Medical Genetics Commons^™

Updated Genes, Lifestyles, And Their Interactions For Human Longevity, Brenda Bin Su, Alexis Villafranca, Chunxiang Mao, Stephanie Hernandez, Stephanie Lozano, Masoud M. Zarei, Kesheng Wang, Saraswathy Nair, Chun Xu

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Healthy aging is the prolonging of optimal wellbeing during the progressive decline in physiological functions that are necessary for survival. Two important components of aging include an individual’s genetic makeup and lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise. Genetic factors are responsible for the functional physiology of the body including cell maintenance, metabolism and apoptosis. The individual effects of genes and lifestyle choices on aging are reported mainly in Caucasian populations, with very limited studies in minority populations. In this review, we included the effects of genes and environment and the interaction between them on aging in Hispanic population in …

Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome Type 1: A Case Report And Brief Review., Ifeanyi Nwosu, Oreoluwa Oladiran, Chinyere Ogbonna-Nwosu, Anulika Anyata

Reading Hospital Internal Medicine Residency

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS) type 1 is a rare autoimmune disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern due to loss of function of the AIRE gene and defective removal of self-reactive T-lymphocytes during the process of thymic T cell maturation. Its manifestation starts early in life with the cardinal clinical disorders being one of muco-cutaneous candidiasis, Addison's disease, and hypoparathyroidism. Recognizing the syndromic nature of one autoimmune disease will facilitate an active search for other conditions which would allow early detection, management, follow-up, and most importantly patient education and counselling to avoid potential complications. We present the case of a …

Cyclin C Regulated Oxidative Stress Responsive Transcriptome In Mus Musculus Embryonic Fibroblasts, David C Stieg, Kai-Ti Chang, Katrina F Cooper, Randy Strich

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The transcriptional changes that occur in response to oxidative stress help direct the decision to maintain cell viability or enter a cell death pathway. Cyclin C-Cdk8 is a conserved kinase that associates with the RNA polymerase II Mediator complex that stimulates or represses transcription depending on the locus. In response to oxidative stress, cyclin C, but not Cdk8, displays partial translocation into the cytoplasm. These findings open the possibility that cyclin C relocalization is a regulatory mechanism governing oxidative stress-induced transcriptional changes. In the present study, the cyclin C-dependent transcriptome was determined and compared to transcriptional changes occurring in oxidatively …

Leptin Produced By Obesity-Altered Adipose Stem Cells Promotes Metastasis But Not Tumorigenesis Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer In Orthotopic Xenograft And Patient-Derived Xenograft Models, Rachel A. Sabol, Annie C. Bowles, Alex Côté, Rachel Wise, Benjamen O'Donnell, Margarite D. Matossian, Fokhrul M. Hossain, Hope E. Burks, Luis Del Valle, Lucio Miele, Bridgette M. Collins-Burow, Matthew E. Burow, Bruce A. Bunnell

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a clinically aggressive subtype of breast cancer with high rates of metastasis, tumor recurrence, and resistance to therapeutics. Obesity, defined by a high body mass index (BMI), is an established risk factor for breast cancer. Women with a high BMI have increased incidence and mortality of breast cancer; however, the mechanisms(s) by which obesity promotes tumor progression are not well understood. METHODS: In this study, obesity-altered adipose stem cells (obASCs) were used to evaluate obesity-mediated effects of TNBC. Both in vitro …

Gnrh Agonist Improves Hyperandrogenism In An Adolescent Girl With An Insulin Receptor Gene Mutation., Emily Paprocki, Romina Barral, Heidi Vanden Brink, Marla Lujan, Tania S. Burgert

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Type A insulin resistance (IR) is caused by heterozygous mutations in the insulin receptor gene. It presents with mild acanthosis nigricans, severe IR, and hyperandrogenism in the absence of obesity or lipodystrophy. Treatment aims to improve insulin sensitivity and decrease androgens. An adolescent girl was evaluated for secondary amenorrhea and prominent hirsutism. She had a normal body mass index, and laboratory testing revealed an elevated LH to FSH ratio (LH 11.6 mIU/mL, FSH 4.2 mIU/mL), testosterone 96 ng/dL (reference range/dL), free testosterone 2.21 ng/dL (reference rangeA(pGly1032Asp)]. After standard treatment of hirsutism and hyperinsulinism failed, a trial of GnRH agonist therapy …

Viral Whole Genome Sequencing For Antiviral Resistance In A Child With Dock8 Deficiency And Recurrent Hsv-1, Sean Stout, A. L. Greninger, Rangaraj Selvarangan, A. F. Freeman, Brandon D. Newell, Erin Stahl, Dwight Yin

Posters

We present the case of a child with dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8) deficiency and chronic, resistant HSV-1 mucocutaneous infections to illustrate the clinical utility of viral whole genome sequencing to detect active and latent HSV resistance mutations.

Differential Iron Regulatory Genetics In 2d & 3d Culture Of Breast Cancer Cells, Tyler Hanna, Suzy Torti Ph. D, Frank Torti M.D., Mph, Nicole Farra Ph. D.

Honors Scholar Theses

The iron regulatory axis has consistently been shown to be perturbed in cancer cell lines relative to non-cancerous cell lines. As cancer cells rapidly divide and grow, they require iron to fuel many intracellular processes, including DNA replication and protein synthesis. Three-dimensional cell culture is an increasingly popular method of culture that purportedly more accurately mimics the in vivo microenvironment of cancers over traditional two-dimensional culture. This project was prompted by previous lab results to investigate differential iron regulatory gene expression in 2D and 3D spheroid culture models. We replicated the findings that the gene hepcidin is induced in 3D …

Exploring The Potential Yield Of Prenatal Testing By Evaluating A Postnatal Population With Structural Abnormalities, Peyton Busby

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

After identification of one or more structural abnormalities in a fetus, pregnant women are offered a host of different testing options to identify a possible genetic cause for the structural abnormality(ies). When considering what type of test to undertake, there is limited information on the diagnostic yield of the varying testing options. Some women may miss an opportunity to gain the information they are seeking or make a less informed decision when they choose a testing option after identification of a structural abnormality due to this lack of information. This study aimed to identify the potential diagnostic yield of all …

Neuroblastoma In Adolescents And Children Older Than 10 Years: Unusual Clinicopathologic And Biologic Features, Laura Mccarthy, Katherine Chastain, Terrie Flatt, Eugenio Taboada, Robert E. Garola, John Herriges, Linda D. Cooley, Atif Ahmed

Posters

This poster describes four cases of neuroblastoma diagnosed since 2008 in children greater than 10 years and presents their clinical, histologic and biologic features, emphasizing unusual clinicopathologic characteristics and the role of DNA microarray analysis and Next Generation Sequencing in their management.

The Impacts Of Insurance And Billing Considerations On The Practice And Attitudes Of Genetic Counselors, Emily Krosschell

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Genesurance counseling has been identified as an integral part of many genetic counseling sessions, but little is known about the workflow impacts and genetic counselor perceptions of genesurance-related tasks. In this study, we aimed to characterize how insurance and billing considerations for genetic testing are being incorporated into genetic counselors’ practice; as well as describe current attitudes and challenges associated with their integration. An electronic survey was sent by email to members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). A total of 325 genetic counselors that provided direct patient care were included in data analysis. Results showed that the …

Ucp1 Expression-Associated Gene Signatures Of Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue., Kanta Chechi, Jinchu Vijay, Pierre Voisine, Patrick Mathieu, Yohan Bossé, Andre Tchernof, Elin Grundberg, Denis Richard

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Multiple reports of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression have established its presence in human epicardial adipose tissue (eAT). Its functional relevance to eAT, however, remains largely unknown. In a recent study, we reported that adrenergic stimulation of eAT was associated with downregulation of secreted proteins involved in oxidative stress-related and immune-related pathways. Here, we explored the UCP1-associated features of human eAT using next-generation deep sequencing. Paired biopsies of eAT, mediastinal adipose tissue (mAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (sAT) obtained from cardiac surgery patients, with specific criteria of high and low expression of UCP1 in eAT, were subjected to RNA sequencing. …

Exploration Of Prostate Cancer Cells: The Significance Of Active Herv, Dakota Shepherd

Student Scholar Showcase

The second most common cancer in men is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is traditionally diagnosed by a digital rectal exam. Blood tests can also be used to test for PSA (prostate-specific antigen). These two methods can be used together but can sometimes provide both false negative and false positive results. A new method of testing for prostate cancer could prove to be beneficial. Previous studies have shown that active HERV sequences have been identified in some cancers, including prostate cancer. We hypothesize that the presence of active HERV in prostate cancer lines is significant. In this study, rabbit polyclonal antibodies …

The Pharmabiotic For Phenylketonuria: Development Of A Novel Therapeutic, Chloé Elizabeth Lebegue

Senior Theses

Phenylketonuria, now known as phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) deficiency, is a genetic disorder of metabolism affecting approximately one in every 15,000 infants born in the United States. Patients have nonfunctional PAH enzyme secondary to one or more genetic mutations. The enzyme deficit results in destructive supraphysiologic blood phenylalanine levels upon consumption of the essential dietary amino acid phenylalanine. Current standards of care mitigate signs and symptoms of the disorder, but do not approach a cure. The methods for creating a prototype pharmabiotic as an innovative treatment strategy for PAH deficiency are described herein.

DNA molecular cloning techniques were utilized to engineer …

Splice-Altering Variant In Col11a1 As A Cause Of Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss Dfna37., Kevin T. Booth, James W. Askew, Zohreh Talebizadeh, Patrick L M Huygen, James Eudy, Judith Kenyon, Denise Hoover, Michael S. Hildebrand, Katherine R. Smith, Melanie Bahlo, William J. Kimberling, Richard J H Smith, Hela Azaiez, Shelley D. Smith

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the genetic cause of autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss segregating in a multigenerational family.

METHODS: Clinical examination, genome-wide linkage analysis, and exome sequencing were carried out on the family.

RESULTS: Affected individuals presented with early-onset progressive mild hearing impairment with a fairly flat, gently downsloping or U-shaped audiogram configuration. Detailed clinical examination excluded any additional symptoms. Linkage analysis detected an interval on chromosome 1p21 with a logarithm of the odds (LOD) score of 8.29: designated locus DFNA37. Exome sequencing identified a novel canonical acceptor splice-site variant c.652-2A>C in the COL11A1 …

H3k27m Induces Defective Chromatin Spread Of Prc2-Mediated Repressive H3k27me2/Me3 And Is Essential For Glioma Tumorigenesis., Ashot S. Harutyunyan, Brian Krug, Haifen Chen, Simon Papillon-Cavanagh, Michele Zeinieh, Nicolas De Jay, Shriya Deshmukh, Carol C L Chen, Jad Belle, Leonie G. Mikael, Dylan M. Marchione, Rui Li, Hamid Nikbakht, Bo Hu, Gael Cagnone, Warren A. Cheung, Abdulshakour Mohammadnia, Denise Bechet, Damien Faury, Melissa K. Mcconechy, Manav Pathania, Siddhant U. Jain, Benjamin Ellezam, Alexander G. Weil, Alexandre Montpetit, Paolo Salomoni, Tomi Pastinen, Chao Lu, Peter W. Lewis, Benjamin A. Garcia, Claudia L. Kleinman, Nada Jabado, Jacek Majewski

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Lys-27-Met mutations in histone 3 genes (H3K27M) characterize a subgroup of deadly gliomas and decrease genome-wide H3K27 trimethylation. Here we use primary H3K27M tumor lines and isogenic CRISPR-edited controls to assess H3K27M effects in vitro and in vivo. We find that whereas H3K27me3 and H3K27me2 are normally deposited by PRC2 across broad regions, their deposition is severely reduced in H3.3K27M cells. H3K27me3 is unable to spread from large unmethylated CpG islands, while H3K27me2 can be deposited outside these PRC2 high-affinity sites but to levels corresponding to H3K27me3 deposition in wild-type cells. Our findings indicate that PRC2 recruitment and propagation on …

Dissecting Features Of Epigenetic Variants Underlying Cardiometabolic Risk Using Full-Resolution Epigenome Profiling In Regulatory Elements., Fiona Allum, Åsa K. Hedman, Xiaojian Shao, Warren A. Cheung, Jinchu Vijay, Frédéric Guénard, Tony Kwan, Marie-Michelle Simon, Bing Ge, Cristiano Moura, Elodie Boulier, Lars Rönnblom, Sasha Bernatsky, Mark Lathrop, Mark I. Mccarthy, Panos Deloukas, André Tchernof, T Pastinen, Marie-Claude Vohl, Elin Grundberg

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Sparse profiling of CpG methylation in blood by microarrays has identified epigenetic links to common diseases. Here we apply methylC-capture sequencing (MCC-Seq) in a clinical population of ~200 adipose tissue and matched blood samples (Ntotal~400), providing high-resolution methylation profiling (>1.3 M CpGs) at regulatory elements. We link methylation to cardiometabolic risk through associations to circulating plasma lipid levels and identify lipid-associated CpGs with unique localization patterns in regulatory elements. We show distinct features of tissue-specific versus tissue-independent lipid-linked regulatory regions by contrasting with parallel assessments in ~800 independent adipose tissue and blood samples from the general population. We follow-up …

Prefrontal Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (Crf) Neurons Act Locally To Modulate Frontostriatal Cognition And Circuit Function., Sofiya Hupalo, Andrea J Martin, Rebecca K Green, David M Devilbiss, Craig W Berridge

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The PFC and extended frontostriatal circuitry support higher cognitive processes that guide goal-directed behavior. PFC-dependent cognitive dysfunction is a core feature of multiple psychiatric disorders. Unfortunately, a major limiting factor in the development of treatments for PFC cognitive dysfunction is our limited understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying PFC-dependent cognition. We recently demonstrated that activation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors in the caudal dorsomedial PFC (dmPFC) impairs higher cognitive function, as measured in a working memory task. Currently, there remains much unknown about CRF-dependent regulation of cognition, including the source of CRF for cognition-modulating receptors and the output pathways modulated …

Supervised Dimension Reduction For Large-Scale "Omics" Data With Censored Survival Outcomes Under Possible Non-Proportional Hazards, Lauren Spirko-Burns, Karthik Devarajan

COBRA Preprint Series

The past two decades have witnessed significant advances in high-throughput ``omics" technologies such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and radiomics. These technologies have enabled simultaneous measurement of the expression levels of tens of thousands of features from individual patient samples and have generated enormous amounts of data that require analysis and interpretation. One specific area of interest has been in studying the relationship between these features and patient outcomes, such as overall and recurrence-free survival, with the goal of developing a predictive ``omics" profile. Large-scale studies often suffer from the presence of a large fraction of censored observations and potential …

Updates On Epigenetic Alterations To Brca1: Chemosensitivities, Haley Blum

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1) is a human tumor suppressor gene encoding the BRCA1 protein that maintains genomic integrity. Molecular events may contribute to the loss of BRCA1 function, contributing to site specific tumorigenesis. Loss of BRCA1 function may arise from mutation or epigenetic events. Germline mutations of BRCA1 have been thoroughly implicated in heritable breast and ovarian cancers. More recently, sporadic breast cancer has been shown to be driven by epigenetic alterations to the BRCA1 promoter region, specifically methylation. Breast carcinomas that present with BRCA1 promoter methylation have been associated with triple negative breast cancers, as well …

Early Progression Of Krabbe Disease In Patients With Symptom Onset Between 0 And 5 Months., Maria L. Beltran-Quintero, Nicholas A. Bascou, Michele D. Poe, David A. Wenger, Carlos A. Saavedra-Matiz, Matthew J. Nichols, Maria L. Escolar

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Krabbe disease is a rare neurological disorder caused by a deficiency in the lysosomal enzyme, β-galactocerebrosidase, resulting in demyelination of the central and peripheral nervous systems. If left without treatment, Krabbe disease results in progressive neurodegeneration with reduced quality of life and early death. The purpose of this prospective study was to describe the natural progression of early onset Krabbe disease in a large cohort of patients.

METHODS: Patients with early onset Krabbe disease were prospectively evaluated between 1999 and 2018. Data sources included diagnostic testing, parent questionnaires, standardized multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental assessments, and neuroradiological and neurophysiological tests.

RESULTS: We …

Innovation And Competition In Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products, Enrique Seoane-Vazquez, Vaishali Shukla, Rosa Rodriguez-Monguio

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), including gene therapy, cell therapy, and tissue engineering products, represent a paradigm shift in health care as they have great potential for preventing and treating many diseases (Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2013). By way of example, only 367 (8.0%) of the 4,603 rare diseases and conditions listed by the NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center had at least one FDA-approved drug therapy in early 2018. An estimated 3,038 (66.0%) of those rare diseases and conditions are congenital and genetic diseases that could potentially be treated by gene therapy. There are already ATMPs under …

Is Retinal Metabolic Dysfunction At The Center Of The Pathogenesis Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration?, Thierry Léveillard, Nancy J. Philp, Florian Sennlaub

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) forms the outer blood⁻retina barrier and facilitates the transepithelial transport of glucose into the outer retina via GLUT1. Glucose is metabolized in photoreceptors via the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) but also by aerobic glycolysis to generate glycerol for the synthesis of phospholipids for the renewal of their outer segments. Aerobic glycolysis in the photoreceptors also leads to a high rate of production of lactate which is transported out of the subretinal space to the choroidal circulation by the RPE. Lactate taken up by the RPE is converted to pyruvate and metabolized …

Cyclin D1 Integrates G9a-Mediated Histone Methylation., Zhiping Li, Xuanmao Jiao, Gabriele Di Sante, Adam Ertel, Mathew C. Casimiro, Min Wang, Sanjay Katiyar, Xiaoming Ju, D. V. Klopfenstein, Aydin Tozeren, William Dampier, Iouri Chepelev, Albert Jeltsch, Richard G. Pestell

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Lysine methylation of histones and non-histone substrates by the SET domain containing protein lysine methyltransferase (KMT) G9a/EHMT2 governs transcription contributing to apoptosis, aberrant cell growth, and pluripotency. The positioning of chromosomes within the nuclear three-dimensional space involves interactions between nuclear lamina (NL) and the lamina-associated domains (LAD). Contact of individual LADs with the NL are dependent upon H3K9me2 introduced by G9a. The mechanisms governing the recruitment of G9a to distinct subcellular sites, into chromatin or to LAD, is not known. The cyclin D1 gene product encodes the regulatory subunit of the holoenzyme that phosphorylates pRB and NRF1 thereby governing cell-cycle …

Identification Of Novel Regulatory Genes In Apap Induced Hepatocyte Toxicity By A Genome-Wide Crispr-Cas9 Screen., Katherine Shortt, Daniel P. Heruth, Nini Zhang, Weibin Wu, Shipra Singh, Ding-You Li, Li Qin Zhang, Gerald J. Wyckoff, Lei S Qi, Craig A. Friesen, Shui Qing Ye

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a commonly used analgesic responsible for more than half of acute liver failure cases. Identification of previously unknown genetic risk factors would provide mechanistic insights and novel therapeutic targets for APAP-induced liver injury. This study used a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen to evaluate genes that are protective against, or cause susceptibility to, APAP-induced liver injury. HuH7 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells containing CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockouts were treated with 15 mM APAP for 30 minutes to 4 days. A gene expression profile was developed based on the 1) top screening hits, 2) overlap of expression data from APAP overdose studies, …

Clinical Genome Sequencing In An Unbiased Pediatric Cohort., Isabelle Thiffault, Emily G. Farrow, Lee Zellmer, Courtney D. Berrios, Neil Miller, Margaret Gibson, Raymond Caylor, Janda L. Jenkins, Deb Faller, Sarah E. Soden, Carol J. Saunders

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: We report for the first time, the use of clinical genome sequencing (GS) in an unbiased pediatric cohort. We describe the clinical validation, patient metrics, ordering patterns, results, reimbursement, and physician retrieval of results for the first consecutive 80 cases.

METHODS: Clinical GS was performed for both inpatients and outpatients undergoing etiologic evaluations. Results were reported in the electronic medical record. Evidence of report retrieval by clinicians and whether interpretation was concordant with laboratory report was obtained through retrospective chart review.

RESULTS: Twenty definitive diagnoses were made in 19 patients (24%; n = 80). Except for two partial gene …

Coordinating An Oncology Precision Medicine Clinic Within An Integrated Health System: Lessons Learned In Year One, Michael A. Thompson, Jennifer J. Godden, Deborah Wham, Antony Ruggeri, Michael P. Mullane, Amanda Wilson, Shamsuddin Virani, Scott M. Weissman, Brenda Ramczyk, Pamela Vanderwall, James L. Weese

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Precision medicine is a term describing strategies to promote health and prevent and treat disease based on an individual’s genetic, molecular, and lifestyle characteristics. Oncology precision medicine (OPM) is a cancer treatment approach targeting cancer-specific genetic and molecular alterations. Implementation of an OPM clinical program optimally involves the support and collaboration of multiple departments, including administration, medical oncology, pathology, interventional radiology, genetics, research, and informatics. In this review, we briefly introduce the published evidence regarding OPM’s potential effect on patient outcomes and discuss what we have learned over the first year of operating an OPM program within an integrated health …

Instability Of The Mitochondrial Alanyl-Trna Synthetase Underlies Fatal Infantile-Onset Cardiomyopathy., Ewen W. Sommerville, Xiao-Long Zhou, Monika Oláhová, Janda L. Jenkins, Liliya Euro, Svetlana Konovalova, Taru Hilander, Angela Pyle, Langping He, Sultan Habeebu, Carol J. Saunders, Anna Kelsey, Andrew A M Morris, Robert Mcfarland, Anu Suomalainen, Gráinne S. Gorman, En-Duo Wang, Isabelle Thiffault, Henna Tyynismaa, Robert W. Taylor

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Recessively inherited variants in AARS2 (NM_020745.2) encoding mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase (mt-AlaRS) were first described in patients presenting with fatal infantile cardiomyopathy and multiple oxidative phosphorylation defects. To date, all described patients with AARS2-related fatal infantile cardiomyopathy are united by either a homozygous or compound heterozygous c.1774C>T (p.Arg592Trp) missense founder mutation that is absent in patients with other AARS2-related phenotypes. We describe the clinical, biochemical and molecular investigations of two unrelated boys presenting with fatal infantile cardiomyopathy, lactic acidosis and respiratory failure. Oxidative histochemistry showed cytochrome c oxidase-deficient fibres in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Biochemical studies showed markedly decreased activities …

Interplay Between Genetic Predisposition And Diet In Advancing Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes In The Tallyho Mouse, Jacaline Parkman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Obesity is a global epidemic, affecting all ages. It is one of the leading causes of preventable death, as it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and some cancers. Obesity is a complex disease that is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as diets high in fat and sedentary life style. Despite our increased knowledge of obesity development and progression, current obesity treatments have not stopped the rise in obesity rates. There are still many unknowns related to the underlying mechanisms of obesity that need to be …

Understanding Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Alginate Regulation And Its Link To Chronic Lung Infections In Cystic Fibrosis Patients, Roy Al Ahmar

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR). This disorder results in thick lung secretions which compromise the patient’s immune system. Chronic lung infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms is a major factor that contributes to poor outcome for clinical treatment. The overall hypothesis of this dissertation is that small colony variant and pyrimidine biosynthesis are linked with biofilm formation, alginate production is dependent on MucA proteolysis, rifaximin can be repurposed to treat biofilm infection and multiplex PCR can be used to rapidly measure the bacterial cell density in …

Mechanisms Of Trinucleotide Repeat Instability During Dna Synthesis, Kara Y. Chan

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Genomic instability, in the form of gene mutations, insertions/deletions, and gene amplifications, is one of the hallmarks in many types of cancers and other inheritable genetic disorders. Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) disorders, such as Huntington’s disease (HD) and Myotonic dystrophy (DM) can be inherited and repeats may be extended through subsequent generations. However, it is not clear how the CAG repeats expand through generations in HD. Two possible repeat expansion mechanisms include: 1) polymerase mediated repeat extension; 2) persistent TNR hairpin structure formation persisting in the genome resulting in expansion after subsequent cell division. Recent in vitro studies suggested that a …