Microbiology Commons^™

P2y2 Purinergic Receptor Gene Deletion Protects Mice From Bacterial Endotoxin And Sepsis-Associated Liver Injury And Mortality, Athis R Arunachalam, Sanju S Samuel, Arunmani Mani, Janielle P Maynard, Kelsey M Stayer, Eric Dybbro, Subapradha Narayanan, Aalekhya Biswas, Saliha Pathan, Krishnakant Soni, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Chandra Shekar R Ambati, Nagireddy Putluri, Moreshwar S Desai, Sundararajah Thevananther

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The liver plays a significant role in regulating a wide range of metabolic, homeostatic, and host-defense functions. However, the impact of liver injury on the host's ability to control bacteremia and morbidity in sepsis is not well understood. Leukocyte recruitment and activation lead to cytokine and chemokine release, which, in turn, trigger hepatocellular injury and elevate nucleotide levels in the extracellular milieu. P2Y2 purinergic receptors, G protein-coupled and activated by extracellular ATP/UTP, are expressed at the cell surface of hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells. We sought to determine whether P2Y2 purinergic receptor function is necessary for the maladaptive host response to …

Gastrointestinal Infections Modulate The Risk For Insulin Autoantibodies As The First-Appearing Autoantibody In The Teddy Study, Maria Lönnrot, Kristian F Lynch, Marian Rewers, Åke Lernmark, Kendra Vehik, Beena Akolkar, William Hagopian, Jeffrey Krischer, Rickhard A Mcindoe, Jorma Toppari, Anette-G Ziegler, Joseph F Petrosino, Richard Lloyd, Heikki Hyöty, Teddy Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To investigate gastrointestinal infection episodes (GIEs) in relation to the appearance of islet autoantibodies in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) cohort.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: GIEs on risk of autoantibodies against either insulin (IAA) or GAD (GADA) as the first-appearing autoantibody were assessed in a 10-year follow-up of 7,867 children. Stool virome was characterized in a nested case-control study.

RESULTS: GIE reports (odds ratio [OR] 2.17 [95% CI 1.39-3.39]) as well as Norwalk viruses found in stool (OR 5.69 [1.36-23.7]) at(OR 0.48 [0.35-0.68]). GIE reports at any other age were associated with an increase in …

Increasing Glutathione Levels By A Novel Posttranslational Mechanism Inhibits Neuronal Hyperexcitability, Ashwini Sri Hari, Rajeswari Banerji, Li-Ping Liang, Ruth E Fulton, Christopher Quoc Huynh, Timothy Fabisiak, Pallavi Bhuyan Mcelroy, James R Roede, Manisha Patel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Glutathione (GSH) depletion, and impaired redox homeostasis have been observed in experimental animal models and patients with epilepsy. Pleiotropic strategies that elevate GSH levels via transcriptional regulation have been shown to significantly decrease oxidative stress and seizure frequency, increase seizure threshold, and rescue certain cognitive deficits. Whether elevation of GSH per se alters neuronal hyperexcitability remains unanswered. We previously showed that thiols such as dimercaprol (DMP) elevate GSH via post-translational activation of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), the rate limiting GSH biosynthetic enzyme. Here, we asked if elevation of cellular GSH by DMP altered neuronal hyperexcitability in-vitro and in-vivo. Treatment of …

Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Rhesus Macaques With Aids Co-Develop Cardiovascular Pathology And Encephalitis, Kevin S. White, Joshua A. Walker, John Wang, Patrick Autissier, Andrew D. Miller, Nadia N. Abuelezan, Rachel Burrack, Qingsheng Li, Woong-Ki Kim, Kenneth C. Williams

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Despite effective antiretroviral therapy, HIV co-morbidities remain where central nervous system (CNS) neurocognitive disorders and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-pathology that are linked with myeloid activation are most prevalent. Comorbidities such as neurocogntive dysfunction and cardiovascular disease (CVD) remain prevalent among people living with HIV. We sought to investigate if cardiac pathology (inflammation, fibrosis, cardiomyocyte damage) and CNS pathology (encephalitis) develop together during simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection and if their co-development is linked with monocyte/ macrophage activation. We used a cohort of SIV-infected rhesus macaques with rapid AIDS and demonstrated that SIV encephalitis (SIVE) and CVD pathology occur together more frequently …

Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis By M82 Peptidases: The Role Of Prss In The Staphylococcus Aureus Stress Response, Baylie M. Schott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is a major threat to human health, which is only exacerbated by its resistance to methicillin and other frontline antibiotics. Consequently, annual hospitalizations resulting from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been recorded in the hundreds of thousands for decades. However, the global impact of this opportunistic pathogen cannot solely be attributed to its antibiotic resistance, as S. aureus is also an expert at adapting to host conditions and responding to external stress. Here we attempt to gain a better understanding of a S. aureus factor that aids in circumventing such external insult - PrsS - a membrane protease …

Spatial Structure Of Germination And Seed-Associated Fungi In Tropical Pioneer Seeds, Daniela Varon Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Negative density-dependent regulation is the process by which host-specific natural enemies reduce the survival of seeds and seedlings of conspecifics near adult trees, favoring heterospecific recruitment, and ultimately increasing local diversity. Negative density-dependent regulation by fungal pathogens has been consistently reported to promote plant diversity in the tropics, even though they tend to be multi-host and host-specificity is rarely reported. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that host-generalist fungi can have host-specific effects that produce disproportionate negative effects on some plant species but not others, promoting regional diversity. However, such studies have not tested for both host-specificity and distance-dependent effects in fully replicated …

Co-Infection And Co-Localization Of Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus And Epstein-Barr Virus In Hiv-Associated Kaposi Sarcoma: A Case Report, Peter Julius, Guobin Guobin, Stepfanie Siyumbwa, Jane Musumali, For Yue Tso, Owen Ngalamika, Trevor Kaile, Fred Maate, Phyllis Moonga, John T. West, Peter Angeletti, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi sarcoma (KS), a multifocal vascular neoplasm frequently observed in HIVpositive individuals, primarily affects the skin, mucous membranes, visceral organs, and lymph nodes. KS is associated primarily with Kaposi sarcomaassociated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection. In this case report, we present a rare occurrence of co-infection and co-localization of KSHV and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in KS arising from the conjunctiva, which, to our knowledge, has not been reported previously. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization (EBER-ISH) were utilized to demonstrate the presence of KSHV and EBV infection in the ocular KS lesion. Nearly all KSHV-positive …

The Effects Of Vaping Coil Temperature On The Viability Of Veillonella Parvula And Streptococcus Mutans, Marvelous O. Aluko

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Novel Serum Formulation For The Treatment Of C. Acnes, Ariana G. Ngue

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Acne impacts 85% of people between 12-24 years of age. Even after puberty, acne continues to impact a large portion of the population. The treatments are diverse and include prescription drugs. Through this research, a novel formulation was created for the skin to treat acne. This formulation incorporates salicylic acid, a non-prescription acne treatment, as well as a polymeric carbohydrate (hyaluronic acid) known to be a component of skin and involved in the healing of skin. Through an internship with Island Lux Essentials, a company devoted to making all natural body care products, a novel serum formulation was created to …

Got Pidd1? Natural Killer Cells Clear Polyploid Cells To Ensure A Balanced Genome, Alexandra N Brown-Suedel, Lisa Bouchier-Hayes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Removal of polyploid cells is essential to preventing cancer and restricting tumor growth. A new study published in The EMBO Journal shows assembly of the NEMO-PIDDosome on extra centrioles. Activation of this protein complex leads to NF-κB activation that, in turn, induces NK cell-mediated cell clearance.

A Single-Dose Intramuscular Immunization Of Pigs With Lipid Nanoparticle Dna Vaccines Based On The Hemagglutinin Antigen Confers Complete Protection Against Challenge Infection With The Homologous Influenza Virus Strain, The N. Nguyen, Sushmita Kumari, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Danh C. Lai, Hiep Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The Influenza A virus of swine (IAV-S) is highly prevalent and causes significant economic losses to swine producers. Due to the highly variable and rapidly evolving nature of the virus, it is critical to develop a safe and versatile vaccine platform that allows for frequent updates of the vaccine immunogens to cope with the emergence of new viral strains. The main objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) as nanocarriers for delivering DNA plasmid encoding the viral hemagglutinin (HA) gene in pigs. The intramuscular administration of a single dose of the LNP-DNA vaccines …

A Retrospective, Observational Study Of 12 Cases Of Expanded-Access Customized Phage Therapy: Production, Characteristics, And Clinical Outcomes, Sabrina I Green, Justin R Clark, Haroldo H Santos, Kyle E Weesner, Keiko C Salazar, Saima Aslam, J William Campbell, Sarah B Doernberg, Emily Blodget, Michele I Morris, Gina A Suh, Karam Obeid, Fernanda P Silveira, Andrey A Filippov, Katrine L Whiteson, Barbara W Trautner, Austen L Terwilliger, Anthony Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is undermining modern medicine, a problem compounded by bacterial adaptation to antibiotic pressures. Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. Their diversity and evolvability offer the prospect of their use as a therapeutic solution. Reported are outcomes of customized phage therapy for patients with difficult-to-treat antimicrobial resistant infections.

METHODS: We retrospectively assessed 12 cases of customized phage therapy from a phage production center. Phages were screened, purified, sequenced, characterized, and Food and Drug Administration-approved via the IND (investigational new drug) compassionate-care route. Outcomes were assessed as favorable or unfavorable by microbiologic and clinical standards. Infections were device-related …

The Accumulation And Growth Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa On Surfaces Is Modulated By Surface Mechanics Via Cyclic-Di-Gmp Signaling, Liyun Wang, Yu-Chern Wong, Joshua M. Correira, Megan Wancura, Chris J. Geiger, Shanice S. Webster, Ahmed Touhami, Benjamin J. Butler, George A. O’Toole, Richard M. Langford

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Attachment of bacteria onto a surface, consequent signaling, and accumulation and growth of the surface-bound bacterial population are key initial steps in the formation of pathogenic biofilms. While recent reports have hinted that surface mechanics may affect the accumulation of bacteria on that surface, the processes that underlie bacterial perception of surface mechanics and modulation of accumulation in response to surface mechanics remain largely unknown. We use thin and thick hydrogels coated on glass to create composite materials with different mechanics (higher elasticity for thin composites; lower elasticity for thick composites) but with the same surface adhesivity and chemistry. The …

Sars-Cov-2: Tale Of A Microscopic Murderer, Josiah P. Garner

Quest

Independent Study

Research in progress for BIOL1406: Biology for Science Majors I

Faculty Mentor: Amina Tassa, Ph.D.

I am delighted to introduce Josiah Garner’s “SARS-CoV-2: Tale of a Microscopic Murderer.” This independent study assignment explores the impact of a novel, deadly, and worldwide virus. The assignment also examines the fast development of vaccines to control the spread and reduce the symptoms of the virus.

Josiah’s paper focuses on the early history of the emergence of COVID-19, the world response, and vaccine development. He demonstrates critical thinking skills and effectively utilizes various research methods to obtain and communicate his information. Josiah …

Report Of The Assay Guidance Workshop On 3-Dimensional Tissue Models For Antiviral Drug Development, Robert Jordan, Stephanie L Ford-Scheimer, Rodolfo M Alarcon, Anthony Atala, Jeffrey T Borenstein, Kyle R Brimacombe, Sara Cherry, Hans Clevers, Mindy I Davis, Simon G P Funnell, Lee Gehrke, Linda G Griffith, Abigail C Grossman, Thomas Hartung, Donald E Ingber, Nicole C Kleinstreuer, Calvin J Kuo, Emily M Lee, Christine L Mummery, Thames E Pickett, Sasirekha Ramani, Edwin A Rosado-Olivieri, Evi B Struble, Zhengpeng Wan, Mark S Williams, Matthew D Hall, Marc Ferrer, Sarine Markossian

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Assay Guidance Manual (AGM) Workshop on 3D Tissue Models for Antiviral Drug Development, held virtually on 7-8 June 2022, provided comprehensive coverage of critical concepts intended to help scientists establish robust, reproducible, and scalable 3D tissue models to study viruses with pandemic potential. This workshop was organized by NCATS, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During the workshop, scientific experts from academia, industry, and government provided an overview of 3D tissue models' utility and limitations, use of existing 3D tissue models for antiviral …

Dynamics And Inhibition Of Abc And Rnd Transporters Associated With Multidrug Resistances In Cancer And Pathogenic Bacteria, Hang Zhao

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The overexpression of efflux transporters is deemed to be one of the important mechanisms that contribute to Multidrug Resistance (MDR). In this dissertation, three transporters of significance were studied, the Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2) in a variety of cancer cells, the mtrCDE transporter from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and the acrAB-tolC transporter from Escherichia coli. It is well known that the overexpression of BCRP in cancer cells results in these cells being resistant to the effects of many chemotherapeutics. This results in multidrug resistance for this cancer because of the fact that BCRP can transport many different types of …

Inflammasome Activation And Pyroptosis Mediate Coagulopathy And Inflammation In Salmonella Systemic Infection, Ankit Pandeya, Yan Zhang, Jian Cui, Ling Yang, Jeffery Li, Guoying Zhang, Congqing Wu, Zhenyu Li, Yinan Wei

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Inflammasome activation is a critical defense mechanism against bacterial infection. Previous studies suggest that inflammasome activation protects against Salmonella oral infection. Here we find inflammasome activation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Salmonella systemic infection. We show that in a systemic infection model by i.p. injection of Salmonella, deficiency of caspase-1 or gasdermin-D prolonged survival time, reduced plasma concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα. These deficiencies also protected against coagulopathy during Salmonella infection as evidenced by diminished prolongation of prothrombin time and increase in plasma thrombin-antithrombin complex concentrations in the caspase-1 or gasdermin-D deficient mice. …

Persistence Of Salmonella Enterica Subsp. Enterica Ser. Javiana, Listeria Monocytogenes, And Listeria Innocua In Hydroponic Nutrient Solution, Gayatri R. Dhulappanavar, Kristen E. Gibson

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study aimed to determine the persistence of Salmonella Javiana, Listeria monocytogenes, and Listeria innocua in nonsterile, hydroponic nutrient solution (NS) at 15, 25, 30, and 37°C over a 21-day period to mimic time from seedling to mature lettuce. Bacteria were inoculated in modified Hoagland's NS at 106 CFU/mL and maintained at 15, 25, 30, and 37°C. Samples were collected at various time points, and bacteria were quantified. A mixed model was used to determine the effect of bacteria type, time (day), and temperature on bacteria concentration (log CFU/mL). The least-squares means were calculated to compare the mean log …

Structural Insights Into The Cl-Par-4 Protein: Ionic Requirements, Conformational Transitions, And Interaction With Cisplatin, Krishna Kumar Raut

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Cancer continues to be the leading global cause of death, with challenges in early diagnosis, drug resistance, non-specific drug targeting, and cancer recurrence and metastasis posing formidable obstacles in cancer therapy. In this context, Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 (Par-4), a pro-apoptotic tumor suppressor protein, emerged as a promising therapeutic target due to its ability to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells, thereby minimizing the drug-associated adverse effects. However, a comprehensive understanding of the structural features of Par-4, specifically the caspase-cleaved fragment (cl-Par-4), is crucial for therapeutic advancements.

This dissertation investigated the effects of various ions, both monovalent and divalent, on the …

Do Microplastics, Vibrio Bacteria, And Warming Water Temperatures Cause Disease In The Northern Star Coral, Astrangia Poculata?, Heather Leigh Sheffey

OES Theses and Dissertations

As marine plastic pollution increases, it becomes imperative to study the effects of microplastics on marine fauna. Marine plastic debris is a vector for disease to marine invertebrates (Lamb et al., 2018; Rotjan et al., 2019). In this context, studies have shown Astrangia poculata will consume microplastics as they do their normal food (Allen et al, 2017; Rotjan et al., 2019). Further, with temperatures increasing worldwide, there is a concern the virulence of disease-causing bacteria will increase (Vezzulli et al., 2015). In a series of manipulative laboratory experiments, this study quantified changes in respiration rates and visual health of Astrangia …

Modified Vaccine Vectors To Understand Adjuvant Functions Of Listeria During Chronic Schistosomiasis, Stephanie K. Norwood

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vaccination is one of the most effective strategies employed to prevent infectious diseases. Successful vaccination is dependent upon the induction of a specific, robust, and prolonged immune response. One of the major challenges faced by vaccine development is vaccine failure due to host-related factors that can modulate the immune system, which leads to non-responsiveness to vaccinations. The generation of new vaccine strategies is imperative to combat these effects. Live bacterial vectors are one approach used as they can elicit humoral immunity, cellular immunity, or both. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram positive, intracellular pathogen that is an effective bacterial vaccine vector …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, September - October 2023, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 New Faculty an Staff for the Fall 2023 Semester
Page 3 Awards
Page 4 Student Ambassadors in CNS
Page 5 Meet our Jacks
Page 6-8 Events
Page 9-11 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 12-13 Spring 2023 Dean's List
Page 14 Open PRAIRIE Data

Organic Carbon Decay Mediated By Mesopelagic Microbial Communities, Noah Jonathan Craft

OES Theses and Dissertations

Substantial remineralization of organic carbon occurs in the mesopelagic zone (i.e., the biological pump), the efficiency of which is responsible for the oceans’ capacity to store carbon originally derived from the atmosphere. To better understand how a substrate’s composition influences its degradation by mesopelagic microbial communities, we added treatments made of live algal cells, dead particulate organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon from ¹⁴C-labeled algal cultures to mesopelagic water collected in-situ. Each incubation took place in the laboratory over a period of months, during which PO¹⁴C, DO¹⁴C, ATP, prokaryote abundances and biochemical fractions were measured. …

Predicted Structure And Analysis Of The Glycoprotein From Sars-Cov-2 Variants Of Interest, Boris Shabaltiy

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

SARS-CoV-2 has had a devastating effect on the world, and while the public concern and severity of the diseased caused by it have decreased, it is still crucial to monitor the virus for mutations so we can rapidly identify new variants of concern, and then rapidly prepare new vaccines and treatments. The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein from the first isolates of the virus (root variant) was structurally characterized in early 2021. The spike protein structure, designated 7CZW, was uploaded to RCSB Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB). All subsequent mutations the S protein has accumulated are based on the amino acid …

Functional Characterization Of The Human And Murine Schlafen Family Group Iii, Carlos A. Valenzuela

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Schlafen (SLFN) family of proteins are known for being encoded by interferon stimulated genes. The family is divided into three groups (I, II, III), for which the largest in size belong to the subgroup III. In humans, group III has the most members (SLFN5, SLFN11, SLFN13 and SLFN14); there is no member of group I and only one member of group II (SLFN12). All human SLFNs belonging to group III have been reported to impair viral protein expression or infection across a variety of viruses. The antiviral function is mediated in SLFN11 and SLFN13 by their tRNase activity, and …

Human Intestinal Organoids As Models To Study Enteric Bacteria And Viruses, Grace Adeniyi-Ipadeola, Hephzibah Nwanosike, Sasirekha Ramani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Laboratory studies of host-microbe interactions have historically been carried out using transformed cell lines and animal models. Although much has been learned from these models, recent advances in the development of multicellular, physiologically active, human intestinal organoid (HIO) cultures are allowing unprecedented discoveries of host-microbe interactions. Here, we review recent literature using HIOs as models to investigate the pathogenesis of clinically important enteric bacteria and viruses and study commensal intestinal microbes. We also discuss limitations of current HIO culture systems and how technical advances and innovative engineering approaches are providing new directions to improve the model. The studies discussed here …

Probiotic Compounds Inhibit Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Formation, Reduce Virulence, & Improve Antibiotic Sensitivity, Kyle R. Leistikow

Dissertations (1934 -)

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections are a top five global public health threat, causing 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths annually in the US alone. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most clinically important MDR pathogens in the world with infections leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality in both humans and animals. This bacterium's ability to form protective biofilms further complicates classical antibiotic interventions, highlighting the need for new therapeutics with novel mechanisms of action. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate antibiofilm mechanisms employed by probiotic bacteria to reduce S. aureus virulence and mitigate antimicrobial resistance evolution …

Potent Bile Acid Microbial Metabolites Modulate Clostridium Perfringens Virulence, Tahrir Jatli Alenezi, Ying Fu, Bilal Alrubaye, Thamer Alanazi, Ayidh Almansour, Hong Wang, Xiaolun Sun

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Clostridium perfringens is a versatile pathogen, inducing diseases in the skin, intestine (such as chicken necrotic enteritis (NE)), and other organs. The classical sign of NE is the foul smell gas in the ballooned small intestine. We hypothesized that deoxycholic acid (DCA) reduced NE by inhibiting C. perfringens virulence signaling pathways. To evaluate the hypothesis, C. perfringens strains CP1 and wild-type (WT) HN13 and its mutants were cultured with different bile acids, including DCA and isoallolithocholic acid (isoalloLCA). Growth, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) production, and virulence gene expression were measured. Notably, isoalloLCA was more potent in reducing growth, H …

Editorial: Parasitism: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Marco A. Juarez-Estrada, Danielle Graham, Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Editorial on the Research Topic

Parasitism: the good, the bad and the ugly

Predicting Stringent Quantiferon-Tb Gold Plus Conversions In Contacts Of Tuberculosis Patients, Sheng-Wei Pan, Donald G. Catanzaro, Marva Seifert, Rehan Syed, Naomi Hillery, Mei-Lin Ho, Valeriu Crudu, Elena Tudor, Nelly Ciobanu, Alexandru Codreanu, Antonino Catanzaro, Timonthy C. Rodwell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

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