Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

Activity Of The Lactate Dehydrogenase Inhibitor Oxamic Acid Against The Fermentative Bacterium Streptococcus Mitis/Oralis: Bactericidal Effects And Prevention Of Daptomycin Resistance In Vitro And In An Ex Vivo Model, Razieh Kebriaei, Arnold S. Bayer, Christian K. Lapitan, Michael J. Rybak, Greg A. Somerville, Nagendra N. Mishra

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Streptococcus mitis/oralis is a fermentative bacterium that relies on lactate dehydrogenase to balance its redox poise and keep glycolysis active. Metabolomic analysis of an in vitro– derived daptomycin-resistant (DAP-R) S. mitis/oralis strain (351-D10) revealed differences in glucose catabolism relative to its DAP-susceptible (DAP-S) parental strain, 351. Metabolic changes associated with the transition to this DAP-R phenotype suggested that inhibiting glycolysis could alter DAP susceptibility. In addition, the strong reliance of S. mitis/oralis on glycolysis for energy and biosynthetic intermediates suggested that inhibiting glycolysis would adversely affect growth and biomass accumulation. To test these hypotheses, we used the lactate dehydrogenase inhibitor …

The Effect Of Infection Risk On Female Blood Transcriptomics, Brenna M. G. Gormally, Patricia C. Lopes

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Defenses against pathogens can take on many forms. For instance, behavioral avoidance of diseased conspecifics is widely documented. Interactions with these infectious conspecifics can also, however, lead to physiological changes in uninfected animals, an effect that is much less well understood. These changes in behavior and physiology are particularly important to study in a reproductive context, where they can impact reproductive decisions and offspring quality. Here, we studied how an acute (3 h) exposure to an immune-challenged male affected female blood transcriptomics and behavior. We predicted that females paired with immune-challenged males would reduce eating and drinking behaviors (as avoidance …

Morphometric And Molecular Characterization Of An Unpigmented Haemosporidian Parasite In The Neotropical Turnip-Tailed Gecko (Thecadactylus Rapicauda), Nubia E. Matta, Leydy P. González, Mario Vargas-Ramírez, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Ananias A. Escalante, M. Andreína Pacheco

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Morphological traits from blood stages have been the gold standard for determining haemosporidian parasite species. However, the status of some taxa and the value of such traits in parasites from reptiles remain contentious. The scarce sampling of these species worsens the situation, and several taxa lack molecular data. A survey was performed in the Magdalena Department in Colombia, where 16 species of reptiles were captured. A peculiar haemosporidian parasite was found in the Turnip-tailed gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda. This haemosporidian does not show malarial pigment in blood stages under light microscopy; thus, it fits the Garnia genus’s characters belonging to …

Identifying Androgens As A Protective Agent In The Allergic Immune Response To Peanut, Mckenna Vininski

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Peanut (PN) allergy is a major public health concern. Prevalence of PN allergy has been on the rise for decades due to poor prevention information and a lack of knowledge about the allergic mechanism. Recent research has brought clarity about how individuals become sensitized with routes known through the skin, as well as the airway. Factors influence the allergic immune response, however, based on a known sex difference in allergic asthma and food allergy demographics showing a sex difference, this thesis work hypothesized that a sex difference would exist in PN allergy. This study utilized a 4-week inhalation mouse model …

European House Borer Regulations, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Pinewood movement restrictions

To minimise the spread of EHB in Western Australia (WA), restrictions on the movement of pinewood were implemented in 2006, and currently apply to areas where EHB occurs. By restricting the movement of pinewood from EHB infested areas, EHB has been contained to Restricted Movement Zones (RMZs) in the greater Perth metropolitan area.

The restrictions are described in the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection (European House Borer) Regulations 2006.

The regulations allowed for the establishment of quarantine zones, Priority Management Zones (PMZs) and RMZs, and placed restrictions not only on untreated pinewood movement from PMZs and RMZs …

Glutathione And Glutaredoxin In Redox Regulation And Cell Signaling Of The Lens, Marjorie F. Lou

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The ocular lens has a very high content of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and the enzymes that can recycle its oxidized form, glutathione disulfide (GSSG), for further use. It can be synthesized in the lens and, in part, transported from the neighboring anterior aqueous humor and posterior vitreous body. GSH is known to protect the thiols of the structural lens crystallin proteins from oxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS) so the lens can maintain its transparency for proper visual function. Age-related lens opacity or senile cataract is the major visual impairment in the general population, and its cause is closely …

A Case Study Investigating Perceptions Of The Covid-19 Vaccine In Cato Manor And Chesterville, Caitlin Chan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite countries all over the world transitioning to life post COVID-19, there are still many aspects of the pandemic that remain controversial and hot topics of debate. Perhaps among one of the most debated subjects is the question of whether vaccinations are necessary and if they truly had an impact on eliminating the virus. The concept of vaccine hesitancy has become a growing concern and threatens the health of communities around the world.

This project employed a mixed-methodology research design to investigate attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine constructed by community members living in the townships of Cato Manor and Chesterville. …

Elucidating The Mechanisms Underlying How Vmp1 Regulates Inflammatory Responses, Stephanie Zack

Dissertations

autophagy, inflammation, mitochondria, NLRP3 inflammasome, SERCA, VMP1

Elucidating The Mechanisms Of Immune Regulation By Bacillus Subtilis, Jesus Zamora-Pineda

Dissertations

bacillus subtilis, exopolysaccharides, inflammation, probiotics, tlr4

First-In-Human Study Of An Ox40 (Ivuxolimab) And 4-1bb (Utomilumab) Agonistic Antibody Combination In Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors, Omid Hamid, Alberto A Chiappori, John A Thompson, Toshihiko Doi, Siwen Hu-Lieskovan, Ferry A L M Eskens, Willeke Ros, Adi Diab, Jean-Philippe Spano, Naiyer A Rizvi, Jeffrey S Wasser, Eric Angevin, Patrick A Ott, Alison Forgie, Wenjing Yang, Cen Guo, Jeffrey Chou, Anthony B El-Khoueiry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Ivuxolimab (PF-04518600) and utomilumab (PF-05082566) are humanized agonistic IgG2 monoclonal antibodies against OX40 and 4-1BB, respectively. This first-in-human, multicenter, open-label, phase I, dose-escalation/dose-expansion study explored safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and antitumor activity of ivuxolimab+utomilumab in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Methods: Dose-escalation: patients with advanced bladder, gastric, or cervical cancer, melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were unresponsive to available therapies, had no standard therapy available or declined standard therapy were enrolled into five dose cohorts: ivuxolimab (0.1-3 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Q2W)) intravenously plus utomilumab (20 or 100 mg every …

Correlation Of Gut Alteration With The Progression Of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (Eae) In C57bl/6 Mice, Al Anood Ahmed Al Naqbi

Theses

Background: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the mouse disease model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease targeting the central nervous system (CNS) resulting in neuroinflammation, neuroaxonal degeneration, and demyelination. Autoreactive CD4⁺ T cells are known for their role in the pathogenesis of MS. CD8⁺ T cells and NK cells were also found to be associated with the disease.

Aim: There is a limited number of studies investigating the link between gut alterations and immune cells in the gut influencing the outcome of the disease since the vast majority of MS patients experience gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Here, …

The Ecology And Epidemiology Of Malaria Parasitism In Wild Chimpanzee Reservoirs, Erik J. Scully, Weimin Liu, Yingying Li, Jean-Bosco N. Ndjango, Martine Peeters, Shadrack Kamenya, Anne E. Pusey, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Crickette M. Sanz, David B. Morgan, Alex K. Piel, Fiona A. Stewart, Mary K. Gonder, Nicole Simmons, Caroline Asiimwe, Klaus Zuberbuehler, Kathelijne Koops, Colin A. Chapman, Rebecca Chancellor, Aaron S. Rundus, Michael A. Huffman, Nathan D. Wolfe, Manoj T. Duraisingh, Beatrice H. Hahn, Richard W. Wrangham

Anthropology & Sociology Faculty Publications

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) harbor rich assemblages of malaria parasites, including three species closely related to P. falciparum (sub-genus Laverania), the most malignant human malaria parasite. Here, we characterize the ecology and epidemiology of malaria infection in wild chimpanzee reservoirs. We used molecular assays to screen chimpanzee fecal samples, collected longitudinally and cross-sectionally from wild populations, for malaria parasite mitochondrial DNA. We found that chimpanzee malaria parasitism has an early age of onset and varies seasonally in prevalence. A subset of samples revealed Hepatocystis mitochondrial DNA, with phylogenetic analyses suggesting that Hepatocystis appears to cross species barriers more easily than Laverania. …

Recent Emergence Of Bovine Coronavirus Variants With Mutations In The Hemagglutinin-Esterase Receptor Binding Domain In U.S. Cattle, Aspen M. Workman, Tara G. Mcdaneld, Gregory P. Harhay, Subha Das, John Dustin Loy, Benjamin M. Hause

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) has spilled over to many species, including humans, where the host range variant coronavirus OC43 is endemic. The balance of the opposing activities of the surface spike (S) and hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) glycoproteins controls BCoV avidity, which is critical for interspecies transmission and host adaptation. Here, 78 genomes were sequenced directly from clinical samples collected between 2013 and 2022 from cattle in 12 states, primarily in the Midwestern U.S. Relatively little genetic diversity was observed, with genomes having >98% nucleotide identity. Eleven isolates collected between 2020 and 2022 from four states (Nebraska, Colorado, California, and Wisconsin) contained a …

Recent Emergence Of Bovine Coronavirus Variants With Mutations In The Hemagglutinin-Esterase Receptor Binding Domain In U.S. Cattle, Aspen M. Workman, Tara G. Mcdaneld, Gregory P. Harhay, Subha Das, John Dustin Loy, Benjamin M. Hause

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) has spilled over to many species, including humans, where the host range variant coronavirus OC43 is endemic. The balance of the opposing activities of the surface spike (S) and hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) glycoproteins controls BCoV avidity, which is critical for interspecies transmission and host adaptation. Here, 78 genomes were sequenced directly from clinical samples collected between 2013 and 2022 from cattle in 12 states, primarily in the Midwestern U.S. Relatively little genetic diversity was observed, with genomes having >98% nucleotide identity. Eleven isolates collected between 2020 and 2022 from four states (Nebraska, Colorado, California, and Wisconsin) contained a …

Exploring The Relationships Between South Texas Northern Bobwhite Populations And Cecal Worms Via System Dynamics, Nicole J. Traub, Benjamin L. Turner, Leonard A. Brennan, Alan M. Fedynich

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Community ecology historically focused on plants and free-living organisms; however, problems such as defining habitat boundaries and obtaining adequate sample sizes arise when evaluating such communities. The unique nature of host-helminth systems allows parasite community ecologists to avoid these problems when testing ecological hypotheses. Unlike free-living communities that have artificially constructed boundaries, parasite communities have well-defined unambiguous boundaries within host individuals. Due to the inherently complex and dynamic nature of ecological systems, traditional experimental methods often require expensive, long-term trials beyond investigators’ time and resource budgets. Conversely, a system dynamics approach facilitates learning about such systems via simulation of ecosystem …

A Study Of Multiple Sclerosis, Christine Chen

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.

Function Of Atm And Msh2 During Dna Repair And Recombination, Emily Sible

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Class switch recombination (CSR) produces secondary immunoglobulin isotypes and requires AID-dependent DNA deamination of intronic switch (S) regions within the immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) gene locus. Non-canonical repair of deaminated DNA by mismatch repair (MMR) or base excision repair (BER) creates DNA breaks that permit recombination between distal S regions. ATM-dependent phosphorylation of AID at serine-38 (pS38-AID) promotes its interaction with APE1, a BER protein, suggesting that ATM regulates CSR through BER. However, pS38-AID may also function in MMR during CSR, although the mechanism remains unknown. To examine whether ATM modulates BER- and/or MMR-dependent CSR, Atm^-/- mice …

Cisplatin And Gemcitabine Exert Opposite Effects On Immunotherapy With Pd-1 Antibody In K-Ras-Driven Cancer, Christophe Glorieux, Xiaojun Xia, Xin You, Zining Wang, Yi Han, Jing Yang, Gauthier Noppe, Christophe De Meester, Jianhua Ling, Annie Robert, Hui Zhang, Sheng-Ping Li, Huamin Wang, Paul J Chiao, Li Zhang, Xiaobing Li, Peng Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Immunochemotherapy using PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies in combination with chemotherapeutic agents has become a mainstream treatment for cancer patients, but it remains unclear which drug combinations would produce best therapeutic outcome.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate two common chemotherapeutic drugs, gemcitabine and cisplatin, for their impacts on the therapeutic efficacy of PD-1 antibody in K-ras-driven cancers known to overexpress PD-L1.

METHODS: Both in vitro assays and syngeneic mouse tumor models were used in this study. Biochemical and molecular assays were used to determine the effects of drugs on T cell functions in cell culture models and in …

Prenatal Choline Supplementation During Maternal Obesity Alters Offspring Response To Western Diets, Hunter W. Korsmo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Maternal obesity has led to an increase in adverse offspring developmental outcomes and a greater risk for long-term metabolic diseases. Choline, a semi-essential nutrient, can be incorporated into phosphatidylcholine (PC) as well as sphingomyelin (SM) and donate its labile methyl group for the remethylation of homocysteine after choline is oxidized to betaine. Prenatal choline insufficiency has been related to maternal obesity and metabolic diseases, such as metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Choline may interact with maternal obesity to influence the programming offspring.

Chapter 1 presents an introduction of choline and the various clinical outcomes associated with choline supplementation during …

Great-Tailed Grackles (Quiscalus Mexicanus) As A Tolerant Host Of Avian Malaria Parasites, M. Andreína Pacheco, Francisco C. Ferreira, Corina J. Logan, Kelsey B. Mccune, Maggie P. Macpherson, Sergio Albino Miranda, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Ananias A. Escalante

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Great-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) are a social, polygamous bird species whose populations have rapidly expanded their geographic range across North America over the past century. Before 1865, Great-tailed Grackles were only documented in Central America, Mexico, and southern Texas in the USA. Given the rapid northern expansion of this species, it is relevant to study its role in the dynamics of avian blood parasites. Here, 87 Great-tailed grackles in Arizona (a population in the new center of the range) were screened for haemosporidian parasites using microscopy and PCR targeting the parasite mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Individuals were caught …