Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Characterization Of A Medium-Dependent Streptomyces Developmental Mutant, Dylan Gray, Jennifer A. Bennett

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Streptomyces coelicolor is a soil-dwelling, Gram-positive Actinobacteria. Streptomyces species produce thousands of secondary metabolites which include many antibiotics used in medicine today. In Streptomyces development, as colonies grow, secondary metabolites are produced, and ultimately mature spores are dispersed. The production of each of these secondary metabolites in wild-type Streptomyces is determined by a distinct biosynthetic pathway. In order to identify new genes for antibiotic production and other aspects of development, an engineered Tn5-derived transposon was used to mutagenize wild-type cells in vivo and produce single, stable insertions.

Colonies that were visually distinct from the wild type were selected for further …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, March & April 2022, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 3, Issue 3

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2-3 Awards and Recognition
Page 4 2022 URSCAD - CNS Snaps
Page 5 Geography Convention Recap
Page 6 Attention Students!
Page 7-8 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 9 Spring Break Outreach, Adopt the Pantry,
Page 10 Discovery on Tap Event
Page 11 CNS Students Visit State Capital
Page 12 Celebrating 50 Years of Sally
Page 13 Open PRAIRIE Data
Page 14 Grants Awarded and Bio-Micro Day of Scholars
Page 15 -17 2022 Geography Convention Snaps
Page 18 Sally Krueger's 50th Work Anniversary

Paratesticular Solitary Fibrous Tumour Mimicking Cellular Angiofibroma: An Unusual Morphology And Rare Site, Madiha Bilal Qureshi, Muhammad Usman, Qurratulain Chundriger, Nasir Uddin

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) is a ubiquitous benign mesenchymal tumour of fibroblastic origin, which occurs most often in middle-aged adults. It usually presents as lung mass originating from pleura, but extrapleural occurrence is also common. Tumour is characterised by hypo- and hyper-cellular areas of spindle-shaped cells, arranged in haphazard manner with dispersed staghorn-shaped vessels. Surgical excision is the curative treatment. SFTs of the primary testicular or paratesticular region are extremely rare, but they exhibit histologic findings similar to SFTs originating at other body sites. Here, we report the case of a paratesticular SFT in a 37-year male, who presented with …

Analysis Of Invasion Proteins Mmp2, Mmp9, Adam12, And Adam17 In Glioblastoma U87mg Cells Treated With Anti-Cancer Compound 3,4-Dimethoxybenzaldehyde, Andras Muranyi

Honors Theses

This research tested the effectiveness of novel compound 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties. U87MG Glioblastoma cells were exposed to the compound at its LC50 concentration, then processed to collect proteins from the cells. Proteins were analyzed via Western blotting for specific protein levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 (MMP) and disintegrin and metalloprotease 12 and 17 (ADAM). Previous research indicates these proteins are involved in the invasive properties of glioblastoma cells. Westerns were quantified with ImageJ and compared using a one-way ANOVA. Results indicate the compound has minimal effect upon the expression of MMP2, MMP9, ADAM12, ADAM17 proteins.

A Descriptive Analysis Of Severe Maternal Morbidities In Southern Arizona, Joseph Sherman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction

Maternal morbidities and maternal deaths are rising at an alarming rate throughout the United States, despite advances in medicine and technology (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). In 2020, maternal deaths climbed to its highest peak in thirty years, at 23.8 deaths per 100,000 births (CDC 2020; CDC 2022b). Maternal morbidities have also increased by nearly 200% from 1993 to 2014 (CDC, 2021). The startling rise in both maternal morbidities and maternal deaths is likely exacerbated by limited access to healthcare and the pervasiveness of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (Carroll, 2017; Geller …

Geotemporospatial And Causal Inferential Epidemiological Overview And Survey Of Usa Cannabis, Cannabidiol And Cannabinoid Genotoxicity Expressed In Cancer Incidence 2003–2017: Part 2 – Categorical Bivariate Analysis And Attributable Fractions, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: As the cannabis-cancer relationship remains an important open question epidemiological investigation is warranted to calculate key metrics including Rate Ratios (RR), Attributable Fractions in the Exposed (AFE) and Population Attributable Risks (PAR) to directly compare the implicated case burden between emerging cannabinoids and the established carcinogen tobacco. Methods: SEER*Stat software from Centres for Disease Control was used to access age-standardized state census incidence of 28 cancer types (including “All (non-skin) Cancer”) from National Cancer Institute in US states 2001–2017. Drug exposures taken from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2003–2017, response rate 74.1%. Federal seizure data provided …

Geotemporospatial And Causal Inferential Epidemiological Overview And Survey Of Usa Cannabis, Cannabidiol And Cannabinoid Genotoxicity Expressed In Cancer Incidence 2003–2017: Part 3 – Spatiotemporal, Multivariable And Causal Inferential Pathfinding And Exploratory Analyses Of Prostate And Ovarian Cancers, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The epidemiology of cannabinoid-related cancerogenesis has not been studied with cutting edge epidemiological techniques. Building on earlier bivariate papers in this series we aimed to conduct pathfinding studies to address this gap in two tumours of the reproductive tract, prostate and ovarian cancer. Methods: Age-standardized cancer incidence data for 28 tumour types (including “All (non-skin) Cancer”) was sourced from Centres for Disease Control and National Cancer Institute using SEER*Stat software across US states 2001–2017. Drug exposure was sourced from the nationally representative household survey National Survey of Drug Use and Health conducted annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental …

Defining And Modeling Pericyte-Induced Capillary Network Assembly, Capillary Regression Preceding Pericyte-Stimulated Fibrosis, And Lymphatic Capillary Regression, Scott Stephen Kemp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Capillary formation and maturation can only occur through a series of highly orchestrated events that requires the coordinated efforts of both endothelial cells (ECs) and pericytes. While ECs are perfectly capable of creating tube networks on their own, the maturation and stabilization of these tube networks require the presence of a second cell type, pericytes, to create stable capillary networks. Previous studies have identified factors required for pericyte recruitment to EC tube networks, however, we hypothesized that there were still unaccounted for EC-derived molecules that were contributing to pericyte recruitment. In the first part of this study, we used serum-free, …

Synthesis Of Thiol-Acrylate Hydrogels For 3d Cell Culture And Microfluidic Applications, Anowar Hossain Khan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Globally cell culture is an $18.98 billion industry as of 2020, with an 11.6 percent annual growth rate. Drug discovery has an estimated worth of $69.8 billion in 2020 and is predicted to grow to $110.4 billion by 2025. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture of cancer cells is one of the rapidly growing felids since it better recapitulates in vivo conditions compared to two-dimensional (2D) models. However, it is challenging to grow 3D tumor spheroids outside the body, and some of the existing technology can generate these spheroids outside the human body but poorly mimic in vivo tumor models. Therefore, there …

Amphiphilic Cell-Penetrating Peptides Containing Natural And Unnatural Amino Acids As Drug Delivery Agents, David Salehi, Saghar Mozaffari, Khalid Zoghebi, Sandeep Lohan, Dindyal Mandal, Rakesh Tiwari, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

A series of cyclic peptides, [(DipR)(WR)₄], [(DipR)₂(WR)₃], [(DipR)₃(WR)₂], [(DipR)₄(WR)], and [DipR]₅, and their linear counterparts containing arginine (R) as positively charged residues and tryptophan (W) or diphenylalanine (Dip) as hydrophobic residues, were synthesized and evaluated for their molecular transporter efficiency. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized peptides was determined in human epithelial ovary adenocarcinoma cells (SK-OV-3), human lymphoblast peripheral blood cells (CCRF-CEM), human embryonic epithelial kidney healthy cells (HEK-293), human epithelial mammary gland adenocarcinoma cells (MDA-MB-468), pig epithelial kidney normal cells (LLC-PK1), and human epithelial …

Defining The Role Of Oxidized Mitochondrial Dna In Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Grace Anne Ward

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous bone marrow (BM) failure malignancies characterized by constitutive innate immune activation, NLRP3 inflammasome (IFM) driven pyroptotic cell death, and the induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISG). MDS often diagnostically resembles other hematologic disorders, as such, additional tools are needed for the discrimination from overlapping disorders. We observed that oxidized mitochondrial DNA (ox-mtDNA) is released upon cytolysis. We hypothesize that levels of ox-mtDNA are high in MDS, allowing us to use it as a diagnostic biomarker; and that cell free ox-mtDNA is contributing to feedforward BM failure.

ROC/AUC analysis demonstrated that ox-mtDNA is a sensitive and specific …

The Sglt2 Inhibitor Canagliflozin Reduces Androgen Receptor Expression And Nuclear Localization Of Beta-Catenin In Human Prostate Cancer Cells, Kalkidan Bekele, Tunde Smith, Lamonica Stewart

Student Research

Drugs that inhibit the protein sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) are commonly used in the United States to treat type 2 diabetes. Recent studies suggest that SGLT2 inhibitors reduce growth of lung, liver, and breast cancer cells in vitro. Therefore, administration of SGLT2 inhibitors may also limit the growth of malignant tumors. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that one SGLT2 inhibitor, canagliflozin, reduces the proliferation of C4-2B cells, a castration-resistant human prostate cancer cell line. Concentrations of canagliflozin that reduce proliferation also lower levels of the androgen receptor (AR), a protein known to promote growth of prostate cancers. The goal …

Effects Of Dibutyltin Exposures On Translation Regulatory Factor S6 In Human Immune Cells, Meaghan Lewis, Amanda Ruff, Margaret Whalen

Student Research

Dibutyltin is an organotin contaminating the environment through its use as a stabilizer in polyvinylchloride, PVC plastics. DBT has been found in drinking water and beverages, such as beer and wine, due to leaching from the PVC plastics used during the distribution of these drinks. Along with PVC plastics, DBT has been used as a deworming agent in poultry, infiltrating additional food products and increasing the exposure of the toxin to humans. Due to its multiple uses, it has entered the food chain and has been detected in human blood at levels as high as 0.3μM. Inflammatory cytokines are important …

Developmental Staging And Morphological Comparisons Of Four Fern Gametophyte Species From The Santa Monica Mountains, Tristan Furlong

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The fern life cycle alternates between two distinct phases: a diploid sporophyte phase consisting of the “adult” fern, and a haploid gametophyte phase. Early events and changes in gametophyte development can have considerable consequences in the morphologies of these different fern species and may facilitate the various adaptive strategies employed by the gametophytes in their different habitats. This study investigates early developmental events in the gametophytes of four different fern species found in the Santa Monica Mountains, Adiantum jordanii (chaparral understory, summer deciduous sporophyte), Woodwardia fimbriata (riparian stream), Dryopteris arguta (chaparral understory, evergreen), and Pentagramma triangularis (chaparral understory, resurrection sporophyte). …

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals And Breast Cancer: Disparities In Exposure And Importance Of Research Inclusivity, Ashlie Santaliz Casiano, Annah Lee, Dede Teteh, Zeynep Madak Erdogan, Lindsey Trevino

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are known contributors to breast cancer development. EDC exposures commonly occur through food packaging, cookware, fabrics, and personal care products as well as through the environment. Increasing evidence highlights disparities in EDC exposure across racial/ethnic groups, yet breast cancer research continues to lack the inclusion necessary to positively impact treatment response and overall survival in these socially disadvantaged populations. Additionally, the inequity in environmental exposures has yet to be remedied. Exposure to EDCs due to structural racism poses an unequivocal risk to marginalized communities. In this review, we summarize recent epidemiological and molecular studies on two lesser-studied …

The Role Of Eicosanoid Metabolism In Mammalian Wound Healing And Inflammation, Kenneth D. Maus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory wounds, both chronic and acute, lead to increased morbidity and mortality rates, especially in the elderly population. The annual healthcare cost for chronic wound care alone is over $39B in the US and the demographic of susceptible patients is steadily increasing due to an aging population and lifestyle-related diseases (e.g., hyperlipidemia, obesity, and type 2 diabetes). In fact, many chronic wounds currently have a worse 5-year outlook than certain types of cancers. This shows the need for expediting the wound healing process in such a way that compresses inflammatory signaling and encourages wound resolution without sacrificing pathogen removal and …

Body Mass Index And Diabetes Mellitus May Predict Poorer Overall Survival Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: A Retrospective Cohort From A Tertiary-Care Center Of A Resource-Limited Country, Yumna Adnan, Syed Muhammad Adnan Ali, Mohammad Sohail Awan, Nida Zahid, Muhammad Ozair Awan, Hammad Afzal Kayani, Hasnain Ahmed Farooqui

Department of Surgery Docs

Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the highest-ranking cancers among both genders in Pakistan. Obesity is linked to a much higher risk for developing multiple cancer types. Individuals with Diabetes mellitus (DM) face an increased risk for developing oral cancer. Hence, the objective of this study was to identify the effect of obesity and DM on the prognosis of OSCC patients.
Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on 386 patients diagnosed and treated for OSCC at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Patient information was obtained from hospital medical records. Obesity was defined as having …

Delineating The Exocytic Fusion Machinery Required For Mast Cell Exocytosis, Pratikshya Adhikari

Dissertations

Mast cells undergo exocytosis to release a wide array of inflammatory mediators by utilizing membrane fusion proteins-SNAREs (soluble-N-ethyl-maleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) along with essential regulatory Munc18 and Munc13 proteins. Accumulating evidence in mast cell biology suggests the existence of distinct pools of mast cell mediators. However, the precise mechanism underlying the release of each mast cell mediator is not clear. To determine whether different exocytic machineries are required for differential mediator release, I used reconstitution to investigate the differential role of Munc18s in fusion machinery regulation. Munc18a and Munc18c stimulated VAMP2 and VAMP3-mediated lipid mixing, whereas Munc18b only …

Re-Evaluation Of The Fijianolide/Laulimalide Chemotype Suggests An Alternate Mechanism Of Action For C-15/C-20 Analogs., Joseph D. Morris, Leila Takahashi-Ruiz, Lauren N. Persi, Jonathan C. Summers, Erin P. Mccauley, Peter Y. W. Chan, Gabriella Amberchan, Itzel Lizama-Chamu, David A. Coppage, Phillip Crews, April L. Risinger, Tyler A. Johnson

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

Herein, we report on naturally derived microtubule stabilizers with activity against triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, including paclitaxel, fijianolide B/laulimalide (3), fijianolide B di-acetate (4), and two new semisynthetic analogs of 3, which include fijianolide J (5) and fijianolide L (6). Similar to paclitaxel, compound 3 demonstrated classic microtubule stabilizing activity with potent (GI50 = 0.7–17 nM) antiproliferative efficacy among the five molecularly distinct TNBC cell lines. Alternatively, compounds 5 or 6, generated from oxidation of C-20 or C-15 and C-20 respectively, resulted in a unique profile with …

Impact Of Arginine Metabolism And Sensing In Mouse Models Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Chao Ma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains the most common neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system (CNS), with amyloidosis and tauopathy as their two main hallmarks. Typical AD pathologies include cerebral plaques deposited by amyloid-β, neurofibrillary tangles aggregated by tau, and neuroinflammation caused by activated brain myeloid cells. A critical theme is centered on impaired brain metabolism. Emerging evidence showed that impaired arginine metabolism was a novel biomarker pathway for AD. The manipulation of arginine metabolism by a critical enzyme arginase 1 (ARG1) in neurons indicated therapeutic benefits in alleviating tau pathology. Balanced cellular proteostasis was governed by the mechanistic target of …