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Cellular and Molecular Physiology

2016

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Articles 31 - 60 of 72

Full-Text Articles in Physiology

Tubulin Post-Translational Modifications Are Altered By Changes In Actin-Myosin Contractility In Non-Muscle Cells, James Mcgee Jun 2016

Tubulin Post-Translational Modifications Are Altered By Changes In Actin-Myosin Contractility In Non-Muscle Cells, James Mcgee

Honors Theses

All cells regulate their contractility by the interaction of actin and myosin. In non-muscle cells, however, this interaction is regulated by rho, a GTPase, which is the upstream effector for multiple pathways. Cell contractility increases when rho is active, and prior research has shown the depolymerization of microtubules (MTs) activates rho. Microtubules play a role in many cellular functions and it is thought that either associations with MT-associated proteins and/or post-translational modifications to tubulin regulate MT functions. Numerous post-translational modifications (PTMs) to microtubules have been identified, but their roles are not well understood. A possible relationship between changes in cell …


Mechanism Of Chimeric Vaccine Mediated Immune Suppression Of Human Dendritic Cells, Jacques Christian Mbongue Jun 2016

Mechanism Of Chimeric Vaccine Mediated Immune Suppression Of Human Dendritic Cells, Jacques Christian Mbongue

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic inflammatory disease in which insulin producing β-cells of the pancreatic islets are killed by autoreactive cells of the immune system in response to a loss of tolerance. Dendritic cells (DC) interact predominantly with naïve T cells to regulate the delicate balance between immunity and tolerance required to maintain immunological homeostasis. In this dissertation, immature human dendritic cells (iDC) were inoculated with a chimeric fusion protein vaccine containing the pancreatic β-cell auto-antigen proinsulin linked to a mucosal adjuvant the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB-INS). Proteomic analysis of vaccine inoculated DCs revealed strong up-regulation of …


Hill's Diagrammatic Method And Reduced Graph Powers, Gregory D. Smith, Richard Hammack May 2016

Hill's Diagrammatic Method And Reduced Graph Powers, Gregory D. Smith, Richard Hammack

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.


Translation Control Of Swarming Proficiency In Bacillus Subtilis By 5-Amino-Pentanolylated Elongation Factor P, Andrei Rajkovic, Katherine R. Hummels, Anne Witzky, Sarah Erickson, Philip R. Gafken, Julian P. Whitelegge, Kym F. Faull, Daniel B. Kearns, Michael Ibba May 2016

Translation Control Of Swarming Proficiency In Bacillus Subtilis By 5-Amino-Pentanolylated Elongation Factor P, Andrei Rajkovic, Katherine R. Hummels, Anne Witzky, Sarah Erickson, Philip R. Gafken, Julian P. Whitelegge, Kym F. Faull, Daniel B. Kearns, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Elongation factor P (EF-P) accelerates diprolyl synthesis and requires a posttranslational modification to maintain proteostasis. Two phylogenetically distinct EF-P modification pathways have been described and are encoded in the majority of Gram-negative bacteria, but neither is present in Gram-positive bacteria. Prior work suggested that the EF-P-encoding gene (efp) primarily supports Bacillus subtilis swarming differentiation, whereas EF-P in Gram-negative bacteria has a more global housekeeping role, prompting our investigation to determine whether EF-P is modified and how it impacts gene expression in motile cells. We identified a 5-aminopentanol moiety attached to Lys32 of B. subtilis EF-P that is …


Exosomes Derived From Alcohol-Treated Hepatocytes Horizontally Transfer Liver Specific Mirna-122 And Sensitize Monocytes To Lps, Fatemeh Momen-Heravi, Shashi Bala, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo May 2016

Exosomes Derived From Alcohol-Treated Hepatocytes Horizontally Transfer Liver Specific Mirna-122 And Sensitize Monocytes To Lps, Fatemeh Momen-Heravi, Shashi Bala, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Hepatocyte damage and inflammation in monocytes/macrophages are central to the pathogenesis of alcoholic hepatitis (AH). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate all of these processes. MiRNA-122 is abundantly expressed in hepatocytes while monocytes/macrophages have low levels. The role of exosomes in AH and possible cross talk between hepatocyte-derived exosomes and immune cells is not explored yet. Here, we show that the number of exosomes significantly increases in the sera of healthy individuals after alcohol binge drinking and in mice after binge or chronic alcohol consumption. Exosomes isolated from sera after alcohol consumption or from in vitro ethanol-treated hepatocytes contained miRNA-122. Exosomes derived from …


Multiple Quality Control Pathways Limit Non-Protein Amino Acid Use By Yeast Cytoplasmic Phenylalanyl-Trna Synthetase, Adil Moghal, Lin Hwang, Kym F. Faull, Michael Ibba May 2016

Multiple Quality Control Pathways Limit Non-Protein Amino Acid Use By Yeast Cytoplasmic Phenylalanyl-Trna Synthetase, Adil Moghal, Lin Hwang, Kym F. Faull, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Non-protein amino acids, particularly isomers of the proteinogenic amino acids, present a threat to proteome integrity if they are mistakenly inserted into proteins. Quality control during aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis reduces non-protein amino acid incorporation by both substrate discrimination and proofreading. For example phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS) proofreads the non-protein hydroxylated phenylalanine derivative m-Tyr after its attachment to tRNAPhe. We now show in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that PheRS misacylation of tRNAPhe with the more abundant Phe oxidation product o-Tyr is limited by kinetic discrimination against o-Tyr-AMP in the transfer step followed by o-Tyr-AMP release from the synthetic …


The Sh3 Domain Of Unc-89 (Obscurin) Interacts With Paramyosin, A Coiled-Coil Protein, In Caenorhabditis Elegans Muscle, Hiroshi Qadota, Jonathan Mcmurry, Verra M. Ngwa, Et Al. May 2016

The Sh3 Domain Of Unc-89 (Obscurin) Interacts With Paramyosin, A Coiled-Coil Protein, In Caenorhabditis Elegans Muscle, Hiroshi Qadota, Jonathan Mcmurry, Verra M. Ngwa, Et Al.

Faculty and Research Publications

UNC-89 is a giant polypeptide located at the sarcomeric M-line of Caenorhabditis elegans muscle. The human homologue is obscurin. To understand how UNC-89 is localized and functions, we have been identifying its binding partners. Screening a yeast two-hybrid library revealed that UNC-89 interacts with paramyosin. Paramyosin is an invertebrate-specific coiled-coil dimer protein that is homologous to the rod portion of myosin heavy chains and resides in thick filament cores. Minimally, this interaction requires UNC-89’s SH3 domain and residues 294–376 of paramyosin and has a KD of ∼1.1 μM. In unc-89 loss-of-function mutants that lack the SH3 domain, paramyosin is found …


Purification And Characterization Of Antibodies Against Killifish Hif-1Α, Janet Gonzalez-Rosario May 2016

Purification And Characterization Of Antibodies Against Killifish Hif-1Α, Janet Gonzalez-Rosario

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Many fish face low oxygen concentrations (hypoxia) in their natural environments, and they respond to hypoxia through a variety of behavioral, physiological, and cellular mechanisms. Some of these responses involve changes in gene expression. In mammals, the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) family of transcription factors are the “master regulators” of gene expression during hypoxia, but the study of HIF in fish has been hampered by the lack of reagents to detect this protein in non-mammalian vertebrates. The goals of this thesis are to affinity purify antibodies against HIF from the killifish Fundulus heteroclitus and use them to recover and quantify …


Non-Canonical Roles Of Trnas And Trna Mimics In Bacterial Cell Biology, Assaf Katz, Sara Elgamal, Andrei Rajkovic, Michael Ibba May 2016

Non-Canonical Roles Of Trnas And Trna Mimics In Bacterial Cell Biology, Assaf Katz, Sara Elgamal, Andrei Rajkovic, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are the macromolecules that transfer activated amino acids from aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases to the ribosome, where they are used for the mRNA guided synthesis of proteins. Transfer RNAs are ancient molecules, perhaps even predating the existence of the translation machinery. Albeit old, these molecules are tremendously conserved, a characteristic that is well illustrated by the fact that some bacterial tRNAs are efficient and specific substrates of eukaryotic aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases and ribosomes. Considering their ancient origin and high structural conservation, it is not surprising that tRNAs have been hijacked during evolution for functions outside of translation. These roles beyond …


Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Reveals Changes In Histone H2b Variants As Cells Undergo Inorganic Arsenic-Mediated Cellular Transformation, Matthew Rea, Tingting Jiang, Rebekah Eleazer, Meredith Eckstein, Alan G. Marshall, Yvonne N. Fondufe-Mittendorf May 2016

Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Reveals Changes In Histone H2b Variants As Cells Undergo Inorganic Arsenic-Mediated Cellular Transformation, Matthew Rea, Tingting Jiang, Rebekah Eleazer, Meredith Eckstein, Alan G. Marshall, Yvonne N. Fondufe-Mittendorf

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Exposure to inorganic arsenic, a ubiquitous environmental toxic metalloid, leads to carcinogenesis. However, the mechanism is unknown. Several studies have shown that inorganic arsenic exposure alters specific gene expression patterns, possibly through alterations in chromatin structure. While most studies on understanding the mechanism of chromatin-mediated gene regulation have focused on histone post-translational modifications, the role of histone variants remains largely unknown. Incorporation of histone variants alters the functional properties of chromatin. To understand the global dynamics of chromatin structure and function in arsenic-mediated carcinogenesis, analysis of the histone variants incorporated into the nucleosome and their covalent modifications is required. Here …


Connecting The Physiological And Behavioral Response To Heat Stress On A Warming Planet, Anastasia Kalyta May 2016

Connecting The Physiological And Behavioral Response To Heat Stress On A Warming Planet, Anastasia Kalyta

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Intertidal communities are considered good models of the biological effects of climate change on ecosystems, as their resident organisms are subjected to heat spells during daytime low tides. The increasing heat exposure can elicit behavioral as well as physiological responses in intertidal organisms. We studied the relationship between these responses to heat stress in the blue-banded hermit crab, Pagurus samuelis, by inducing a “heat shock” with elevated water temperature of 29 °C for 2.5 h. The behavioral effect of heat-shock was quantified using a 30-minute feeding assay, measuring the mass of a standard squid pellet consumed by individual hermit crabs. …


Handwashing: A Study Of The History, Methods, And Psychology Surrounding Hand Hygiene, Daniel J. Remillard May 2016

Handwashing: A Study Of The History, Methods, And Psychology Surrounding Hand Hygiene, Daniel J. Remillard

Senior Honors Theses

This paper covers three different areas concerning handwashing. First a review of the history of handwashing is done, going from ancient times to its introduction into modern medicine via Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis. This section gives a sobering reminder not to instantly reject data that comes in conflict with prevalent thought.

Then current medical knowledge about handwashing is examined, and the conclusion reached states that handwashing is best done with non-antibacterial soap.

Finally, a review of the psychology of handwashing shows that medical professionals often tend toward neglect if unwatched and unmotivated by an outside source. However, those suffering from obsessive …


Molecular Mechanisms Of Necrotic Cell Death In Ischemic Renal Injury, Yuan Ying May 2016

Molecular Mechanisms Of Necrotic Cell Death In Ischemic Renal Injury, Yuan Ying

Theses & Dissertations

Acute kidney injury is a common clinical syndrome particularly in hospitalized patients. Necrotic cell death, as one type of major cell death after ischemic reperfusion injury, is partially responsible for the rapid decline in GFR. p53 is a novel apoptosis and necrosis inducer and is found to be activated after ischemic renal injury. Although previous studies suggest that p53 could be an important mediator of kidney dysfunction, no studies have examined its role in necrotic cell death and the cross talk between p53 and other necrotic cell inducers such as PARP-1 and CypD. Thus, in this study our first goal …


Exploring The Effect Of Novel Small Molecules On Oligodendrocyte Precursor Proliferation, Sagune Sakya May 2016

Exploring The Effect Of Novel Small Molecules On Oligodendrocyte Precursor Proliferation, Sagune Sakya

University Scholar Projects

Gliomas, a type of brain tumor, can be difficult to treat and have a poor survival rate. One pathway that leads to glioma formation is excessive signaling by platelet derived growth factors (PDGF) through PDGF receptor α (PDGFRα). Through this research, I found that novel compounds that downregulate PDGFRα decrease proliferation of Oli-neu cells, an oligodendrocyte precursor cell model, and identified signaling pathways through which these compounds may exert their effect. Further investigation may identify targets for development of glioma treatments.


Programming Heart Disease: Does Poor Maternal Nutrition Alter Expression Of Cardiac Markers Of Proliferation, Hypertrophy, And Fibrosis In Offspring?, Cathy Chun May 2016

Programming Heart Disease: Does Poor Maternal Nutrition Alter Expression Of Cardiac Markers Of Proliferation, Hypertrophy, And Fibrosis In Offspring?, Cathy Chun

Honors Scholar Theses

Maternal malnutrition can affect fetal organogenesis, metabolic processes, and factors involved in developmental regulation. Of the many physiological effects poor maternal nutrition can induce in offspring, one of the most important organs affected is the heart. Cardiovascular disease has been associated with poor maternal diet. It also been suggested that hypertension can originate during impaired intrauterine growth and development. Hypertension can trigger hypertensive heart disease and is associated with numerous heart complications. We hypothesized that poor maternal nutrition would alter critical growth factors associated with normal heart development, specifically, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-2, transforming growth factor (TGF)β, and connective …


The Thioredoxin Trx-1 Regulates The Major Oxidative Stress Response Transcription Factor, Skn-1, In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Katie C. Mccallum May 2016

The Thioredoxin Trx-1 Regulates The Major Oxidative Stress Response Transcription Factor, Skn-1, In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Katie C. Mccallum

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The ability to respond to hostile environmental conditions is critical for the survival of an organism. Oxidative stress is an adverse state in which reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulate to a harmful level and, if left unresolved, can lead to cellular dysfunction and organismal disease. Sophisticated detoxification systems, characterized by a battery of enzymatic antioxidants, are utilized to neutralize ROS thereby reducing stress. However, ROS are also purposefully produced by designated cellular enzymes to facilitate the signaling and regulation of critical physiological processes. Therefore, both the production and neutralization of ROS must be tightly controlled. Indeed, the expression of detoxification …


The Effect Of Transformed Escherichia Coli On The Mouse Intestine Microbiome: The Microbial Metabolic Enhancement Hypothesis, Bryar P. Kader May 2016

The Effect Of Transformed Escherichia Coli On The Mouse Intestine Microbiome: The Microbial Metabolic Enhancement Hypothesis, Bryar P. Kader

Senior Honors Theses

Metabolic disorders affect around thirty-four percent of the population in the United States. Among these disorders is lactose intolerance, which results from diminished production of the human lactase enzyme. This disorder and others like it are genetically determined and cannot be cured. However, the use of transformed bacteria implanted in the colon may provide a means by which the faulty pathway can be bypassed. To test whether transformed bacteria have the capability to aid in the digestion of normally indigestible compounds, a transformed strain of Escherichia coli overexpressing the beta-galactosidase enzyme encoded by the lacZ gene was colonized in the …


Novel Compound Heterozygous Mutations Expand The Recognized Phenotypes Of Fars2-Linked Disease, Melissa A. Walker, Kyle Mohler, Kyle W. Hopkins, Derek H. Oakley, David A. Sweetser, Michael Ibba, Matthew P. Frosch, Ronald L. Thibert Apr 2016

Novel Compound Heterozygous Mutations Expand The Recognized Phenotypes Of Fars2-Linked Disease, Melissa A. Walker, Kyle Mohler, Kyle W. Hopkins, Derek H. Oakley, David A. Sweetser, Michael Ibba, Matthew P. Frosch, Ronald L. Thibert

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Mutations in mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are an increasingly recognized cause of human diseases, often arising in individuals with compound heterozygous mutations and presenting with system-specific phenotypes, frequently neurologic. FARS2 encodes mitochondrial phenylalanyl transfer ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthetase (mtPheRS), perturbations of which have been reported in 6 cases of an infantile, lethal disease with refractory epilepsy and progressive myoclonus. Here the authors report the case of juvenile onset refractory epilepsy and progressive myoclonus with compound heterozygous FARS2 mutations. The authors describe the clinical course over 6 years of care at their institution and diagnostic studies including electroencephalogram (EEG), brain magnetic resonance …


Localisation And Protein-Protein Interactions Of The Helicobacter Pylori Taxis Sensor T1pd And Their Connection To Metabolic Functions, Wiebke Behrens, Tobias Schweinitzer, Jonathan L. Mcmurry, Christine Josenhans Apr 2016

Localisation And Protein-Protein Interactions Of The Helicobacter Pylori Taxis Sensor T1pd And Their Connection To Metabolic Functions, Wiebke Behrens, Tobias Schweinitzer, Jonathan L. Mcmurry, Christine Josenhans

Faculty and Research Publications

The Helicobacter pylori energy sensor TlpD determines tactic behaviour under low energy conditions and is important in vivo. We explored protein-protein interactions of TlpD and their impact on TlpD localisation and function. Pull-down of tagged TlpD identified protein interaction partners of TlpD, which included the chemotaxis histidine kinase CheAY2, the central metabolic enzyme aconitase (AcnB) and the detoxifying enzyme catalase (KatA). We confirmed that KatA and AcnB physically interact with TlpD. While the TlpD-dependent behavioural response appeared not influenced in the interactor mutants katA and acnB in steady-state behavioural assays, acetone carboxylase subunit (acxC) mutant behaviour was altered. TlpD was …


Novel Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitors Restore Glucose-Handling Abilities Of High-Fat Fed Mice, Darren Martin, Siobhan Leonard, Robert Devine, Clara Redondo, Gemma Kinsella, Conor Breen, Victoria Mceneaney, Mary Rooney, Tim Munsey, Richard Porter, Asipu Sivaprasadarao, John Stephens, John Findlay Apr 2016

Novel Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibitors Restore Glucose-Handling Abilities Of High-Fat Fed Mice, Darren Martin, Siobhan Leonard, Robert Devine, Clara Redondo, Gemma Kinsella, Conor Breen, Victoria Mceneaney, Mary Rooney, Tim Munsey, Richard Porter, Asipu Sivaprasadarao, John Stephens, John Findlay

Articles

Metformin is the main drug of choice for treating type 2 diabetes, yet the therapeutic regimens and side effects of the compound are all undesirable and can lead to reduced compliance. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of action of two novel compounds which improved glucose handling and weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet. Wildtype C57Bl/6 male mice were fed on a high-fat diet and treated with novel, anti-diabetic compounds. Both compounds restored the glucose handling ability of these mice. At a cellular level, these compounds achieve this by inhibiting complex I activity in …


Ablation Of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Prevents Cardiomyocytes Contractile Dysfunction In Diabetics., Priyanka Prathipati, Naira Metreveli, Shyam Sundar Nandi, Suresh C. Tyagi, Paras K. Mishra Mar 2016

Ablation Of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Prevents Cardiomyocytes Contractile Dysfunction In Diabetics., Priyanka Prathipati, Naira Metreveli, Shyam Sundar Nandi, Suresh C. Tyagi, Paras K. Mishra

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Elevated expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and decreased contractility of cardiomyocytes are documented in diabetic hearts. However, it is unclear whether MMP is involved in the regulation of contractility of cardiomyocytes in diabetic hearts. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that MMP9 regulates contractility of cardiomyocytes in diabetic hearts, and ablation of MMP9 prevents impaired contractility of cardiomyocytes in diabetic hearts. To determine the specific role of MMP9 in cardiomyocyte contractility, we used 12-14 week male WT (normoglycemic sibling of Akita), Akita, and Ins(2+∕-)/MMP9(-∕-) (DKO) mice. DKO mice were generated by cross-breeding male Ins2(+∕-) Akita (T1D) …


Microrna Cargo Of Extracellular Vesicles From Alcohol-Exposed Monocytes Signals Naive Monocytes To Differentiate Into M2 Macrophages, Banishree Saha, Fatemeh Momen-Heravi, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo Mar 2016

Microrna Cargo Of Extracellular Vesicles From Alcohol-Exposed Monocytes Signals Naive Monocytes To Differentiate Into M2 Macrophages, Banishree Saha, Fatemeh Momen-Heravi, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Membrane-coated extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by cells can serve as vehicles for delivery of biological materials and signals. Recently, we demonstrated that alcohol-treated hepatocytes cross-talk with immune cells via exosomes containing microRNA (miRNAs). Here, we hypothesized that alcohol-exposed monocytes can communicate with naive monocytes via EVs. We observed increased numbers of EVs, mostly exosomes, secreted by primary human monocytes and THP-1 monocytic cells in the presence of alcohol in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. EVs derived from alcohol-treated monocytes stimulated naive monocytes to polarize into M2 macrophages as indicated by increased surface expression of CD68 (macrophage marker), M2 markers (CD206 …


Hoxd Expression In The Fin-Fold Compartment Of Basal Gnathostomes And Implications For Paired Appendage Evolution, Frank J. Tulenko, Gaius J. Augustus, James L. Massey, Seth E. Sims Mar 2016

Hoxd Expression In The Fin-Fold Compartment Of Basal Gnathostomes And Implications For Paired Appendage Evolution, Frank J. Tulenko, Gaius J. Augustus, James L. Massey, Seth E. Sims

Faculty and Research Publications

The role of Homeobox transcription factors during fin and limb development have been the focus of recent work investigating the evolutionary origin of limb-specific morphologies. Here we characterize the expression of HoxD genes, as well as the cluster-associated genes Evx2 and LNP, in the paddlefish Polyodon spathula, a basal ray-finned fish. Our results demonstrate a collinear pattern of nesting in early fin buds that includes HoxD14, a gene previously thought to be isolated from global Hoxregulation. We also show that in both Polyodon and the catsharkScyliorhinus canicula (a representative chondrichthyan) late phaseHoxD transcripts are present in cells of the fin-fold …


Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Cldn14 And Smoc1 Affecting Bone Mineral Density Influence Other Musculoskeletal Traits, Christopher Payette, Courtney Sprouse, Cara Goerlich, Heather A. Gordish-Dressman, Thomas Lynch, Heather Flynn, Leticia M. Ryan, Eric P. Hoffman, Monica J. Hubal, Paul D. Thompson, Theodore J. Angelopoulos, Paul M. Gordon, Niall M. Moyna, Linda S. Pescatello, Paul S. Visich, Robert F. Zoeller, Laura L. Tosi Mar 2016

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Cldn14 And Smoc1 Affecting Bone Mineral Density Influence Other Musculoskeletal Traits, Christopher Payette, Courtney Sprouse, Cara Goerlich, Heather A. Gordish-Dressman, Thomas Lynch, Heather Flynn, Leticia M. Ryan, Eric P. Hoffman, Monica J. Hubal, Paul D. Thompson, Theodore J. Angelopoulos, Paul M. Gordon, Niall M. Moyna, Linda S. Pescatello, Paul S. Visich, Robert F. Zoeller, Laura L. Tosi

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background: A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified novel genes influencing bone mineral density (BMD). This three stage GWAS identified two novel loci: rs227425 in the SPARC-Related Modular Calcium Binding 1 gene (SMOC1) was significantly associated with BMD and rs170183 in the claudin 14 (CLDN14) gene was significantly associated with BMD in females.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if two novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) known to affect BMD are associated with other musculoskeletal traits.

Methods/Design :The Bone Health Cohort consists of 150 African-American participants enrolled at Children’s National Health System as part of …


Efn-4 Functions In Lad-2-Mediated Axon Guidance In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Alicia A. Schwieterman, Cory J. Donelson, Jonathan L. Mcmurry, Martin L. Hudson Feb 2016

Efn-4 Functions In Lad-2-Mediated Axon Guidance In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Alicia A. Schwieterman, Cory J. Donelson, Jonathan L. Mcmurry, Martin L. Hudson

Faculty and Research Publications

During development of the nervous system, growing axons rely on guidance molecules to direct axon pathfinding. A well-characterized family of guidance molecules are the membrane-associated ephrins, which together with their cognate Eph receptors, direct axon navigation in a contact-mediated fashion. InC. elegans, the ephrin-Eph signaling system is conserved and is best characterized for their roles in neuroblast migration during early embryogenesis. This study demonstrates a role for theC. elegansephrin EFN-4 in axon guidance. We provide both genetic and biochemical evidence that is consistent with theC. elegansdivergent L1 cell adhesion molecule LAD-2 acting as a non-canonical ephrin receptor to EFN-4 to …


Isothermal Titration Calorimetry Uncovers Substrate Promiscuity Of Bicupin Oxalate Oxidase From Ceriporiopsis Subvermispora, Hassan Rana, Patricia Moussatche, Lis Souza Rocha, Ellen W. Moomaw Feb 2016

Isothermal Titration Calorimetry Uncovers Substrate Promiscuity Of Bicupin Oxalate Oxidase From Ceriporiopsis Subvermispora, Hassan Rana, Patricia Moussatche, Lis Souza Rocha, Ellen W. Moomaw

Faculty and Research Publications

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) may be used to determine the kinetic parameters of enzymecatalyzed reactions when neither products nor reactants are spectrophotometrically visible and when the reaction products are unknown. We report here the use of the multiple injection method of ITC to characterize the catalytic properties of oxalate oxidase (OxOx) from Ceriporiopsis subvermispora (CsOxOx), a manganese dependent enzyme that catalyzes the oxygen-dependent oxidation of oxalate to carbon dioxide in a reaction coupled with the formation of hydrogen peroxide. CsOxOx is the first bicupin enzyme identified that catalyzes this reaction. The multiple injection ITC method of measuring OxOx activity involves …


Gene Expression Microarray Data From Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells Supplemented With A Low Concentration Of Niacin, Nica M. Borradaile, Jennifer M. Hughes-Large Feb 2016

Gene Expression Microarray Data From Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells Supplemented With A Low Concentration Of Niacin, Nica M. Borradaile, Jennifer M. Hughes-Large

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

The systemic lipid modifying drug, niacin, can directly improve human microvascular endothelial cell angiogenic function under lipotoxic conditions, possibly through activation of niacin receptors [1]. Here we provide accompanying data collected using Affymetrix GeneChip microarrays to identify changes in gene expression in human microvascular endothelial cells treated with 10 μM niacin. Statistical analyses of robust multi-array average (RMA) values revealed that only 16 genes exhibited greater than 1.3-fold differential expression. Of these 16, only 5 were identified protein coding genes, while 3 of the remaining 11 genes appeared to be small nuclear/nucleolar RNAs. Altered expression of EFCAB4B, …


Critical Role Of C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Signaling In Binge Alcohol-Driven Atrial Arrhythmic Remodeling, Jiajie Yan Yan Jan 2016

Critical Role Of C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Signaling In Binge Alcohol-Driven Atrial Arrhythmic Remodeling, Jiajie Yan Yan

Dissertations

Holiday Heart Syndrome (HHS) is cardiac arrhythmia induced by binge alcohol consumption, a drinking pattern affects 38 million adults in our society. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently diagnosed arrhythmia in HHS and causes significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the intensive prevention effort nationwide, the binge drinking population keeps rising. However, no effective treatment strategies are available for binge drinking induced AF due to the unknown underlying mechanisms. In this thesis, I aim to elucidate the mechanisms of binge alcohol-promoted atrial arrhythmogenicity by using a mouse model of repeated binge alcohol exposure established in the Ai Lab.

The Ai …


High Affinity Block Of Icl,Swell By Thiol-Reactive Small Molecules, Sung H. Park Jan 2016

High Affinity Block Of Icl,Swell By Thiol-Reactive Small Molecules, Sung H. Park

Theses and Dissertations

Ebselen (Ebs) is considered as a glutathione peroxidase (GPx) mimetic and primarily thought to function by scavenging intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previous to our work, Deng et al. (2010a) demonstrated complete block of ICl,swell with 15 microM Ebs following endothelin-1 (ET-1) induced activation of the current in cardiomyocytes. This block was presumed to take effect mainly via the quenching of ROS. Nonetheless, our work with DI TNC1 astrocytes strongly emphasizes that Ebs might function by an alternative mechanism based on its kinetic profile in blocking ICl,swell. Our experiments showed that 45 nM Ebs can fully block …


Low-Dose Aronia Melanocarpa Concentrate Attenuates Paraquat-Induced Neurotoxicity., Adam J. Case, D Agraz, Iman M. Ahmad, Matthew C. Zimmerman Jan 2016

Low-Dose Aronia Melanocarpa Concentrate Attenuates Paraquat-Induced Neurotoxicity., Adam J. Case, D Agraz, Iman M. Ahmad, Matthew C. Zimmerman

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Herbicides containing paraquat may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Paraquat induces reactive oxygen species-mediated apoptosis in neurons, which is a primary mechanism behind its toxicity. We sought to test the effectiveness of a commercially available polyphenol-rich Aronia melanocarpa (aronia berry) concentrate in the amelioration of paraquat-induced neurotoxicity. Considering the abundance of antioxidants in aronia berries, we hypothesized that aronia berry concentrate attenuates the paraquat-induced increase in reactive oxygen species and protects against paraquat-mediated neuronal cell death. Using a neuronal cell culture model, we observed that low doses of aronia berry concentrate protected against paraquat-mediated …