Microbiology Commons^™

Dietary Organic Acids Modulate Gut Microbiota And Improve Growth Performance Of Nursery Pigs, Xiaoyuan Wei, Kristopher A. Bottoms, Hans H. Stein, Laia Blavi, Casey L. Bradley, Jon Bergstrom, Joshua Knapp, Robert Story, Charles Maxwell, Tsungcheng Tsai, Jiangchao Zhao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Feed additives have been suggested to improve animal growth performance through modulating the gut microbiota. The hypothesis of this study was that the combination of two organic acids would exert synergistic effects on the growth performance and gut microbiota of weaning pigs. To test this hypothesis, we followed 398 weaning pigs from two university experiment stations (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and University of Arkansas (UA)) to determine the effects of increasing levels (0%, 0.035%, 0.070%, and 0.105%) of sodium butyrate combined with 0.5% benzoic acid on the growth performance of nursery pigs. At the UA, an additional negative …

College Of Natural Sciences 2021 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 2 Welcome, Table of Contents
Page 3 Our Departments: Highlights From 2021
Page 4 Overview of the College
Page 5 Overview of Bold & Blue
Pages 6, 7 Announcing the First Endowed Professorship in the College of Natural Sciences
Page 8 Spooky Science, Astronomy Outreach, SDSU Chemistry Research Features on Journal Cover
Page 9 Students Win Business Plan Competition With Aims to Improve Shelf Life of Produce, Summer Researchers
Page 10 NIH Grant Helps Unravel Rare Inflammatory Genetic Disorders, International Excellence in South Dakota
Page 11 The Next Frontier of Science Education: Virtual Reality, SDSU Researchers Uncover how Cancer …

Polycystic Kidney Disease: An Examination And Review Of Disease Type, Presentation, Treatment, And Prognosis, Zoey Mann

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a ciliopathy that primarily presents as renal cysts. Inherited as either a dominant (ADPKD) or recessive (ARPKD) mutation, PKD is one of the most commonly inherited kidney diseases. ADPKD is caused by the inheritance of a mutation in either PKD1 or PKD2, which code for the polycystin-1 and -2 proteins, respectively. The less severe form of PKD, ADPKD is typically adult-onset, with the possibility of extremely late-stage presentation. In addition to renal cysts, hepatic and pancreatic cysts are common, as well as other non-cystic symptoms including headache and hypertension. ARPKD is caused by the inheritance …

Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Review Of Current Diagnostic Tools, Treatments, And Research, Kaitlyn Hespen

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare post-infection inflammatory disorder. It is caused by the cross-reactivity of antibodies produced from a recent infection which then attack the gangliosides of the peripheral nervous system. Guillain-Barre syndrome includes multiple subtypes which are categorized based on both disease course and symptoms, which include length of progression phase, pain, and cranial nerve involvement. This paper will serve as a review of diagnostic tools and treatment options used for Guillain-Barre syndrome patients. It will also discuss recent research on these topics as well as studies on viral outbreaks which may be linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome. These will …

Current And Future Perspectives In The Treatment Of Fracture Nonunions, Zebadiah Nelson

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Fracture nonunions comprise one of the serious clinical complications in orthopedics. Fracture nonunions result when the time to union is greater than 6 to 9 months. It is estimated that approximately 5% to 10% of all fractures progress to fracture nonunion due to a host of complicating patient variables and risk factors. New scoring systems have emerged which help in directing the treatment strategies. Fracture nonunion management should be directed toward maintaining the diamond concept which introduces osteogenic cells lines, an osteoconductive scaffold for those cells to grow, as well as the necessary growth factors, and a stable mechanical microenvironment. …

Association Between Colorectal Cancer Prevalence And Patients Age, Race And Sex, Arsiema Fisuh

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Colorectal cancer is one of the top leading causes of cancer deaths affecting people of different ages, sex and races disproportionately. The American Cancer society researchers have studied that lack of physical activities, smoking, consumption of red meat, and heavy alcohol use to be high risk factors for developing colorectal cancer in addition to genetic inheritances. Previous research studies have shown that disparities in cancer screening, socioeconomic status and others impacts on colorectal cancer prevalence and death. The objective of this project is to review the existing literature to better understand the disparities in colorectal cancer prevalence and deaths in …

The Importance Of Care Coordination Of Patients With Multimorbidity: An Evaluation Of The Patient-Centered Medical Home Model, Mary Boksa

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

The rise in multimorbidity among various patient populations has made fragmentation of care an increasingly common issue due to the need for specialized care of each chronic condition and complexity of treatment plans. Implementation of care coordination intervention models has been identified as an essential component in combating this fragmented nature of our current health care system. This is done by providing an organized model of care and improving communication between all parties involved in care and treatment plans. This literature review will begin with a brief discussion on the importance of care coordination and components needed for implementation and …

The Relationship Between Land Use Change And Disease Prevalence, Allison Bjornstad

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Zoonotic disease outbreaks are becoming more novel and are increasing in frequency. This increase can be partially attributed to land use changes including deforestation, urbanization, and cultivation. Land use change alters disease prevalence by causing an increase in contact rates between disease hosts and humans. Land use changes also alter species compositions in the area to contain more competent disease hosts. Each pathogen can react to these changes in different ways. The specific reactions that each pathogen has to land use changes should be further researched so proper mitigation steps can be taken. Once the effects of land use change …

Chga-Depleted Urothelial Amp And Immune Response During Urinary Tract Infection, Theadora Jane Ceccarelli

Master's Theses

Women are 8 times more likely than men to experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) with up to 60% of women reporting a UTI in their lifetime. This significant healthcare burden is caused by the infection of uropathogenic Escherichia coli in the urinary tract. At this time, treatment is limited to antibiotic therapy, which is challenged by antibiotic-resistance. These factors make UTIs an NIH priority and are motivation for our research.CgA is a protein of the granin family co-released with catecholamines from neuroendocrine cells throughout the body. Pro-hormone convertases post-translationally cleave CgA into peptides, like catestatin, which can have antimicrobial …

Characterizing A Novel Cocksackievirus B3 Protease Mutant And Its Response To Polyamine Depletion, Bridget Hulsebosch

Master's Theses

Enteroviruses, including Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), are pervasive pathogens that cause significant disease, including cardiomyopathies. Unfortunately, no treatments or vaccines are available for infected individuals. We identified the host polyamine pathway as a potential drug target, as inhibiting polyamine biosynthesis significantly reduces enterovirus replication in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show that CVB3 is sensitive to polyamine depletion through the polyamine analog diethylnorspermidine (DENSpm) which enhances polyamine catabolism through induction of polyamine acetylation. We demonstrate that CVB3 acquires resistance to DENSpm via mutation of the 2A protease, which enhances proteolytic activity in the presence of DENSpm. Resistance to DENSpm occurred …

การย่อยสลายเสริมกันของกลุ่มแบคทีเรียและการประยุกต์ใช้เซลล์ตรึงในการย่อยสลายปิโตรเลียมไฮโดรคาร์บอน, ณัฐริกา เหล่าธรรมทีป

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การบำบัดน้ำมันรั่วไหลด้วยวิธีทางชีวภาพ เป็นวิธีการรักษาสิ่งแวดล้อมอย่างยั่งยืน งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาการทำงานเสริมกันของกลุ่มแบคทีเรียในย่อยสลายน้ำมันปิโตรเลียม และพอลิไซคลิกอะโรมาติกไฮโดรคาร์บอน (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; PAHs) และพัฒนาเป็นผลิตภัณฑ์รูปแบบ กลุ่มแบคทีเรียตรึง โดยพบว่ากลุ่มแบคทีเรีย OPK ซึ่งประกอบด้วย Mycolicibacterium spp. PO1 และ PO2 Novoshingobium pentaromativorans PY1 และ Bacillus subtilis FW1 ทำงานเสริมกันในการย่อยสลายไพรีน PAHs ผสม อัลเคนสายสั้นและสายยาว และน้ำมันดิบ และสามารถคงประสิทธิภาพสูงภายใต้การแปรผันค่า pH (5.0-9.0) อุณหภูมิ (30-40 องศาเซลเซียส) ความเค็ม (20-60‰) ข้อมูลจีโนมจากงานวิจัยก่อนหน้านี้ ร่วมกับการทดสอบประสิทธิภาพการย่อยสลาย การทดสอบการสร้างสารลดแรงตึงผิว และ/หรือการวิเคราะห์ ทรานส์คริปโตมิกส์ บ่งชี้ว่า Mycolicibacterium เป็นแบคทีเรียที่มีบทบาทหลักในการย่อยสลาย PAHs และน้ำมันดิบ โดย NidAB เป็นเอนไซม์สำคัญที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการย่อยสลายสารผสมไพรีนและฟลูออแรนทีนซึ่งเป็นตัวแทนของ PAHs มวลโมเลกุลสูง นอกจากนี้ ribosomal protein, iron transporter, ABC transporters และ stress response proteins อาจมีบทบาททำให้สายพันธุ์ PO1 และ PO2 อยู่รอดในสภาวะกดดัน Novosphingobium มีส่วนช่วยในการย่อยสลายสารตัวกลางในวิถีการย่อยสลาย และ Bacillus สร้างสารลดแรงตึงผิว ซึ่งคาดว่าช่วยทำให้แบคทีเรียหลักเข้าถึงสารมลพิษได้ดีขึ้น นอกจากนี้การวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลจีโนมเพิ่มเติม พบยีน alkB และ CYP153 ซึ่งเกี่ยวข้องกับการย่อยสลายอัลเคนในแบคทีเรียทุกสายพันธุ์ของกลุ่มแบคทีเรีย การพัฒนาต่อยอดกลุ่มแบคทีเรีย OPK ตรึงบนซีโอไลท์สำหรับบำบัดสิ่งแวดล้อมปนเปื้อนน้ำมันดิบ พบว่า กลุ่มแบคทีเรียตรึงสามารถกำจัดน้ำมันดิบความเข้มข้น 1,000 มิลลิกรัมต่อลิตรในน้ำทะเลได้ 74 เปอร์เซ็นต์ใน 96 ชั่วโมง และสามารถใช้ซ้ำได้อย่างน้อย 5 รอบ การเติมกลุ่มแบคทีเรียตรึง OPK ในระบบนิเวศจำลองดินทรายช่วยเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพกำจัดน้ำมันดิบ (ความเข้มข้น 10,000 …

Il-10 And Tgf-Beta Increase Connexin-43 Expression And Membrane Potential Of Hl-1 Cardiomyocytes Coupled With Raw 264.7 Macrophages, Cora B. Cox

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cardiomyocytes and macrophages have been found to interact via connexin-43 hemichannels. The role of connexin-43, however, is not fully understood. This study shows that these interactions aid in increasing the membrane potential of cardiomyocytes allowing contraction of the cells. HL-1 cardiomyocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages in coculture increased expression of connexin-43 compared to cardiomyocytes alone. Co-cultures also increased the fluorescence of Di-8-ANEPPS potentiometric dye indicating an increase in cardiomyocyte membrane potential. Treatment with IL-10 and TGF-beta further increased connexin-43 expression and membrane potential. Treatment with SOCS3 inhibited the effects of TGF-beta and IL-10 while having no effect on its own. …

Application Of Genetic Techniques To Investigate Chlamydia Trachomatis Type Iii Secretion Effector Biology, Gabrielle Keb

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Chlamydia trachomatis is the causative agent of the most reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. The establishment of an intracellular niche within mucosal epithelium is sufficient to drive immunopathology and disease sequela. As obligate intracellular bacteria, Chlamydia spp. have evolved numerous mechanisms for establishing an intracellular growth environment. The type III secretion system (T3SS) delivers effector proteins to the host cytosol and is essential for C. trachomatis invasion and development. The effectors TmeA, TmeB, and TarP, are all secreted during C. trachomatis invasion. TarP and TmeA have been associated with manipulation of actin networks and are …

Characterizing The Physiology And Genetics Of Contact Dependent Growth Inhibiton Systems In Burkholderia Species, Alice Elizabeth Oates

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) systems mediate interbacterial competition. The genes encoding these systems are widespread among Gram-negative bacteria, including Burkholderia pathogens. CDI systems of Burkholderia species are composed of two-partner secretion pathway proteins and function to deliver the toxic C-terminus of a polymorphic surface-exposed exoprotein BcpA (Burkholderia CDI protein A) to the cytoplasm of neighboring recipient bacteria upon cell-cell contact. Specific outer and inner membrane proteins facilitate BcpA translocation both out of the donor bacterium and into the recipient cell cytoplasm. Most Burkholderia species-specific CDI translocation factors in recipient cells are unknown. BcpA intoxication functions as a mechanism by …

The Roles Of The Actin Network And Co-Opted Host Factors In Tbsv Replication, Melissa Gabriela Molho Medina

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Positive-stranded (+) RNA viruses are the largest family of viruses that infect plants, causing important economic losses in different crops. Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), a small positive-stranded RNA virus, has emerged as a model virus to study virus-host interactions. TBSV encodes for only five proteins, therefore, to infect the host cell TBSV co-opts selected host components and subverts specific molecular pathways.

Firstly, I performed a proteomic screening using Arabidopsis proteins. I found that TBSV viral replication proteins interact with 88 host proteins, including the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 2 (Ubc2), fructose 1,6 biphosphate aldolase (Fba1), and several members of the Hps70 …

Auxin-Based Herbicide Program And Rhizobia Application For Weed Control And Nodulation Potential In Auxin Tolerant Soybean, Joy Amajioyi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foliar-applied Bradyrhizobia to V4 soybean has been reported to increase yield up to 5%. However, a stand-alone product application may not be practical. Applying with other treatments such as post-emergence herbicide application may be economical but herbicide and/or additives may be deleterious to rhizobial growth. A laboratory study investigated the impact of herbicides (glyphosate and dicamba), additives (an oil to improve absorption and spreading; and AMS used to overcome hard water impacts on glyphosate), and herbicide + additives on bacterial growth. Optical density (OD) measurements at the wavelength of 650 nm assessed solution turbidity, a surrogate measure of bacterial growth. …

Utilization Of Paenibacillus Polymyxa In The Recovery Of Lithium Bearing Minerals, Diana Bullen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In the global transition to green energy in the transportation and power production sectors, lithium has emerged as a viable solution, and crucial component, for the effective storage of renewable resources. To avoid further degradation of the land due to mining for virgin material, methods focused on recovering lithium must be developed. This research project seeks to explore a new way to recover lithium by using the bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa. The bacteria were grown and then applied to the lithium bearing mineral spodumene. Settling velocity profiles were constructed for different treatments of spodumene. It was found that the spodumene …

The 20th Anniversary Meeting Of The Rocky Mountain Virology Association, Joel Rovnak, Laura A. St Clair, Carley Mcalister, Chinemerem P. Ogbu, Jessica Smolenske, Randall J. Cohrs, Rushika Perera

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple devastating forest fires, the 2020 meeting of the Rocky Mountain Virology Association was held virtually. The three-day gathering featured talks describing recent advances in virology and prion research. The keynote presentation described the measles virus paradox of immune suppression and life-long immunity. Special invited speakers presented information concerning visualizing antiviral effector cell biology in mucosal tissues, uncovering the T-cell tropism of Epstein-Barr virus type 2, a history and current survey of coronavirus spike proteins, a summary of Zika virus vaccination and immunity, the innate immune response to flavivirus infections, a discussion concerning prion …

Community Opioid Overdose Prevention And Naloxone Distribution Programs: An Evidence-To-Practice Review, Madison M. Hauge, Kathryn C. Downs, Zachary K. Winkelmann

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 100 people die of drug overdose in the United States every day. This frighteningly high mortality rate has created the need for community-based opioid overdose prevention programs (OOPPs). Currently, there are more than 188 community-run programs operating in the United States. These programs teach individuals how to distribute naloxone and respond properly to a drug overdose situation. This guiding systematic review depicts the current literature available on OOPPs and their effectiveness. The authors performed an article search to discover the most relevant and recent articles, which were graded using a quality …

Mite Diet Sequences Obtained By High Throughput Sequencing Of Gut Contents Of Freshly Collected Water Mites, Adrian Amelio Vasquez, Obadeh Mohiddin, Zeyu Li, Brittany L. Bonnici, Katherine Gurdziel, Jeffrey L. Ram

Physiology Faculty Research Publications

Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode sequences in this file were obtained from gut DNA extracted from 54 freshly collected water mites, comprising 21 Lebertia quinquemaculosa , 30 Lebertia davidcooki , 1 Limnesia , and 2 Arrenurus specimens. Methods and other details about these sequences are described in a paper by the same authors in a submitted publication (2021: URL to be given here when published). Data on collection locations, primers (mLep and LCOI), amino acid translations, etc. are included in corresponding sequences uploaded to GenBank. The right column below contains additional notes on naming the taxa of the sequences …

Survival, Growth, And Characterization Of Microbes In E-Liquids, Jessica Bunn

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Health risks associated with the use of e-cigarettes have become a concern in the last ten years, including the inhalation of volatile organic compounds, trace heavy metals, and cancer-causing agents. An additional, but poorly characterized health threat for e-liquids is the potential for bacterial contamination since the presence of pathogenic organisms can potentially cause disease from the inhalation of the microbes into the lungs. This work aims to investigate microbial growth and survival within the e-liquid matrix. Bacillus cereus T. strain and Escherichia coli were the chosen organisms for analysis of growth by absorbance, survival by viable plate counts, and …

Ecological And Anthropogenic Influences On A Sentinel Species' Gut Microbiome, Carson E. Black

All Master's Theses

Central and South American primates face augmented challenges due to increased rates of forest fragmentation. Among these challenges are implications on the nonhuman primate gut microbiome. Wild Argentine black and gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) are listed as “least concern” with a population that is decreasing. Despite their propensity to occupy habitats with varying degrees of degradation and disturbance, they are not immune from the stressors that forest fragmentation places on them. Their increased exposure to humans and livestock leaves them vulnerable to cross-species transmission of emerging infectious diseases and pathogens. Therefore, their role as sentinels of ecosystems, …

Initial And Advanced Stages Of Microbiota Establishment Within The Tsetse Fly, Miguel Eduardo Medina Munoz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Symbiosis is a long-term physical association between two or more species, although little is known regarding its evolutionary origins, particularly at the genetic level. Tsetse flies are the vector of African trypanosomes, causative agents of Human and Animal African Trypanosomiases. Tsetse provide an ideal model for studying initial and advanced stages of symbiosis. Tsetse have a simple digestive tract microbiota primarily consisting of two bacteria; the ancient mutualist Wigglesworthia glossinidia and the recently acquired Sodalis glossinidius. This work presents a chronological study in evolutionary terms of the history of a microbial-insect association. First, I present concepts on symbiosis and …

Tree Species Influence On Microbial Functional Gene Abundance And N Cycling In Riparian Soil, Elizabeth Matejczyk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Little is known about how above-ground vegetation may differentially influence the below-ground microbial community structure, abundance, and function. Abundance of soil microbial N cycling genes responsible for nitrification (amoA), denitrification (nirK and nirS), and nitrous oxide reduction (nosZ) may vary with tree species and increasing N availability, and these variables may be used to predict production of NO₃^- and N₂O from soil. Variability of nitrification and denitrification rates have also been linked to tree mycorrhizal associations, with soil beneath tree species associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) exhibiting greater denitrification rates …

Il-10 And Tgf-Beta Increase Connexin-43 Expression And Membrane Potential Of Hl-1 Cardiomyocytes Coupled With Raw 264.7 Macrophages, Cora B. Cox

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cardiomyocytes and macrophages have been found to interact via connexin-43 hemichannels. The role of connexin-43, however, is not fully understood. This study shows that these interactions aid in increasing the membrane potential of cardiomyocytes allowing contraction of the cells. HL-1 cardiomyocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages in coculture increased expression of connexin-43 compared to cardiomyocytes alone. Co-cultures also increased the fluorescence of Di-8-ANEPPS potentiometric dye indicating an increase in cardiomyocyte membrane potential. Treatment with IL-10 and TGF-beta further increased connexin-43 expression and membrane potential. Treatment with SOCS3 inhibited the effects of TGF-beta and IL-10 while having no effect on its own. …

Investigating Streptococcus Pneumoniae And Adenovirus Co-Infections Of Lung Epithelial Cells, Mark Nicholas Calabro

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Co-infection is common among viruses and bacteria in the human respiratory system. Adenovirus (AdV) and Streptococcus pneumoniae are clinically relevant respiratory pathogens that cause morbidity and mortality in a variety of patient populations with the highest morbidity occurring among immunocompromised individuals, but also prevalent in infants and the elderly. Acute respiratory distress syndrome may become severe in healthy individuals when co-infection with S. pneumoniae and AdV occurs due to synergistic effects of the pathogens on the host. I hypothesized that S. pneumoniae infection decreases AdV transduction of airway epithelia. To test this hypothesis, we utilized the polarized immortalized airway epithelial …

Comparing Capabilities Of Shewanella Oneidensis Mr-1 And The Microbial Community Of Iron Caves To Reduce Fe(Iii), Aaron Douglas Pham

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Caves are generally formed by the erosion and/or dissolution of rock and its subsequent removal by water. Iron ore caves (IOCs) form despite being hosted by relatively insoluble and weathering-resistant rock. Due to the discovery of a microbial community behind the walls of these caves, it was hypothesized that these bacteria could be responsible for speleogenesis. Iron ore exists in an oxidized (Fe(III)) state, but reduced (Fe(II)) form is soluble. It was further reasoned that the bacteria might be able to reduce Fe(III) through direct metabolic activity, which uses iron as an electron acceptor. Here we show that cave microorganisms …

Ngs Rna-Seq Reveals Bromovirus Encapsidate Native And Recombinant Viral Rnas, As Well As Cellular Rnas From The Host, Nipin Shrestha

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Brome mosaic virus (BMV), Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV), and Broad bean mottle virus (BBMV), the members of the genus Bromovirus, are the experimental model viruses in this dissertation research. Packaging of the RNA genome by the viruses is known to be highly selective and specific for the viral RNA but, not 100% accurate. There is evidence that the viruses specifically or accidentally encapsidate viral RNA variants and host (cellular) RNAs. The scope of this dissertation is to identify different types of RNAs that can be packaged by viruses along with the viral RNAs of parental origin.BMV, CCMV, and BBMV …

Entry And Replication Of Negative-Strand Rna Viruses, Kerri Boggs

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Hendra virus (HeV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) are negative-sense, singled-stranded RNA viruses. The paramyxovirus HeV is classified as a biosafety level 4 pathogen due to its high fatality rate and the lack of a human vaccine or antiviral treatment. HMPV is a widespread pneumovirus that causes respiratory tract infections which are particularly dangerous for young children, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly. Like HeV, no vaccines or therapies are available to combat HMPV infections. These viruses fuse their lipid envelopes with a cell to initiate infection. Blocking cell entry is a promising approach for antiviral development, and many vaccines are designed …

Substrate Trafficking Within The Type Vii Secretion Systems Of Pathogenic Mycobacteria, Zachary A. Williamson

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Tuberculosis (TB), primarily caused by infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the lungs, is the deadliest infectious bacterial disease killing 1.5 million people annually. A major determinant of virulence is active secretion through three specialized type VII secretion (ESX) systems; ESX-1, ESX-3, and ESX-5. A large group of substrates exported by the ESX systems is the PE (Proline-Glutamine) and PPE (Proline-Proline-Glutamate) families of proteins, which are highly expanded in the pathogenic species of Mycobacteria and encompass over 7% of Mtb’s genome coding capacity. PE and PPE proteins interact together to form PE-PPE heterodimers, and are secreted through …