Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

Pharmacokinetics Of Micronized Progesterone Administration In Female Dogs, Raphael Anthony Malbrue

LSU Master's Theses

Hypoluteoidism in the bitch is described as a reproductive condition in which insufficient levels of endogenous progesterone are present resulting in failure to maintain a functional secretory endometrium. This condition can prevent normal embryo implantation, development, and ultimately end in pregnancy loss. Hypoluteoidism in the bitch is a rising concern in small animal theriogenology and current medical therapies available to veterinarians are limited. The aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics (PK) of intravaginally (Crinone®, Serono Laboratories, Norwell, MA) and orally delivered micronized progesterone (Prometrium®, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Marietta, GA) in the bitch. We hypothesized that both vaginal …

Quantitation Of Anti-Pythium Insidiosum Antibodies Before And After Immunotherapy In Healthy Dogs, Carmen Beatriz Arsuaga

LSU Master's Theses

Pythium insidiosum is an aquatic oomycete that causes invasive, progressive granulomatous lesions of the skin in dogs, horses, and cats, and of the gastrointestinal tract in dogs. Quantitation of anti-P. insidiosum IgG antibodies can be used in dogs to both confirm a suspected diagnosis and to monitor response to therapy. Recently, an immunotherapeutic product (IP) has been marketed for the treatment of pythiosis in dogs, horses, and people. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of administration of this product on anti-P. insidiosum IgG concentrations in dogs. The IP was administered to seven, healthy hound mixes on …

Evaluation Of Broad Anti-Herpesviral Activity With Α-Hydroxytropolones, Shannon David Dehghanpir

LSU Master's Theses

Herpesviruses are ubiquitous in animals and cause economic losses concomitant with many diseases, including upper respiratory disease, keratitis, abortion, neonatal death, and neurologic disease. The majority of the domestic animal herpesviruses are within the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, along with the prototypical human herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Suppression of HSV-1 replication has been reported with α-hydroxytropolones (αHTs), which are aromatic ring compounds that have broad bioactivity due to potent chelating activity. It is postulated that αHTs inhibit enzymes within the nucleotidyltransferase superfamily (NTS), similarly structured enzymes that require divalent cations for nucleic acid cleavage activity. One potential herpesviral target includes the …

Efficacy Of Urtoxazumab (Tma-15 Humanized Monoclonal Antibody Specific For Shiga Toxin 2) Against Post-Diarrheal Neurological Sequelae Caused By Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Infection In The Neonatal Gnotobiotic Piglet Model, Rodney A. Moxley, David H. Francis, Mizuho Tamura, David B. Marx, Kristina Santiago-Mateo, Mojun Zhao

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is the most common cause of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome in human patients, with brain damage and dysfunction the main cause of acute death. We evaluated the efficacy of urtoxazumab (TMA-15, Teijin Pharma Limited), a humanized monoclonal antibody against Shiga toxin (Stx) 2 for the prevention of brain damage, dysfunction, and death in a piglet EHEC infection model. Forty-five neonatal gnotobiotic piglets were inoculated orally with 3 x 10⁹ colony-forming units of EHEC O157:H7 strain EDL933 (Stx1⁺, Stx2⁺) when 22–24 h old. At 24 h post-inoculation, piglets were intraperitoneally …

Β1-Adrenergic Receptor Contains Multiple IaK And IeK Binding Epitopes That Induce T Cell Responses With Varying Degrees Of Autoimmune Myocarditis In A/J Mice, Rakesh H. Basavalingappa, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Bharathi Krishnan, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Rajkumar A. Rajasekaran, Muhammad Z. Afzal, Jean-Jack Riethoven, Jennifer L. Strande, David J. Steffen, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Myocarditis/dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients can develop autoantibodies to various cardiac antigens and one major antigen is β1-adrenergic receptor (β₁AR). Previous reports indicate that animals immunized with a β₁AR fragment encompassing, 197–222 amino acids for a prolonged period can develop DCM by producing autoantibodies, but existence of T cell epitopes, if any, were unknown. Using A/J mice that are highly susceptible to lymphocytic myocarditis, we have identified β₁AR 171–190, β₁AR 181–200, and β₁AR 211–230 as the major T cell epitopes that bind major histocompatibility complex class II/IA^k or IE^{k …}

The Effect Of Feed Form On Diet Digestibility And Cecal Parameters In Rabbits, Isabella Corsato Alvarenga, Charles Gregory Aldrich, Micah Kohles

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Fifteen New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to one of 3 dietary treatment groups of 5 animals each and fed pelleted, extruded, or muesli diets in a completely randomized design experiment. Rabbits were placed in individual cages with ad libitum access to water and food for 45 days acclimation followed by 30 days experimental period. Feed intake of rabbits fed pelleted and extruded diets was greater (p < 0.05) than rabbits fed the muesli diet (125.6 and 130.4 vs. 91.9 g/d), but weight change and feed efficiency were not affected by treatment. Diet digestibility among the treatments was inconsistent when comparing results obtained from total fecal collection and AIA (please define) as an internal marker. Rabbits fed extruded and pelleted diets had lower (p < 0.05) cecal pH (6.42 and 6.38 vs. 7.02, respectively), and higher (p < 0.05) production of SCFA (18.5 and 19.0 vs. 11.7 mM, respectively) than those fed muesli. The fermentation products from rabbits fed pelleted and extruded diets had a greater proportion of butyrate and less propionate than rabbits fed muesli. The results of this study indicate that the basal dietary composition had a greater impact on diet utilization and cecal fermentation than food form.

Pathogenesis, Molecular Genetics, And Genomics Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis, The Etiologic Agent Of Johne’S Disease, Govardhan Rathnaiah, Denise K. Zinniel, John P. Bannantine, Judith R. Stabel, Yrjo T. Grohn, Michael T. Collins, Raul G. Barletta

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiologic agent of Johne’s disease in ruminants causing chronic diarrhea, malnutrition, and muscular wasting. Neonates and young animals are infected primarily by the fecal–oral route. MAP attaches to, translocates via the intestinal mucosa, and is phagocytosed by macrophages. The ensuing host cellular immune response leads to granulomatous enteritis characterized by a thick and corrugated intestinal wall. We review various tissue culture systems, ileal loops, and mice, goats, and cattle used to study MAP pathogenesis. MAP can be detected in clinical samples by microscopy, culturing, PCR, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. There are commercial …

Rapid Typing Of Mannheimia Haemolytica Major Genotypes 1 And 2 Using Maldi-Tof Mass Spectrometry, John Dustin Loy, Michael L. Clawson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Genotype 2 M. haemolytica predominantly associate over genotype 1 with the lungs of cattle with respiratory disease and ICEs containing antimicrobial resistance genes. Distinct protein masses were detected by MALDI-TOF MS between genotype 1 and 2 strains. MALDI-TOF MS could rapidly differentiate genotype 2 strains in veterinary diagnostic laboratories.

Cytolytic Toxin Production By Staphylococcus Aureus Is Dependent Upon The Activity Of The Protoheme Ix Farnesyltransferase, Emily Stevens, Maisem Laabei, Stewart Gardner, Greg A. Somerville, Ruth C. Massey

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Staphylococcus aureus is a medically important pathogen with an abundance of virulence factors that are necessary for survival within a host, including the production of cytolytic toxins. The regulation of toxin production is mediated by the Agr quorum sensing system, and a poorly defined post-exponential growth phase signal independent of Agr. As part of a recent genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify novel loci that alter the expression of cytolytic toxins, a polymorphism in the cyoE gene, which encodes a protoheme IX farnesyltransferase, was identified. This enzyme is essential for processing heme into the electron transport chain for use …

Branched Chain Α-Ketoacid Dehydrogenase Kinase 111–130, A T Cell Epitope That Induces Both Autoimmune Myocarditis And Hepatitis In A/J Mice, Bharathi Krishnan, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Rakesh H. Basavalingappa, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Guobin Kang, Qingsheng Li, Francisco A. Uzal, Jennifer L. Strande, Gustavo A. Delhon, Jean-Jack Riethoven, David J. Steffen, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Organ-specific autoimmune diseases are believed to result from immune responses generated against self-antigens specific to each organ. However, when such responses target antigens expressed promiscuously in multiple tissues, then the immune-mediated damage may be wide spread.

Methods: In this report, we describe a mitochondrial protein, branched chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKD_k) that can act as a target autoantigen in the development of autoimmune inflammatory reactions in both heart and liver.

Results: We demonstrate that BCKD_k protein contains at least nine immunodominant epitopes, three of which, BCKD_k 71–90, BCKD_k 111–130 and BCKD_k 141–160, …

Mechanistic Understanding Of N-Glycosylation In Ebola Virus Glycoprotein Maturation And Function, Bin Wang, Yujie Wang, Dylan A. Frabutt, Xihe Zhang, Xiaoyu Yao, Dan Hu, Zhuo Zhang, Chaonan Liu, Shimin Zheng, Shi-Hua Xiang, Yong-Hui Zheng

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Ebola virus (EBOV) trimeric envelope glycoprotein (GP) precursors are cleaved into the receptor-binding GP₁ and the fusion-mediating GP₂ subunits and incorporated into virions to initiate infection. GP₁ and GP₂ form heterodimers that have 15 or two N-glycosylation sites (NGSs), respectively. Here we investigated the mechanism of how N-glycosylation contributes to GP expression, maturation, and function. As reported before, we found that, although GP₁ NGSs are not critical, the two GP₂ NGSs, Asn⁵⁶³ and Asn⁶¹⁸, are essential for GP function. Further analysis uncovered that Asn⁵⁶³ and Asn^{618 …}

A Novel Role Of Silibinin As A Putative Epigenetic Modulator In Human Prostate Carcinoma, Ioannis Anestopoulos, Aristeidis P. Sfakianos, Rodrigo Franco, Katerina Chlichlia, Mihalis I. Panayiotidis, David J. Kroll, Aglaia Pappa

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Silibinin, extracted from milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.), has exhibited considerable preclinical activity against prostate carcinoma. Its antitumor and chemopreventive activities have been associated with diverse effects on cell cycle, apoptosis, and receptor-dependent mitogenic signaling pathways. Here we hypothesized that silibinin’s pleiotropic effects may reflect its interference with epigenetic mechanisms in human prostate cancer cells. More specifically, we have demonstrated that silibinin reduces gene expression levels of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) members Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2), Suppressor of Zeste Homolog 12 (SUZ12), and Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED) in DU145 and PC3 human prostate cancer cells, …

Ccpa Affects Infectivity Of Staphylococcus Aureus In A Hyperglycemic Environment, Markus Bischoff, Bodo Wonnenberg, Nadine Nippe, Naja J. Nyffenegger-Jann, Meike Voss, Christoph Beisswenger, Cord Sunderkotter, Virginie Molle, Quoc Thai Dinh, Frank Lammert, Robert Bals, Mathias Herrmann, Greg A. Somerville, Thomas Tschernig, Rosmarie Gaupp

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Many bacteria regulate the expression of virulence factors via carbon catabolite responsive elements. In Gram-positive bacteria, the predominant mediator of carbon catabolite repression is the catabolite control protein A (CcpA). Hyperglycemia is a widespread disorder that predisposes individuals to an array of symptoms and an increased risk of infections. In hyperglycemic individuals, the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus causes serious, life-threatening infections. The importance of CcpA in regulating carbon catabolite repression in S. aureus suggests it may be important for infections in hyperglycemic individuals. To test this suggestion, hyperglycemic non-obese diabetic (NOD; blood glucose level ≥20 mM) mice were challenged with the …

Experimental Infection Of Conventional Nursing Pigs And Their Dams With Porcine Deltacoronavirus, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, John Dustin Loy, Bruce W. Brodersen, Clayton L. Kelling, Alan R. Doster, Christina L. Topliff, Eric A. Nelson, Jianfa Bai, Erin Schirtzinger, Elizabeth Poulsen, Barbara Meadors, Joseph Anderson, Benjamin Hause, Gary Anderson, Richard Hesse

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly identified virus that has been detected in swine herds of North America associated with enteric disease. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the pathogenicity, course of infection, virus kinetics, and aerosol transmission of PDCoV using 87 conventional piglets and their 9 dams, including aerosol and contact controls to emulate field conditions. Piglets 2–4 days of age and their dams were administered an oronasal PDCoV inoculum with a quantitative real-time reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR quantification cycle (Cq) value of 22 that was generated from a field sample having 100% nucleotide identity to USA/Illinois121/2014 determined …

Surveillance, Epidemiological, And Virological Detection Of Highly Pathogenic H5n1 Avian Influenza Viruses In Duck And Poultry From Bangladesh, Wahedul Karim Ansari, Md Safiullah Parvej, Mohamed E. El Zowalaty, Sally Jackson, Stephen A. Bustin, Adel K. Ibrahim, Md Tanvir Rahman, Han Zhang, Mohammad Ferdousur Rahman Khan, Md Mostakin Ahamd, Md. Fasiur Rahman, Marzia Rahman, Khm Nazmul H. Nazir, Sultan Ahmed, Md Liakot Hossenn, Md Abdul Kafi, Mat Yamage, Nitish C. Debnath, Graba Ahmed, Hossam Ashour, Md Masoud, Ayman Noreddin, Md B. Rahman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) continue to pose a global threat. Waterfowl are the main reservoir and are responsible for the spillover of AIVs to other hosts. This study was conducted as part of routine surveillance activities in Bangladesh and it reports on the serological and molecular detection of H5N1 AIV subtype. A total of 2169 cloacal and 2191 oropharyngeal swabs as well as 1725 sera samples were collected from live birds including duck and chicken in different locations in Bangladesh between the years of 2013 and 2014. Samples were tested using virus isolation, serological tests and molecular methods of RT-PCR. …

Membrane Insertion For The Detection Of Lipopolysaccharides: Exploring The Dynamics Of Amphiphile-In-Lipid Assays, Loreen R. Stromberg, Nicolas W. Hengartner, Kirstie L. Swingle, Rodney A. Moxley, Steven W. Graves, Gabriel A. Montaño, Harshini Mukundan

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli is an important cause of foodborne illness, with cases attributable to beef, fresh produce and other sources. Many serotypes of the pathogen cause disease, and differentiating one serotype from another requires specific identification of the O antigen located on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule. The amphiphilic structure of LPS poses a challenge when using classical detection methods, which do not take into account its lipoglycan biochemistry. Typically, detection of LPS requires heat or chemical treatment of samples and relies on bioactivity assays for the conserved lipid A portion of the molecule. Our goal was to develop assays …

Development Of A Novel Self-Propagating Prssv-Vsv G Hybrid Replicon As A Vector For Inducing Broad Prrsv Protection, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Throughout successive cycles of Pork Check-off funding, our laboratories (Pattnaik’s and Osorio’s labs) have consistently produced new and fundamental information on: (i) the immunologic mechanisms that are important for protection against PRRSV infection, (ii) the structural basis for induction of PRRSV-neutralizing antibodies which are significant for conferring protective immunity, (iii) the possibility of producing a rationally-designed new generation DIVA vaccine that would offer more efficacious protection, and (iv) the presence of conserved B- and T-cell epitopes in the structural and nonstructural proteins (NSPs) of PRRSV.

Plants, Prions And Possibilities: Current Understanding And Significance Of Prion Uptake Into Plants, Tracy A. Nichols

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious, neurodegenerative disease of deer (white-tailed and mule), elk, moose, sika deer and muntjac caused by a misfolded version of a normally occurring protein. The notion that CWD could be spread indirectly via the environment has been documented and accepted in the scientific community for quite some time. Deer and elk consume soil, inhale dust and lick objects that have infectious material on them, resulting in chronic, low dose exposure. Surface contamination of plants with urine or feces is likely an additional source of exposure via ingestion and has been modeled in the laboratory …

The Pseudorabies Virus Protein, Pul56, Enhances Virus Dissemination And Virulence But Is Dispensable For Axonal Transport, Gina R. Daniel, Patricia J. Sollars, Gary E. Pickard, Gregory A. Smith

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Neurotropic herpesviruses exit the peripheral nervous system and return to exposed body surfaces following reactivation from latency. The pUS9 protein is a critical viral effector of the anterograde axonal transport that underlies this process. We recently reported that while pUS9 increases the frequency of sorting of newly assembled pseudorabies virus particles to axons from the neural soma during egress, subsequent axonal transport of individual virus particles occurs with wild-type kinetics in the absence of the protein. Here, we examine the role of a related pseudorabies virus protein, pUL56, during neuronal infection. The findings indicate that pUL56 is a virulence factor …

Large Genomic Differences Between Moraxella Bovoculi Isolates Acquired From The Eyes Of Cattle With Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis Versus The Deep Nasopharynx Of Asymptomatic Cattle, Aaron M. Dickey, John D. Loy, James L. Bono, Timonthy P. L. Smith, Mike D. Apley, Brian V. Lubbers, Keith D. Dedonder, Sarah F. Capik, Robert L. Larson, Brad J. White, Jochen Blom, Carol G. Chitko-Mckown, Michael L. Clawson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Moraxella bovoculi is a recently described bacterium that is associated with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) or “pinkeye” in cattle. In this study, closed circularized genomes were generated for seven M. bovoculi isolates: three that originated from the eyes of clinical IBK bovine cases and four from the deep nasopharynx of asymptomatic cattle. Isolates that originated from the eyes of IBK cases profoundly differed from those that originated from the nasopharynx of asymptomatic cattle in genome structure, gene content and polymorphism diversity and consequently placed into two distinct phylogenetic groups. These results suggest that there are genetically distinct strains of M. …

Presence Of Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Is Correlated With Bacterial Community Diversity And Composition On Pre-Harvest Cattle Hides, Jessica Chopyk, Ryan M. Moore, Zachary Dispirito, Zachary R. Stromberg, Gentry L. Lewis, David G. Renter, Natalia Cernicchiaro, Rodney A. Moxley, K. Eric Wommack

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Since 1982, specific serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have been recognized as significant foodborne pathogens acquired from contaminated beef and, more recently, other food products. Cattle are the major reservoir hosts of these organisms, and while there have been advancements in food safety practices and industry standards, STEC still remains prevalent within beef cattle operations with cattle hides implicated as major sources of carcass contamination. To investigate whether the composition of hide-specific microbial communities are associated with STEC prevalence, 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) bacterial community profiles were obtained from hide and fecal samples collected from a large …

Prevalence And Level Of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli In Culled Dairy Cows At Harvest, Zachary R. Stromberg, Gentry L. Lewis, Sharif S. Aly, Terry W. Lehenbauer, Joseph M. Bosilevac, Natalia Cernicchiaro, Rodney A. Moxley

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and level of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 (collectively EHEC-6) plus EHEC O157 in fecal, hide, and preintervention carcass surface samples from culled dairy cows. Matched samples (n=300) were collected from 100 cows at harvest and tested by a culture-based method and two molecular methods: NeoSEEK STEC (NS) and Atlas STEC EG2 Combo. Both the culture and NS methods can be used to discriminate among the seven EHEC types (EHEC-7), from which the cumulative prevalence was inferred, whereas the Atlas method can discriminate …

Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Salivary Cortisol And Cyathostome Infestation In Horses, Danielle L. Keating

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

With an increase in anthelmintic resistance and decreased efficacy of many commercial dewormers, understanding factors that contribute to parasite infestations in horses is integral to their management. The goal of this study was to look at the potential relationship between parasites and stress response by evaluating salivary cortisol levels and cyathostome egg shedding levels. Using a sample size of n = 200 horses from the state of Ohio, fecal and saliva samples were collected from each horse. Fecal egg counts were performed for each horse with a modified Stoll method, and saliva samples were tested with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay …

Differential Gene Expression In Equine Cartilaginous Tissues And Induced Chondrocytes, Emma N. Adam

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Degenerative joint disease, or osteoarthritis, is a major cause of lameness and morbidity in horses, humans, and dogs. There are no truly satisfactory cures for this widespread problem and current treatments all have limitations or unwanted side effects.

New cell-based strategies to repair joint surface lesions have generated a high level of interest, but have yet to achieve the full restoration of articular cartilage structure and function. Currently used therapy cells include autologous chondrocytes and adult mesenchymal cells such as bone marrow derived cells and adipose derived cells. Unfortunately, the resultant repair tissue is biomechanically inferior fibrocartilage. A critical gap …

The Role Of Nadph Oxidase 2 (Nox2) In High-Fat Diet-Induced Adiposopathy And Brain Dysfunction In A Mouse Model, Jennifer Kathleen Pepping

LSU Master's Theses

Obesity can have numerous detrimental consequences, namely metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. The pathogenesis and physiologic consequences of obesity are unknown, but they are often associated with increased inflammation and oxidative stress in both the body and in the brain. One factor that has been implicated in causing inflammation associated with a high fat diet is the enzyme NADPH oxidase, or NOX, specifically the subunit NOX2. Two studies were performed in order to assess the effects of a high fat diet in combination with a universal NOX2 deficiency and a NOX2 deficiency targeted to …

Whole Genomic Sequence Analysis Of Bacillus Infantis: Defining The Genetic Blueprint Of Strain Nrrl B-14911, An Emerging Cardiopathogenic Microbe, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Akram Mohammed, John Dustin Loy, Tanya Purvis, Bharathi Krishnan, Rakesh H. Basavalingappa, Christy M. Kelley, Chittibabu Guda, Raúl G. Barletta, Etsuko N. Moriyama, Timothy P.L. Smith, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: We recently reported the identification of Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911 that induces heart autoimmunity by generating cardiac-reactive T cells through molecular mimicry. This marine bacterium was originally isolated from the Gulf of Mexico, but no associations with human diseases were reported. Therefore, to characterize its biological and medical significance, we sought to determine and analyze the complete genome sequence of Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911.

Results: Based on the phylogenetic analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, sequence analysis of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic transcribed spacers, phenotypic microarray, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-offlight mass spectrometry, we propose that this …

Erratum To: Association Of Autophagy In The Cell Death Mediated By Dihydrotestosterone In Autoreactive T Cells Independent Of Antigenic Stimulation, Ting Jia, Anandhan Annadurai, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Rajkumar A. Rajasekaran, Rodrigo Franco, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Visualizing Herpesvirus Procapsids In Living Cells, Oana Maier, Patricia J. Sollars, Gary E. Pickard, Gregory A. Smith

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

A complete understanding of herpesvirus morphogenesis requires studies of capsid assembly dynamics in living cells. Although fluorescent tags fused to the VP26 and pUL25 capsid proteins are available, neither of these components is present on the initial capsid assembly, the procapsid. To make procapsids accessible to live-cell imaging, we made a series of recombinant pseudorabies viruses that encoded green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused in frame to the internal capsid scaffold and maturation protease. One recombinant, a GFP-VP24 fusion, maintained wild-type propagation kinetics in vitro and approximated wild-type virulence in vivo. The fusion also proved to be well tolerated in …

Chikungunya Virus Infection-Associated Bone And Joint Disease, Brad A. Goupil

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that circulates predominantly in tropical and subtropical regions. Infection results in severe debilitating polyarthralgia during the acute phase of disease, and reports suggest that chronic arthralgia lasting months to years after the initial infection can occur. More severe and prolonged disease has been associated with pre-existing joint disease, though this has not been experimentally examined. In the research presented herein, two established mouse models (adult IRF 3/7 -/- -/- and wild-type C57BL/6J mice) were utilized to characterize CHIKV-associated bone and joint disease and evaluate its impact on the progression of pre-existing osteoarthritis (OA) …

Rickettsia Felis, Transmission Mechanisms Of An Emerging Flea-Borne Rickettsiosis, Lisa Diane Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rickettsia felis is an emerging insect-borne rickettsial pathogen and the causative agent of flea-borne spotted fever. First described as a human pathogen from the United States in 1991, R. felis is now identified throughout the world and considered a common cause of fever in Africa. The cosmopolitan distribution of this pathogen is credited to the equally widespread occurrence of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), the primary vector and reservoir of R. felis. Additionally, R. felis has been identified in other hematophagous arthropods (including numerous species of fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and mites). Most transmission cycles of pathogenic Rickettsia include transovarial and transstadial …