Microbiology Commons^™

Methionyl-Trna Synthetase Synthetic And Proofreading Activities Are Determinants Of Antibiotic Persistence, Whitney N. Wood, Miguel Angel Rubio, Lorenzo Eugenio Leiva, Gregory J. Phillips, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Bacterial antibiotic persistence is a phenomenon where bacteria are exposed to an antibiotic and the majority of the population dies while a small subset enters a low metabolic, persistent, state and are able to survive. Once the antibiotic is removed the persistent population can resuscitate and continue growing. Several different molecular mechanisms and pathways have been implicated in this phenomenon. A common mechanism that may underly bacterial antibiotic persistence is perturbations in protein synthesis. To investigate this mechanism, we characterized four distinct metG mutants for their ability to increase antibiotic persistence. Two metG mutants encode changes near the catalytic site …

Targeting Mycobacterial Efflux System For Combating Anti-Microbial Resistance, Arathi Radhakrishnan, Raj Kishor Kapardar, Rajpal Srivastav

Research Symposium

Background: The drug resistance in the microbes is a serious concern in medicine. Along with intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors like unprescribed usage of drugs are the contributing factors. The drug tolerance has led to the emergence of superbugs. Mycobacterial species utilize an array of multidrug efflux mechanisms linked to intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance. Understanding molecular mechanisms regulating efflux could reveal new therapeutic targets and strategies. Our study is aimed to target regulators of efflux Mycobacterial transporter.

Methods: Using the reference mycobacterial strain, antibiotic sensitivity was first profiled by minimal inhibitory concentration assays across a panel of antimicrobials, followed by …

Exploring The Role Of Calcineurin In Filamentation Across Inducing Conditions In The Fungal Pathogen Candida Albicans, Patricia Harte-Maxwell, Jill R. Blankenship

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogenic fungus affecting millions of people globally; high mortality rates are possible in systemic infection. Filamentation or a filamentous growth pattern is a primary virulence mechanism of C. albicans underlying other virulent behaviour....

Materials And Methods Developed For The Recording And Analysis Of Behavior In The Common Marmoset (Callithrix Jacchus)., Christian Wintle

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Materials and methods developed for the recording and analysis of behavior in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

Christian J. Wintle^a, Jordan B. Hernandez^a,b,c, Dobromir Dotov^d, and Jonathan B. Clayton^a,b,e,f,g

^aDepartment of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^bNebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

^cDepartment of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE, USA

^dDepartment of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^eDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, …

The Changing Tumor Microenvironment Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Mackenzie Hansen, Kim O'Neill, Qin Zhou, Yoko Derose, Magdalena Kovacsovics, Benjamin Brintz, Benjamin L. Witt, Siwen Hu-Lieskovan

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death in the United States, and non-small cell (NSCLC) is the most common type. An increasingly prevalent treatment in the last few years for NSCLC has been immunotherapy. However, for immunotherapy to be the most effective, we need to have a better understanding of how the immune system interacts with cancer in all stages. Specifically, we need to know where the immune cells reside, how they interact with each other, and how these populations change as the disease progresses. To define the tumor microenvironment, we stained 27 whole tumor slides with …

Carbon-Infiltrated Carbon Nanotube Surfaces Affect Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm Development, Jenny Finlinson, Lucy C. Bowden, Bradford K. Berges

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

• ~30% of surgical implant failure is caused by infection1

• 10-23% of all implant-associated bone and joint infections are caused by gram-negative bacteria2

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a gram-negative bacterium, forms biofilms (bacterial communities encased in a matrix) that are extremely difficult to treat

Advancing Mycotoxin Detection: Multivariate Rapid Analysis On Corn Using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (Sers), Allison Gabbitas, Gene Ahlborn, Kaitlyn Allen, Shintaro Pang

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

Background and Purpose: Mycotoxin contamination on food and feed can have deleterious effect on human and animal health. Agricultural crops may contain one or more mycotoxin compounds; therefore, a good multiplex detection method is desirable to ensure food safety. In this study, we developed a rapid method using label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to simultaneously detect three common types of mycotoxins found on corn, namely aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA).

Methods: A SERS nanosubstrate was applied on the agricultural crop (i.e., corn) and mixed briefly with mycotoxins present on the surface. Raman spectral data …

Microbial Thiamine And Riboflavin Influence Drosophila Melanogaster Dietary Preference For Yeast, Dean B. Peterson, John M. Chaston

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

Naturally prefer a yeast restricted diet over a full yeast diet

• Restricted – 50g yeast and 100g glucose (50g Y:100g G)
• Full – 100g yeast and 100g glucose per (100g Y:100g G)
• Microbes affect this dietary preference for yeast (DPY) through an unknown mechanism
• Common microbes studied with flies are acetic acid bacteria (AAB) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB)

Targeting Hsp90: A Novel Approach To Combat Synovial Sarcomas, Peyton Worley, Jared Barrott, Matt Kirkham, Drake Heithoff

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

Synovial sarcomas are rare muscle cancers that have very few targeted therapies. HSP90 is a protein upregulated in this form of cancer and many others. A screening of this cancer was done in vitro, using FDA-approved drugs, showing that HSP90 could be a promising treatment option. A novel HSP90 inhibitor was applied to human and mouse synovial sarcoma cell lines and was analyzed after receiving a drug treatment for HSP90.

Novel Microbiological Medium Developed For The Isolation Of Bacteria Associated With Estuarine Anemones, Parker K. Lund, Catalina Cuellar-Gempeler

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

Out of the nearly one trillion species of microbiota estimated to inhabit Earth only ten thousand have been cultured in the laboratory. Culturing continues to play a vital role in determining the physiology and ecologic function of individual bacteria in microbial communities and for microbes associated with host organisms one of the major challenges is developing microbiological media that mimics the bacteria’s natural environment enough to promote growth. Here, we target bacteria associated with the estuary anemones Diadumene lineata and Metridium senile by developing a novel medium that uses anemone tissue as the sole source of nutrients. We further measured …

Dolutegravir-Induced Neural Tube Defects In Mice Are Folate Responsive, Gabriel L Tukeman, Hui Wei, Ying L Lin, Bogdan J Wlodarczyk, Richard H Finnell, Robert M Cabrera

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: In 2018, the Botswana Tsepamo Study reported a nine-fold increased risk of neural tube defects in infants whose mothers were treated with dolutegravir (DTG) from the time of conception. As maternal folate supplementation and status is a well known modifier of neural tube defect (NTD) risk, we sought to evaluate birth outcomes in mice fed normal and low folic acid diets treated with DTG during pregnancy.

Design: DTG was evaluated for developmental toxicity using pregnant mice fed normal or low folic acid diet.

Methods: CD-1 mice were provided diet with normal (3 mg/kg) or low (0.3 mg/kg) folic acid. …

Interferons In Viral Infections, Pracheta Sengupta, Saurabh Chattopadhyay

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Preventing Orthopedic Implant Associated Biofilm Infections Using Transition Metal Complex Laminated Bioactive Implants, Sowndarya J

Theses and Dissertations

Orthopedic implants are medical devices employed to repair the damaged structure and function of an injured musculoskeletal system. It helps millions of people suffering from bone fractures and arthroplasty. The increased use of orthopedic implants has given rise to implant-associated biofilm infections. Biofilm-mediated Implant-associated osteomyelitis (IAO) is a major concern in the medical field, wherein the treatment involves debridement, administration of antibiotics and removal of implants leading to increased cost of treatment.

The keystone bacterial pathogens involved in orthopedic implant-associated infections are Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii which are members of the ESKAPE pathogens. A. baumannii has gained resistance against …

Transgenic Beetle Modification Via Nanoinjection, Abigail Wallace, Abraham B. Alton, Jane Lundgren, Marianna Ransom, Michelle Teh, Kai Jeffery, Norman Rasmussen, Alex Rolfson, Brian D. Jensen, Colin Dale, Seth Taylor, Sandra Hope

Student Works

The bacterium Sodalis praecaptivus can be transformed with a transgene for expression in the insect. Symbiotic bacteria in the insect’s reproductive tract will be passed on to their offspring. Red fluorescent protein is used for nanoinjection studies.

Early Estimate Of Nirsevimab Effectiveness For Prevention Of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalization Among Infants Entering Their First Respiratory Syncytial Virus Season - New Vaccine Surveillance Network, October 2023-February 2024, Heidi L Moline, Ayzsa Tannis, Ariana P Toepfer, John V Williams, Julie A Boom, Janet A Englund, Natasha B Halasa, Mary Allen Staat, Geoffrey A Weinberg, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Marian G Michaels, Leila C Sahni, Eileen J Klein, Laura S Stewart, Elizabeth P Schlaudecker, Peter G Szilagyi, Jennifer E Schuster, Leah Goldstein, Samar Musa, Pedro A Piedra, Danielle M Zerr, Kristina A Betters, Chelsea Rohlfs, Christina Albertin, Dithi Banerjee, Erin R Mckeever, Casey Kalman, Benjamin R Clopper, Meredith L Mcmorrow, Fatimah S Dawood

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants in the United States. In August 2023, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, for infants agedtrials, nirsevimab efficacy against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract infection with hospitalization was 81% (95% CI = 62%-90%) through 150 days after receipt; post-introduction effectiveness has not been assessed in the United States. In this analysis, the New Vaccine Surveillance Network evaluated nirsevimab effectiveness against RSV-associated hospitalization among infants in their first RSV season during October 1, 2023-February 29, 2024. Among 699 infants hospitalized with acute respiratory illness, …

Investigating The Mechanisms Of Surface Sensing Using Motility Appendages By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pa14, Christopher James Geiger

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Biofilms are surfaced attached communities of cells encased in an extracellular matrix. The transition from free-swimming planktonic cells to a surface attached biofilm begins with cellular changes that occur after surface contact. This process is known as "surface sensing" and the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 uses its two motility appendages, type IV pili (T4P) and a single, polar flagellum to sense and traverse surfaces. The first cellular changes to occur within this organism upon surface contact is an increase in the second messengers cAMP and cdi- GMP. While the genes involved in surface sensing by P. aeruginosa are known, …

Borrelia Burgdorferi Plza Is A Cyclic-Di-Gmp Dependent Dna And Rna Binding Protein, Nerina Jusufovic, Andrew Krusenstjerna, Christina R. Savage, Timothy C. Saylor, Catherine A. Brissette, Wolfram Zückert, Paula J. Schlax, Md A. Motaleb, Brian Stevenson

Entomology Faculty Publications

The PilZ domain-containing protein, PlzA, is the only known cyclic di- GMP binding protein encoded by all Lyme disease spirochetes. PlzA has been implicated in the regulation of many borrelial processes, but the effector mechanism of PlzA was not previously known. Here, we report that PlzA can bind DNA and RNA and that nucleic acid binding requires c-di-GMP, with the affinity of PlzA for nucleic acids increasing as concentrations of c-di-GMP were increased. A mutant PlzA that is incapable of bind- ing c-di-GMP did not bind to any tested nucleic acids. We also determined that PlzA interacts predominantly with the …

Staphylococcus Aureus Oleate Hydratase Produces Ligands That Activate Host Ppara, Christopher D. Radka, Matthew W. Frank, Tyler S. Simmons, Cydney N. Johnson, Jason W. Rosch, Charles O. Rock

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Commensal gut bacteria use oleate hydratase to release a spectrum of hydroxylated fatty acids using host-derived unsaturated fatty acids. These compounds are thought to attenuate the immune response, but the underlying signaling mechanism(s) remain to be established. The pathogen Staphylococcus aureus also expresses an oleate hydratase and 10- hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (h18:0) is the most abundant oleate hydratase metabolite found at Staphylococcal skin infection sites. Here, we show h18:0 stimulates the transcription of a set of lipid metabolism genes associated with the activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) in the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line and mouse primary bone marrow-derived …

Nadph Oxidase Overexpression And Mitochondrial Oxphos Impairment Are More Profound In Human Hearts Donated After Circulatory Death Than Brain Death, Nandan K Mondal, Shiyi Li, Abdussalam E Elsenousi, Aladdein Mattar, Katherine V Nordick, Harveen K Lamba, Camila Hochman-Mendez, Todd K Rosengart, Kenneth K Liao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This study investigated cardiac stress and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) in human donation after circulatory death (DCD) hearts regarding warm ischemic time (WIT) and subsequent cold storage and compared them with that of human brain death donor (DBD) hearts. A total of 24 human hearts were procured for the research study-6 in the DBD group and 18 in the DCD group. DCD group was divided into three groups (n = 6) based on different WITs (20, 40, and 60 min). All hearts received del Nido cardioplegia before being placed in normal saline cold storage for 6 h. Left ventricular …

Highlights Of How Single-Cell Analyses Are Illuminating Differentiation And Disease In The Gastric Corpus, Mahliyah Adkins-Threats, Yang-Zhe Huang, Jason C Mills

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged as a powerful technique to identify novel cell markers, developmental trajectories, and transcriptional changes during cell differentiation and disease onset and progression. In this review, we highlight recent scRNA-seq studies of the gastric corpus in both human and murine systems that have provided insight into gastric organogenesis, identified novel markers for the various gastric lineages during development and in adults, and revealed transcriptional changes during regeneration and tumorigenesis. Overall, by elucidating transcriptional states and fluctuations at the cellular level in healthy and disease contexts, scRNA-seq may lead to better, more personalized clinical treatments for disease …

Antioxidant Properties Of Kombucha Beverage Infused With Ganoderma Lucidum And Green Tea From Camellia Sinensis (L.) Kuntze With Several Fermentation Times, Rizki Rabeca Elfirta, Pamungkas Rizki Ferdian, Iwan Saskiawan, Tri Hadi Handayani, Kayla Faza Gustafri Mandalika, Rini Riffiani, Kasirah Kasirah, Ukhradiya Magharaniq Safira Purwanto

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Kombucha is a functional beverage produced through the fermentation of infused tea or Camelia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (CS) by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Apparently, the substrate of kombucha can be substituted to enhance its functional properties. Ganoderma lucidum (GL) is a potential substrate reported to have health benefits. This study aims to evaluate antioxidant properties by comparing different formulations and fermentation times. The formulations prepared in the present study varied in the compositions of GL and CS substrates, namely F1 (100% GL), F2 (75% GL: 25% CS), F3 (50% GL: 50% CS), F4 (25% GL: 75% CS), …

Investigating Optimal Laboratory Growth Conditions Of Gracilibacillus Halotolerans In Media Supplemented With Salt, Isaac Young

Annual Research Symposium

As interest continues to grow in the field of persister cells and their morphology, there arises an ever-evolving desire to further understand specific strains of bacteria that exemplify the qualities of seemingly anomalous survival regardless of anti-bacterial treatment. In the case of the Gracilibacillus halotolerans, a halotolerant extremophile extracted from the Great Salt Lake with known persistent characteristics, uncovering its optimal growth conditions was essential for future investigations. Identifying the optimal salinity for the growth of G. halotolerans will allow us to standardize our growth methods, uncover several mechanisms of saline tolerance, and add to future investigations of persistence with …

Interplay Of Periodontal Bacterial Metabolites In The Progression Of Coronary Artery Disease: A System Biological Approach, Janakiraman V

Annual Research Symposium

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the intricate relationship between periodontal disease (PD) and coronary artery disease (CAD), as evidenced by epidemiological associations. Metalloproteinase inhibitor (TIMP1) plays a pivotal role in cellular signaling, differentiation, cell death, and migration by binding to target metalloproteinases, forming complexes with other molecules (collagenases) to inactivate them. However, the expression of TIMP1 is reduced in both PD and CAD, leading to an upregulation of other metalloproteinases. This research explores the hypothesis that metabolites released from (Porphyromonas gingivalis), a prevalent bacterium in atherosclerotic patients, may inhibit TIMP1, thereby influencing CAD progression. …

Correction To: Should We Use Rifampicin In Periprosthetic Joint Infections Caused By Staphylococci When The Implant Has Been Exchanged? A Multicenter Observational Cohort Study, Tobias Siegfried Kramer, Alex Soriano, Sarah Tedeschi, Antonia Chen, Pierre Tattevin, Eric Senneville, Joan Gomez-Junyent, Victoria Birlutiu, Sabine Petersdorf, Vicens Diaz De Brito, Ignacio Sancho Gonzalez, Katherine Belden, Marjan Wouthuyzen-Bakker

Division of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

The Mrna-Lnp Vaccines - The Good, The Bad And The Ugly?, Botond Z. Igyártó, Zhen Qin

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

The mRNA-LNP vaccine has received much attention during the COVID-19 pandemic since it served as the basis of the most widely used SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in Western countries. Based on early clinical trial data, these vaccines were deemed safe and effective for all demographics. However, the latest data raise serious concerns about the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines. Here, we review some of the safety and efficacy concerns identified to date. We also discuss the potential mechanism of observed adverse events related to the use of these vaccines and whether they can be mitigated by alterations of this vaccine mechanism …

A Rationally Designed Antimicrobial Peptide From Structural And Functional Insights Of Clostridioides Difficile Translation Initiation Factor 1, Elvira Alanis, Faith Aguilar, Niaz Banaei, Frank B. Dean, Alexa Villarreal, Miguel Alanis, Karen Lozano, James M. Bullard, Yonghong Zhang

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT: A significant increase of hospital-acquired bacterial infections during the COVID-19 pandemic has become an urgent medical problem. Clostridioides difficile is an urgent antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogen and a leading causative agent of nosocomial infections. The increasing recurrence of C. difficile infection and antibi­otic resistance in C. difficile has led to an unmet need for the discovery of new com­pounds distinctly different from present antimicrobials, while antimicrobial peptides as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics have attracted growing interest recently. Protein synthesis is an essential metabolic process in all bacteria and a validated antibiotic target. Initiation factor 1 from C. difficile (Cd-IF1) …

Metabolic Model Predictions Enable Targeted Microbiome Manipulation Through Precision Prebiotics, Georgios Marinos, Inga K Hamerich, Reena Debray, Nancy Obeng, Carola Petersen, Jan Taubenheim, Johannes Zimmermann, Dana Blackburn, Buck S Samuel, Katja Dierking, Andre Franke, Matthias Laudes, Silvio Waschina, Hinrich Schulenburg, Christoph Kaleta

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

While numerous health-beneficial interactions between host and microbiota have been identified, there is still a lack of targeted approaches for modulating these interactions. Thus, we here identify precision prebiotics that specifically modulate the abundance of a microbiome member species of interest. In the first step, we show that defining precision prebiotics by compounds that are only taken up by the target species but no other species in a community is usually not possible due to overlapping metabolic niches. Subsequently, we use metabolic modeling to identify precision prebiotics for a two-member Caenorhabditis elegans microbiome community comprising the immune-protective target species Pseudomonas …

Clostridium Butyricum And Carbohydrate Active Enzymes Contribute To The Reduced Fat Deposition In Pigs, Lingyan Ma, Shiyu Tao, Tongxing Song, Wentao Lyu, Ying Li, Wen Wang, Qicheng Shen, Yan Ni, Jiang Zhu, Jiangchao Zhao, Hua Yang, Yingping Xiao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Pig gastrointestinal tracts harbor a heterogeneous and dynamic ecosystem populated with trillions of microbes, enhancing the ability of the host to harvest energy from dietary carbohydrates and contributing to host adipogenesis and fatness. However, the microbial community structure and related mechanisms responsible for the differences between the fatty phenotypes and the lean phenotypes of the pigs remained to be comprehensively elucidated. Herein, we first found significant differences in microbial composition and potential functional capacity among different gut locations in Jinhua pigs with distinct fatness phenotypes. Second, we identified that Jinhua pigs with lower fatness exhibited higher levels of short-chain fatty …

The Diversity Of Wolbachia Across The Turtle Ants (Formicidae: Cephalotes Spp.), Corey Reese, Leland C. Graber, Manuela O. Ramalho, Corrie S. Moreau

Biology Faculty Publications

Wolbachia is a widespread and well-known bacterium that can induce a wide range of changes within its host. Ants specifically harbor a great deal of Wolbachia diversity and are useful systems to study endosymbiosis. The turtle ants (Cephalotes) are a widespread group of tropical ants that rely on gut microbes to support their herbivorous diet for their survival, yet little is known of the extent of this diversity. Therefore, studying their endosymbionts and categorizing the diversity of bacteria within Cephalotes hosts could help to delimit species and identify new strains and can help lead to a further understanding of how …

Molecular Genomic Analyses Of Enterococcus Cecorum From Sepsis Outbreaks In Broilers, Douglas D. Rhoads, Jeff Pummill, Adnan Ali Khalaf Alrubaye

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Extensive genomic analyses of Enterococcus cecorum isolates from sepsis outbreaks in broilers suggest a polyphyletic origin, likely arising from core genome mutations rather than gene acquisition. This species is a normal intestinal flora of avian species with particular isolates associated with osteomyelitis. More recently, this species has been associated with sepsis outbreaks affecting broilers during the first 3 weeks post-hatch. Understanding the genetic and management basis of this new phenotype is critical for developing strategies to mitigate this emerging problem. Phylogenomic analyses of 227 genomes suggest that sepsis isolates are polyphyletic and closely related to both commensal and osteomyelitis isolate …