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Articles 301 - 330 of 547

Full-Text Articles in Medical Cell Biology

Uncovering Novel Regulators Of Memory Using C Elegans Genetic And Genomic Analysis, Katie L Brandel-Ankrapp, Rachel N Arey Feb 2023

Uncovering Novel Regulators Of Memory Using C Elegans Genetic And Genomic Analysis, Katie L Brandel-Ankrapp, Rachel N Arey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

How organisms learn and encode memory is an outstanding question in neuroscience research. Specifically, how memories are acquired and consolidated at the level of molecular and gene pathways remains unclear. In addition, memory is disrupted in a wide variety of neurological disorders; therefore, discovering molecular regulators of memory may reveal therapeutic targets for these disorders. C. elegans are an excellent model to uncover molecular and genetic regulators of memory. Indeed, the nematode's invariant neuronal lineage, fully mapped genome, and conserved associative behaviors have allowed the development of a breadth of genetic and genomic tools to examine learning and memory. In …


Role Of Ribosome Recycling Factor In Natural Termination And Translational Coupling As A Ribosome Releasing Factor, Yoshio Inokuchi, Fabio Quaglia, Akikazu Hirashima, Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Hideko Kaji, Akira Kaji Feb 2023

Role Of Ribosome Recycling Factor In Natural Termination And Translational Coupling As A Ribosome Releasing Factor, Yoshio Inokuchi, Fabio Quaglia, Akikazu Hirashima, Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Hideko Kaji, Akira Kaji

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

The role of ribosome recycling factor (RRF) of E. coli was studied in vivo and in vitro. We used the translational coupling without the Shine-Dalgarno sequence of downstream ORF (d-ORF) as a model system of the RRF action in natural termination of protein synthesis. For the in vivo studies we used the translational coupling by the adjacent coat and lysis genes of RNA phage GA sharing the termination and initiation (UAAUG) and temperature sensitive RRF. The d-ORF translation was measured by the expression of the reporter lacZ gene connected to the 5'-terminal part of the lysis gene. The results showed …


Differential Regulation Of H3k9/H3k14 Acetylation By Small Molecules Drives Neuron-Fate-Induction Of Glioma Cell, Xincheng Liu, Cui Guo, Tiandong Leng, Zhen Fan, Jialuo Mai, Jiehong Chen, Jinhai Xu, Qianyi Li, Bin Jiang, Ke Sai, Wenzhuo Yang, Jiayu Gu, Jingyi Wang, Shuxin Sun, Zhijie Chen, Yingqian Zhong, Xuanming Liang, Chaoxin Chen, Jing Cai, Yuan Lin, Jiankai Liang, Jun Hu, Guangmei Yan, Wenbo Zhu, Wei Yin Feb 2023

Differential Regulation Of H3k9/H3k14 Acetylation By Small Molecules Drives Neuron-Fate-Induction Of Glioma Cell, Xincheng Liu, Cui Guo, Tiandong Leng, Zhen Fan, Jialuo Mai, Jiehong Chen, Jinhai Xu, Qianyi Li, Bin Jiang, Ke Sai, Wenzhuo Yang, Jiayu Gu, Jingyi Wang, Shuxin Sun, Zhijie Chen, Yingqian Zhong, Xuanming Liang, Chaoxin Chen, Jing Cai, Yuan Lin, Jiankai Liang, Jun Hu, Guangmei Yan, Wenbo Zhu, Wei Yin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Differentiation therapy using small molecules is a promising strategy for improving the prognosis of glioblastoma (GBM). Histone acetylation plays an important role in cell fate determination. Nevertheless, whether histone acetylation in specific sites determines GBM cells fate remains to be explored. Through screening from a 349 small molecule-library, we identified that histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) MS-275 synergized with 8-CPT-cAMP was able to transdifferentiate U87MG GBM cells into neuron-like cells, which were characterized by cell cycle arrest, rich neuron biomarkers, and typical neuron electrophysiology. Intriguingly, acetylation tags of histone 3 at lysine 9 (H3K9ac) were decreased in the promoter of multiple …


Transcriptome, Proteome, And Protein Synthesis Within The Intracellular Cytomatrix, Tattym E Shaiken, Sandra L Grimm, Mohamad Siam, Amanda Williams, Abdol-Hossein Rezaeian, Daniel Kraushaar, Emily Ricco, Matthew J Robertson, Cristian Coarfa, Antrix Jain, Anna Malovannaya, Fabio Stossi, Antone R Opekun, Alyssa P Price, Julien Dubrulle Feb 2023

Transcriptome, Proteome, And Protein Synthesis Within The Intracellular Cytomatrix, Tattym E Shaiken, Sandra L Grimm, Mohamad Siam, Amanda Williams, Abdol-Hossein Rezaeian, Daniel Kraushaar, Emily Ricco, Matthew J Robertson, Cristian Coarfa, Antrix Jain, Anna Malovannaya, Fabio Stossi, Antone R Opekun, Alyssa P Price, Julien Dubrulle

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Despite the knowledge that protein translation and various metabolic reactions that create and sustain cellular life occur in the cytoplasm, the structural organization within the cytoplasm remains unclear. Recent models indicate that cytoplasm contains viscous fluid and elastic solid phases. We separated these viscous fluid and solid elastic compartments, which we call the cytosol and cytomatrix, respectively. The distinctive composition of the cytomatrix included structural proteins, ribosomes, and metabolome enzymes. High-throughput analysis revealed unique biosynthetic pathways within the cytomatrix. Enrichment of biosynthetic pathways in the cytomatrix indicated the presence of immobilized biocatalysis. Enzymatic immobilization and segregation can surmount spatial impediments, …


Visualization Of Preimplantation Uterine Fluid Absorption In Mice Using Alexa Fluor™ 488 Hydrazide†, Yuehuan Li, Taylor Elijah Martin, Jonathan Matthew Hancock, Rong Li, Suvitha Viswanathan, John P Lydon, Yi Zheng, Xiaoqin Ye Feb 2023

Visualization Of Preimplantation Uterine Fluid Absorption In Mice Using Alexa Fluor™ 488 Hydrazide†, Yuehuan Li, Taylor Elijah Martin, Jonathan Matthew Hancock, Rong Li, Suvitha Viswanathan, John P Lydon, Yi Zheng, Xiaoqin Ye

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Uterine fluid plays important roles in supporting early pregnancy events and its timely absorption is critical for embryo implantation. In mice, its volume is maximum on day 0.5 post-coitum (D0.5) and approaches minimum upon embryo attachment ~D4.0. Its secretion and absorption in ovariectomized rodents were shown to be promoted by estrogen and progesterone (P4), respectively. The temporal mechanisms in preimplantation uterine fluid absorption remain to be elucidated. We have established an approach using intraluminally injected Alexa Fluor™ 488 Hydrazide (AH) in preimplantation control (RhoAf/f) and P4-deficient RhoAf/fPgrCre/+ mice. In control mice, bulk entry (seen as smeared cellular staining) via uterine …


In Vivo Gene Delivery Into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection, Wen Bu, Yi Li Feb 2023

In Vivo Gene Delivery Into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection, Wen Bu, Yi Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mouse mammary glands comprise ductal trees, which are lined by epithelial cells and have one opening at the tip of each nipple. The epithelial cells play a major role in mammary gland function and are the origin of most mammary tumors. Introducing genes of interest into mouse mammary epithelial cells is a critical step in evaluating gene function in epithelial cells and generating mouse mammary tumor models. This goal can be accomplished through the intraductal injection of a viral vector carrying the genes of interest into the mouse mammary ductal tree. The injected virus subsequently infects mammary epithelial cells, bringing …


Post-Transcriptional Regulation In Cranial Neural Crest Cells Expands Developmental Potential, Rachel A Keuls, Young Sun Oh, Ivanshi Patel, Ronald J Parchem Feb 2023

Post-Transcriptional Regulation In Cranial Neural Crest Cells Expands Developmental Potential, Rachel A Keuls, Young Sun Oh, Ivanshi Patel, Ronald J Parchem

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Developmental potential is progressively restricted after germ layer specification during gastrulation. However, cranial neural crest cells challenge this paradigm, as they develop from anterior ectoderm, yet give rise to both ectodermal derivatives of the peripheral nervous system and ectomesenchymal bone and cartilage. How cranial neural crest cells differentiate into multiple lineages is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that cranial neural crest cells possess a transient state of increased chromatin accessibility. We profile the spatiotemporal emergence of premigratory neural crest and find evidence of lineage bias toward either a neuronal or ectomesenchymal fate, with each expressing distinct factors from earlier stages …


Bone Metastasis Initiation Is Coupled With Bone Remodeling Through Osteogenic Differentiation Of Ng2+ Cells, Weijie Zhang, Zhan Xu, Xiaoxin Hao, Tiancheng He, Jiasong Li, Yichao Shen, Kai Liu, Yang Gao, Jun Liu, David G Edwards, Aaron M Muscarella, Ling Wu, Liqun Yu, Longyong Xu, Xi Chen, Yi-Hsuan Wu, Igor L Bado, Yunfeng Ding, Sergio Aguirre, Hai Wang, Zbigniew Gugala, Robert L Satcher, Stephen T C Wong, Xiang H-F Zhang Feb 2023

Bone Metastasis Initiation Is Coupled With Bone Remodeling Through Osteogenic Differentiation Of Ng2+ Cells, Weijie Zhang, Zhan Xu, Xiaoxin Hao, Tiancheng He, Jiasong Li, Yichao Shen, Kai Liu, Yang Gao, Jun Liu, David G Edwards, Aaron M Muscarella, Ling Wu, Liqun Yu, Longyong Xu, Xi Chen, Yi-Hsuan Wu, Igor L Bado, Yunfeng Ding, Sergio Aguirre, Hai Wang, Zbigniew Gugala, Robert L Satcher, Stephen T C Wong, Xiang H-F Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The bone microenvironment is dynamic and undergoes remodeling in normal and pathologic conditions. Whether such remodeling affects disseminated tumor cells (DTC) and bone metastasis remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that pathologic fractures increase metastatic colonization around the injury. NG2+ cells are a common participant in bone metastasis initiation and bone remodeling in both homeostatic and fractured conditions. NG2+ bone mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BMSC) often colocalize with DTCs in the perivascular niche. Both DTCs and NG2+ BMSCs are recruited to remodeling sites. Ablation of NG2+ lineage impaired bone remodeling and concurrently diminished metastatic colonization. In cocultures, NG2+ BMSCs, especially when …


Short-Term Pi3k Inhibition Prevents Breast Cancer In Preclinical Models, Amy T Ku, Adelaide I J Young, Ahmed Atef Ibrahim, Wen Bu, Weiyu Jiang, Meng Lin, Laterrica C Williams, Bryant Lee Mccue, George Miles, Chandandeep Nagi, Fariba Behbod, Yi Li Feb 2023

Short-Term Pi3k Inhibition Prevents Breast Cancer In Preclinical Models, Amy T Ku, Adelaide I J Young, Ahmed Atef Ibrahim, Wen Bu, Weiyu Jiang, Meng Lin, Laterrica C Williams, Bryant Lee Mccue, George Miles, Chandandeep Nagi, Fariba Behbod, Yi Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Antiestrogen medication is the only chemoprevention currently available for women at a high risk of developing breast cancer; however, antiestrogen therapy requires years to achieve efficacy and has adverse side effects. Therefore, it is important to develop an efficacious chemoprevention strategy that requires only a short course of treatment. PIK3CA is commonly activated in breast atypical hyperplasia, the known precancerous precursor of breast cancer. Targeting PI3K signaling in these precancerous lesions may offer a new strategy for chemoprevention. Here, we first established a mouse model that mimics the progression from precancerous lesions to breast cancer. Next, we demonstrated that a …


Lef1 Drives A Central Memory Program And Supports Antitumor Activity Of Natural Killer T Cells, Ho Ngai, Gabriel A Barragan, Gengwen Tian, Julien C Balzeau, Chunchao Zhang, Amy N Courtney, Linjie Guo, Xin Xu, Michael S Wood, Janice M Drabek, Thorsten Demberg, Caroline M Sands, Cynthia N Chauvin-Fleurence, Erica J Di Pierro, Jeffrey M Rosen, Leonid S Metelitsa Feb 2023

Lef1 Drives A Central Memory Program And Supports Antitumor Activity Of Natural Killer T Cells, Ho Ngai, Gabriel A Barragan, Gengwen Tian, Julien C Balzeau, Chunchao Zhang, Amy N Courtney, Linjie Guo, Xin Xu, Michael S Wood, Janice M Drabek, Thorsten Demberg, Caroline M Sands, Cynthia N Chauvin-Fleurence, Erica J Di Pierro, Jeffrey M Rosen, Leonid S Metelitsa

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (NKT) possess innate antitumor properties that can be exploited for cancer immunotherapy. We have shown previously that the CD62L+ central memory-like subset of these cells drives the in vivo antitumor activity of NKTs, but molecular mediators of NKT central memory differentiation remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that relative to CD62L- cells, CD62L+ NKTs express a higher level of the gene encoding the Wnt/β-catenin transcription factor lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) and maintain active Wnt/β-catenin signaling. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated LEF1 knockout reduced CD62L+ frequency after antigenic stimulation, whereas Wnt/β-catenin activator Wnt3a ligand increased CD62L+ frequency. LEF1 overexpression …


Sumoylation Regulates Functional Properties Of The Oocyte Transcription Factors Sohlh1 And Nobox, Bethany K Patton, Surabhi Madadi, Shawn M Briley, Avery A Ahmed, Stephanie A Pangas Feb 2023

Sumoylation Regulates Functional Properties Of The Oocyte Transcription Factors Sohlh1 And Nobox, Bethany K Patton, Surabhi Madadi, Shawn M Briley, Avery A Ahmed, Stephanie A Pangas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

SOHLH1 and NOBOX are oocyte-expressed transcription factors with critical roles in ovary development and fertility. In mice, Sohlh1 and Nobox are essential for fertility through their regulation of the oocyte transcriptional network and cross-talk to somatic cells. Sumoylation is a posttranslational modification that regulates transcription factor function, and we previously showed that mouse oocytes deficient for sumoylation had an altered transcriptional landscape that included significant changes in NOBOX target genes. Here, we show that mouse SOHLH1 is modified by SUMO2/3 at lysine 345 and mutation of this residue alters SOHLH1 nuclear to cytoplasmic localization. In NOBOX, we identify a non-consensus …


Modeling Ewing Sarcoma Lung Metastasis, Atreyi Dasgupta, Lyazat Kurenbekova, Tajhal D Patel, Kimal Rajapakshe, Gargi Ghosal, Bikesh Nirala, Cristian Coarfa, Jason Yustein Feb 2023

Modeling Ewing Sarcoma Lung Metastasis, Atreyi Dasgupta, Lyazat Kurenbekova, Tajhal D Patel, Kimal Rajapakshe, Gargi Ghosal, Bikesh Nirala, Cristian Coarfa, Jason Yustein

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Ewing Sarcoma (EwS) is the second most common malignant bone tumor in adolescents and young adults. The single-most powerful predictor of outcome in EwS is presence of metastatic burden at the time of diagnosis. Patients with metastatic Ewing Sarcoma have an abysmal 5-year survival rate of 10–25%, which has not changed over the past 30–40 years. Thus, unraveling underlying mechanisms of EwS metastasis are imperative for developing effective therapeutic measures. Investigations towards this goal are limited by the lack of reliable genetically engineered mouse models and specialized metastatic models. Using two established cell lines, A673 and TC71, we generated lung …


Early Life Reprogramming-Based Treatment Promotes Longevity, Patrizia Pessina, Bruno Di Stefano Feb 2023

Early Life Reprogramming-Based Treatment Promotes Longevity, Patrizia Pessina, Bruno Di Stefano

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Short-term expression of Yamanaka factors early in life promotes epigenetic reprogramming and an increased healthy lifespan in a mouse model of accelerated aging.


The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Fires Up Heme-Induced Inflammation In Hemolytic Conditions, Suruchi Salgar, Beatriz E Bolívar, Jonathan M Flanagan, Shaniqua J Anum, Lisa Bouchier-Hayes Feb 2023

The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Fires Up Heme-Induced Inflammation In Hemolytic Conditions, Suruchi Salgar, Beatriz E Bolívar, Jonathan M Flanagan, Shaniqua J Anum, Lisa Bouchier-Hayes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Overactive inflammatory responses are central to the pathophysiology of many hemolytic conditions including sickle cell disease. Excessive hemolysis leads to elevated serum levels of heme due to saturation of heme scavenging mechanisms. Extracellular heme has been shown to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, leading to activation of caspase-1 and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. Heme also activates the non-canonical inflammasome pathway, which may contribute to NLRP3 inflammasome formation and leads to pyroptosis, a type of inflammatory cell death. Some clinical studies indicate there is a benefit to blocking the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in patients with sickle cell disease and …


Enhancer-Promoter Entanglement Explains Their Transcriptional Interdependence, Anil K Panigrahi, David M Lonard, Bert W O'Malley Jan 2023

Enhancer-Promoter Entanglement Explains Their Transcriptional Interdependence, Anil K Panigrahi, David M Lonard, Bert W O'Malley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Enhancers not only activate target promoters to stimulate messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis, but they themselves also undergo transcription to produce enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), the significance of which is not well understood. Transcription at the participating enhancer-promoter pair appears coordinated, but it is unclear why and how. Here, we employ cell-free transcription assays using constructs derived from the human GREB1 locus to demonstrate that transcription at an enhancer and its target promoter is interdependent. This interdependence is observable under conditions where direct enhancer-promoter contact (EPC) takes place. We demonstrate that transcription activation at a participating enhancer-promoter pair is dependent on i) …


Generation Of A Tree Shrew Breast Cancer Model Using Lentivirus Expressing Pik3ca-H1047r, Li Zeng, Hong-Yan Zhang, Chuan-Yu Yang, Zhuo Cheng, Qiu-Yun Jiang, Yao Luo, Yi Li, Fu-Bing Li, Ce-Shi Chen Jan 2023

Generation Of A Tree Shrew Breast Cancer Model Using Lentivirus Expressing Pik3ca-H1047r, Li Zeng, Hong-Yan Zhang, Chuan-Yu Yang, Zhuo Cheng, Qiu-Yun Jiang, Yao Luo, Yi Li, Fu-Bing Li, Ce-Shi Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.


Outcomes Of Patients Treated For Hepatoblastoma With Low Alpha-Fetoprotein And/Or Small Cell Undifferentiated Histology: A Report From The Children's Hepatic Tumors International Collaboration (Chic), Angela D Trobaugh-Lotrario, Rudolf Maibach, Daniel C Aronson, Arun Rangaswami, Beate Häberle, Allison F O'Neill, Irene Schmid, Marc Ansari, Tomoro Hishiki, Sarangarajan Ranganathan, Rita Alaggio, Ronald R De Krijger, Yukichi Tanaka, Soo-Jin Cho, Christian Vokuhl, Rebecca Maxwell, Mark Krailo, Eiso Hiyama, Piotr Czauderna, Milton Finegold, James H Feusner, Marcio H Malogolowkin, Rebecka L Meyers, Dolores Lopez-Terrada Jan 2023

Outcomes Of Patients Treated For Hepatoblastoma With Low Alpha-Fetoprotein And/Or Small Cell Undifferentiated Histology: A Report From The Children's Hepatic Tumors International Collaboration (Chic), Angela D Trobaugh-Lotrario, Rudolf Maibach, Daniel C Aronson, Arun Rangaswami, Beate Häberle, Allison F O'Neill, Irene Schmid, Marc Ansari, Tomoro Hishiki, Sarangarajan Ranganathan, Rita Alaggio, Ronald R De Krijger, Yukichi Tanaka, Soo-Jin Cho, Christian Vokuhl, Rebecca Maxwell, Mark Krailo, Eiso Hiyama, Piotr Czauderna, Milton Finegold, James H Feusner, Marcio H Malogolowkin, Rebecka L Meyers, Dolores Lopez-Terrada

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Small cell undifferentiated (SCU) histology and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels below 100 ng/mL have been reported as poor prognostic factors in hepatoblastoma (HB); subsequent studies reported SMARCB1 mutations in some SCU HBs confirming the diagnosis of rhabdoid tumor. The Children's Hepatic tumors International Collaboration (CHIC) database was queried for patients with HB who had AFP levels less than 100 ng/mL at diagnosis or were historically diagnosed as SCU HBs. Seventy-three of 1605 patients in the CHIC database were originally identified as SCU HB, HB with SCU component, or HB with low AFP levels. Upon retrospective review, they were re-classified as rhabdoid …


Technology Meets Tils: Deciphering T Cell Function In The -Omics Era, William H Hudson, Andreas Wieland Jan 2023

Technology Meets Tils: Deciphering T Cell Function In The -Omics Era, William H Hudson, Andreas Wieland

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

T cells are at the centerstage of cancer immunology due to their ability to recognize mutations within tumor cells and directly mediate cancer cell killing. Immunotherapies to rejuvenate exhausted T cell responses have transformed the clinical management of several malignancies. In parallel, the development of novel multidimensional analysis platforms such as single-cell RNA-sequencing and high-dimensional flow cytometry has yielded unprecedented insights into immune cell biology. This convergence has revealed substantial heterogeneity of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, both within single tumors, across tumor types, and among cancer patients. Here, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of studying the complex tumor microenvironment with …


Effect Of Stretch And Release On Myofascial Stem Cell Function In Vitro: A Putative Model To Understand The Molecular Benefits Of The Myofascial Release (Mfr) Technique, Ben Smith, Shahn Notta, Debasis Mondal Jan 2023

Effect Of Stretch And Release On Myofascial Stem Cell Function In Vitro: A Putative Model To Understand The Molecular Benefits Of The Myofascial Release (Mfr) Technique, Ben Smith, Shahn Notta, Debasis Mondal

Research Day

Despite the beneficial effects of osteopathic manipulative techniques (OMT), there is a lack of in vitro models to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with these time-tested therapies. The Myofascial Release (MFR) technique is a non-invasive approach that involves passive stretching, hold and release, of the soft tissue to achieve myofascial homeostasis. Tissue-resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can regulate the myofascial microenvironment by altering their secreted factors following stretch and release. Therefore, we initiated studies to develop an in vitro model to investigate the possible effects of stretch and release on MSC function, i.e. proliferation and differentiation capabilities, and changes in …


Steady-State Regulation Of Secretory Cargo Export And Er Homeostasis By Inositol Trisphosphate Receptors And Penta-Ef-Hand Proteins, Aaron J. Held Jan 2023

Steady-State Regulation Of Secretory Cargo Export And Er Homeostasis By Inositol Trisphosphate Receptors And Penta-Ef-Hand Proteins, Aaron J. Held

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Constant protein degradation and turnover necessitates constitutive secretion that delivers the correct mix of nascent proteins to their appropriate subcellular destinations. Cells thus exhibit steady-state secretion and the additional ability to adjust secretory flux, though we lack a clear understanding of this critical process. During secretion, the COPII coat is responsible for providing a balance of actively and passively selected ER cargos to enter the secretory pathway. Furthermore, Ca2+ -binding proteins have been implicated in regulating this process in response to Ca2+ signals. In Chapter 1, we review the secretory pathway and vesicular trafficking, with a focus on …


Development Of A Chemical Biology Approach To Uncover The Influence Of Sequence Variations On Ces1 Activity In Live Cells, Samuel James Knebel Jan 2023

Development Of A Chemical Biology Approach To Uncover The Influence Of Sequence Variations On Ces1 Activity In Live Cells, Samuel James Knebel

Masters Theses

Drug metabolism is the biochemical process of modifying drugs to detoxify and remove them through enzymatic transformations. These biotransformation’s occur primarily in the liver and are critical to understanding how pharmaceutical compounds are chemically altered inside the human body. Human carboxylesterases (CESs) catalyze the hydrolysis of esters, amides, thioesters, and carbamates. CES-mediated hydrolysis plays an important role in the metabolism of many drugs including the first FDA approved antiviral treatment for COVID-19, remdesivir (Veklury), the seizure control medication rufinamide (Banzel), and the flu antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu). CES activity is known to be influenced by a variety of factors including …


Role Of Adenosine Deaminase In Prostate Cancer Progression, Christy Charles, Stacy M Lloyd, Danthasinghe Waduge Badrajee Piyarathna, Jie Gohlke, Uttam Rasaily, Vasanta Putluri, Brian W Simons, Alexander Zaslavsky, Srinivas Nallandhighal, George Michailidis, Nallasivam Palanisamy, Nora Navone, Jeffrey A Jones, Michael M Ittmann, Nagireddy Putluri, David R Rowley, Simpa S Salami, Ganesh S Palapattu, Arun Sreekumar Jan 2023

Role Of Adenosine Deaminase In Prostate Cancer Progression, Christy Charles, Stacy M Lloyd, Danthasinghe Waduge Badrajee Piyarathna, Jie Gohlke, Uttam Rasaily, Vasanta Putluri, Brian W Simons, Alexander Zaslavsky, Srinivas Nallandhighal, George Michailidis, Nallasivam Palanisamy, Nora Navone, Jeffrey A Jones, Michael M Ittmann, Nagireddy Putluri, David R Rowley, Simpa S Salami, Ganesh S Palapattu, Arun Sreekumar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer and constitutes about 14.7% of total cancer cases. PCa is highly prevalent and more aggressive in African-American (AA) men than in European-American (EA) men. PCa tends to be highly heterogeneous, and its complex biology is not fully understood. We use metabolomics to better understand the mechanisms behind PCa progression and disparities in its clinical outcome. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is a key enzyme in the purine metabolic pathway; it was found to be upregulated in PCa and is associated with higher-grade PCa and poor disease-free survival. The inosine-to-adenosine ratio, which is a …


Molecular Mechanisms Of Prdm16 As A Tumor Suppressor In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Eric Hurwitz Jan 2023

Molecular Mechanisms Of Prdm16 As A Tumor Suppressor In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Eric Hurwitz

Theses and Dissertations

The transcription factor Prdm16 functions as a potent suppressor of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b) signaling, whose inactivation is deemed essential to the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Using the KrasG12D-based mouse model of human PDAC, we surprisingly found that ablating Prdm16 did not block but instead accelerated PDAC formation and progression, suggesting that Prdm16 might function as a tumor suppressor in this malignancy. Subsequent genetic experiments showed that ablating Prdm16 along with Smad4 resulted in a shift from a well-differentiated and confined neoplasm to a highly aggressive and metastatic disease, which was associated with a striking deviation …


Cell-Type-Specific Aging Clocks To Quantify Aging And Rejuvenation In Neurogenic Regions Of The Brain, Matthew T Buckley, Eric D Sun, Benson M George, Ling Liu, Nicholas Schaum, Lucy Xu, Jaime M Reyes, Margaret A Goodell, Irving L Weissman, Tony Wyss-Coray, Thomas A Rando, Anne Brunet Jan 2023

Cell-Type-Specific Aging Clocks To Quantify Aging And Rejuvenation In Neurogenic Regions Of The Brain, Matthew T Buckley, Eric D Sun, Benson M George, Ling Liu, Nicholas Schaum, Lucy Xu, Jaime M Reyes, Margaret A Goodell, Irving L Weissman, Tony Wyss-Coray, Thomas A Rando, Anne Brunet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The diversity of cell types is a challenge for quantifying aging and its reversal. Here we develop 'aging clocks' based on single-cell transcriptomics to characterize cell-type-specific aging and rejuvenation. We generated single-cell transcriptomes from the subventricular zone neurogenic region of 28 mice, tiling ages from young to old. We trained single-cell-based regression models to predict chronological age and biological age (neural stem cell proliferation capacity). These aging clocks are generalizable to independent cohorts of mice, other regions of the brains, and other species. To determine if these aging clocks could quantify transcriptomic rejuvenation, we generated single-cell transcriptomic datasets of neurogenic …


The Nr2f2-Hand2 Signaling Axis Regulates Progesterone Actions In The Uterus At Early Pregnancy, Yeongseok Oh, Elvis Quiroz, Tianyuan Wang, Yassmin Medina-Laver, Skylar Montague Redecke, Francisco Dominguez, John P Lydon, Francesco J Demayo, San-Pin Wu Jan 2023

The Nr2f2-Hand2 Signaling Axis Regulates Progesterone Actions In The Uterus At Early Pregnancy, Yeongseok Oh, Elvis Quiroz, Tianyuan Wang, Yassmin Medina-Laver, Skylar Montague Redecke, Francisco Dominguez, John P Lydon, Francesco J Demayo, San-Pin Wu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endometrial function is dependent on a tight crosstalk between the epithelial and stromal cells of the endometrium. This communication is critical to ensure a fertile uterus and relies on progesterone and estrogen signaling to prepare a receptive uterus for embryo implantation in early pregnancy. One of the key mediators of this crosstalk is the orphan nuclear receptor NR2F2, which regulates uterine epithelial receptivity and stromal cell differentiation. In order to determine the molecular mechanism regulated by NR2F2, RNAseq analysis was conducted on the uterus of


Resveratrol Attenuates Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B-Activated Immune Cell Metabolism, Hasan Alghetaa, Amira Mohammed, Narendra Singh, Kiesha Wilson, Goushuai Cai, Nagireddy Putluri, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti Jan 2023

Resveratrol Attenuates Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B-Activated Immune Cell Metabolism, Hasan Alghetaa, Amira Mohammed, Narendra Singh, Kiesha Wilson, Goushuai Cai, Nagireddy Putluri, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is triggered by a variety of insults, such as bacterial and viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, leading to high mortality. In the murine model of ARDS induced by Staphylococcal enterotoxin-B (SEB), our previous studies showed that while SEB triggered 100% mortality, treatment with Resveratrol (RES) completely prevented such mortality by attenuating inflammation in the lungs. In the current study, we investigated the metabolic profile of SEB-activated immune cells in the lungs following treatment with RES. RES-treated mice had higher expression of miR-100 in the lung mononuclear cells (MNCs), which targeted mTOR, leading to its decreased expression. …


The Covert Symphony: Cellular And Molecular Accomplices In Breast Cancer Metastasis, Hongjiang Si, Madelyn Esquivel, Erika Mendoza Mendoza, Kevin Roarty Jan 2023

The Covert Symphony: Cellular And Molecular Accomplices In Breast Cancer Metastasis, Hongjiang Si, Madelyn Esquivel, Erika Mendoza Mendoza, Kevin Roarty

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Breast cancer has emerged as the most commonly diagnosed cancer and primary cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Although significant progress has been made in targeting the primary tumor, the effectiveness of systemic treatments to prevent metastasis remains limited. Metastatic disease continues to be the predominant factor leading to fatality in the majority of breast cancer patients. The existence of a prolonged latency period between initial treatment and eventual recurrence in certain patients indicates that tumors can both adapt to and interact with the systemic environment of the host, facilitating and sustaining the progression of the disease. In order …


Selective Reprogramming Of Regulatory T Cells In Solid Tumors Can Strongly Enhance Or Inhibit Tumor Growth, Rami Alfar, John V Napoleon, Imrul Shahriar, Richard Finnell, Cole Walchle, Austin Johnson, Philip S Low Jan 2023

Selective Reprogramming Of Regulatory T Cells In Solid Tumors Can Strongly Enhance Or Inhibit Tumor Growth, Rami Alfar, John V Napoleon, Imrul Shahriar, Richard Finnell, Cole Walchle, Austin Johnson, Philip S Low

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Folate receptor delta (FRδ) has been used as a biomarker for regulatory T cells (Tregs), because its expression is limited to Tregs and ovum. Although FRδ is unable to bind folate, we have used molecular docking software to identify a folate congener that binds FRδ with high affinity and have exploited this FRδ-specific ligand to target attached drugs (imaging agents, immune activators, and immune suppressors) specifically to Tregs in murine tumor xenografts. Analysis of treated tumors demonstrates that targeting of a Toll-like receptor 7 agonist inhibits Treg expression of FOXP3, PD-1, CTLA4, and HELIOS, resulting in 40-80% reduction in tumor …


Binary Classification Of The Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals By Artificial Neural Networks, Zahir Aghayev, George F Walker, Funda Iseri, Moustafa Ali, Adam T Szafran, Fabio Stossi, Michael A Mancini, Efstratios N Pistikopoulos, Burcu Beykal Jan 2023

Binary Classification Of The Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals By Artificial Neural Networks, Zahir Aghayev, George F Walker, Funda Iseri, Moustafa Ali, Adam T Szafran, Fabio Stossi, Michael A Mancini, Efstratios N Pistikopoulos, Burcu Beykal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We develop a machine learning framework that integrates high content/high throughput image analysis and artificial neural networks (ANNs) to model the separation between chemical compounds based on their estrogenic receptor activity. Natural and man-made chemicals have the potential to disrupt the endocrine system by interfering with hormone actions in people and wildlife. Although numerous studies have revealed new knowledge on the mechanism through which these compounds interfere with various hormone receptors, it is still a very challenging task to comprehensively evaluate the endocrine disrupting potential of all existing chemicals and their mixtures by pure


Versican Provides The Provisional Matrix For Uterine Spiral Artery Dilation And Fetal Growth, Yusuke Sagae, Akihito Horie, Akihiro Yanai, Tsutomu Ohara, Baku Nakakita, Yoshimi Kitawaki, Asuka Okunomiya, Hirohiko Tani, Ken Yamaguchi, Junzo Hamanishi, John P Lydon, Takiko Daikoku, Hideto Watanabe, Masaki Mandai Jan 2023

Versican Provides The Provisional Matrix For Uterine Spiral Artery Dilation And Fetal Growth, Yusuke Sagae, Akihito Horie, Akihiro Yanai, Tsutomu Ohara, Baku Nakakita, Yoshimi Kitawaki, Asuka Okunomiya, Hirohiko Tani, Ken Yamaguchi, Junzo Hamanishi, John P Lydon, Takiko Daikoku, Hideto Watanabe, Masaki Mandai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The extracellular matrix (ECM) in the endometrium plays a crucial role in mammalian pregnancy. We have shown that versican secreted from the endometrial epithelium promotes embryo implantation. Versican is a proteoglycan, a major player in the provisional matrix, and versikine, its N-terminal fragment cleaved by ADAMTS proteinases, serves as a bioactive molecule. Here, since versican expression in the placenta was dynamically altered in humans and mice, we investigated the role of versican in pregnancy using uterine-specific Vcan deletion mice (uKO mice) and ADAMTS-resistant versican expressing mice (V1R mice). uKO mice exhibited insufficient spiral artery dilation, followed by fetal growth restriction …