Microbiology Commons^™

The Chemotherapeutic Potential Of Resveratrol-Based Treatments, Connor Peck, Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly diseases in the world. In 2012 alone, there were approximately 14 million new cases of cancer and over 8 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite extensive research in past decades, the burden of cancer continues to increase.

One of the most common treatments for cancer is chemotherapy, the use of various chemical substances that exhibit anti-cancer activity. Unfortunately, chemotherapy can be quite toxic and often produces inadequate results. There remains a great need for improved chemotherapeutic treatment strategies in order to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

The purpose of my project was …

Effect Of High Expression Of Irf5 On B Cell Activation After Antigen Stimulation, Kalarelyn Eberting, Brian Poole

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While autoimmune diseases are very prevalent in the United States, little is understood about the cause of autoimmunity, making it difficult to take preventative measures and develop treatments. Previous studies have determined that a common genetic risk factor across many autoimmune diseases leads to B cell overexpression of the transcription factor IRF5 (1,2,4). Researchers have also discovered that high IRF5 levels are strongly associated with autoantibody production, suggesting that IRF5 may play a role in actually causing autoimmunity. At this point, however, it is unclear how IRF5 promotes the production of autoantibodies.

Wolbachia-Host Interactions And The Implications To Insect Conservation And Management, Amy Michelle Truitt

Dissertations and Theses

Parasitic reproductive endosymbionts are emerging as formidable threats to insect biodiversity. Wolbachia are prevalent maternally inherited intra-cellular bacteria found in >50% of arthropod species. These symbiotic bacteria interact with their hosts in diverse ways, most often they alter host reproduction causing four conditions that all selectively favor infected females: feminization, male killing, parthenogenesis, and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Furthermore, depending on strain-type and host genetic background, Wolbachia are known to affect insect behavior, expand or shift host thermal tolerance ranges, and confer anti-viral protection to their hosts. Because Wolbachia both reside in and are transmitted with host cell cytoplasm, mitochondria and …

Cellular Mechanism Of Thymidine Kinase 1 Secretion, Wei Meng, Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths. Studies have shown that the early detection of cancer leads to better patient prognosis and a greater five-year survival rate. [1] Diagnostic and prognostic markers play a key role in classifying tumors and determining the best treatment plan for a patient. Among these biomarkers, Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) has been studied extensively, primarily as a diagnostic biomarker for a variety of cancer types. TK1 plays a role in regulating the intracellular thymidine pools throughout the cell cycle, and thus regulates …

Phenome-Wide Association Study Of Y Chromosome Genetic Markers, Matthew Durrant, Mary Davis

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to analyze genetic variants on the Y chromosome for significant association with various diseases. In Dr. Mary Davis’ lab we gained access to a unique data set that allows us to analyze many single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the Y chromosome. This was a hypothesis-generating study that has the potential to revolutionize the currently accepted hypothesis that genetic variants on the Y chromosome do not play a significant role in common disease.

Expression Changes Of Dopamine Type 2 Receptor On The Surface Of Human Monocytes And Lymphocytes After Exposure To Dopamine In Vitro., Brandon Thomas Garcia, Sandra Hope, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dopamine (DA) is a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a role in several functions such as reward, motivation, and dependence. The imbalance of DA in the central nervous system (CNS) can lead to several debilitating diseases like Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and Schizophrenia as well as drug dependence. Levels of DA in the brain are often determined by measuring the expression of Dopamine type 2 (D2) receptors by positron emission topography (PET) scans in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc). This test which is often expensive and unavailable to many people without access to hospitals or regular healthcare.

Development Of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells To Target Cancer, Justin Crandall, Dr. Scott Weber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cancer negatively affects the lives of millions of individuals, and remains a difficult ailment to treat. In 2014, approximately 585,720 deaths and 1,665,540 new cases of cancer were reported in the USA alone.1 Treatment of cancer is challenging due to cancer mutating to combat the body’s immune system. An example is shown in major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) located on the surface of nearly every cell. These are patrolled by T cells to ensure that cells are properly functioning and healthy. With cancer however, these become downregulated allowing the cancer to grow and proliferate since T cells are unable to detect …

Development Of A Model For Adult T Cell Leukemia In Htlv-1 Infected Humanized Mice, Matthew Smith, Dr. Brad Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Millions of people in the world are infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1). As the name states, this virus attacks the T cells of the infected organism. Though many of these individuals will remain asymptomatic throughout life, a small percentage will develop adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), a rare and understudied form of cancer. The latency period, or amount of time between infection and detection of cancer, is generally 20-40 years before infected patients begin developing cancer.

Creation Of Twelve Member Plasmid Library For Promoter Swapping To Control Chromosomal Gene Expression In E. Coli, Chris Nielson, William R. Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Metabolic engineering is becoming a very important area of research, allowing researchers to harness metabolic pathways to either eliminate or synthesize desired compounds. Understanding metabolic pathways by altering expression of proteins involved in the pathway helps to uncover thermodynamic bottlenecks which render certain pathways inefficient or infeasible. Altering expression of genes through the use of promoter swapping is a useful research technique used to understand important metabolic and physiologic pathways. Engineered promoters contained in plasmids can be inserted into chromosomal DNA through the utilization of promoter swapping to alter the expression of a given gene in order to better understand …

The Role Of Dietary Highly Unsaturated N-3 Fatty Acids In Northern Quahogs, Mercenaria Mercenaria, Through Decreasing Temperature, Sixto E. Portilla

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The series of investigations described in this thesis were designed to assess the effect of diet on mortality through decreasing temperature in two genetic varieties of M. mercenaria important to the natural environment and the aquaculture industry: “wild” from natural stocks and “notata” selected for fast growth. Data from these novel investigations demonstrate a temperature specific sensitivity to each dietary component designating 20:5n-3 as homeoviscously favorable in the upper thermal range above 12°C, and 22:6n-3 as favorable in the lower. Statistical analyses of variance demonstrate distinct cumulative mortalities among the 5 dietary treatments (P < 0.05) for each genetic variety at each thermal range, upper (>12°C) and lower (2 = 0.9326 …

Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticle For Detection Of Fungi And Human Cutaneous Fungal Infections, Tobiloba Sojinrin, Kangze Liu, Joao Conde, Hugh Byrne, James Curtin, Daxiang Cui, Furong Tian

Articles

Fungi, which are common in the environment, can cause a multitude of diseases. Warm, humid conditions allow fungi to grow and infect humans via the respiratory, digestive and reproductive tracts, genital area and other bodily interfaces. Fungi can be detected directly by microscopy, using the potassium hydroxide (KOH) test, which is the gold standard and most popular method for fungal screening. However, this test requires trained personnel operating specialist equipment, including a fluorescent microscope and culture facilities. As most acutely infected patients seek medical attention within the first few days of symptoms, the optimal diagnostic test would be rapid and …

Thymidine Kinase 1: The Key To Predicting Cancer Recurrence, Rachel Brog, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Currently it is estimated that over 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the United States alone. Although treatments are improving, an alarming number of these cases will show cancer recurrence after treatment. A method to consistently predict cancer recurrence is crucial to better treat cancer and improve patient care. Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) has been found in abnormally high levels in serum and tissue of cancer patients compared to healthy patients. There is question to why TK1 is present in such high quantities when normally it aids in the DNA salvage pathway during S phase …

Molecular Assisted Identification Reveals Hidden Red Algae Diversity From The Burica Peninsula, Pacific Panama, David Wilson Freshwater, Jennifer N. Idol, Seth L. Parham, Cindy Fernández-García, Noemi León, Paul W. Gabrielson, Brian Wysor

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The marine flora of Panama harbors a rich diversity of green, red and brown algae, and despite chronic understudy, it is reported as the second most diverse marine flora along the Pacific Central American coast, with 174 macroalgal species. Extensive new collections and molecular assisted identification (MAI) by an international team of researchers has revealed an even greater diversity for this country. Here, the intertidal and shallow subtidal marine flora of the remote Burica Peninsula is introduced. This area is characterized by an uplifted extensive intertidal flat composed of firm, sedimentary benthos known as mudrock, on which abundant algal communities …

The 'Pseudomonas Aeruginosa' Psl Polysaccharide Is A Social But Noncheatable Trait In Biofilms, Yasuhiko Irie, Aled E. Roberts, Kasper N. Kragh, Vernita D. Gordon, Jaime B. Hutchison, Rosalind J. Allen, Gavin Melaugh, Thomas Bjarnsholt, Stuart A. West, Stephen P. Diggle

Biology Faculty Publications

Extracellular polysaccharides are compounds secreted by microorganisms into the surrounding environment, and they are important for surface attachment and maintaining structural integrity within biofilms. The social nature of many extracellular polysaccharides remains unclear, and it has been suggested that they could function as either cooperative public goods or as traits that provide a competitive advantage. Here, we empirically tested the cooperative nature of the PSL polysaccharide, which is crucial for the formation of biofilms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We show that (i) PSL is not metabolically costly to produce; (ii) PSL provides populationlevel benefits in biofilms, for both growth and antibiotic …

Genome Sequence Variation In The Constricta Strain Dramatically Alters The Protein Interaction And Localization Map Of Potato Yellow Dwarf Virus, Chanyong Jang, Renyuan Wang, Joseph Wells, Fabian Leon, Mark Farman, John Hammond, Michael M. Goodin

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

The genome sequence of the constricta strain of Potato yellow dwarf virus (CYDV) was determined to be 12 792 nt long and organized into seven ORFs with the gene order 3′-N-X-P-Y-M-G-L-5′, which encodes the nucleocapsid, phospho, movement, matrix, glyco, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase proteins, respectively, except for X, which is of unknown function. Cloned ORFs for each gene, except L, were used to construct a protein interaction and localization map (PILM) for this virus, which shares greater than 80 % amino acid similarity in all ORFs except X and P with the sanguinolenta strain of this species (SYDV). Protein localization …

The Effects Of Nucleosome Positioning And Chromatin Architecture On Transgene Expression, Colton E. Kempton

Theses and Dissertations

Eukaryotes use proteins to carefully package and compact their genomes to fit into the nuclei of their individual cells. Nucleosomes are the primary level of compaction. Nucleosomes are formed when DNA wraps around an octamer of histone proteins and a nucleosome's position can limit access to genetic regulatory elements. Therefore, nucleosomes represent a basic level of gene regulation. DNA and its associated proteins, called chromatin, is usually classified as euchromatin or heterochromatin. Euchromatin is transcriptionally active with loosely packed nucleosomes while heterochromatin is condensed with tightly packed nucleosomes and is transcriptionally silent. In order to become active, heterochromatin must first …

Comparison Of Cytokine Expression And Bacterial Growth During Periparturient And Mid Lactation Mastitis In A Mouse Model, Rhonda Nicole Chronis

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical cases of bovine mastitis are most severe in the early stages of lactation. The causes of this increased propensity for severe mastitis during early lactation, compared to mid and late lactation are unclear. In order to better understand the early lactation immune response to mastitis, a murine model of mastitis was employed. Intramammary inoculation of a mastitis causing Escherichia coli strain was performed in lactating mice at various stages of lactation to model the immune response seen in cows during lactation. In our experiments, mice in the early stages of lactation exhibited altered mRNA expression of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, …

Characterization Of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors And Their Positive Allosteric Modulators, Doris Clark Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that are necessary in memory and cognition. They are pentameric and consist of α and β subunits. They are most commonly heteromeric but, can sometimes be homomeric. nAChRs are activated by many ligands including nicotine (exogenous) and acetylcholine (endogenous).nAChRs are located on hippocampal interneurons. The interneurons, although sparse, control the synchronous firing of the pyramidal cells. However, the hippocampal interneuron structure and function is quite diverse and not fully characterized. Therefore, we sought to quantify nAChR subunit mRNA levels using real-time PCR of CA1 hippocampal interneurons.Surprisingly we found that the α3 …

Serious Fungal Infections In Pakistan, Kauser Jabeen, Joveria Farooqi, Sajjad Mirza, D Denning, Afia Zafar

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The true burden of fungal infection in Pakistan is unknown. High-risk populations for fungal infections [tuberculosis (TB), diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, asthma, cancer, transplant and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection] are numerous. Here, we estimate the burden of fungal infections to highlight their public health significance. Whole and at-risk population estimates were obtained from the WHO (TB), BREATHE study (COPD), UNAIDS (HIV), GLOBOCAN (cancer) and Heartfile (diabetes). Published data from Pakistan reporting fungal infections rates in general and specific populations were reviewed and used when applicable. Estimates were made for the whole population or specific populations at risk, as previously …

Pas Signaling Mechanisms In Aer And Aer2, Darysbel Garcia

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

PAS domains are widespread signal sensors that share a conserved three-dimensional αβ fold that consists of a central β-sheet flanked by several α- helices. The aerotaxis receptor Aer from Escherichia coli and the Aer2 chemoreceptor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa both contain PAS domains. Aer senses oxygen (O2) indirectly via an FAD cofactor bound to its PAS domain, while Aer2 directly binds O2 to its PAS b-type heme cofactor. The Aer and Aer2 PAS domains both interact with a signal transduction domain known as a HAMP domain. The PAS-HAMP arrangement differs between Aer and Aer2, with Aer- PAS residing adjacent to its …

The Role Of Pas Kinase And Cbf1 In Cellular Metabolism, Jenny Adele Pattison, Julianne H. Grose

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The most recent National Institute of Health report concludes that 68.8% of American adults are considered to be overweight or obese1. With this trend in obesity, metabolic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are on the rise. The critical yet basic function of cellular homeostasis is a central component in controlling these diseases. Sensory protein kinases are essential in the phosphorylation of many protein substrates, allowing them to control several metabolic functions and appropriately allocate glucose, maintaining homeostasis in cells. PAS kinase is a sensory protein kinase that is highly conserved and plays a crucial role in …

Bacteriophages As A Biocontrol Agent Of Soft Rot In Potatoes, Trevor Hodson, Don Breakwell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Pectobacterium carotovorum (Pcc) is a principle causative agent of soft rot in potatoes. It causes losses of up to 60% in potato yields in the USA (Mantsebo et. Al, 2014) and approximately $50-$100 million dollars’ worth of losses yearly in multiple types of crops. Because potatoes grow beneath the soil surface, there is no way of treating the potatoes until they are harvested. Even then, no postharvest methods of controlling this pathogen exist (Wood et. Al, 2013). A spray-able bacteriophage cocktail specific to Pcc could save millions of dollars-worth of crops each year by minimizing soft rot.

Seroprevalence Of Antibodies Against Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Among Hiv-Negative People In China, Tiejun Zhang, Zhenqiu Liu, Jun Wang, Veenu Minhas, Charles Wood, Gary M. Clifford, Na He, Silvia Franceschi

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background: Little information on the prevalence of Kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) among HIV-negative individuals is available from Asia.

Methods: In the present study, we report findings from a new survey of KSHV in 983 HIV-negative male migrants from Shanghai and their combination with previous similar surveys of 600 female migrants, 600 female sex-workers (FSW), 1336 sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic male patients, 439 intravenous drug-users (IVDU), and 226 men having sex with men (MSM) from China. KSHV-specific antibodies against latent and lytic antigens were assessed using Sf9 and BC3 monoclonal immunofluorescence assay. Age-adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence …

A Phenome Wide Association Study Of Multiple Sclerosis And Comorbidities, Scott Frodsham, Mary Davis

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified relationships between many different genes and diseases. GWAS studies scan whole genomes of many individuals and then associate genetic variants with diseases that the individuals have. In contrast, a phenome wide association study (PheWAS), looks at the phenotypes of many individuals and associates those phenotypes with one or more genetic variants. Electronic medical records (EMRs) linked to DNA biobanks provide both clinical and genetic data of patients. This study utilizes one such EMRlinked DNA biobank called BioVU from Vanderbilt University.

Development Of An Animal Model In Which To Study Hiv-2, Taalin Rasmussen, Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks and destroys the cells of the immune system necessary to mounting an effective immune response to successfully fight off infection. Unchecked, an HIV infection leads to a gradual deterioration of the immune system, giving rise to many opportunistic infections not normally seen in people with a functioning immune system. There are two subtypes of HIV: HIV-1, which accounts for the most HIV infections worldwide, and HIV-2, which is most commonly seen in West Africa and countries with strong socioeconomic ties to West Africa, such as France, Portugal, Spain, Angola, Mozambique, and Brazil (1). There is, …

Illuminating Novel Genes For Escherichia Coli Growth In Varying Phosphate Conditions Using Tnseq And Illumina Sequencing, Tanner Robinson, Dr. William R. Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of my project is to identify novel genes in the genome of Escherichia coli ( E coli) associated with phosphate homeostasis under high phosphate conditions. The previous efforts that have been employed were great and innovative for their time, but both lacked the technology currently available, and focused solely on lowphosphate response. Other labs have used variations of the TnSeq protocol that I have, to address a variety of questions in many organisms, with great success (Subashchandrabose et al., 2013).

Characterization Of Genes Involved In Phycobiliprotein Biosynthesis In Fremyella Diplosiphon And Thermosynechococcus Elongatus, Christina M. Kronfel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that efficiently capture light by utilizing the light-harvesting complexes called phycobilisomes. In many cyanobacteria, phycobilisomes are composed of an allophycocyanin core with phycocyanin and phycoerythrin (PE) rods radiating from the core. These phycobiliproteins have multiple bilin chromophores, such as phycoerythrobilin (PEB), covalently attached to specific cysteine (Cys) residues for efficient photosynthetic light capture. Chromophore ligation on phycobiliprotein subunits occurs through bilin lyase catalyzed reactions.

This study mainly focuses on characterizing the roles of enzymes that are involved in the biosynthetic pathway of the phycobiliproteins within two cyanobacteria Thermosynechococcus elongatus and Fremyella diplosiphon. A combination of molecular …

Hybrid Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors: Report Of Five Cases And Detailed Review Of Literature, Nasir Ud Din, Zubair Ahmad, Jamshid Abdul Ghafar, Rashida Ahmed

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

BACKGROUND: Hybrid peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNSTs) have been recognized recently and were first included in the 4th edition of World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of Soft tissue and Bone, published in 2013. These tumors show combined features of more than one type of conventional benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors. The most common combinations are those of schwannoma/perineurioma followed by combinations of neurofibroma/schwannoma and neurofibroma/perineurioma. A detailed literature review of published cases is presented. We have discussed the types and etiology, epidemiology and sites of localization, gross and microscopic appearances and immunohistochemical features of hybrid PNSTs and association …

Visualizing Hemocyte Extracellular Traps In Galleria Mellonella, Timothy Siebach, Davidson Erickson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were recently found to be an additional method that neutrophils use to combat pathogens. They are composed of nuclear DNA and proteins that possess anti-microbial properties. Some studies suggest that in addition to killing pathogens, NETs also serve as a barrier to prevent pathogens from spreading. Mammalian infection models are known to possess NETs, but these models often raise ethical issues and can be quite costly. Using an insect such as Galleria mellonella is a valuable alternative. Insects possess an intricate innate immune response comparable to mammals in many ways. There is already substantial evidence indicating …

Evolutionary Enhancement Of Zika Virus Infectivity In Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, Yang Liu, Jianying Liu, Senyan Du, Cheng-Feng Qin, Penghua Wang, Pei-Yong Shi, Gong Cheng

NYMC Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) remained obscure until the recent explosive outbreaks in French Polynesia (2013-2014) and South America (2015-2016). Phylogenetic studies have shown that ZIKV has evolved into African and Asian lineages. The Asian lineage of ZIKV was responsible for the recent epidemics in the Americas. However, the underlying mechanisms through which ZIKV rapidly and explosively spread from Asia to the Americas are unclear. Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) facilitates flavivirus acquisition by mosquitoes from an infected mammalian host and subsequently enhances viral prevalence in mosquitoes. Here we show that NS1 antigenaemia determines ZIKV infectivity in its mosquito vector Aedes aegypti, which …