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2013

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Articles 151 - 180 of 413

Full-Text Articles in Microbiology

Novel Genes Required In Gluconate Metabolism In The Symbiotic Bacterium Sinorhizobium Melitoti, Lejdja Beshku, Dr. Joel S. Griffitts Aug 2013

Novel Genes Required In Gluconate Metabolism In The Symbiotic Bacterium Sinorhizobium Melitoti, Lejdja Beshku, Dr. Joel S. Griffitts

Journal of Undergraduate Research

S. meliloti is a nitrogen fixing bacterium, which forms a symbiosis with different plants such as Medicago, Melilotus, and Trigonella. It will be important to study the metabolism of S. meliloti since its ability to form symbiotic relationships with plants has a great impact in agriculture and ecology. Another reason why we want to study S. meliloti is to gain a better understanding of its gluconate metabolism. Gluconate is a derivative of glucose and a good carbon source for S.meliloti(1). The main purpose of my research for the last two years has been screening for novel genes that are involved …

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Identification And Characterization Of An Effective Antimicrobial Peptide Defensin And Its Effects On Transmission Efficiency, Kody Johnson, Dr. David Erickson Aug 2013

Identification And Characterization Of An Effective Antimicrobial Peptide Defensin And Its Effects On Transmission Efficiency, Kody Johnson, Dr. David Erickson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Among many transmissible infectious diseases falls the Bubonic Plague, a disease that is caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium. It is still a concern because there have been human cases as recent as two years ago in our home state of Utah. While health care has advanced significantly since the last large plague epidemic, there are still areas of the world where health care is not as efficient or advanced and it is in these areas that this disease causes the greatest harm.

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A Functional Assay To Measure Chemokine Mediated Integrin Upregulation, Victoria Harris, Dr. Eric Wilson Aug 2013

A Functional Assay To Measure Chemokine Mediated Integrin Upregulation, Victoria Harris, Dr. Eric Wilson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The presence of IgA antibody secreting cells (ASCs) in mucosal tissues is a mechanism of host defense against many pathogens. For my project I investigated the molecular mechanisms of how these specialized cells arrive at their destination. I focused on designing an adhesion assay to quantitatively measure the functional qualities of cells, rather than simply measuring the presence of certain molecules. The process of leukocyte homing includes a series of steps that culminates in the cells extravasating into the surrounding tissue. The first step is the stimulation of cells with a chemokine (a molecule that “pulls” cells in a certain …

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Determining Functions Of A Nuclear Variant Of The Growth Factor Bmp2, Evan D. Davis, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater Aug 2013

Determining Functions Of A Nuclear Variant Of The Growth Factor Bmp2, Evan D. Davis, Dr. Laura C. Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2) is a secreted growth factor that modulates many essential physiological and developmental processes by means of extracellular signaling (1). Several of these processes include neuronal differentiation, cardiac development, and skeletal muscle development (1-5). Dr. Laura Bridgewater at Brigham Young University recently identified a novel nuclear variant of Bmp2 that challenged its sole classification as a secreted growth factor (1). Subsequently, the Bridgewater lab demonstrated the existence of nuclear Bmp2 (nBmp2) and also characterized its origins.

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A Novel Negative Regulator Of A Symbiotic Two-Component System, Rebecca Carlyon, Dr. Joel Griffitts Aug 2013

A Novel Negative Regulator Of A Symbiotic Two-Component System, Rebecca Carlyon, Dr. Joel Griffitts

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Symbiosis is the process by which two different species interact in nature. Relationships can be either mutualistic, where both species benefit from the situation, or parasitic, where only one organism benefits. Shinorhizobium meliloti is a nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium which is involved in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with alfalfa and other compatible host plants. The plant allows the bacterium to colonize the plant in forming a root nodule. This symbiosis provides the bacteria with carbon resources, and the plant with enough fixed nitrogen to flourish in the soil.

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Cancer’S Red Light To The Immune System?, Amanda Enz, Dr. Kim O'Neill Aug 2013

Cancer’S Red Light To The Immune System?, Amanda Enz, Dr. Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The field of cancer research is extensive, and there are many avenues being explored into how cancer works inside the body and what we can do to prevent and cure this disease. I chose to look at the way the body’s immune system interacts with different types of cancer cells. I specifically looked at a cell in the human immune system known as a macrophage. The macrophage’s job is to attack foreign invaders by engulfing, or eating them. My question focused on how exactly cancer is sometimes able to evade these macrophages, which allows it to proliferate throughout the body. …

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The Influence Of The Irf 5 Risk Haplotype On Ebv Gene Expression In B Cells, Brandon Henrie, Dr. Brian Poole Aug 2013

The Influence Of The Irf 5 Risk Haplotype On Ebv Gene Expression In B Cells, Brandon Henrie, Dr. Brian Poole

Journal of Undergraduate Research

IRF5 (interferon regulatory factor 5) is an integral protein in the innate immune response to viruses in humans. Once activated, IRF5 acts as a transcription factor which facilitates the production of inflammatory cytokines, interferons, and a host of other anti-viral agents in humans. To date, there are twelve documented splice variants of IRF5 in the human population. These variants range from minor deletions to drastic changes in the protein makeup of IRF5. A risk IRF5 haplotype is a person possessing alleles coding for these radically altered IRF5 mRNA (Kozyrev). A protective IRF5 hapolotype is a person possessing alleles coding for …

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Orca Final Report, Matthew Wright Aug 2013

Orca Final Report, Matthew Wright

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cationic Steroid Antibiotics (CSAs) are potent innovative antimicrobial agents. In particular, CSA-13 has a very low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 2 µg/mL. When dissolved in a solvent and combined with a commercial polymer, CSA-13 can be used to coat endotracheal (ET) tubes. Biofilm formation on ET tubes can cause ventilator assisted pneumonia and is potentially fatal. CSA-13-coated ET tubes are extremely effective in preventing biofilm formation. Testing in standard Mueller-Hinton broth, we have been able to prevent P. aeruginosa growth on tubes for up to 28 days. This is compared to silver-coated endotracheal tubes (which are …

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Abundance Of Thymidine Kinase In Cancer Cells, Joshua Holm, Brady Bowen, Brady Samuel, Travis Lovell, Dr. Kim O'Neill Aug 2013

Abundance Of Thymidine Kinase In Cancer Cells, Joshua Holm, Brady Bowen, Brady Samuel, Travis Lovell, Dr. Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) is a protein that is produced in much greater quantities by cancer cells in general than by normal cells (Abbasciano et al., 1991, p. 29; Hallek et al., 1997, p. 155; He et al., 2000, p. 139; Kuwa et al., 1996, p. 15). Such molecules are commonly referred to as cancer “biomarkers.” Such markers are commonly used to screen for and diagnose various cancers. Many of these biomarkers are often significantly elevated in the blood of cancer patients—helping to first lead to the detection of cancer.

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Understanding The Phou Protein’S Part In Phosphate Import By Synthesis Of Double Mutations In Escherichia Coli., Geoffrey R. Johnston, Dr. William Mccleary Aug 2013

Understanding The Phou Protein’S Part In Phosphate Import By Synthesis Of Double Mutations In Escherichia Coli., Geoffrey R. Johnston, Dr. William Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of our research was to gain a better understanding of what function the phoU protein serves in phosphate import by completely knocking out it’s functionality at two highly conserved and nearly identical sites on almost identical domains at a genetic level.

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The Metastatic Role Of Macrophages, Ryley Enz, Dr. K. L. O'Neill Aug 2013

The Metastatic Role Of Macrophages, Ryley Enz, Dr. K. L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Macrophages perform a variety of functions from phagocytosis and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines to the repair and remodeling of damaged tissues. Two phenotypically different types of macrophages have been proposed to identify their diverse roles: types M1 and M2. (Mantovani et al., 2002) The M1 macrophage refers to the cell which aggressively destroys foreign invaders and tumor cells, and releases pro-inflammatory cytokines. Antigen presentation by the M1 links innate immunity to adaptive immunity. The M2 macrophage acts as a support cell by promoting the healing of damaged cells by angiogenesis and tissue remodeling. Macrophages have been observed to have …

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In Vivo Specific Degradation Of Selected Rna Substrates By Endogenous Trna 3’ Processing Endoribonuclease, Duane R. Wesemann Aug 2013

In Vivo Specific Degradation Of Selected Rna Substrates By Endogenous Trna 3’ Processing Endoribonuclease, Duane R. Wesemann

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The enzyme tRNA 3’ Processing Endoribonuclease (3’tRNase) is suspected to be an enzyme responsible for 3’ end processing of various pre-tRNAs. Our lab has demonstrated that RNAs containing a hairpin structure can be manipulated to appear as a “pre-tRNA” molecule and be recognized and cleaved by 3’tRNase. This is accomplished by the introduction of an RNA molecule that is complementary to an area of the target RNA that has a stable hairpin structure. The hairpin of a target RNA may mimic the T-stem loop of tRNA and the hybridizing RNA molecule may act as an acceptor-like stem, thereby fooling 3’tRNase …

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The Main Electron Source For Electron Transport In Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum, Amy Sorensen, Dr. James B. Jensen Aug 2013

The Main Electron Source For Electron Transport In Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum, Amy Sorensen, Dr. James B. Jensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The protozoa, Plasmodium falciparum, causes malaria, a disease that rivals tuberculosis in being the world’s largest killer. In order to combat malaria, new methods of chemotherapy, as well as better control of its causative agent are necessary. Knowing the main source from which P. falciparum gains its electrons may provide a new method for its control.

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Dna Fingerprinting Of Twelve Bordetella Avium Strains, Friederike Roloff, Dr. Ron W. Leavitt Aug 2013

Dna Fingerprinting Of Twelve Bordetella Avium Strains, Friederike Roloff, Dr. Ron W. Leavitt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bordetella avium causes a respiratory disease in poultry which especially young turkeys are susceptible to. We are working with the Moroni Feed Company, who supplied us with 12 strains of Bordetella avium. Eleven of the strains are from outbreaks of the disease in the Southern Utah turkey farms. The twelfth strain is the vaccine strain V87. This vaccine was produced by chemically mutating B. avium and selecting a non-virulent temperature sensitive strain. Dr. Jensen, a former professor of Microbiology, BYU, produced this vaccine by chemically mutating B. avium and selecting a non-virulent temperature sensitive strain.

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Isolation Of An Escherichia Coli High-Adherence Plasmid For Use In A Bacterial Interfering Agent, Christopher M. Runyan, Dr. Ronald Leavitt Aug 2013

Isolation Of An Escherichia Coli High-Adherence Plasmid For Use In A Bacterial Interfering Agent, Christopher M. Runyan, Dr. Ronald Leavitt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Colibacillosis is a disease found in poultry that results in various levels of morbidity and mortality. It is primarily caused by pathogenic strains of E. coli that inhabit the poults’ intestinal tracts. Antibiotics have frequently been used to protect the turkeys but with less and less effectiveness as the bacteria have begun to develop antibiotic resistance. Hence alternate ways are needed to combat pathogenic bacteria.

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A Supramolecular Strategy To Assemble Multifunctional Viral Nanoparticles, Limin Chen, Xia Zhao, Yuan Lin, Yubin Huang, Qian Wang Aug 2013

A Supramolecular Strategy To Assemble Multifunctional Viral Nanoparticles, Limin Chen, Xia Zhao, Yuan Lin, Yubin Huang, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

Using a one-pot approach driven by the supramolecular interaction between β-cyclodextrin and adamantyl moieties, multifunctional viral nanoparticles can be facilely formulated for biomedical applications.

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Plasmodiumfalciparum. Continuous Cultivation In Defined Culture Medium, Yury M. Colton, Dr. James B. Jensen Aug 2013

Plasmodiumfalciparum. Continuous Cultivation In Defined Culture Medium, Yury M. Colton, Dr. James B. Jensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Continuous cultivation of the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodiumfalciparum has greatly increased the possibilities of malaria research (Trager and Jensen 1976). However, the need for human serum in the culture medium has proved to be limiting in some situations and the necessary serum is becoming very difficult and costly to acquire. This paper describes the development of culture media in which the serum requirement is reduced by ten-fold and Plasmodiumfalciparum can be maintained indefinitely using standard culture techniques.

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Engineering, Production And Optimization Of A Bench Scale Tce Bioreactor, David Schlesinger, Dr. Alan R. Harker Aug 2013

Engineering, Production And Optimization Of A Bench Scale Tce Bioreactor, David Schlesinger, Dr. Alan R. Harker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Trichloroethylene (better known as TCE) has been used for decades as a solvent for fats, waxes, oils, paints, varnishes, and rubber. This characteristic of TCE has made it useful in industry for cleaning and degreasing; hence, its wide use at airports, and military installations.

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Follicular Dendritic Cells, Hiv And Haart Treatment, Jason Meyer, Dr. Gregory Burton Aug 2013

Follicular Dendritic Cells, Hiv And Haart Treatment, Jason Meyer, Dr. Gregory Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for HIV-infected patients can result in the reduction of plasma viral RNA levels to nearly undetectable levels. However, the existence of replication competent virus from chronically infected CD4+ T cells despite apparently successful HAART treatment suggests the existence of protective reservoirs in the body that protect virally infected cells from the effects of HAART treatment (1). Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are specialized cells that exist primarily in secondary lymphoid tissue. The purpose of my research was to examine my hypothesis that FDC act as such reservoirs by protecting infected cells from the …

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Vitamin Enhanced Cancer Chemotherapy Using 13-Cis- Retinoic Acid, Vitamin E Succinate And 5-Fluorouracil, Marcus C. Neuffer, Dr. Byron K. Murray Aug 2013

Vitamin Enhanced Cancer Chemotherapy Using 13-Cis- Retinoic Acid, Vitamin E Succinate And 5-Fluorouracil, Marcus C. Neuffer, Dr. Byron K. Murray

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent studies have suggested that vitamins and vitamin derivatives can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs (2,3). In this study the combination of 13-cis-Retinoic Acid (RA), a Vitamin A derivative, and Vitamin E Succinate (VES) are used with the chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fluorouracil (5FU). Previous studies have suggested that the RA and VES combination have a synergistic effect on inhibiting the growth of the HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (1). The RA and VES combination also caused the cells to go through morphological and biochemical changes indicative of apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to treat the HT-29 cell …

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Analysis Of A Constitutively Active Phob Mutant Protein, Chad C. Lowe, Dr. William R. Mccleary Aug 2013

Analysis Of A Constitutively Active Phob Mutant Protein, Chad C. Lowe, Dr. William R. Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within the cellular environment, the processing of essential nutrients required for cellular growth and metabolism are tightly regulated. When these essential nutrients become limited in the cells surroundings, cellular stress responses are induced. This enables the cell to maintain life in less than ideal environmental conditions.

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Transfer Of Hiv From Fdc To Macrophages, Michael Fuller, Dr. Gregory Burton Aug 2013

Transfer Of Hiv From Fdc To Macrophages, Michael Fuller, Dr. Gregory Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the last semester, I have been engaged in studying the ability of macrophages to pick up HIV from follicular dendritic cells (FDC) in the follicles of the lymph nodes. Research by Dr. Gregory F. Burton of Brigham Young University has shown that HIV virions held on the dendrite processes of follicular dendritic cells in immune complex form are still infectious, and can infect T cells. Research by Dr. Suzanne Gartner at Johns Hopkins University has shown homology between HIV isolated from the brain to HIV in the lymph nodes. Tying these data together, I hypothesized that macrophages are able …

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Creating A Gene Deletion In Scherichia Coli, Brian J. Beames, Dr. William R. Mccleary Aug 2013

Creating A Gene Deletion In Scherichia Coli, Brian J. Beames, Dr. William R. Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Two component systems are an integral part of a bacterial cell. They consist of a histidine kinase and a response regulator. The histidine kinase is a receptor protein that signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. Once a ligand binds to the histidine kinase, it autophosphorylates on the inside of the cell and activates the response regulator by phosphorylating it. Once the response regulator is activated, it can then phosphorylate another protein of the cell and that protein can carry out its function. An example of a two component system is the Pho system. PhoB is a …

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Creation Of An Artificial Microbial Consortium, Sam Augustine, Dr. Alan Harker Aug 2013

Creation Of An Artificial Microbial Consortium, Sam Augustine, Dr. Alan Harker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ecology is the study of the interactions of living organisms with each other and their environment. In microbiology there has been relatively little done in this field compared to the macro-biological world. In traditional macro-scale ecology an environment is clearly delineated by physical boundaries, access to resources and competition.

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Hcmv Promotes Breast Cancer Metastasis: Impacts Of Cmvil-10 In The Tumor Microenvironment, Robin Bishop Aug 2013

Hcmv Promotes Breast Cancer Metastasis: Impacts Of Cmvil-10 In The Tumor Microenvironment, Robin Bishop

Master's Theses

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a highly species-specific, common human pathogen. While a large majority of people are infected with HCMV worldwide, infection is typically asymptomatic in immune competent individuals. To enhance virus persistence and avoid immune detection by the host, HCMV exploits the strategy of encoding homologs of cellular cytokines. One factor produced by HCMV-infected cells is the viral cytokine cmvIL-10, which acts through the cellular IL-10 receptor to induce downstream cell signaling. In instances where HCMV-infected cells infiltrate the tumor microenvironment, the presence of cmvIL-10 in may initiate events that promote a more invasive tumor phenotype. Cancer cells that …

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Moving Nucleosomes To Regulate And Maintain Gene Function, Benjamin Jorgensen, Dr. Steven Johnson Aug 2013

Moving Nucleosomes To Regulate And Maintain Gene Function, Benjamin Jorgensen, Dr. Steven Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gene therapy is a technique that uses gene insertions or transgenes to alter and correct genetic mutations that cause hereditary diseases. Gene therapy holds hope in curing diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or any disease caused by a recessive mutation in a single gene target. Transgenes may be incorporated into the nuclei of the patient’s cells, however, problems occur with the genes being turned off after time, negating the positive effects of the therapy. The goal of my research is to elucidate the contribution of underlying DNA sequences in the formation of nucleosomes (the basic unit …

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Function Of Novel Nuclear-Variant Bone Morphogenic Protein (Nbmp2) In Muscle Fiber Type Differentiation, Nicholas Wallace, Dr. Laura Bridgewater Aug 2013

Function Of Novel Nuclear-Variant Bone Morphogenic Protein (Nbmp2) In Muscle Fiber Type Differentiation, Nicholas Wallace, Dr. Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are in the transforming growth factor B (TGF-) super family of proteins, which were originally identified by their ability to induce bone formation in animals.A novel nuclear variant of BMP2 (nBMP2) was recently discovered by Dr. Bridgewater and her graduate researchers. In order to discern the exact function of this nuclear form of BMP2, nBMP2 chimeric mice were created.

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Identification Of Yersiniapseudotuberculosisgenes That Affect Congo-Red Binding, Ryan Stewart, Dr. David Erickson Aug 2013

Identification Of Yersiniapseudotuberculosisgenes That Affect Congo-Red Binding, Ryan Stewart, Dr. David Erickson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The plague bacterium Yersiniapestis recently evolved from the enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, during which time it has adopted a flea-borne lifestyle.

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Chemokine-Mediated Migration Of B-1 B Cells, Lauren Zagieboylo, Dr. Eric Wilson Aug 2013

Chemokine-Mediated Migration Of B-1 B Cells, Lauren Zagieboylo, Dr. Eric Wilson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

B-1 B cells are an understudied type of white blood cell that provide T cell-independent antibody production, allowing them to play an important role in the early immune response to many bacterial and viral pathogens. They are especially important for defense in mucosal sites, such as the intestinal tract, where many infections occur.

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Pas Kinase Interactions, Steven Sowa, Dr. Julianne Grose Aug 2013

Pas Kinase Interactions, Steven Sowa, Dr. Julianne Grose

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Signal transduction pathways are critical to the function of a cell. Correct signals help the cell to manage its resources effectively while improper or inactive signals contribute to cancer and many other human diseases. One protein involved in signal transduction is PAS kinase.

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