Microbiology Commons^™

Ictv Virus Taxonomy Profile: Chrysoviridae, Said A. Ghabrial, José R. Castón, Robert H. A. Coutts, Bradley I. Hillman, Daohong Jiang, Dae-Hyun Kim, Hiromitsu Moriyama, Ictv Report Consortium

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

The Chrysoviridae is a family of small, isometric, non-enveloped viruses (40 nm in diameter) with segmented dsRNA genomes (typically four segments). The genome segments are individually encapsidated and together comprise 11.5–12.8 kbp. The single genus Chrysovirus includes nine species. Chrysoviruses lack an extracellular phase to their life cycle; they are transmitted via intracellular routes within an individual during hyphal growth, in asexual or sexual spores, or between individuals via hyphal anastomosis. There are no known natural vectors for chrysoviruses. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the taxonomy of the Chrysoviridae, which …

Ictv Virus Taxonomy Profile: Partitiviridae, Eeva J. Vainio, Sotaro Chiba, Said A. Ghabrial, Edgar Maiss, Marilyn Roossinck, Sead Sabanadzovic, Nobuhiro Suzuki, Jiatao Xie, Max Nibert, Ictv Report Consortium

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

The Partitiviridae is a family of small, isometric, non-enveloped viruses with bisegmented double-stranded (ds) RNA genomes of 3–4.8 kbp. The two genome segments are individually encapsidated. The family has five genera, with characteristic hosts for members of each genus: either plants or fungi for genera Alphapartitivirus and Betapartitivirus, fungi for genus Gammapartitivirus, plants for genus Deltapartitivirus and protozoa for genus Cryspovirus. Partitiviruses are transmitted intracellularly via seeds (plants), oocysts (protozoa) or hyphal anastomosis, cell division and sporogenesis (fungi); there are no known natural vectors. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) …

Haloferax Volcanii For Carotenoid Production, Erika Smith

Honors Theses

Carotenoids are used as natural colorants and have been shown to have numerous health benefits, making these molecules highly desirable in the aquaculture, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical markets. There is increasing consumer demand for the natural synthesis of carotenoids, but current methods are limited by the cost and difficulty of extraction from organisms. The halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii is amenable to extraction and has an endogenous carotenoid biosynthetic pathway that culminates in the accumulation of the carotenoid bacterioruberin; however, H. volcanii also synthesizes important precursors that can be converted into more highly-desired carotenoids, such as β-carotene and astaxanthin, in the presence …

The Effects Of Nutrient Limitation On Toxin Production For The Harmful Algal Bloom Species, Pseudo-Nitzschia, In The Gulf Of Maine, Julia M. Park

Honors Theses

Pseudo-nitzschia is a pennate marine diatom that produces the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA). Domoic acid accumulates in the digestive tract of filter feeders and becomes concentrated at higher trophic levels. When DA concentrations reach critical levels, consumption of toxic shellfish can induce a condition known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), which has been responsible for the deaths of marine mammals, seabirds and humans. This study worked to respond to a toxic Pseudo-nitzschia bloom in the Gulf of Maine during the fall of 2016, with the goal of quantifying and identifying Pseudo-nitzschia spp. in the bloom region and to determine the …

Biotransformation Of Oxo-Bile Acids Derivatives By Human Gut Bacteria, Laina Sallam

Masters Theses

Bile acids are one group of steroids that can be metabolically transformed by human gut anaerobes. One of these transformations is the conversion of primary bile acids to secondary bile acids by 7α-dehydroxylating gut bacteria such as Clostridium scindens, Clostridium hylemonae, and Clostridium hiranonis. These anaerobes metabolize bile acid derivatives via 3α- and 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSDH). Studies to date have not reported if these organisms are capable of converting 12-oxolithocholic acid (12-oxoLCA) to deoxycholic acid (DCA). The emphasis of this study was to determine the ability of C. scindens ATCC 35704, C. hiranonis DSM 13275, and C. …

Distiphallus Morphology And Its Role In Copulation Dynamics In Anastrepha Suspensa (Loew), Taylor J. Inboden

Masters Theses

Anastrepha suspensa (Diptera; Tephritidae) is an agricultural pest species causing severe economic damage and is controlled, in part, by applying knowledge of this species' reproduction (e.g., disrupting fertile copulations by SIT). During copulation, males transfer sperm as well as protein rich fluids through an aedeagus and distiphallus, which females then store in three spermathecae and one ventral receptacle. Within the female reproductive tract, the ventral receptacle and the three spermathecae are strategically separated from each other. I hypothesized males' ability to direct sperm transfer within the female reproductive tract is through the structures found in the distiphallus. Utilizing scanning electron …

Assessment Of A Predicted Diguanylate Cyclase In Treponema Denticola, Dhara T. Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a progressive inflammatory condition that is characterized by the reabsorption of alveolar bone, the destruction of connective tissue, and edentulism. It is caused by a dysbiosis in the oral microbiome as a result of a shift from a Gram-positive aerobic bacterial population, to one that becomes more Gram-negative and anaerobic. Treponema denticola is thought to drive this diseased state based on its role as a keystone periopathogen. A major component of T.denticola’s invasiveness is its motility, which allows the spirochete to penetrate and disseminate through tissues. This motility, which has been seen to be crucial to …

Abundance Of Methanosaeta Concilii-Like Species In The Sediment Of Ledbetter Creek Embayment Of Kentucky Lake, Juanita Von Dwingelo

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Reservoirs, including Kentucky Lake, are unique in that they do not follow a natural cycle of rising during the rainy seasons and dropping during the dry summers. The lake is manipulated, mainly for flood control and transportation, so that the water level is increased during the summer months and decreased during the winter months. This manipulation leaves the littoral sediment of the lake submerged in the summer and exposed in the winter. The seasonal water level, along with other factors, like farming practices in the watershed, contributes to the availability of nutrients for organisms inhabiting the sediment of the lake. …

Role Of Bovine Ileal Sub-Epithelial Myofibroblasts And Epithelial Cells In Innate Immunity, Tirth Uprety

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gastro-intestinal (GI) tract harbors largest number of microbiota as well as the largest number of immune cells for a given tissue. The host needs to mount an effective immune response against invading pathogens and tolerance against commensals. Thus, regulatory mechanism and barrier function of the GI tract are of utmost importance for appropriate host microbe interaction and gut homeostasis. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) act as the first line of defense against invading pathogens. IECs recognize pathogens and commensals and mount an effective innate immune response. Such recognition of pathogens is mediated through germ line encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Intestinal …

The Role Of Genomic Versatility In Multi-Niche Preferences Of Escherichia Coli, Gitanjali Nandakafle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Escherichia coli strains are naturally present as either commensals or pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals and some other vertebrates. Until recently, it was assumed that E. coli are solely associated with the gut and are unable to survive outside of a host for a long period of time, the basis of its use as an indicator organism. Recent reports suggest that E. coli can become naturalized to several tropical, subtropical or temperate soils and aquatic environments, where they have been isolated repeatedly. Several studies have shown that these strains are capable of surviving and proliferating in the environment …

Investigating Antibiotic Resistance In Urban Agricultural Environment Using Phenotypic, Genomic, And Metagenomic Tools, Abdullah Ibn Mafiz

Wayne State University Dissertations

Urban agricultural environment can be an important reservoir of antibiotic resistance and have great food safety and public health indications. This study was to investigate antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in urban agricultural environment using phenotypic, whole genome sequencing, and metagenomic tools. Three urban community gardens from metro Detroit were studied in two phases.

First phase of this study recovered a total of 207 soil bacteria from 41 soil samples collected from an urban agricultural garden. The most prevalent antibiotic resistance phenotypes demonstrated by Gram-negative bacteria was the resistance to ampicillin (94.2%), followed by chloramphenicol (80.0%), cefoxitin (79.5%), gentamicin …

The Effect Of Short-Term Supplementation Of Potato Starch And Vsl#3 On The Large Intestines Of Male C57bl/6 Mice, Kaitlyn R. Merz

Wayne State University Theses

The microbiome is extremely complex and presumed to be involved in several biological processes. Dysbiosis is associated with development of several diseases, therefore, eubiosis is essential for prevention and treatment, possibly achieved through prebiotic or probiotic supplementation. The objective of this study was to establish effects of short-term supplementation on large intestine microbiota, pH and inflammatory cytokines. Large intestines of 21 day old C57BL/6 male mice that were given a control diet or supplemented with 10% potato starch or VSL#3 short-term, were analyzed for shifts in bacteria, pH, and inflammatory cytokine concentration. Large intestine digesta bacteria concentration differed from feces …

Steroid-Coa Ligases, Fadd17a1 And Fadd19a1, And Their Role In Cholesterol Side-Chain Degradation In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Johnathan Salim Abou-Fadel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a serious health issue arising from the increasing incidence of multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) strains that are becoming more prevalent in high-risk countries, especially here in the Texas/Mexico border. Confirmed cases and outbreaks in schools and hospitals are more frequent in this region due to the high-volume pedestrian traffic between the two cities, and the lack of a modernized health system in Mexico. Identification of new Mtb metabolic pathways for development of novel antitubercular drugs is urgently needed. The goal of this current work investigates two Mtb fatty acyl-CoA ligase enzymes' (FadD17A1 and FadD19A1) to explore whether …

Characterizing The Roles Of Staphylococcus Aureus Secreted Factors In Virulence And Modulation Of Innate Immune Cell Activity, Cameron Harvey

Master's Theses

Staphylococcus aureus is a prominent human pathogen that is responsible for a massive burden on healthcare. This thesis takes two approaches to characterize how S. aureus secreted factors subvert the innate immune response. First, characterization of the integral membrane protease 1984 showed that it regulates secretion of a putative lytic transglycosylase, IsaA, which is implicated in virulence. My results suggest IsaA and 1984 are capable of modulating immune responses that result in enhanced heart colonization in vivo. In addition, recent studies have uncovered TLR-independent pathways that induce inflammatory responses after S. aureus insult. Therefore, I hypothesized the bacterium secretes factors …

Exploring The Short-Term Effects Of Probiotic And Prebiotic Supplementation On The Microbiota And Physiology Of Male C57bl/6 Mice, Miguel Angel Rivas

Wayne State University Theses

The gut microbiome may play a role in the development of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Diets including prebiotics or probiotics can alter the abundance of gut bacterial groups and have subsequent health effects. In this study we wanted to establish a method for comparing the benefits of commercial supplements that alter the microbiota by monitoring fecal microbial profiles in male C57BL/6 mice (n = 24) exposed to 15 days of dietary supplementation. A probiotic diet (VSL#3) and a prebiotic diet (potato starch) were compared to a standard diet (n = 8 for each group). Microbial profiles …

Coordination Of Different Ligands To Copper(Ii) And Cobalt(Iii) Metal Centers Enhances Zika Virus And Dengue Virus Loads In Both Arthropod Cells And Human Keratinocytes, Shovan Dutta, Michael J. Celestine, Supreet Khanal, Alexis Huddleston, Colin Simms, Jessa Faye Arca, Amlam Mitra, Loree Heller, Piotr Kraj, Michael Ledizet, John F. Anderson, Girish Neelakanta, Alvin A. Holder, Hameeda Sultana

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Trace elements such as copper and cobalt have been associated with virus-host interactions. However, studies to show the effect of conjugation of copper(II) or cobalt(III) metal centers to thiosemicarbazone ligand(s) derived from either food additives or mosquito repellent such as 2-acetylethiazole or citral, respectively, on Zika virus (ZIKV) or dengue virus (serotype 2; DENV2) infections have not been explored. In this study, we show that four compounds comprising of thiosemicarbazone ligand derived from 2-acetylethiazole viz., (E)-N-ethyl-2-[1-(thiazol-2-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide (acetylethTSC) (compound 1), a copper(II) complex with acetylethTSC as a ligand (compound 2), a thiosemicarbazone ligand-derived from citral (compound 3) and a cobalt(III) complex …

Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Signaling In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis : New Insights Into A Universal Second Messenger, Richard Mcpherson Johnson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Despite being the focus of intense research for many years Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), remains the deadliest bacterial pathogen plaguing mankind today. Humans are the sole host and reservoir for Mtb, and Mtb has coevolved closely with its human host for thousands of years. Mtb currently infects over two billion people worldwide and over 1.5 million people die from TB each year, arguably making Mtb the most successful bacterial pathogen on the planet.

Investigation Of The Ms2 Bacteriophage Capsid As An Mri-Capable, Brain-Targeted Nanoparticle Platform, Stephanie M. Curley

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Novel methods are needed to traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and deliver drugs to specific targets in the brain. To this end, MS2 bacteriophage was explored as a multifunctional transport and targeting vector. The MS2 capsid exterior was modified with two different targeting moieties for delivery across the BBB and targeting specific regions of interest in the brain. Successful modification of MS2 capsids with a brain targeting peptide and NMDAR2D-targeting antibody was confirmed by immunoblotting and fluorescence detection. To measure transport efficiency of MS2 particles across an in vitro BBB model, a highly sensitive RT-qPCR protocol was developed and implemented. …

Non-Naturally Occurring Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus (Prrsv) And Methods Of Using, Hiep Lai Xuan Vu, Fernando Osorio, William W. Laegreid, Asit K. Pattnaik, Fangrui Ma

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

A non-naturally occurring porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is provided herein, and methods of making and using the non-naturally occurring PRRSV also are provided.

Surveillance Of South Dakota Mosquito Abundance, Infection Rate, And Insecticide Susceptibility, Geoffrey P. Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation was to survey and evaluate the abundance, infection rate, and insecticide susceptibility of mosquito fauna present in South Dakota. Mosquito surveillance has been conducted across South Dakota to record and track potential West Nile virus (WNV) vectors from 2004 to 2017. The nuisance mosquito Aedes vexans was found to be the most abundant species overall in the state and most abundant in many of the regions. The WNV vector, Culex tarsalis, was found to be the second most abundant mosquito and the most abundant vector mosquito across the state. However, geospatial variation did exist between …

Dissecting Rna Silencing Pathways In Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum, Pauline Mochama

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

RNA silencing, also known as RNA interference, is an essential mechanism in plants, animals and fungi that functions in gene regulation and defense against foreign nucleic acids. In fungi, RNA silencing has been shown to function primarily in defense against invasive nucleic acids. RNA-silencing- deficient fungi show increased susceptibility to virus infection. Plant pathogenic fungi also utilize RNA silencing to silence plant host immunity genes through the delivery of fungal small RNAs into plants. This cross-kingdom RNA silencing facilitates fungal infection of plants. Overall, these findings demonstrate the significant contributions of fungal RNA silencing pathways to fungal virulence and viral …

Replication, Virulence, And Pathogenesis Of Influenza Viruses, Chithra Chembil Sreenivasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Influenza D virus (IDV) is a novel influenza virus that infects cattle and swine, with cattle as its primary host species. The goal of our first study was to investigate the replication and transmission of bovine IDV in guinea pigs. Following direct intranasal inoculation of animals, the virus was detected in nasal washes of infected animals during the first 7 days post-infection. High viral titers were obtained from nasal turbinates and lung tissues of directly inoculated animals. Further, bovine IDV was able to transmit from the infected guinea pigs to sentinel animals by means of contact and not by aerosol …

Immunization By Radiotherapy: Enhancing An Immune-Mediated Abscopal Effect, Amy Steffen

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Radiotherapy aims to destroy tumors by inducing DNA damage in their cells at the local irradiation site. Its immune-mediated systemic effects, called abscopal effect, has shown to enhance anti-tumor immunity when combined with immune therapies and thus, have gained attention by researchers and clinicians to investigate. Below is a summary of the fundamentals of cancer and the immune system’s response to it, as well as the changes in the phenotype and microenvironment of tumor cells after exposure to radiation. Impacts of the abscopal effect and the induction of effective antitumor immunity with various immune therapy strategies will be outlined. The …

Increasing The Clinical Efficacy Of Radiotherapeutics For Solid Tumors By Inhibition Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1a, Austin Levi Walz

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Radiotherapy is commonly used in a variety of tumor types and is effective in control of long term progression and may be curative under certain circumstances. Radiotherapeutics have been shown to be the single most effective therapeutic for cancer and only account for 5% of the total cost. However, treatment of cells with radiation causes the tumor microenvironment to undergo changes and leads to cycles of hypoxia inside the tumor which allows for the cell to undergo angiogenesis, metastasize and may lead to repopulation of the tumor. Current systemic chemotherapeutics typically have an additive toxicity due to the unintended targeting …

A Review Of Multiple Sclerosis Treatments: Interferon Beta, Glatiramer Acetate, Fingolimod, And Natalizumab, Ryan Golden

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system works to demyelinate the myelin sheaths in the central nervous system. The beginning of the review will concentrate on the history of MS while also describing how MS, the disease, differs from that of normal immune responses. The review then shifts to the four different stages of MS and how to differentiate between the stages, since the treatment options are often dependent on the stage of MS that the patient is in. The main focus of this review is to take an in depth look on …

A Biological Review Of Mental Illness: An Overview Of Genetics And Pathophysiology Of Schizophrenia, Major Depression, And Addiction, Christopher R. Angerhofer

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Novel approaches in understanding mental illness present solutions to current issues in treatment and diagnosis. With advancements in genetics and neurology, the etiology and pathophysiology of mental illness is slowly unwrapping. In discovering biomarkers for depression, addiction, and schizophrenia, the precision for preventing, diagnosing, and treating these disorders increases. The aim of this paper is to review current research for addiction, major depression, and schizophrenia in genetics and physiology, while also clarifying the need for reclassifying mental illness as diseases with a pathophysiological basis, not syndromal, idiopathic disorders. Mental illness is dynamic in that it encompasses both environmental and biological …

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries And Cte: A Review Highlighting The Connection Between The Two, Leandre Kennedy

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a traumatic brain injury based disease that is garnering a lot of attention in the United States. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an extensive review of the information available about the condition. Recently there has been a limited amount of published information and treatment opportunities are rare since the only way of diagnosing has come post mortem. Various literary reviews and experiments were analyzed for appropriate information regarding CTE’s pathology and treatments and only peer reviewed published works were allowed in this paper. This resulted in promising information about the disease and …

The Response Of Unpolarized Macrophages (Raw 264.7)/Keratinocytes (Pam-212) Monolayer And Co-Culture System To Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (Hsv-1) Replication During The Infection., Fahad Mohammed Alradi

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Keratinocytes and neurons cells are the main target for Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) invasion. Moreover, keratinocytes are the most abundant cell types in the epidermis layer in the skin. Therefore, they are the first cells to encounter HSV-1 in the primary infection. Next, the virus reaches the nerve endings and is transferred to neuronal cells as a result from the primary infection. In between these two events, innate immune cells including monocytes and macrophages response is activated and recruited to the infection site. In this study, keratinocytes (PAM-212) and murine macrophage (RAW 264.7) cell lines were utilized to …

Virus Production And Cell Viability Of Hsv-1-Infected Murine Keratinocytes (Hel-30) Co-Cultured With Murine Macrophages (Raw 264.7), Barry Graffagna

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Keratinocytes are the most abundant type of cell in the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, and provide barrier against pathogens from invading. However, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) targets these keratinocytes for infection, and later infects neurons to establish lifelong latency. The keratinocytes stimulate the innate immune system to engage and to destroy the virus. Among the cells of the innate immune system to respond to the viral invasion is the macrophage. In this study, RAW 264.7 macrophage and HEL-30 keratinocyte monolayers were challenged in vitro with HSV-1 at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1 to investigate …

Marine Bioactives From Saccharina Latissima, Orlaith O'Connell

Masters

Due to rapid global urbanization and therefore increased adoption of a 'Westernized' lifestyle, including decreased physical activity and increased consumption of highly processed and refined foods with a high sugar, fat and salt content, prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders are on the rise. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in particular is closely associated with this type of lifestyle. IBD is a term used to describe chronic inflammatory conditions which affects all or parts of the gastrointestinal tract. It includes conditions such as Crohn's Disease, which affects all the gastrointestinal tract and Ulcerative Colitis which mainly affects the colan. Due to the role …