Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Distribution And Diversity Of Archaeal And Bacterial Ammonia Oxidizers In Salt Marsh Sediments, Nicole S. Moin, Katelyn A. Nelson, Alexander Bush, Anne E. Bernhard

Biology Faculty Publications

Diversity and abundance of ammonia-oxidizing Betaproteobacteria (β-AOB) and archaea (AOA) were investigated in a New England salt marsh at sites dominated by short or tall Spartina alterniflora (SAS and SAT sites, respectively) or Spartina patens (SP site). AOA amoA gene richness was higher than β-AOB amoA richness at SAT and SP, but AOA and β-AOB richness were similar at SAS. β-AOB amoA clone libraries were composed exclusively of Nitrosospira-like amoA genes. AOA amoA genes at SAT and SP were equally distributed between the water column/sediment and soil/sediment clades, while AOA amoA sequences at SAS were primarily affiliated with the …

Subcutaneous Administration Of Tc007 Reduces Disease Severity In An Animal Model Of Sma, Virginia B. Mattis, Marina Y. Fosso, Cheng-Wei Tom Chang, Christian L. Lorson

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Background Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is the leading genetic cause of infantile death. It is caused by the loss of functional Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1). There is a nearly identical copy gene, SMN2, but it is unable to rescue from disease due to an alternative splicing event that excises a necessary exon (exon 7) from the majority of SMN2-derived transcripts. While SMNΔ7 protein has severely reduced functionality, the exon 7 sequences may not be specifically required for all activities. Therefore, aminoglycoside antibiotics previously shown to suppress stop codon recognition and promote translation read-through have been examined to increase the …

Absolute Configuration And Biosynthesis Of Pahayokolide A From Lyngbya Sp. Strain 15-2 Of The Florida Everglades, Li Liu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pahayokolides A-D are cytotoxic cyclic polypeptides produced by the freshwater cyanobacterium Lyngbya sp. strain 15-2 that possess an unusual β-amino acid, 3-amino-2,5,7,8-tetrahydroxy-10-methylundecanoic acid (Athmu). The absolute configuration of pahayokolides A-D was determined using advanced Marfey’s method. It was also confirmed that a pendant N-acetyl-N-methyl leucine moiety in pahayokolide A was absent in pahayokolides B and pahayokolides C-D were conformers of pahayokolide A. Feeding experiments indicated that the biosynthesis of the Athmu sidechain arises from leucine or α-ketoisovalerate, however could not be further extended by three rounds of condensation with malonate units. Putative four peptide and one unique polyketide synthetases in …

Venn, A Tool For Titrating Sequence Conservation Onto Protein Structures, Jay Vyas, Michael R. Gryk, Martin R. Schiller

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Residue conservation is an important, established method for inferring protein function, modularity and specificity. It is important to recognize that it is the 3D spatial orientation of residues that drives sequence conservation. Considering this, we have built a new computational tool, VENN that allows researchers to interactively and graphically titrate sequence homology onto surface representations of protein structures. Our proposed titration strategies reveal critical details that are not readily identified using other existing tools. Analyses of a bZIP transcription factor and receptor recognition of Fibroblast Growth Factor using VENN revealed key specificity determinants. Weblink: http://sbtools.uchc.edu/venn/.

Lipid-Protein Interactions Probed By Electron Crystallography, Steve L. Reichow, Tamir Gonen

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Electron crystallography is arguably the only electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) technique able to deliver an atomic-resolution structure of membrane proteins embedded in the lipid-bilayer. In the electron crystallographic structures of the light driven ion pump, bacteriorhodopsin, and the water channel, aquaporin-0, sufficiently high resolution was obtained and both lipid and protein were visualized, modeled and described in detail. An extensive network of lipid-protein interactions mimicking native membranes is established and maintained in two-dimensional (2D) crystalline vesicles used for structural analysis by electron crystallography. Lipids are tightly integrated into the protein's architecture where they can affect the function, structure, quaternary assembly and …

Theoretical Studies Of 2,3 -Sigmatropic Rearrangements Of Allylic Selenoxides And Selenimides, Craig A. Bayse, Sonia Antony

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Density-functional theory is used to model the endo and exo transition states for [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic aryl-selenoxides and -selenimides. The endo transition state is generally preferred for selenoxides if there is no substitution at the 2 position of the allyl group. Based upon the relative energies of the endo and exo transition states, enantioselectivity of rearrangements is expected to be greatest for molecules with substitutions at the 1- or (E)-3- position of the allyl group. Ortho substitution of a nitro group on the ancillary selenoxide phenyl ring reduces the activation barriers, increases the difference between the endo and exo …

A Proposed Syntax For Minimotif Semantics, Version 1., Jay Vyas, Ronald J. Nowling, Mark W. Maciejewski, Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Michael R. Gryk, Martin R. Schiller

Life Sciences Faculty Research

BACKGROUND:

One of the most important developments in bioinformatics over the past few decades has been the observation that short linear peptide sequences (minimotifs) mediate many classes of cellular functions such as protein-protein interactions, molecular trafficking and post-translational modifications. As both the creators and curators of a database which catalogues minimotifs, Minimotif Miner, the authors have a unique perspective on the commonalities of the many functional roles of minimotifs. There is an obvious usefulness in standardizing functional annotations both in allowing for the facile exchange of data between various bioinformatics resources, as well as the internal clustering of sets of …

The Study Of Variations In The Properties Of Biodiesel On Addition Of Antioxidants, Hiranmayee Kandala

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research studies variations in biodiesel upon addition of different concentrations of antioxidant and petrodiesel additives. Oxidation onset temperature, oxidation induction time, oxidative stability, thermal stability, crystallization onset temperature and moisture retention properties of the biodiesel, with and without antioxidants have been studied. Antioxidants like BHT, BHA, PrG, Vit E and Vit C were added to the biodiesel during the study. These samples were analyzed using the PDSC, TGA, DSC and TGA-SA instrumentation.

The results of this research show an improvement in the OOT, OIT and Oxidative stability of biodiesel with the addition of antioxidants and by blending the biodiesel …

Geometric Build-Up Solutions For Protein Determination Via Distance Geometry, Robert Tucker Davis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Proteins carry out an almost innumerable amount of biological processes that are absolutely necessary to life and as a result proteins and their structures are very often the objects of study in research. As such, this thesis will begin with a description of protein function and structure, followed by brief discussions of the two major experimental structure determination methods. Another problem that often arises in molecular modeling is referred to as the Molecular Distance Geometry Problem (MDGP). This problem seeks to find coordinates for the atoms of a protein or molecule when given only a set of pair-wise distances between …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Bis-Phosphine Complexes With Transition Metals, Alicia L. Mcdaniel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Extractants and extraction methodologies play a vital role in many industrial processes, from the concentration of precious metals from ores to the separation of longlived nuclei from radioactive waste as well as the removal of heavy metals from soils and water for remediation. The vast majority of extractants rely on the use of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur or selenium as Lewis base donor atoms to form coordination complexes with the metal ions of interest. These extractants often make use of the chelate effect and/or the macrocyclic effect in order to form stable complexes. Some of the best known types of chelate …

Applications And Potentials For Biogenic Methane Recovery Operations In Nebraska Agriculture, Industry, And Economic Development, David Micheal Dingman

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT: This thesis report illustrates the applications and potentials of biogenic methane recovery in Nebraska’s agricultural and industrial sectors and as a means for increasing sustainable economic development in the state’s rural communities. As the nation moves toward a new green economy, biogenic methane recovery as a waste management strategy and renewable energy resource presents significant opportunities for Nebraska to be a national and world leader in agricultural and industrial innovation, advanced research and development of renewable energy technology, and generation of new product markets. Nebraska’s agricultural economy provides a distinct advantage to the state for supporting methane recovery operations …

Louisiana: A Model For Advancing Regional E-Research Through Cyberinfrastructure, Daniel S. Katz, Gabrielle Allen, Ricardo Cortez, Carolina Cruz-Neira, Raju Gottumukkala, Zeno D. Greenwood, Les Guice, Shantenu Jha, Ramsesh Kolluru, Tevfik Kosar, Lonnie Leger, Honggao Liu, Charlie Mcmahon, Jarek Nabrzyski, Bety Rodriguez-Milla, Ed Seidel, Greg Speyrer, Michael Stubblefield, Brian Voss, Scott L. Whittenburg

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Louisiana researchers and universities are leading a concentrated, collaborative effort to advance statewide e-Research through a new cyberinfrastructure: computing systems, data storage systems, advanced instruments and data repositories, visualization environments and people, all linked together by software programs and high-performance networks. This effort has led to a set of interlinked projects that have started making a significant difference in the state, and has created an environment that encourages increased collaboration, leading to new e-Research. This paper describes the overall effort, the new projects and environment and the results to date.

Methyl Septanoside Hydrolysis As A Measure Of Carbohydrate Ring Flexibility: Substrate Synthesis And Kinetics Analysis, Shawn Michael Miller

Honors Scholar Theses

A number of seven-membered ring systems have been found to have promising enzyme inhibiting properties. The common explanation for their efficacy is the apparent improved flexibility that the ring-system has over smaller rings. In an attempt to probe the validity of this hypothesis, unnatural seven-membered ring carbohydrates have been generated and subjected to kinetics analysis using hydrolysis. In particular, methyl α- and β-D-glycero-D-guloseptanoside were subjected to acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and monitored via HNMR experiments. The rate constants of the reactions were determined and compared to the hydrolysis rate constants of comparable pyranose carbohydrates and found to be significantly faster, indicating an …

Ionic Selectivity In L-Type Calcium Channels By Electrostatics And Hard-Core Repulsion, Dezso Boda, Douglas Henderson, Monika Valisko, Bob Eisenberg, Dirk Gillespie

Faculty Publications

A physical model of selective "ion binding" in the L-type calcium channel is constructed, and consequences of the model are compared with experimental data. This reduced model treats only ions and the carboxylate oxygens of the EEEE locus explicitly and restricts interactions to hard-core repulsion and ion–ion and ion–dielectric electrostatic forces. The structural atoms provide a flexible environment for passing cations, thus resulting in a self-organized induced-fit model of the selectivity filter. Experimental conditions involving binary mixtures of alkali and/or alkaline earth metal ions are computed using equilibrium Monte Carlo simulations in the grand canonical ensemble. The model pore rejects …

Light-Regulated Sampling Of Protein Kinase Activity (Ii), Collaborative Project

Dyson College- Seidenberg School of CSIS : Collaborative Projects and Presentations

This entry adheres to the use of the quad chart template to provide a succinct description only of the current research project undertaken by the participants. It provides for the following information

1. Participants and Affiliations
2. Overall Project Goals
3. Illustrative picture
4. Specific research/artistic/pedagogic foci

Catena-Poly[[(Pyridine-Κn)Copper(Ii)]-Μ3-Pyridine-2,6-Dicarboxylato-Κ3o2:O2′,N,O6:O6′], Manoj Trivedi, Daya Pandey, Nigam Rath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

In the title compound, [Cu(C7H3NO4)(C5H5N)]n, the CuII atom is in a slightly distorted octa­hedral coordination environment. Each CuII atom is bound to two N atoms and one O atom of the pyridine­dicarboxyl­ate (PDA) ligand in a tridentate manner, one N atom of the pyridine mol­ecule and two bridging carboxyl­ate O atoms of adjacent PDA ligands, leading to a linear one-dimensional chain running along the c axis. These chains are further assembled via weak C-H...O and [pi]-[pi] inter­actions into a three-dimensional supra­molecular network structure. The centroid-centroid distance between the [pi]-[pi] inter­acting pyridine rings is 3.9104 (13) Å. The two N atoms …

From Gene Mutation To Protein Characterization, David A. Moffet

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Works

A seven-week “gene to protein” laboratory sequence is described for an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course. Student pairs were given the task of introducing a point mutation of their choosing into the well studied protein, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). After conducting literature searches, each student group chose the mutation they wanted to introduce into EGFP. Students designed their sequence-specific mutagenic primers and constructed their desired mutation. The resulting EGFP mutant proteins were expressed in E. coli, purified and characterized. This laboratory sequence connected the major concepts of molecular biology and biochemistry, while incorporating the thrill of novel discovery in …

Mate Choice For Nonadditive Genetic Benefits And The Maintenance Of Genetic Diversity In Song Sparrows, Bryan D. Neff, Trevor E. Pitcher

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

The lek paradox asserts that strong directional selection via female choice should deplete additive genetic variation in fitness and consequently any benefit to females expressing the preference. Recently, we have provided a novel resolution to the paradox by showing that nonadditive genetic effects such as overdominance can be inherited from parent to offspring, and populations with females that express a mating preference for outbred males maintain higher genetic variation than populations with females that mate randomly. Here, we test our dynamic model using empirical data previously published from a small island population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). The model assumes …

Hydroxyl Radical Is Produced Via The Fenton Reaction In Submitochondrial Particles Under Oxidative Stress: Implications For Diseases Associated With Iron Accumulation, Carin Thomas, Melissa M. Mackey, Amy A. Diaz, David P. Cox

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are often implicated in diseases involving oxidative stress and elevated iron. As mitochondria produce ATP by oxidative phosphorylation, ROS by-products are generated from the electron transport chain. Although superoxide and hydrogen peroxide have been thoroughly investigated, little evidence documents hydroxyl radical (HO•) production in mitochondria. In order to determine whether HO• is generated under oxidative stress conditions by a Fenton-type mechanism, bovine heart submitochondrial particles were examined for HO• in the presence and absence of iron ligands, antioxidant enzymes and HO• scavengers. HO• was measured as 2,3- and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA), using HPLC …

Structure Of Human Dna Polymerase Κ Inserting Datp Opposite An 8-Oxog Dna Lesion, Rodrigo Vasquez-Del Carpio, Timothy D. Silverstein, Samer Lone, Michael K. Swan, Jayati R. Choudhury, Robert E. Johnson, Satya Prakash, Louise Prakash, Aneel K. Aggarwal

Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Oxygen-free radicals formed during normal aerobic cellular metabolism attack bases in DNA and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) is one of the major lesions formed. It is amongst the most mutagenic lesions in cells because of its dual coding potential, wherein 8-oxoG(syn) can pair with an A in addition to normal base pairing of 8-oxoG(anti) with a C. Human DNA polymerase κ (Polκ) is a member of the newly discovered Y-family of DNA polymerases that possess the ability to replicate through DNA lesions. To understand the basis of Polκ's preference for insertion of an A opposite 8-oxoG lesion, …

Emissions From Biomass Burning In The Yucatan, Robert J. Yokelson, J. D. Crounse, P. F. Decarlo, T. Karl, S. P. Urbanski, E. Atlas, T. Campos, Y. Shinozuka, V. Kasputin, A. D. Clarke, A. Weinheimer, D. J. Knapp, D. D. Montzka, J. Holloway, P. Weibring, F. Flocke, W. Zheng, D. Toohey, P. O. Wennberg, C. Wiedinmyer, L. Mauldin, A. Fried, D. Richter, J. Walega, J. L. Jimenez, K. Adachi, P. R. Buseck, S. R. Hall, R. Shetter

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

In March 2006 two instrumented aircraft made the first detailed field measurements of biomass burning (BB) emissions in the Northern Hemisphere tropics as part of the MILAGRO project. The aircraft were the National Center for Atmospheric Research C-130 and a University of Montana/US Forest Service Twin Otter. The initial emissions of up to 49 trace gas or particle species were measured from 20 deforestation and crop residue fires on the Yucatan peninsula. This included two trace gases useful as indicators of BB (HCN and acetonitrile) and several rarely, or never before, measured species: OH, peroxyacetic acid, propanoic acid, hydrogen peroxide, …

Biomass Burning And Urban Air Pollution Over The Central Mexican Plateau, J. D. Crounse, P. F. Decarlo, Donald R. Blake, L. K. Emmons, T. L. Campos, E. C. Apel, A. D. Clarke, A. J. Weinheimer, D. C. Mccabe, Robert J. Yokelson, J. L. Jimenez, P. O. Wennberg

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Observations during the 2006 dry season of highly elevated concentrations of cyanides in the atmosphere above Mexico City (MC) and the surrounding plains demonstrate that biomass burning (BB) significantly impacted air quality in the region. We find that during the period of our measurements, fires contribute more than half of the organic aerosol mass and submicron aerosol scattering, and one third of the enhancement in benzene, reactive nitrogen, and carbon monoxide in the outflow from the plateau. The combination of biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions will affect ozone chemistry in the MC outflow.

Loop Dynamics Of The Extracellular Domain Of Human Tissue Factor And Activation Of Factor Viia, Agnese S. Minazzo, Reuben C. Darlington, J. B. A. Ross

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

In the crystal structure of the complex between the soluble extracellular domain of tissue factor (sTF) and activesite- inhibited VIIa, residues 91 and 92 in the Pro⁷⁹-Pro⁹² loop of sTF interact with the catalytic domain of VIIa. It is not known, however, whether this loop has a role in allosteric activation of VIIa. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements of probes covalently bound to sTF mutants E84C and T121C show that binding uninhibited Factor VIIa affects segmental motions in sTF. Glu⁸⁴ resides in the Pro⁷⁹-Pro⁹² loop, and Thr¹²¹ resides in the turn between the …

From Powder To Solution: Hydration Dependence Of Human Hemoglobin Dynamics Correlated To Body Temperature, A. M. Stadler, I. Digel, J. P. Embs, T. Unruh, Moeava Tehei, G. Zaccai, G. Büldt, G. M. Artmann

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A transition in hemoglobin (Hb), involving partial unfolding and aggregation, has been shown previously by various biophysical methods. The correlation between the transition temperature and body temperature for Hb from different species, suggested that it might be significant for biological function. In order to focus on such biologically relevant human Hb dynamics, we studied the protein internal picosecond motions as a response to hydration, by elastic and quasielastic neutron scattering. Rates of fast diffusive motions were found to be significantly enhanced with increasing hydration from fully hydrated powder to concentrated Hb solution. In concentrated protein solution, the data revealed that …

The Small Heat-Shock Proteins Hspb2 And Hspb3 Form Well-Defined Heterooligomers In A Unique 3 To 1 Subunit Ratio, J. Den Engelsman, S. Baros, P. Y. W. Dankers, B. Kamps, W. T. Vree Egberts, C. S. Bode, L. A. Lane, J. A. Aquilina, J. L. P. Benesch, C. V. Robinson, W. W. De Jong, W. C. Boelens

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Various mammalian small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) can interact with one another to form large polydisperse assemblies. In muscle cells, HSPB2/MKBP (myotonic dystrophy protein kinase-binding protein) and HSPB3 have been shown to form an independent complex. To date, the biochemical properties of this complex have not been thoroughly characterized. In this study, we show that recombinant HSPB2 and HSPB3 can be successfully purified from E.coli cells co-expressing both proteins. Nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry and sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation analysis showed that HSPB2/B3 forms a series of well defined hetero-oligomers, consisting of 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 subunits, each maintaining …

Minimotif Miner 2nd Release: A Database And Web System For Motif Search, Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Sudha Balla, Patrick R. Gradie, Michael R. Gryk, Krishna Kadaveru, Vamsi Kundeti, Mark W. Maciejewski, Tian Mi, Nicholas Rubino, Jay Vyas, Martin R. Schiller

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Minimotif Miner (MnM) consists of a minimotif database and a web-based application that enables prediction of motif-based functions in user-supplied protein queries. We have revised MnM by expanding the database more than 10-fold to approximately 5000 motifs and standardized the motif function definitions. The web-application user interface has been redeveloped with new features including improved navigation, screencast-driven help, support for alias names and expanded SNP analysis. A sample analysis of prion shows how MnM 2 can be used.

Liposomes Recruit Ipac To The Shigella Flexneri Type Iii Secretion Apparatus Needle As A Final Step In Secretion Induction, C. R. Epler, Nicholas E. Dickenson, A. J. Olive, W. L. Picking, W. D. Picking

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Shigella flexneri contact with enterocytes induces a burst of protein secretion via its type III secretion apparatus (TTSA) as an initial step in cellular invasion. We have previously reported that IpaD is positioned at the TTSA needle tip (M. Espina et al., Infect. Immuno. 74:4391-4400, 2006). From this position, IpaD senses small molecules in the environment to control the presentation of IpaB to the needle tip. This step occurs without type III secretion induction or IpaC recruitment to the S. flexneri surface. IpaC is then transported to the S. flexneri surface when target cell lipids are added, and this event …

Classification And Cluster Analysis Of Complex Time-Of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry For Biological Samples, Stephen E. Reichenbach, Xue Tian, Qingping Tao, Alex Henderson

CSE Conference and Workshop Papers

Identifying and separating subtly different biological samples is one of the most critical tasks in biological analysis. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is becoming a popular and important technique in the analysis of biological samples, because it can detect molecular information and characterize chemical composition. ToF-SIMS spectra of biological samples are enormously complex with large mass ranges and many peaks. As a result the classification and cluster analysis are challenging. This study presents a new classification algorithm, the most similar neighbor with a probability-based spectrum similarity measure (MSN- PSSM), which uses all the information in the entire ToF- SIMS …

Understanding The Physical Properties That Control Protein Crystallization By Analysis Of Largescale Experimental Data, W. Nicholson Price Ii, Yang Chen, Samuel K. Handelman, Helen Neely, Philip Manor, Richard Karlin, Rajesh Nair, Jinfeng Liu, Michael Baran, John Everett, Saichiu N. Tong, Farhad Forouhar, Swarup S. Swaminathan, Thomas Acton, Rong Xiao, Joseph R. Luft, Angela Lauricella, George T. Detitta, Burkhard Rost, Gaetano T. Montelione, John T. Hunt

Law Faculty Scholarship

Crystallization is the most serious bottleneck in high-throughput protein-structure determination by diffraction methods. We have used data mining of the large-scale experimental results of the Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium and experimental folding studies to characterize the biophysical properties that control protein crystallization. This analysis leads to the conclusion that crystallization propensity depends primarily on the prevalence of well-ordered surface epitopes capable of mediating interprotein interactions and is not strongly influenced by overall thermodynamic stability. We identify specific sequence features that correlate with crystallization propensity and that can be used to estimate the crystallization probability of a given construct. Analyses of …

Influence Of Irradiance And Iron On The Growth Of Colonial Phaeocystic Antarctica: Implications For Seasonal Bloom Dynamics In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, Nathan S. Garcia, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

Laboratory culture experiments were used to investigate the growth rate of colonial Phaeocystis anarctica as a function of irradiance and dissolved iron concentration. The experiments were conducted with a P. antarctica strain isolated from the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica, and made use of natural, low-iron (P. antarctica attained an average maximum cell-specific growth rate of 0.37 d^-1at an irradiance of 68 μE m^-2s^-1, above which growth rates decreased to 0.27 d^-1 at an irradiance of 314 μE m^-2s^-1. The dependence of growth rate on ambient dissolved iron concentration was …