form complexes around denatured proteins and help them to refold into their normal …

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Use Of Humanized Mice To Study The Production Of Human B Cell Lineage, German Cuadra, Dr. Bradford Berges Apr 2014

Use Of Humanized Mice To Study The Production Of Human B Cell Lineage, German Cuadra, Dr. Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Our study focuses on the development of an animal model capable of reproduce cellular responses as in humans. For years humanized mice have been used in the study of infectious diseases. The goal of this research was to document, characterize and record the existence of human B cell lineage and penetration into different tissues of humanized mice.

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Orca Undergraduate Research Award – Final Report, Michael Daetwyler Apr 2014

Orca Undergraduate Research Award – Final Report, Michael Daetwyler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While working on my undergraduate degree, I studied an interesting strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis. This particular strain produced an unidentified substance, which was lethal to other Gram-positive bacteria. I immediately thought that this substance might prove advantageous in treating infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria. To begin investigating that possibility, I grew the strain of S. epidermidis near clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycinresistant Enterococcus (VRE), antibiotic resistant bacteria that plague hospital patients around the world. Amazingly, the strain of S. epidermidis was lethal to all of the isolates that it was tested against.

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Mucosal Vaccines And The Ability To Produce Immune Responses In Select Mucosal Tissues, Kaitlyn Vance, Dr. Eric Wilson Apr 2014

Mucosal Vaccines And The Ability To Produce Immune Responses In Select Mucosal Tissues, Kaitlyn Vance, Dr. Eric Wilson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Mucosal surfaces are the main portals through which pathogens enter the body of an organism. Previous research has shown that mucosal immunity effectively prevents the entry of pathogens at these surfaces, thus disrupting an infection before it begins; this immunity can be achieved by mucosal vaccination (1). The homing mechanisms of lymphocytes in the mucosal immune system, however, are not yet fully understood. This mentored research project was designed to deepen the understanding of how the mucosal immune system operates. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of mucosal vaccination in producing localized immune responses by attempting to reproducibly create a …

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Pas Kinase: A Target For Metabolic Disease, Jordan Mackay, Dr. Julianne Grose Apr 2014

Pas Kinase: A Target For Metabolic Disease, Jordan Mackay, Dr. Julianne Grose

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many diseases that affect humankind are poorly understood. The medical and scientific communities alike rely heavily on basic scientific research to fuel dissemination of knowledge to said communities for further applied research, including clinical and pharmaceutical efforts. Diabetes is still poorly understood despite its prevalence in today’s society. In lieu of the research that has been done so far, PAS kinase is becoming an increasingly promising subject for research as a possible therapeutic target for diabetes. Studies have shown that PAS kinase is involved in metabolic regulation and mouse experiments have been done which show these results.1 As we learn …

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Characterization Of The Role Of A Dna-Binding Protein On Regulation Of Dna Replication In Plant Organelles, Cynthia Perry, Dr. Brent Nielsen Apr 2014

Characterization Of The Role Of A Dna-Binding Protein On Regulation Of Dna Replication In Plant Organelles, Cynthia Perry, Dr. Brent Nielsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

DNA replication is essential to all life on earth. Not only does replication occur in the nucleus, it also happens in organelles of the cell: the mitochondria and chloroplasts. In higher plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana, the genomes in mitochondria encode proteins which are responsible for DNA replication. These proteins also assist with DNA repair and recombination (Edmondson, AC et. al). One protein from the Arabidopsis thaliana mitochondrial genome is particularly of interest in our research: the single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB). The major function of this protein is to keep the two DNA strands separated while they are being replicated. …

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Diagnostic And Therapeutic Potential Of The Over-Expression Of Nucleotide Salvage Pathway Enzymes To The Plasma Membrane Of Solid, Cancerous Tumors, Daniel Sharp, Dr. Kim O'Neill Apr 2014

Diagnostic And Therapeutic Potential Of The Over-Expression Of Nucleotide Salvage Pathway Enzymes To The Plasma Membrane Of Solid, Cancerous Tumors, Daniel Sharp, Dr. Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Immunotherapy is a developing field in cancer treatment that relies upon the bodies natural defenses to target and eliminate cancerous cells. In order for the immune system to differentiate cancerous tissue from normal tissue there must be some mechanism for targeting only cancerous cells. Without a targeting mechanism, stimulation of the immune system can lead to attack of normal tissue. The use of antibodies to cancer-specific antigens is a viable option to solve this targeting issue. If a cancerous cell specifically expresses a protein on its surface, an antibody to that protein could direct immune cells to the cancerous cell, …

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Osteoarthritis And Cartilage, David Holt, Dr. L. C. Bridgewater, Dr. R. E. Seegmiller Apr 2014

Osteoarthritis And Cartilage, David Holt, Dr. L. C. Bridgewater, Dr. R. E. Seegmiller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the spondyloepiphesial dysplasia congenita (sedc) heterozygous (sedc/þ) mouse, a COL2A1 mutant, is a model for the study of osteoarthritis (OA) in the absence of dwarfism and to investigate the presence of HtrA1, Ddr2, and Mmp-13 and their possible involvement in a universal mechanism leading to OA.

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Orca Project By Danny Catts And Dr. Johnson, Danny Catts, Dr. Johnson Apr 2014

Orca Project By Danny Catts And Dr. Johnson, Danny Catts, Dr. Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

After we successfully characterized our virus, we proceeded to investigate the variant’s viral behavior in hopes of finding a difference in comparison to that of the standard. After preliminary steps showed little variation, we took a different direction with the project.

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