Biochemical Phenomena, Metabolism, and Nutrition Commons^™

Metabolic Dysregulation And Cancer Mortality In A National Cohort Of Blacks And Whites, Tomi Akinyemiju, Justin Xavier Moore, Suzanne Judd, Susan Lakoski, Michael Goodman, Monika M. Safford, Maria Pisu

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: We examined the association between metabolic dysregulation and cancer mortality in a prospective cohort of Black and White adults.

Methods: A total of 25,038 Black and White adults were included in the analysis. Metabolic dysregulation was defined in two ways: 1) using the joint harmonized criteria for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and 2) based on factor analysis of 15 variables characterizing metabolic dysregulation. We estimated hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of MetS and metabolic dysregulation with cancer mortality during follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: About 46% of Black and 39% of White …

Defining Electron Bifurcation In The Electron-Transferring Flavoprotein Family, Amaya M. Garcia Costas, Saroj Poudel, Anne-Frances Miller, Gerrit J. Schut, Rhesa N. Ledbetter, Kathryn R. Fixen, Lance C. Seefeldt, Michael W. W. Adams, Caroline S. Harwood, Eric S. Boyd, John W. Peters

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Electron bifurcation is the coupling of exergonic and endergonic redox reactions to simultaneously generate (or utilize) low- and high-potential electrons. It is the third recognized form of energy conservation in biology and was recently described for select electron-transferring flavoproteins (Etfs). Etfs are flavin-containing heterodimers best known for donating electrons derived from fatty acid and amino acid oxidation to an electron transfer respiratory chain via Etf-quinone oxidoreductase. Canonical examples contain a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) that is involved in electron transfer, as well as a non-redox-active AMP. However, Etfs demonstrated to bifurcate electrons contain a second FAD in place of the …

Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species In Lipotoxic Hearts Induces Post-Translational Modifications Of Akap121, Drp1 And Opa1 That Promote Mitochondrial Fission, Kensuke Tsushima, Heiko Bugger, Adam R. Wende, Jamie Soto, Gregory A. Jenson, Austin R. Tor, Rose Mcglauflin, Helena C. Kenny, Yuan Zhang, Rhonda Souvenir, Xiao X. Hu, Crystal L. Sloan, Renata O. Pereira, Vitor A. Lira, Kenneth W. Spitzer, Terry L. Sharp, Kooresh I. Shoghi, Genevieve C. Sparagna, Eva A. Rog-Zielinska, Peter Kohl, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Jean E. Schaffer, E. Dale Abel

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Rationale: Cardiac lipotoxicity, characterized by increased uptake, oxidation and accumulation of lipid intermediates, contributes to cardiac dysfunction in obesity and diabetes. However, mechanisms linking lipid overload and mitochondrial dysfunction are incompletely understood.

Objective: To elucidate the mechanisms for mitochondrial adaptations to lipid overload in postnatal hearts in vivo.

Methods and Results: Using a transgenic mouse model of cardiac lipotoxicity overexpressing long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 in cardiomyocytes, we show that modestly increased myocardial fatty acid uptake leads to mitochondrial structural remodeling with significant reduction in minimum diameter. This is associated with increased palmitoyl-carnitine oxidation and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation …

Inhibition Of Cholesterol Biosynthesis Through Rnf145-Dependent Ubiquitination Of Scap, Li Zhang, Prashant Rajbhandari, Christina Priest, Jaspreet Sandhu, Xiaohui Wu, Ryan E. Temel, Antonio Castrillo, Thomas Q. De Aguiar Vallim, Tamer Sallam, Peter Tontonoz

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Cholesterol homeostasis is maintained through concerted action of the SREBPs and LXRs. Here, we report that RNF145, a previously uncharacterized ER membrane ubiquitin ligase, participates in crosstalk between these critical signaling pathways. RNF145 expression is induced in response to LXR activation and high-cholesterol diet feeding. Transduction of RNF145 into mouse liver inhibits the expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and reduces plasma cholesterol levels. Conversely, acute suppression of RNF145 via shRNA-mediated knockdown, or chronic inactivation of RNF145 by genetic deletion, potentiates the expression of cholesterol biosynthetic genes and increases cholesterol levels both in liver and plasma. Mechanistic studies show …

Age Drives Distortion Of Brain Metabolic, Vascular And Cognitive Functions, And The Gut Microbiome, Jared D. Hoffman, Ishita Parikh, Stefan J. Green, George Chlipala, Robert P. Mohney, Mignon Keaton, Bjoern Bauer, Anika M. S. Hartz, Ai-Ling Lin

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Advancing age is the top risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the contribution of aging processes to AD etiology remains unclear. Emerging evidence shows that reduced brain metabolic and vascular functions occur decades before the onset of cognitive impairments, and these reductions are highly associated with low-grade, chronic inflammation developed in the brain over time. Interestingly, recent findings suggest that the gut microbiota may also play a critical role in modulating immune responses in the brain via the brain-gut axis. In this study, our goal was to identify associations between deleterious changes in …

Probing The Metabolic Phenotype Of Breast Cancer Cells By Multiple Tracer Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics, Andrew N. Lane, Julie Tan, Yali Wang, Jun Yan, Richard M. Higashi, Teresa W. -M. Fan

Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Breast cancers vary by their origin and specific set of genetic lesions, which gives rise to distinct phenotypes and differential response to targeted and untargeted chemotherapies. To explore the functional differences of different breast cell types, we performed Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics (SIRM) studies of one primary breast (HMEC) and three breast cancer cells (MCF-7, MDAMB-231, and ZR75-1) having distinct genotypes and growth characteristics, using ¹³C₆-glucose, ¹³C-1+2-glucose, ¹³C₅,¹⁵N₂-Gln, ¹³C₃-glycerol, and ¹³C₈-octanoate as tracers. These tracers were designed to probe the central energy producing …

Structure-Based Design Of Hepatitis C Virus Vaccines That Elicit Neutralizing Antibody Responses To A Conserved Epitope, Brian G. Pierce, Elisabeth N. Boucher, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Monir Ejemal, Chelsea A. Rapp, William D. Thomas Jr, Eric J. Sundberg, Zhiping Weng, Yang Wang

Food for Health: Publications

Despite recent advances in therapeutic options, hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a severe global disease burden, and a vaccine can substantially reduce its incidence. Due to its extremely high sequence variability, HCV can readily escape the immune response; thus, an effective vaccine must target conserved, functionally important epitopes. Using the structure of a broadly neutralizing antibody in complex with a conserved linear epitope from the HCV E2 envelope glycoprotein (residues 412 to 423; epitope I), we performed structure-based design of immunogens to induce antibody responses to this epitope. This resulted in epitope-based immunogens based on a cyclic defensin protein, as …

Activin Receptor Type 2a (Acvr2a) Functions Directly In Osteoblasts As A Negative Regulator Of Bone Mass, Brian C. Goh, Vandana Singhal, Angelica J. Herrera, Ryan E. Tomlinson, Soohyun Kim, Marie-Claude Faugere, Emily L. Germain-Lee, Thomas L. Clemens, Se-Jin Lee, Douglas J. Digirolamo

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Bone and skeletal muscle mass are highly correlated in mammals, suggesting the existence of common anabolic signaling networks that coordinate the development of these two anatomically adjacent tissues. The activin signaling pathway is an attractive candidate to fulfill such a role. Here, we generated mice with conditional deletion of activin receptor (ACVR) type 2A, ACVR2B, or both, in osteoblasts, to determine the contribution of activin receptor signaling in regulating bone mass. Immunohistochemistry localized ACVR2A and ACVR2B to osteoblasts and osteocytes. Primary osteoblasts expressed activin signaling components, including ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ACVR1B (ALK4) and demonstrated increased levels of phosphorylated Smad2/3 upon …

Obesity, Metabolic Factors And Risk Of Different Histological Types Of Lung Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Robert Carreras-Torres, Mattias Johansson, Philip C. Haycock, Kaitlin H. Wade, Caroline L. Relton, Richard M. Martin, George Davey Smith, Demetrius Albanes, Melinda C. Aldrich, Angeline Andrew, Susanne M. Arnold, Heike Bickeböller, Stig E. Bojesen, Hans Brunnström, Jonas Manjer, Irene Brüske, Neil E. Caporaso, Chu Chen, David C. Christiani, Warren Jay Christian, Jennifer A. Doherty, Eric J. Duell, John K. Field, Michael P. A. Davies, Michael W. Marcus, Gary E. Goodman, Kjell Grankvist, Aage Haugen, Yun-Chul Hong, Lambertus A. Kiemeney

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background

Assessing the relationship between lung cancer and metabolic conditions is challenging because of the confounding effect of tobacco. Mendelian randomization (MR), or the use of genetic instrumental variables to assess causality, may help to identify the metabolic drivers of lung cancer.

Methods and findings

We identified genetic instruments for potential metabolic risk factors and evaluated these in relation to risk using 29,266 lung cancer cases (including 11,273 adenocarcinomas, 7,426 squamous cell and 2,664 small cell cases) and 56,450 controls. The MR risk analysis suggested a causal effect of body mass index (BMI) on lung cancer risk for two of …

Exploring Cancer Metabolism Using Stable Isotope-Resolved Metabolomics (Sirm), Ronald C. Bruntz, Andrew N. Lane, Richard M. Higashi, Teresa W. -M. Fan

Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. The changes in metabolism are adaptive to permit proliferation, survival, and eventually metastasis in a harsh environment. Stable isotope-resolved metabolomics (SIRM) is an approach that uses advanced approaches of NMR and mass spectrometry to analyze the fate of individual atoms from stable isotope-enriched precursors to products to deduce metabolic pathways and networks. The approach can be applied to a wide range of biological systems, including human subjects. This review focuses on the applications of SIRM to cancer metabolism and its use in understanding drug actions.

Genome- And Cd4+ T-Cell Methylome-Wide Association Study Of Circulating Trimethylamine-N-Oxide In The Genetics Of Lipid Lowering Drugs And Diet Network (Goldn), Stella Aslibekyan, Marguerite R. Irvin, Bertha A. Hidalgo, Rodney T. Perry, Elias J. Jeyarajah, Erwin Garcia, Irina Shalaurova, Paul N. Hopkins, Michael A. Province, Hemant K. Tiwari, Jose M. Ordovas, Devin M. Absher, Donna K. Arnett

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), an atherogenic metabolite species, has emerged as a possible new risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Animal studies have shown that circulating TMAO levels are regulated by genetic and environmental factors. However, large-scale human studies have failed to replicate the observed genetic associations, and epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation have never been examined in relation to TMAO levels.

Methods and results: We used data from the family-based Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) to investigate the heritable determinants of plasma TMAO in humans. TMAO was not associated with other plasma markers of cardiovascular disease, …

Temperature Induces Significant Changes In Both Glycolytic Reserve And Mitochondrial Spare Respiratory Capacity In Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines, Mihail I. Mitov, Jennifer W. Harris, Michael Alstott, Yekaterina Y. Zaytseva, B. Mark Evers, D. Allan Butterfield

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Thermotherapy, as a method of treating cancer, has recently attracted considerable attention from basic and clinical investigators. A number of studies and clinical trials have shown that thermotherapy can be successfully used as a therapeutic approach for various cancers. However, the effects of temperature on cancer bioenergetics have not been studied in detail with a real time, in a microplate, label-free detection approach.

This study investigate how changes in temperature affect the bioenergetics characteristics (mitochondrial function and glycolysis) of three colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines utilizing the Seahorse XF96 technology. Experiments were performed at 32°C, 37°C and 42°C using assay …

Dynamics Of Maternal And Infant Vitamin E Tocopherols During Nicu Hospitalization, Jana K. Wells

Theses & Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this prospective cohort is to investigate serum levels of vitamin E tocopherol isoforms (specifically alpha and gamma) in mothers and infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in relation to infant feeding modality.

METHODS: This was a prospective cohort of 34 mothers and their infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Samples of maternal and cord blood were collected at the time of delivery, and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was administered to the mother to measure maternal vitamin E tocopherol intake. After nutrition treatment of each feeding modality had been …

How An Alloreactive T-Cell Receptor Achieves Peptide And Mhc Specificity, Yuan Wang, Nishant K. Singh, Timothy T. Spear, Lance M. Hellman, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Rachel H. Mcmahan, Hugo R. Rosen, Craig W. Vander Kooi, Michael I. Nishimura, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

T-cell receptor (TCR) allorecognition is often presumed to be relatively nonspecific, attributable to either a TCR focus on exposed major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphisms or the degenerate recognition of allopeptides. However, paradoxically, alloreactivity can proceed with high peptide and MHC specificity. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, the existence of highly specific alloreactive TCRs has led to their use as immunotherapeutics that can circumvent central tolerance and limit graft-versus-host disease. Here, we show how an alloreactive TCR achieves peptide and MHC specificity. The HCV1406 TCR was cloned from T cells that expanded when a hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected HLA-A2− individual …

Optical Imaging Of Metabolic Adaptability As A Biomarker For Metastatic Potential In Breast Cancer Cells, Mason G. Harper

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breast cancer metastasis is the main cause for mortality in breast cancer patients. However, knowledge of metastatic recurrence is limited, and there is a need to understand metastatic recurrence in order to treat breast cancer patients more effectively. Highly invasive metastatic breast cancer has shown to exhibit metabolic adaptability, transitioning from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation in the presence of microenvironmental stress. NADH and FAD are naturally occurring cofactor products during glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, respectively, and they are of particular importance during these metabolic processes due to their endogenous fluorescence. Measuring the ratio of fluorescence intensities of these cofactors through …

Investigating The Mechanism Of Novel Anticancer Agent, As1411 : Does Metabolism To Guanine Play A Role?, Parker T Howard

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

AS1411 is an oligonucleotide that has shown promising results in lab experiments and clinical trials as an anti-cancer drug, Likewise, treatments with guanine based purine compounds (GBPCs) have demonstrated similar anti-proliferative effects in vitro. This activity is dependent on the HGPRT enzyme. Similarities in activity and physical structure has led us to believe that AS1411 and GBPCs operate by a similar mechanism. To test this, we compare the activity of both in the presence of HGPRT siRNAs and HGPRT deficient cells. While siRNA treatment was unable to alter the activity of GBPCs or AS1411 in our cell lines, HGPRT deficient …

Effects Of Storage Time On Glycolysis In Donated Human Blood Units, Zhen Qi, John D. Roback, Eberhard O. Voit

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Donated blood is typically stored before transfusions. During storage, the metabolism of red blood cells changes, possibly causing storage lesions. The changes are storage time dependent and exhibit donor-specific variations. It is necessary to uncover and characterize the responsible molecular mechanisms accounting for such biochemical changes, qualitatively and quantitatively; Study Design and Methods: Based on the integration of metabolic time series data, kinetic models, and a stoichiometric model of the glycolytic pathway, a customized inference method was developed and used to quantify the dynamic changes in glycolytic fluxes during the storage of donated blood units. The method provides a …

P33. Design And Evaluation Of An Escherichia Coli Biomarker For Indication Of Ph, Kevin X. Zhou, Luana Langlois, Ashmita Singh, John Prince

Western Research Forum

Measuring pH is one of the most commonly used techniques in both the laboratory as well as the field due to its importance in a multitude of biochemical processes. Traditional methods of measuring pH may be highly developed in accuracy and precision but often involve disruption of the environment. Biological markers offer an alternative that allows for long-term pH monitoring. This innovative approach allows for vast applications such as in the manufacturing, food processing and research industries. Under moderate acidic conditions, the asr (acid shock RNA) gene is highly inducible and has been demonstrated to be crucial for growth at …

Cpt1a Methylation Is Associated With Plasma Adiponectin, S. Aslibekyan, A. N. Do, H. Xu, S. Li, M. R. Irvin, D Zhi, H. K. Tiwari, D. M. Absher, A. R. Shuldiner, T. Zhang, W. Chen, K. Tanner, C. Hong, B. D. Mitchell, G. Berenson, Donna K. Arnett

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background and Aims—Adiponectin, an adipose-secreted protein that has been linked to insulin sensitivity, plasma lipids, and inflammatory patterns, is an established biomarker for metabolic health. Despite clinical relevance and high heritability, the determinants of plasma adiponectin levels remain poorly understood.

Methods and Results—We conducted the first epigenome-wide cross-sectional study of adiponectin levels using methylation data on 368,051 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites in CD4+ T-cells from the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN, n= 991). We fit linear mixed models, adjusting for age, sex, study site, T-cell purity, and family. We have identified a positive association (regression …

The Host Microbiome Regulates And Maintains Human Health: A Primer And Perspective For Non-Microbiologists, Sunil Thomas, Jacques Izard, Emily Walsh, Kristen Batich, Pakawat Chongsathidkiet, Gerard Clarke, David A. Sela, Alexander J. Muller, James M. Mullin, Korin Albert, John P. Gilligan, Katherine Diguilio, Rima Dilbarova, Walker Alexander, George P. Prendergast

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Humans consider themselves discrete autonomous organisms, but recent research is rapidly strengthening the appreciation that associated microorganisms make essential contributions to human health and well being. Each person is inhabited and also surrounded by his/her own signature microbial cloud. A low diversity of microorganisms is associated with a plethora of diseases, including allergy, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and even neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, an interaction of microorganisms with the host immune system is required for a healthy body. Exposure to microorganisms from the moment we are born and appropriate microbiome assembly during childhood are essential for establishing an active …

A Quantitative Lc-Ms/Ms Method For Simultaneous Determination Of Cocaine And Its Metabolites In Whole Blood, Xiabin Chen, Xirong Zheng, Kai Ding, Ziyuan Zhou, Chang-Guo Zhan, Fang Zheng

Molecular Modeling and Biopharmaceutical Center Faculty Publications

As new metabolic pathways of cocaine were recently identified, a high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed to simultaneously determine cocaine and nine cocaine-related metabolites in whole blood samples. One-step solid phase extraction was used to extract all of the ten compounds and corresponding internal standards from blood samples. All compounds and internal standards extracted were separated on an Atlantis T3 (100 Å, 3 μm, 2.1 mm × 150 mm I.D) column and detected in positive ion and high sensitivity mode with multiple reaction monitoring. This method was validated for its sensitivity, linearity, specificity, accuracy, precision, …

Novel Interconnections In Lipid Metabolism Revealed By Overexpression Of Sphingomyelin Synthase-1, Gergana M. Deevska, Patrick P. Dotson Ii, Alexander A. Karakashian, Giorgis Isaac, Mark Wrona, Samuel B. Kelly, Alfred H. Merrill Jr., Mariana N. Nikolova‑Karakashian

Physiology Faculty Publications

This study investigates the consequences of elevating sphingomyelin synthase 1 (SMS1) activity, which generates the main mammalian sphingolipid, sphingomyelin. HepG2 cells stably transfected with SMS1 (HepG2-SMS1) exhibit elevated enzyme activity in vitro and increased sphingomyelin content (mainly C22:0- and C24:0-sphingomyelin) but lower hexosylceramide (Hex-Cer) levels. HepG2-SMS1 cells have fewer triacylglycerols than controls but similar diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity, triacylglycerol secretion, and mitochondrial function. Treatment with 1 mm palmitate increases de novo ceramide synthesis in both cell lines to a similar degree, causing accumulation of C16:0-ceramide (and some C18:0-, C20:0-, and C22:0-ceramides) as well as C16:0- and C18:0-Hex-Cers. In these experiments, the …

Nutr 356: Nutrition Education In The Community—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Virginia Chaidez

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio summarizes a thoughtful documentation of a peer review process of teaching for an undergraduate course in community nutrition. The portfolio provides my description of the course and course goals utilizing the 'Backwards Design' approach; a reflection of teaching methods and activities used to enhance learning and reach course goals; an analysis of teaching activities at the end of the semester and planned changes for teaching this course moving forward.

Short And Long Chain Free Fatty Acids Differentially Regulate Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 And Peptide Yy Transcript Levels In Enteroendocrine Cells (Stc-1), Colin M. Catherman

Theses and Dissertations

The regulation of glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY hormone levels are regulated based on different influential factors, but primarily levels are dependent upon ingested food content. As meals today become more fat-enriched, there is greater requirement for evaluation of these hormones that regulate insulin and satiety levels within the body. We have shown that the gene expression transcript production of glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY are modulated by different concentrations, and times of short-chain fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids. Although the peptide hormone levels have the influential physiological role on effector tissue, the regulation of these hormones begins at …

D-Lactate And Low Molecular Ages Are Elevated In Obese Adolescents: Evidence For Carbonyl Stress In Adolescent Obesity, Reyna Rodriguez Mortera, Yasmin Bains, Russell Caccavello, Claudia Luevano, Ma. Eugenia Garay-Sevilla, Alejandro Gugliucci

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Osteopathic Medicine

Glycation and carbonyl stress produced by methylglyoxal (MG) as a consequence of triose flux in glycolysis has been implicated in the etiology of metabolic syndrome and diabetes complications. An integrated estimation of MG flux is provided by measuring concentrations of its catabolite D-lactate in serum. However, no studies have explored the pathway in childhood obesity.

Objective: Study serum concentrations of D-lactate and low molecular weight advanced glycation end-products (LMWAGE) in lean vs adolescents with obesity.

Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 30 lean and 30 obese adolescents between the ages of 15-19 years. D-lactate was measured kinetically …

Motility And Adhesion Through Type Iv Pili In Gram-Positive Bacteria, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Eric J. Sundberg

Food for Health: Publications

Type IV pili are hair-like bacterial surface appendages that play a role in diverse processes such as cellular adhesion, colonization, twitching motility, biofilm formation, and horizontal gene transfer. These extracellular fibers are composed exclusively or primarily of many copies of one or more pilin proteins, tightly packed in a helix so that the highly hydrophobic amino-terminus of the pilin is buried in the pilus core. Type IV pili have been characterized extensively in Gram-negative bacteria, and recent advances in high-throughput genomic sequencing have revealed that they are also widespread in Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we review the current state of knowledge …

Perceptual Variations In Thermoregulation During Exercise In A Hot Environment, William C. Alger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Professionals are seeking to find ways to prevent exertional heat illness (EHI) in populations working in hot environments as well as populations that are physically active. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate individuals’ ability to accurately perceive core temperature ranges associated with homeothermic and EHI temperatures during exercise. Ten physically active males exercised on a treadmill at a self-selected rate until core temperature reached 39°C. Participants rated perceived core and skin temperature on 100 mm scales each time core temperature increased 0.25˚ C (37.5-39.0˚ C), along with thermal comfort and sweating sensation. During exercise core temperature …

A Generalized Framework For Computational Design And Mutational Scanning Of T-Cell Receptor Binding Interfaces, Timothy P. Riley, Cory M. Ayres, Lance M. Hellman, Nishant K. Singh, Michael Cosiano, Jennifer M. Cimons, Michael J. Anderson, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian G. Pierce, Zhiping Weng, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

T-cell receptors (TCRs) have emerged as a new class of therapeutics, most prominently for cancer where they are the key components of new cellular therapies as well as soluble biologics. Many studies have generated high affinity TCRs in order to enhance sensitivity. Recent outcomes, however, have suggested that fine manipulation of TCR binding, with an emphasis on specificity may be more valuable than large affinity increments. Structure-guided design is ideally suited for this role, and here we studied the generality of structure-guided design as applied to TCRs. We found that a previous approach, which successfully optimized the binding of a …

Structural Diversity In The Type Iv Pili Of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Erik Lillehoj, Christian M. Harding, Jason W. Labonte, Xiaotong Zuo, Chelsea A. Rapp, Robert S. Munson Jr, Simeon E. Goldblum, Mario F. Feldman, Jeffrey J. Gray, Eric J. Sundberg

Food for Health: Publications

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative coccobacillus found primarily in hospital settings that has recently emerged as a source of hospital-acquired infections. A. baumannii expresses a variety of virulence factors, including type IV pili, bacterial extracellular appendages often essential for attachment to host cells. Here, we report the high resolution structures of the major pilin subunit, PilA, from three Acinetobacter strains, demonstrating thatA. baumannii subsets produce morphologically distinct type IV pilin glycoproteins. We examine the consequences of this heterogeneity for protein folding and assembly as well as host-cell adhesion by Acinetobacter. Comparisons of genomic and structural data with pilin proteins from …

The Neu1-Selective Sialidase Inhibitor, C9- Butyl-Amide-Dana, Blocks Sialidase Activity And Neu1-Mediated Bioactivities In Human Lung In Vitro And Murine Lung In Vivo, Sang W. Hyun, Anguo Liu, Zhenguo Liu, Alan S. Cross, Avelino C. Verceles, Sadagopan Magesh, Yadagiri Kommagalla, Chandrababunaidu Kona, Hiromune Ando, Irina G. Luzina, Sergei P. Atamas, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Eric J. Sundberg, Wei Guang, Hideharu Ishida, Erik P. Lillehoj, Simeon E. Goldblum

Food for Health: Publications

Neuraminidase-1 (NEU1) is the predominant sialidase expressed in human airway epithelia and lung microvascular endothelia where it mediates multiple biological processes. We tested whether the NEU1-selective sialidase inhibitor, C9-butyl-amide-2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro-Nacetylneuraminic acid (C9-BA-DANA), inhibits one or more established NEU1-mediated bioactivities in human lung cells. We established the IC50 values of C9-BA-DANA for total sialidase activity in human airway epithelia, lung microvascular endothelia and lung fibroblasts to be 3.74 µM, 13.0 µM and 4.82 µM, respectively. In human airway epithelia, C9-BA-DANA dose-dependently inhibited flagellin-induced, NEU1-mediated mucin-1 ectodomain desialylation, adhesiveness for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and shedding. In lung microvascular endothelia, C9-BA-DANA reversed NEU1-driven restraint of …