Regulation Of To Xin Synthesis By Clostridium Difficile,
2012
The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston
Regulation Of To Xin Synthesis By Clostridium Difficile, Charles Darkoh
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Clostridium difficile is the leading definable cause of nosocomial diarrhea worldwide due to its virulence, multi-drug resistance, spore-forming ability, and environmental persistence. The incidence of C. difficile infection (CDI) has been increasing exponentially in the last decade. Virulent strains of C. difficile produce either toxin A and/or toxin B, which are essential for the pathogenesis of this bacterium. Current methods for diagnosing CDI are mostly qualitative tests that detect the bacterium, the toxins, or the toxin genes. These methods do not differentiate virulent C. difficile strains that produce active toxins from non-virulent strains that do not produce toxins or produce …
The Anti-Tumorigenic Mushroom Agaricus Blazei Murill Enhances Il-1Β Production And Activates The Nlrp3 Inflammasome In Human Macrophages,
2012
Chang Gung University
The Anti-Tumorigenic Mushroom Agaricus Blazei Murill Enhances Il-1Β Production And Activates The Nlrp3 Inflammasome In Human Macrophages, Tsung-Teng Huang, David M. Ojcius, John Ding-E. Young, Yi-Hui Wu, Yun-Fei Ko, Tsui-Yin Wong, Cheng-Yeu Wu, Chia-Chen Lu, Hsin-Chih Lai
All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles
Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) has been reported to possess immune activity against tumors and infections through stimulation of mononuclear phagocytes. Recently, AbM extract was shown to induce the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), in human monocytes. IL-1β is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by activated macrophages and monocytes and its secretion is strictly controlled by the inflammasome. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of AbM water extracts on the regulation of IL-1β production and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in human THP-1 macrophages. The NLRP3 inflammasome consists of an NLRP3 receptor, an adaptor protein …
Characterization Of The Infectivity Of Non-Replicating Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv)-Derived Viral Vectors.,
2012
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso.
Characterization Of The Infectivity Of Non-Replicating Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv)-Derived Viral Vectors., Vanessa E. Rodriguez, Manuel Llano, Luis Valdes
COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2012
The ability of HIV-derived viral vectors to integrate genes of interest into the host genome causing permanent phenotypic modifications makes them excellent tools in gene therapy. However, integration also causes insertional mutagenesis and controlling integration site selection will increase the biosafety of these molecular tools. HIV DNA integration site selection is influenced by LEDGF/p75, a chromatin-bound cellular protein that interacts with the viral enzyme integrase through the integrase binding domain (IBD). Integrase catalyzes viral DNA integration and non-covalently associates with the HIV genome forming the pre-integration complex (PIC). Therefore, interaction of chromatin-bound LEDGF/p75 with the PIC-associated integrase tethers the HIV …
Cloning And Purification Of Sas0397 From Community Associated Staphylococcus Aureus,
2012
Indiana State University
Cloning And Purification Of Sas0397 From Community Associated Staphylococcus Aureus, Amber Wannemacher, H. Kathleen Dannelly
Symposium 2012
Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a unique bacterium that can cause painful abscesses that require surgical treatment and can be confined to the skin surface or burrow into the skin causing life-threatening infections. There are two types of MRSA: hospital associated-MRSA (HA-MRSA) and community associated-MRSA (CA-MRSA). Community associated-MRSA is acquired through direct contact with an infected individual or sharing of personal items and is often seen in locations such as athletic facilities, dormitories, and daycare centers. This study involves cloning and purification of SAS0397, a putative exported protein predicted, according to bioinformatics, to be unique to community associated Staphylococcus …
Clam (Corbicula Fluminea) As A Potential Sentinel Of Human Norovirus Contamination In Freshwater,
2012
University of Southern Mississippi
Clam (Corbicula Fluminea) As A Potential Sentinel Of Human Norovirus Contamination In Freshwater, Xunyan Ye
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to evaluate and validate the use of the clam Corbicula fluminea as a sentinel of human noroviruses (HuNoV) contamination in freshwater. The first specific aim was to develop a new method to extract HuNoV RNA from contaminated bivalves (e.g. oysters, clams) that would be much faster than existing methods. The procedure developed includes an initial total RNA extraction using TRI Reagent, followed by HuNoV RNA concentration and purification using biotinylated probe-capture technology. HuNoV RNA is finally detected by real-time RT-PCR. Using bivalve homogenates spiked with HuNoV, 100 PCR detection units of the virus was …
Activation Of An Nlrp3 Inflammasome Restricts Mycobacterium Kansasii Infection,
2012
Industrial Technology Research Institute
Activation Of An Nlrp3 Inflammasome Restricts Mycobacterium Kansasii Infection, Chang-Chieh Chen, Sheng-Hui Tsai, Chia-Chen Lu, Shiau-Ting Hu, Ting-Shu Wu, Tsung-Teng Huang, Najwane Saïd-Sadier, David M. Ojcius, Hsin-Chih Lai
All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles
Mycobacterium kansasii has emerged as an important nontuberculous mycobacterium pathogen, whose incidence and prevalence have been increasing in the last decade. M. kansasii can cause pulmonary tuberculosis clinically and radiographically indistinguishable from that caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Unlike the widely-studied M. tuberculosis, little is known about the innate immune response against M. kansasii infection. Although inflammasome activation plays an important role in host defense against bacterial infection, its role against atypical mycobacteria remains poorly understood. In this report, the role of inflammasome activity in THP-1 macrophages against M. kansasii infection was studied. Results indicated that viable, but not heat-killed, …
Cloning And Characterization Of The Cell Wall Acting Enzyme Cd1034 From The Pathogen Clostridium Difficile,
2012
Bryant University
Cloning And Characterization Of The Cell Wall Acting Enzyme Cd1034 From The Pathogen Clostridium Difficile, Zachary Suter
Honors Projects in Science and Technology
The manifestation of multidrug resistance in bacteria over the past several decades has resulted in one of the foremost challenges in the management of infectious diseases. The question arises, “How do we address this growing problem?” One solution to stem the growing rise in antimicrobial resistance is to investigate new targets, while another approach is to re-examine classical antibacterial targets with a fresh perspective. The aim of this paper is to begin the process of antibacterial development for the pathogen Clostridium difficile by characterizing the cell wall acting glucosaminidase CD1034. It is inunderstanding how CD1034 functions biochemically that it can …
Role Of Poly [Adp-Ribose] Polymerase 1 In Retroviral Infection,
2012
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso
Role Of Poly [Adp-Ribose] Polymerase 1 In Retroviral Infection, Vanessa E. Rodriguez ^, Manuel Llano *
COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012
No abstract provided.
Development Of A Humanized Hla-A2.1/Dp4 Transgenic Mouse Model And The Use Of This Model To Map Hla-Dp4-Restricted Epitopes Of Hbv Envelope Protein,
2012
Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology
Development Of A Humanized Hla-A2.1/Dp4 Transgenic Mouse Model And The Use Of This Model To Map Hla-Dp4-Restricted Epitopes Of Hbv Envelope Protein, Zhitao Ru, Wenjun Xiao, Anthony Pajot, Zhihua Kou, Shihui Sun, Benard Maillere, Guangyu Zhao, David M. Ojcius, Yu-Chun Lone, Yusen Zhou
All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles
A new homozygous humanized transgenic mouse strain, HLA-A2.1+/+HLA-DP4+/+ hCD4+/+mCD4−/−IAβ−/−β2m−/− (HLA-A2/DP4), was obtained by crossing the previously characterized HLA-A2+/+β2m−/− (A2) mouse and our previously created HLA-DP4+/+ hCD4+/+mCD4−/−IAβ−/− (DP4) mouse. We confirmed that the transgenes (HLA-A2, HLA-DP4, hCD4) inherited from the parental A2 and DP4 mice are functional in the HLA-A2/DP4 mice. After immunizing HLA-A2/DP4 mice with a hepatitis B DNA vaccine, hepatitis B virus-specific antibodies, HLA-A2-restricted and HLA-DP4-restricted responses were observed to be similar to those in naturally infected humans. Therefore, the present …
Study Guide For United In Anger: A History Of Act Up,
2012
CUNY College of Staten Island
Study Guide For United In Anger: A History Of Act Up, Matt Brim
Open Educational Resources
The United in Anger Study Guide facilitates classroom and activist engagement with Jim Hubbard’s 2012 documentary, United in Anger: A History of ACT UP. The Study Guide contains discussion sections, projects and exercises, and resources for further research about the activism of the New York chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). The Study Guide is a free, interactive, multimedia resource for understanding the legacy of ACT UP, the film’s role in preserving that legacy, and its meaning for viewers' lives.
Antibody Production During Ehrlichial Infection : Development And Specificity Of T Cell-Independent Igm,
2012
University at Albany, State University of New York
Antibody Production During Ehrlichial Infection : Development And Specificity Of T Cell-Independent Igm, Derek Daniel Jones
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Historically, the role for antibodies in mediating protective immunity against intracellular pathogens was thought to be minimal. However, our previous studies demonstrated that antibodies were both necessary and sufficient to establish protective immunity against Ehrlichia muris, a tick-transmitted intracellular bacterium. The identification of a unique population of CD11c-expressing IgM-secreting plasmablasts in the spleen during early infection of mice led to the appreciation that IgM was a critical component of the humoral immune response, and that IgM was required for control of acute ehrlichial infection. Here, we addressed the generation of the IgM-secreting cells, as well as the properties of the …
Identification Of Epitopes On Ricin Toxin's Enzymatic Subunit (Rta) Critical For Eliciting Neutralizing Antibodies And Protective Immunity,
2012
University at Albany, State University of New York
Identification Of Epitopes On Ricin Toxin's Enzymatic Subunit (Rta) Critical For Eliciting Neutralizing Antibodies And Protective Immunity, Joanne Marie O'Hara
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Ricin toxin's enzymatic subunit (RTA) is a 267 amino acid RNA N-glycosidase that selectively depurinates eukaryotic ribosomal RNA and arrests protein synthesis. The crystal structure of RTA revealed that the protein assumes three distinct folding domains (FD). Residues within FD1 and FD2 form RTA's active site pocket and are proposed to interface with ribosomal proteins, while FD3's primary function is to associate with ricin's B subunit (RTB). In this study I sought to identify the regions of RTA that are important in eliciting toxin-neutralizing antibodies (TNA), as this information is critical for current efforts to develop RTA-based subunit vaccines. I …
Rhodococcus Equi Infection And Interferon-Gamma Regulation In Foals,
2012
University of Kentucky
Rhodococcus Equi Infection And Interferon-Gamma Regulation In Foals, Lingshuang Sun
Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science
Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is one of the most serious causes of pneumonia in young foals. The clinical disease is of great concern to breeding farms worldwide due to the impact of mortality on economic losses. While adult horses are resistant to R. equi, foals exhibit a distinct age-associated susceptibility. The mechanism underlying this susceptibility in foals is not well understood. Interferon-gamma (IFNg) plays an important role in the clearance of R. equi, but its expression is impaired in neonatal foals. Moreover, the regulation of this age-related IFNg expression in foals remains unknown. In humans, IFNg …
Activation Of Mmp-9 By Human Lung Epithelial Cells In Response To The Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Pathogen Burkholderia Cenocepacia Reduced Wound Healing In Vitro,
2011
Institute of Technology Tallaght
Activation Of Mmp-9 By Human Lung Epithelial Cells In Response To The Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Pathogen Burkholderia Cenocepacia Reduced Wound Healing In Vitro, Ciara Wright ], Ruth Pilkington, Máire Callaghan, Siobhan Mcclean
Articles
Burkholderia cepacia complex is a group of bacterial pathogens that cause opportunistic infections in cystic fibrosis (CF). The most virulent of these is Burkholderia cenocepacia. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are upregulated in CF patients. The aim of this work was to examine the role of MMPs in the pathogenesis of B. cepacia complex, which has not been explored to date. Real-time PCR analysis showed that B. cenocepacia infection upregulated MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes in the CF lung cell line CFBE41o- within 1 h, whereas MMP-2, -7, and -9 genes were upregulated in the non-CF lung cell line 16HBE14o-. Conditioned media from …
Avian Influenza In Migratory Birds In The United States, 2007–2009, And Effects Of September Hunting Seasons On Survival, Harvest, And Recovery Rates Of Canada Geese Banded In Southeast Nebraska,
2011
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Avian Influenza In Migratory Birds In The United States, 2007–2009, And Effects Of September Hunting Seasons On Survival, Harvest, And Recovery Rates Of Canada Geese Banded In Southeast Nebraska, Scott R. Groepper
School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV H5N1) poses risks to wild birds, poultry, and humans. Personnel with the United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service-Wildlife Services, state, and tribal wildlife agencies collected 168,940 samples from migratory birds from 2007 to 2009 to test for presence of HPAIV H5N1. No HPAIV was found, but other subtypes were discovered, including H5 and H7. I estimated prevalence of avian influenza virus by flyway and found prevalence was lowest each year in the Atlantic Flyway (6.7%–8.3%), highest in the Pacific Flyway in 2007 (13.3%) and 2008 (13.4%), and highest in the Mississippi Flyway …
Extracellular Atp Acts On P2y2 Purinergic Receptors To Facilitate Hiv-1 Infection,
2011
University of the Pacific
Extracellular Atp Acts On P2y2 Purinergic Receptors To Facilitate Hiv-1 Infection, Claire Séror, Marie-Therese Melki, Frederic Subra, Syed Qasim Raza, Marlene Bras, Hela Saïdi, Roberta Nardacci, Laurent Voisin, Audrey Paoletti, Frederic Law, Isabelle Martins, Alessandra Amendola, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, Fabiola Ciccosanti, Olivier Delelis, Florence Niedergang, Sylvain Thierry, Najwane Said-Sadier, Christophe Lamaze, Didier Métivier, Jerome Estaquier, Gian Maria Fimia, Laura Falasca, Rita Casetti, Nazanine Modjtahedi, Jean M. Kanellopoulos, Jean-Francois Mouscadet, David M. Ojcius, Mauro Piacentini, Marie-Lise Gougeon, Guido Kroemer, Jean-Luc Perfetini
All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles
Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) can activate purinergic receptors of the plasma membrane and modulate multiple cellular functions. We report that ATP is released from HIV-1 target cells through pannexin-1 channels upon interaction between the HIV-1 envelope protein and specific target cell receptors. Extracellular ATP then acts on purinergic receptors, including P2Y2, to activate proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) kinase and transient plasma membrane depolarization, which in turn stimulate fusion between Env-expressing membranes and membranes containing CD4 plus appropriate chemokine co-receptors. Inhibition of any of the constituents of this cascade (pannexin-1, ATP, P2Y2, and Pyk2) impairs the replication of HIV-1 mutant …
Caspase-1 Dependent Il-1Β Secretion Is Critical For Host Defense In A Mouse Model Of Chlamydia Pneumoniae Lung Infection,
2011
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Caspase-1 Dependent Il-1Β Secretion Is Critical For Host Defense In A Mouse Model Of Chlamydia Pneumoniae Lung Infection, Kenichi Shimada, Timothy R. Crother, Justin Karlin, Shuang Chen, Norika Chiba, V. Krishnan Ramanujan, Laurent Vergnes, David M. Ojcius, Moshe Arditi
All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles
Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) is an important human pathogen that causes atypical pneumonia and is associated with various chronic inflammatory disorders. Caspase-1 is a key component of the ‘inflammasome’, and is required to cleave pro-IL-1β to bioactive IL-1β. Here we demonstrate for the first time a critical requirement for IL-1β in response to CP infection. Caspase-1−/− mice exhibit delayed cytokine production, defective clearance of pulmonary bacteria and higher mortality in response to CP infection. Alveolar macrophages harbored increased bacterial numbers due to reduced iNOS levels in Caspase-1−/− mice. Pharmacological blockade of the IL-1 receptor in CP infected wild-type mice …
Hypervirulent Chlamydia Trachomatis Clinical Strain Is A Recombinant Between Lymphogranuloma Venereum (L(2)) And D Lineages,
2011
Children’s Hospital Oakland
Hypervirulent Chlamydia Trachomatis Clinical Strain Is A Recombinant Between Lymphogranuloma Venereum (L(2)) And D Lineages, Naraporn Somboonna, Raymond Wan, David M. Ojcius, Matthew A. Pettengill, Sandeep J. Joseph, Alexander Chang, Ray Hsu, Timothy D. Read, Deborah Dean
All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes a diversity of severe and debilitating diseases worldwide. Sporadic and ongoing outbreaks of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) strains among men who have sex with men (MSM) support the need for research on virulence factors associated with these organisms. Previous analyses have been limited to single genes or genomes of laboratory-adapted reference strain L2/434 and outbreak strain L2b/UCH-1/proctitis. We characterized an unusual LGV strain, termed L2c, isolated from an MSM with severe hemorrhagic proctitis. L2c developed nonfusing, grape-like inclusions and a cytotoxic phenotype in culture, …
Analysis And Interpretation Of Factors Leading To Increased Aids Prevalence In Sub-Saharan Africa,
2011
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Analysis And Interpretation Of Factors Leading To Increased Aids Prevalence In Sub-Saharan Africa, William Kalhorn
Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses
My thesis research project focuses on the major factors that are contributing to the worst disease epidemic on the planet today. I have aimed to determine what may be some of the most important factors contributing to highly variable difference in HIV/AIDS prevalence rates are among the regions of East, West, and South Africa. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been growing and expanding to new areas of the world since the first case arose in 1959 in what is now called Kinshasa, Congo (Avert, 2011). The AIDS/HIV epidemic is believed to have originated on the African continent, and this is where …
Role Of Vitamin-D3 And Retinoic Acid In A Human Thp-1 Macrophage Model Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection,
2011
University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston
Role Of Vitamin-D3 And Retinoic Acid In A Human Thp-1 Macrophage Model Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection, Jaymie L. Estrella
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) replicates within the human macrophages and we investigated the activating effects of retinoic acid (RA) and vitamin D3 (VD) on macrophages in relation to the viability of Mtb. A combination of these vitamins (RAVD) enhanced the receptors on THP-1 macrophage (Mannose receptor and DC-SIGN) that increased mycobacterial uptake but inhibited the
subsequent intracellular growth of Mtb by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and autophagy. RAVD also enhanced antigen presenting and homing receptors in THPs that suggested an activated phenotype for THPs following RAVD treatment. RAVD mediated activation was also associated with a marked phenotypic change in Mtb …
