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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

The Cd154/Cd40 Interaction Required For Retrovirus-Induced Murine Immunodeficiency Syndrome Is Not Mediated By Upregulation Of The Cd80/Cd86 Costimulatory Molecules, Kathy A. Green, W. James Cook, Arlene H. Sharpe, William R. Green Nov 2002

The Cd154/Cd40 Interaction Required For Retrovirus-Induced Murine Immunodeficiency Syndrome Is Not Mediated By Upregulation Of The Cd80/Cd86 Costimulatory Molecules, Kathy A. Green, W. James Cook, Arlene H. Sharpe, William R. Green

Dartmouth Scholarship

C57BL/6 (B6) mice infected with LP-BM5 retroviruses develop disease, including an immunodeficiency similar to AIDS. This disease, murine AIDS (MAIDS), is inhibited by in vivo anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody treatment. The similar levels of insusceptibility of CD40−/− and CD154−/− B6 mice indicate that CD154/CD40 molecular interactions are required for MAIDS. CD4+ T and B cells, respectively, provide the CD154 and CD40 expression needed for MAIDS induction. Here, the required CD154/CD40 interaction is shown to be independent of CD80 and CD86 expression: CD80/CD86−/− B6 mice develop MAIDS after LP-BM5 infection.


Toxoplasma Gondii Induces Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor And Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Secretion By Human Fibroblasts: Implications For Neutrophil Apoptosis, Jacqueline Y. Channon, Kristin A. Miselis, Laurie A. Minns, Chaitali Dutta, Lloyd H. Kasper Nov 2002

Toxoplasma Gondii Induces Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor And Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Secretion By Human Fibroblasts: Implications For Neutrophil Apoptosis, Jacqueline Y. Channon, Kristin A. Miselis, Laurie A. Minns, Chaitali Dutta, Lloyd H. Kasper

Dartmouth Scholarship

Human neutrophils are rescued from apoptosis following incubation with once-washed, fibroblast-derived Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. Both infected and uninfected neutrophils are rescued, implicating a soluble mediator. In this study we investigated the origin and identity of this soluble mediator. Neutrophils were incubated either with purified tachyzoites or with conditioned medium derived from T. gondii-infected human fibroblasts. Conditioned medium was found to be a potent stimulus that delayed neutrophil apoptosis up to 72 h, whereas purified and extensively washed tachyzoites had no effect. Delayed apoptosis correlated with up-regulation of the neutrophil antiapoptotic protein, Mcl-1, and the neutrophil interleukin 3 receptor alpha subunit …


Natural Experiment Examining Impact Of Aggressive Screening And Treatment On Prostate Cancer Mortality In Two Fixed Cohorts From Seattle Area And Connecticut, Grace Lu-Yao, Peter C. Albertsen, Janet L. Stanford, Therese A. Stukel Oct 2002

Natural Experiment Examining Impact Of Aggressive Screening And Treatment On Prostate Cancer Mortality In Two Fixed Cohorts From Seattle Area And Connecticut, Grace Lu-Yao, Peter C. Albertsen, Janet L. Stanford, Therese A. Stukel

Dartmouth Scholarship

To determine whether the more intensive screening and treatment for prostate cancer in the Seattle≠Puget Sound area in 1987≠90 led to lower mortality from prostate cancer than in Connecticut.


Mechanism Of Toxt-Dependent Transcriptional Activation At The Vibrio Cholerae Tcpa Promoter, Robin R. Hulbert, Ronald K. Taylor Oct 2002

Mechanism Of Toxt-Dependent Transcriptional Activation At The Vibrio Cholerae Tcpa Promoter, Robin R. Hulbert, Ronald K. Taylor

Dartmouth Scholarship

The AraC homolog ToxT coordinately regulates virulence gene expression in Vibrio cholerae. ToxT is required for transcriptional activation of the genes encoding cholera toxin and the toxin coregulated pilus, among others. In this work we focused on the interaction of ToxT with the tcpA promoter and investigated the mechanism of ToxT-dependent transcriptional activation at tcpA. Deletion analysis showed that a region from −95 to +2 was sufficient for ToxT binding and activation, both of which were simultaneously lost when the deletion was extended to −63. A collection of point mutations generated by error-prone PCR revealed two small regions required …


Clinical And Epidemiological Correlates Of Genotypes Within The Mycobacterium Avium Complex Defined By Restriction And Sequence Analysis Of Hsp65, Sandra C. Smole, Fionnuala Mcaleese, Jutamas Ngampasutadol, C. Fordham Von Reyn, Robert D. Arbeit Sep 2002

Clinical And Epidemiological Correlates Of Genotypes Within The Mycobacterium Avium Complex Defined By Restriction And Sequence Analysis Of Hsp65, Sandra C. Smole, Fionnuala Mcaleese, Jutamas Ngampasutadol, C. Fordham Von Reyn, Robert D. Arbeit

Dartmouth Scholarship

Species identification of isolates of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) remains a difficult task. Although M. avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare can be identified with expensive, commercially available probes, many MAC isolates remain unresolved, including those representing Mycobacterium lentiflavum as well as other potentially undefined species. PCR restriction analysis (PRA) of the hsp65 gene has been proposed as a rapid and inexpensive approach. We applied PRA to 278 MAC isolates, including 126 from blood of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, 59 from sputum of HIV-negative patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 88 from environmental sources, and 5 pulmonary isolates from …


Coupling Of Termination, 3′ Processing, And Mrna Export, C. M. Hammell, Stefan Gross, Daniel Zenklusen, Catherine V. Heath, Francoise Stutz, Claire Moore, C. N. Cole Sep 2002

Coupling Of Termination, 3′ Processing, And Mrna Export, C. M. Hammell, Stefan Gross, Daniel Zenklusen, Catherine V. Heath, Francoise Stutz, Claire Moore, C. N. Cole

Dartmouth Scholarship

In a screen to identify genes required for mRNA export in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we isolated an allele of poly(A) polymerase (PAP1) and novel alleles encoding several other 3′ processing factors. Many newly isolated and some previously described mutants (rna14-48, rna14-49, rna14-64, rna15-58, and pcf11-1 strains) are defective in polymerase II (Pol II) termination but, interestingly, retain the ability to polyadenylate these improperly processed transcripts at the nonpermissive temperature. Deletion of the cis-acting sequences required to couple 3′ processing and termination also …


Remodeling Of Organelle-Bound Actin Is Required For Yeast Vacuole Fusion, Gary Eitzen, Li Wang, Naomi Thorngren, William Wickner Aug 2002

Remodeling Of Organelle-Bound Actin Is Required For Yeast Vacuole Fusion, Gary Eitzen, Li Wang, Naomi Thorngren, William Wickner

Dartmouth Scholarship

Actin participates in several intracellular trafficking pathways. We now find that actin, bound to the surface of purified yeast vacuoles in the absence of cytosol or cytoskeleton, regulates the last compartment mixing stage of homotypic vacuole fusion. The Cdc42p GTPase is known to be required for vacuole fusion. We now show that proteins of the Cdc42p-regulated actin remodeling cascade (Cdc42p --> Cla4p --> Las17p/Vrp1p --> Arp2/3 complex --> actin) are enriched on isolated vacuoles. Vacuole fusion is dramatically altered by perturbation of the vacuole-bound actin, either by mutation of the ACT1 gene, addition of specific actin ligands such as latrunculin …


Experimental Autoimmune Encephalitis And Inflammation In The Absence Of Interleukin-12, Burkhard Becher, Brigit G. Durell, Randolph J. Noelle Aug 2002

Experimental Autoimmune Encephalitis And Inflammation In The Absence Of Interleukin-12, Burkhard Becher, Brigit G. Durell, Randolph J. Noelle

Dartmouth Scholarship

IL-12 is considered a critical proinflammatory cytokine for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). IL-12 is a heterodimer composed of a p35 subunit and a common p40 subunit shared by other cytokines. Both IL-12 p40–/– and p35–/– mice fail to produce IL-12 p70 heterodimer. However, in contrast to p40–/– mice, p35–/– mice are highly susceptible to the induction of EAE, establishing that IL-12 p70 is not essential for the development of EAE. When compared with wild-type mice, both p40–/– and p35–/– mice show deficiencies in primary …


Identification Of The Vibrio Cholerae Enterobactin Receptors Vcta And Irga: Irga Is Not Required For Virulence, Alexandra R. Mey, Elizabeth E. Wyckoff, Amanda G. Oglesby, Eva Rab, Ronald K. Taylor, Shelley M. Payne Jul 2002

Identification Of The Vibrio Cholerae Enterobactin Receptors Vcta And Irga: Irga Is Not Required For Virulence, Alexandra R. Mey, Elizabeth E. Wyckoff, Amanda G. Oglesby, Eva Rab, Ronald K. Taylor, Shelley M. Payne

Dartmouth Scholarship

The gram-negative enteric pathogen Vibrio cholerae requires iron for growth. V. cholerae has multiple iron acquisition systems, including utilization of heme and hemoglobin, synthesis and transport of the catechol siderophore vibriobactin, and transport of several siderophores that it does not itself make. One siderophore that V. cholerae transports, but does not make, is enterobactin. Enterobactin transport requires TonB and is independent of the vibriobactin receptor ViuA. In this study, two candidate enterobactin receptor genes, irgA (VC0475) and vctA (VCA0232), were identified by analysis of the V. cholerae genomic sequence. A single mutation in either of these genes did not significantly …


Treatment With Soluble Interleukin-15ralpha Exacerbates Intracellular Parasitic Infection By Blocking The Development Of Memory Cd8+ T Cell Response, Imtiaz A. Khan, Magali Moretto, Xiao-Qing Wei, Martha Williams, Joseph D. Schwartzman, F Y. Liew Jun 2002

Treatment With Soluble Interleukin-15ralpha Exacerbates Intracellular Parasitic Infection By Blocking The Development Of Memory Cd8+ T Cell Response, Imtiaz A. Khan, Magali Moretto, Xiao-Qing Wei, Martha Williams, Joseph D. Schwartzman, F Y. Liew

Dartmouth Scholarship

Interferon (IFN)-γ–producing CD8+ T cells are important for the successful resolution of the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii by preventing the reactivation or controlling a repeat infection. Previous reports from our laboratory have shown that exogenous interleukin (IL)-15 treatment augments the CD8+ T cell response against the parasite. However, the role of endogenous IL-15 in the proliferation of activated/memory CD8+ T cells during toxoplasma or any other infection is unknown. In this study, we treated T. gondii immune mice with soluble IL-15 receptor α (sIL-15Rα) to block the host endogenous IL-15. The treatment markedly reduced the ability …


Fibroblast Growth Factor–Specific Modulation Of Cellular Response By Syndecan-4, Arie Horowitz, Eugene Tkachenko, Michael Simons May 2002

Fibroblast Growth Factor–Specific Modulation Of Cellular Response By Syndecan-4, Arie Horowitz, Eugene Tkachenko, Michael Simons

Dartmouth Scholarship

Proteoglycans participate in growth factor interaction with the cell surface through their heparan sulfate chains (HS), but it is not known if they are otherwise involved in growth factor signaling. It appears now that the syndecan-4 core protein, a transmembrane proteoglycan shown previously to bind phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) and activate PKC alpha, participates in mediating the effects of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)2 on cell function. Mutations in the cytoplasmic tail of syndecan-4 that either reduced its affinity to PIP(2) (PIP(2)(-)) or disrupted its postsynaptic density 95, disk large, zona occludens-1 (PDZ)-dependent binding (PDZ(-)) produced a FGF2-specific dominant negative phenotype in …


Type 4 Pilus Biogenesis And Type Ii-Mediated Protein Secretion By Vibrio Cholerae Occur Independently Of The Tonb-Facilitated Proton Motive Force, Niranjan Bose, Shelley M. Payne, Ronald K. Taylor Apr 2002

Type 4 Pilus Biogenesis And Type Ii-Mediated Protein Secretion By Vibrio Cholerae Occur Independently Of The Tonb-Facilitated Proton Motive Force, Niranjan Bose, Shelley M. Payne, Ronald K. Taylor

Dartmouth Scholarship

In Vibrio cholerae, elaboration of toxin-coregulated pilus and protein secretion by the extracellular protein secretion apparatus occurred in the absence of both TonB systems. In contrast, the cognate putative ATPases were required for each process and could not substitute for each other.


Ube1l Is A Retinoid Target That Triggers Pml/Rarα Degradation And Apoptosis In Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Sutisak Kitareewan, Ian Pitha-Rowe, David Sekula, Christopher H. Lowrey, Michael J. Nemeth, Todd R. Golub, Sarah J. Freemantle, Ethan Dmitrovsky Mar 2002

Ube1l Is A Retinoid Target That Triggers Pml/Rarα Degradation And Apoptosis In Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Sutisak Kitareewan, Ian Pitha-Rowe, David Sekula, Christopher H. Lowrey, Michael J. Nemeth, Todd R. Golub, Sarah J. Freemantle, Ethan Dmitrovsky

Dartmouth Scholarship

All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) treatment induces remissions in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cases expressing the t(15;17) product, promyelocytic leukemia (PML)/RA receptor α (RARα). Microarray analyses previously revealed induction of UBE1L (ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1-like) after RA treatment of NB4 APL cells. We report here that this occurs within 3 h in RA-sensitive but not RA-resistant APL cells, implicating UBE1L as a direct retinoid target. A 1.3-kb fragment of the UBE1L promoter was capable of mediating transcriptional response to RA in a retinoid receptor-selective manner. PML/RARα, a repressor of RA target genes, abolished this UBE1L promoter activity. A hallmark of …


Short-Lived And Long-Lived Bone Marrow Plasma Cells Are Derived From A Novel Precursor Population, Brian P. O'Connor, Marilia Cascalho, Randolph J. Noelle Mar 2002

Short-Lived And Long-Lived Bone Marrow Plasma Cells Are Derived From A Novel Precursor Population, Brian P. O'Connor, Marilia Cascalho, Randolph J. Noelle

Dartmouth Scholarship

The contribution that long-lived bone marrow (BM) plasma cells (PCs) provide to enduring humoral immunity has been underscored by a number of recent studies. However, little is known about the immediate precursors that give rise to long-lived PCs in the BM of immune individuals. We have identified subsets of antigen-experienced B cells within the immune BM that are precursors to PCs. These PC precursors arise in the BM 14 days after immunization and persist for greater than 9 months. Phenotypically distinct subsets of PC precursors give rise to short-lived or long-lived PCs. The differentiation of PC precursors to PCs occurs …


Short-Circuiting Long-Lived Humoral Immunity By The Heightened Engagement Of Cd40, Loren D. Erickson, Brigit G. Durell, Laura A. Vogel, Brian P. Connor, Marilia Cascalho, Teruhito Yasui, Hitoshi Kikutani, Randolph J. Noelle Mar 2002

Short-Circuiting Long-Lived Humoral Immunity By The Heightened Engagement Of Cd40, Loren D. Erickson, Brigit G. Durell, Laura A. Vogel, Brian P. Connor, Marilia Cascalho, Teruhito Yasui, Hitoshi Kikutani, Randolph J. Noelle

Dartmouth Scholarship

Agonistic αCD40 Ab’s have been shown to be potent immune adjuvants for both cell- and humoral-mediated immunity. While enhancing short-lived humoral immunity, the administration of a CD40 agonist during thymus-dependent immune responses ablates germinal center formation, prematurely terminates the humoral immune response, blocks the generation of B cell memory, and prevents the generation of long-lived bone marrow plasma cells. Interestingly, some of these effects of heightened CD40 engagement could be mimicked by enhancing the magnitude of antigen-specific T cell help. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that as the magnitude of CD40 signaling intensifies, the fate of antigen-reactive B cells can …


Increased Responsiveness Of Hypoxic Endothelial Cells To Fgf2 Is Mediated By Hif-1 Alpha-Dependent Regulation Of Enzymes Involved In Synthesis Of Heparan Sulfate Fgf2-Binding Sites, Jian Li, Nicholas W. Shworak, Michael Simons Feb 2002

Increased Responsiveness Of Hypoxic Endothelial Cells To Fgf2 Is Mediated By Hif-1 Alpha-Dependent Regulation Of Enzymes Involved In Synthesis Of Heparan Sulfate Fgf2-Binding Sites, Jian Li, Nicholas W. Shworak, Michael Simons

Dartmouth Scholarship

Binding of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) to its high affinity receptors requires the presence of specific heparan sulfate (HS) moieties on the cell surface that act as coreceptors. To determine the contribution of cell-surface HS to modulation of FGF2-dependent cell growth, we studied the changes in the cell mass and FGF2 binding of endothelial cell HS under normoxic and hypoxic conditions in vitro. Both large vein and cardiac microvascular endothelial cells cultured under hypoxic conditions demonstrated an increase in the ratio of cell-surface HS to chondroitin sulfate (CS), as well as an increase in the number of low affinity …


Cd8+-T-Cell Immunity Against Toxoplasma Gondii Can Be Induced But Not Maintained In Mice Lacking Conventional Cd4+ T Cells, Lori Casciotti, Kenneth H. Ely, Martha E. Williams, Imtiaz A. Khan Feb 2002

Cd8+-T-Cell Immunity Against Toxoplasma Gondii Can Be Induced But Not Maintained In Mice Lacking Conventional Cd4+ T Cells, Lori Casciotti, Kenneth H. Ely, Martha E. Williams, Imtiaz A. Khan

Dartmouth Scholarship

T-cell immunity is critical for survival of hosts infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Among the cells in the T-cell population, CD8+ T cells are considered the major effector cells against this parasite. It is believed that CD4+ T cells may be crucial for induction of the CD8+-T-cell response against T. gondii. In the present study, CD4−/− mice were used to evaluate the role of conventional CD4+ T cells in the immune response against T. gondii infection. CD4−/− mice infected with T. gondii exhibited lower gamma interferon (IFN-γ) messages in the majority of their …


Staphylococcus Aureus Agr And Sara Functions Are Required For Invasive Infection But Not Inflammatory Responses In The Lung, Geoffrey Heyer, Shahryar Saba, Robert Adamo, William Rush, Grace Soong, Ambrose Cheung, Alice Prince Jan 2002

Staphylococcus Aureus Agr And Sara Functions Are Required For Invasive Infection But Not Inflammatory Responses In The Lung, Geoffrey Heyer, Shahryar Saba, Robert Adamo, William Rush, Grace Soong, Ambrose Cheung, Alice Prince

Dartmouth Scholarship

Staphylococcus aureus strains lacking agr- and sarA-dependent gene products or specific MSCRAMM (microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules) adhesins were compared for the ability to activate inflammatory responses in the lung. The mutants were evaluated for virulence in a mouse model of pneumonia and by quantifying their ability to stimulate interleukin-8 (IL-8) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) expression in respiratory epithelial cells. In a neonatal mouse, only strains with intact agr and sarA loci were consistently associated with invasive, fatal pulmonary infection (P < 0.001) and sarA was specifically required to cause bacteremia (P < 0.001). The agr and/or sarA mutants were, nonetheless, fully capable of producing pneumonia and were as proficient as the wild-type strain in stimulating epithelial IL-8 expression, a polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemokine, in airway cells. In contrast, agr and especially sarA mutants induced less epithelial GM-CSF expression, and MSCRAMM mutants lacking fibronectin binding proteins or clumping factor A, a ligand for fibrinogen, were unable to stimulate epithelial GM-CSF production. The ability to induce IL-8 expression was independent of the adherence properties of intact bacteria, indicating that shed and/or secreted bacterial components activate epithelial responses. While conserved staphylococcal components such as peptidoglycan are sufficient to evoke inflammation and cause pneumonia, the agr and sarA loci of S. aureus are critical for the coordination of invasive infection of the lungs.


Transcriptional Interference By Independently Regulated Genes Occurs In Any Relative Arrangement Of The Genes And Is Influenced By Chromosomal Integration Position, Susan K. Eszterhas, Eric E. Bouhassira, David I. K. Martin, Steven Fiering Jan 2002

Transcriptional Interference By Independently Regulated Genes Occurs In Any Relative Arrangement Of The Genes And Is Influenced By Chromosomal Integration Position, Susan K. Eszterhas, Eric E. Bouhassira, David I. K. Martin, Steven Fiering

Dartmouth Scholarship

Transcriptional interference is the influence, generally suppressive, of one active transcriptional unit on another unit linked in cis. Its wide occurrence in experimental systems suggests that it may also influence transcription in many loci, but little is known about its precise nature or underlying mechanisms. Here we report a study of the interaction of two nearly identical transcription units juxtaposed in various arrangements. Each reporter gene in the constructs has its own promoter and enhancer and a strong polyadenylation signal. We used recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) to insert the constructs into previously tagged genomic sites in cultured cells. This …