Microbiology Commons^™

The Chemotherapeutic Potential Of Resveratrol-Based Treatments, Connor Peck, Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly diseases in the world. In 2012 alone, there were approximately 14 million new cases of cancer and over 8 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite extensive research in past decades, the burden of cancer continues to increase.

One of the most common treatments for cancer is chemotherapy, the use of various chemical substances that exhibit anti-cancer activity. Unfortunately, chemotherapy can be quite toxic and often produces inadequate results. There remains a great need for improved chemotherapeutic treatment strategies in order to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

The purpose of my project was …

Wolbachia-Host Interactions And The Implications To Insect Conservation And Management, Amy Michelle Truitt

Dissertations and Theses

Parasitic reproductive endosymbionts are emerging as formidable threats to insect biodiversity. Wolbachia are prevalent maternally inherited intra-cellular bacteria found in >50% of arthropod species. These symbiotic bacteria interact with their hosts in diverse ways, most often they alter host reproduction causing four conditions that all selectively favor infected females: feminization, male killing, parthenogenesis, and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Furthermore, depending on strain-type and host genetic background, Wolbachia are known to affect insect behavior, expand or shift host thermal tolerance ranges, and confer anti-viral protection to their hosts. Because Wolbachia both reside in and are transmitted with host cell cytoplasm, mitochondria and …

Effect Of High Expression Of Irf5 On B Cell Activation After Antigen Stimulation, Kalarelyn Eberting, Brian Poole

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While autoimmune diseases are very prevalent in the United States, little is understood about the cause of autoimmunity, making it difficult to take preventative measures and develop treatments. Previous studies have determined that a common genetic risk factor across many autoimmune diseases leads to B cell overexpression of the transcription factor IRF5 (1,2,4). Researchers have also discovered that high IRF5 levels are strongly associated with autoantibody production, suggesting that IRF5 may play a role in actually causing autoimmunity. At this point, however, it is unclear how IRF5 promotes the production of autoantibodies.

Cellular Mechanism Of Thymidine Kinase 1 Secretion, Wei Meng, Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths. Studies have shown that the early detection of cancer leads to better patient prognosis and a greater five-year survival rate. [1] Diagnostic and prognostic markers play a key role in classifying tumors and determining the best treatment plan for a patient. Among these biomarkers, Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) has been studied extensively, primarily as a diagnostic biomarker for a variety of cancer types. TK1 plays a role in regulating the intracellular thymidine pools throughout the cell cycle, and thus regulates …

Phenome-Wide Association Study Of Y Chromosome Genetic Markers, Matthew Durrant, Mary Davis

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to analyze genetic variants on the Y chromosome for significant association with various diseases. In Dr. Mary Davis’ lab we gained access to a unique data set that allows us to analyze many single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the Y chromosome. This was a hypothesis-generating study that has the potential to revolutionize the currently accepted hypothesis that genetic variants on the Y chromosome do not play a significant role in common disease.

Expression Changes Of Dopamine Type 2 Receptor On The Surface Of Human Monocytes And Lymphocytes After Exposure To Dopamine In Vitro., Brandon Thomas Garcia, Sandra Hope, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dopamine (DA) is a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a role in several functions such as reward, motivation, and dependence. The imbalance of DA in the central nervous system (CNS) can lead to several debilitating diseases like Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and Schizophrenia as well as drug dependence. Levels of DA in the brain are often determined by measuring the expression of Dopamine type 2 (D2) receptors by positron emission topography (PET) scans in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc). This test which is often expensive and unavailable to many people without access to hospitals or regular healthcare.

Development Of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells To Target Cancer, Justin Crandall, Dr. Scott Weber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cancer negatively affects the lives of millions of individuals, and remains a difficult ailment to treat. In 2014, approximately 585,720 deaths and 1,665,540 new cases of cancer were reported in the USA alone.1 Treatment of cancer is challenging due to cancer mutating to combat the body’s immune system. An example is shown in major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) located on the surface of nearly every cell. These are patrolled by T cells to ensure that cells are properly functioning and healthy. With cancer however, these become downregulated allowing the cancer to grow and proliferate since T cells are unable to detect …

Development Of A Model For Adult T Cell Leukemia In Htlv-1 Infected Humanized Mice, Matthew Smith, Dr. Brad Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Millions of people in the world are infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1). As the name states, this virus attacks the T cells of the infected organism. Though many of these individuals will remain asymptomatic throughout life, a small percentage will develop adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), a rare and understudied form of cancer. The latency period, or amount of time between infection and detection of cancer, is generally 20-40 years before infected patients begin developing cancer.

Creation Of Twelve Member Plasmid Library For Promoter Swapping To Control Chromosomal Gene Expression In E. Coli, Chris Nielson, William R. Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Metabolic engineering is becoming a very important area of research, allowing researchers to harness metabolic pathways to either eliminate or synthesize desired compounds. Understanding metabolic pathways by altering expression of proteins involved in the pathway helps to uncover thermodynamic bottlenecks which render certain pathways inefficient or infeasible. Altering expression of genes through the use of promoter swapping is a useful research technique used to understand important metabolic and physiologic pathways. Engineered promoters contained in plasmids can be inserted into chromosomal DNA through the utilization of promoter swapping to alter the expression of a given gene in order to better understand …

Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticle For Detection Of Fungi And Human Cutaneous Fungal Infections, Tobiloba Sojinrin, Kangze Liu, Joao Conde, Hugh Byrne, James Curtin, Daxiang Cui, Furong Tian

Articles

Fungi, which are common in the environment, can cause a multitude of diseases. Warm, humid conditions allow fungi to grow and infect humans via the respiratory, digestive and reproductive tracts, genital area and other bodily interfaces. Fungi can be detected directly by microscopy, using the potassium hydroxide (KOH) test, which is the gold standard and most popular method for fungal screening. However, this test requires trained personnel operating specialist equipment, including a fluorescent microscope and culture facilities. As most acutely infected patients seek medical attention within the first few days of symptoms, the optimal diagnostic test would be rapid and …

The Role Of Dietary Highly Unsaturated N-3 Fatty Acids In Northern Quahogs, Mercenaria Mercenaria, Through Decreasing Temperature, Sixto E. Portilla

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The series of investigations described in this thesis were designed to assess the effect of diet on mortality through decreasing temperature in two genetic varieties of M. mercenaria important to the natural environment and the aquaculture industry: “wild” from natural stocks and “notata” selected for fast growth. Data from these novel investigations demonstrate a temperature specific sensitivity to each dietary component designating 20:5n-3 as homeoviscously favorable in the upper thermal range above 12°C, and 22:6n-3 as favorable in the lower. Statistical analyses of variance demonstrate distinct cumulative mortalities among the 5 dietary treatments (P < 0.05) for each genetic variety at each thermal range, upper (>12°C) and lower (2 = 0.9326 …

Thymidine Kinase 1: The Key To Predicting Cancer Recurrence, Rachel Brog, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Currently it is estimated that over 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the United States alone. Although treatments are improving, an alarming number of these cases will show cancer recurrence after treatment. A method to consistently predict cancer recurrence is crucial to better treat cancer and improve patient care. Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) has been found in abnormally high levels in serum and tissue of cancer patients compared to healthy patients. There is question to why TK1 is present in such high quantities when normally it aids in the DNA salvage pathway during S phase …

Molecular Assisted Identification Reveals Hidden Red Algae Diversity From The Burica Peninsula, Pacific Panama, David Wilson Freshwater, Jennifer N. Idol, Seth L. Parham, Cindy Fernández-García, Noemi León, Paul W. Gabrielson, Brian Wysor

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The marine flora of Panama harbors a rich diversity of green, red and brown algae, and despite chronic understudy, it is reported as the second most diverse marine flora along the Pacific Central American coast, with 174 macroalgal species. Extensive new collections and molecular assisted identification (MAI) by an international team of researchers has revealed an even greater diversity for this country. Here, the intertidal and shallow subtidal marine flora of the remote Burica Peninsula is introduced. This area is characterized by an uplifted extensive intertidal flat composed of firm, sedimentary benthos known as mudrock, on which abundant algal communities …

Genome Sequence Variation In The Constricta Strain Dramatically Alters The Protein Interaction And Localization Map Of Potato Yellow Dwarf Virus, Chanyong Jang, Renyuan Wang, Joseph Wells, Fabian Leon, Mark Farman, John Hammond, Michael M. Goodin

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

The genome sequence of the constricta strain of Potato yellow dwarf virus (CYDV) was determined to be 12 792 nt long and organized into seven ORFs with the gene order 3′-N-X-P-Y-M-G-L-5′, which encodes the nucleocapsid, phospho, movement, matrix, glyco, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase proteins, respectively, except for X, which is of unknown function. Cloned ORFs for each gene, except L, were used to construct a protein interaction and localization map (PILM) for this virus, which shares greater than 80 % amino acid similarity in all ORFs except X and P with the sanguinolenta strain of this species (SYDV). Protein localization …

The Effects Of Nucleosome Positioning And Chromatin Architecture On Transgene Expression, Colton E. Kempton

Theses and Dissertations

Eukaryotes use proteins to carefully package and compact their genomes to fit into the nuclei of their individual cells. Nucleosomes are the primary level of compaction. Nucleosomes are formed when DNA wraps around an octamer of histone proteins and a nucleosome's position can limit access to genetic regulatory elements. Therefore, nucleosomes represent a basic level of gene regulation. DNA and its associated proteins, called chromatin, is usually classified as euchromatin or heterochromatin. Euchromatin is transcriptionally active with loosely packed nucleosomes while heterochromatin is condensed with tightly packed nucleosomes and is transcriptionally silent. In order to become active, heterochromatin must first …

Comparison Of Cytokine Expression And Bacterial Growth During Periparturient And Mid Lactation Mastitis In A Mouse Model, Rhonda Nicole Chronis

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical cases of bovine mastitis are most severe in the early stages of lactation. The causes of this increased propensity for severe mastitis during early lactation, compared to mid and late lactation are unclear. In order to better understand the early lactation immune response to mastitis, a murine model of mastitis was employed. Intramammary inoculation of a mastitis causing Escherichia coli strain was performed in lactating mice at various stages of lactation to model the immune response seen in cows during lactation. In our experiments, mice in the early stages of lactation exhibited altered mRNA expression of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, …

Characterization Of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors And Their Positive Allosteric Modulators, Doris Clark Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that are necessary in memory and cognition. They are pentameric and consist of α and β subunits. They are most commonly heteromeric but, can sometimes be homomeric. nAChRs are activated by many ligands including nicotine (exogenous) and acetylcholine (endogenous).nAChRs are located on hippocampal interneurons. The interneurons, although sparse, control the synchronous firing of the pyramidal cells. However, the hippocampal interneuron structure and function is quite diverse and not fully characterized. Therefore, we sought to quantify nAChR subunit mRNA levels using real-time PCR of CA1 hippocampal interneurons.Surprisingly we found that the α3 …

The 'Pseudomonas Aeruginosa' Psl Polysaccharide Is A Social But Noncheatable Trait In Biofilms, Yasuhiko Irie, Aled E. Roberts, Kasper N. Kragh, Vernita D. Gordon, Jaime B. Hutchison, Rosalind J. Allen, Gavin Melaugh, Thomas Bjarnsholt, Stuart A. West, Stephen P. Diggle

Biology Faculty Publications

Extracellular polysaccharides are compounds secreted by microorganisms into the surrounding environment, and they are important for surface attachment and maintaining structural integrity within biofilms. The social nature of many extracellular polysaccharides remains unclear, and it has been suggested that they could function as either cooperative public goods or as traits that provide a competitive advantage. Here, we empirically tested the cooperative nature of the PSL polysaccharide, which is crucial for the formation of biofilms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We show that (i) PSL is not metabolically costly to produce; (ii) PSL provides populationlevel benefits in biofilms, for both growth and antibiotic …

Serious Fungal Infections In Pakistan, Kauser Jabeen, Joveria Farooqi, Sajjad Mirza, D Denning, Afia Zafar

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The true burden of fungal infection in Pakistan is unknown. High-risk populations for fungal infections [tuberculosis (TB), diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, asthma, cancer, transplant and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection] are numerous. Here, we estimate the burden of fungal infections to highlight their public health significance. Whole and at-risk population estimates were obtained from the WHO (TB), BREATHE study (COPD), UNAIDS (HIV), GLOBOCAN (cancer) and Heartfile (diabetes). Published data from Pakistan reporting fungal infections rates in general and specific populations were reviewed and used when applicable. Estimates were made for the whole population or specific populations at risk, as previously …

Pas Signaling Mechanisms In Aer And Aer2, Darysbel Garcia

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

PAS domains are widespread signal sensors that share a conserved three-dimensional αβ fold that consists of a central β-sheet flanked by several α- helices. The aerotaxis receptor Aer from Escherichia coli and the Aer2 chemoreceptor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa both contain PAS domains. Aer senses oxygen (O2) indirectly via an FAD cofactor bound to its PAS domain, while Aer2 directly binds O2 to its PAS b-type heme cofactor. The Aer and Aer2 PAS domains both interact with a signal transduction domain known as a HAMP domain. The PAS-HAMP arrangement differs between Aer and Aer2, with Aer- PAS residing adjacent to its …