Microbiology Commons^™

The Effect Of P53 And Resveratrol On Cell Growth And Repair, Meredith Bergin, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) induces many positive immune activities, but it has been implicated in causing cancer, specifically through its inhibition of p53, a tumor suppressing protein. It has been suggested that resveratrol, a grape seed extract, activates p53, thus suppressing tumors by inducing apoptosis.

Relative Rates Of Molecular Evolution In Antarctic Nematodes, Tj Bliss, Dr. Byron J. Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Molecular evolution is defined as any change in the genetic makeup of an organism. Since organisms of the same species and community tend to undergo similar molecular changes, rates of molecular evolution are often measured at the species level. It is well established that different species appear to evolve at different rates across evolutionary time. Comparing the rates of evolution among different species determines the relative rate of molecular evolution in those species. Many things are known to affect the rate of molecular evolution of a species. These influences include, but are not limited to: body size, generation time, and …

Selection, Horizontal Gene Transfer And Convergent Molecular Evolution In Plant-Parasitic Nematodes, Adler Ray Dillman, Dr. Bryon J. Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The phylum Nematoda is a large and diverse group, making-up an estimated 80% of Metazoans [1]. Of specific agricultural importance are the plant-parasitic nematodes, which are responsible for the loss of an estimated 12.3% of the world’s annual crop production [2]. We looked at the most destructive members of the family Heteroderidae, the cyst (Heterodera and Globodera spp.) and root-knot (Meloidogyne spp.) nematodes.

Comparison Of Microbial Community Biodiversity Between Pristine And Disturbed Sediments In Timpanogos Cave, National Monument, Andre Bennin, Dr. Keith A. Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cave microbiology has been of great interest to microbial ecologists in recent years because it has enabled them to assess microbial diversity within an isolated system. An excellent example of subterranean microbial life is found in Lechuguilla Cave Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico,where the interactions of microbial communities in cave deep subsurface environments have been studied. With respect to the Timpanogos Cave system in American Fork Utah, our study relates to a system that is highly visited (60% of the cave system) contrary to the Lechuguilla cave system where public access is only allowed into 2% of the cave …

Bacterial Transcription Factors Grea, Greb And Dksa: Characterization Of Their Interaction With Rna Polymerase And Molecular Mechanism Of Action, Andrey Parshin

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The activity of RNA polymerase (RNAP), the key enzyme of transcription process, is regulated by a large number of transcription factors acting at each step of the transcription cycle. Our research project is focused on studying the structure and function of bacterial transcript cleavage factors GreA, GreB and the stringent response regulator DksA. Gre factors bind in the secondary channel of RNAP in backtracked (inactive) ternary elongation complexes and stimulate the enzyme's intrinsic RNase activity, which is required for suppression of transcription pause and arrest, enhancement of transcription fidelity, and efficient promoter escape. DksA also acts through the RNAP secondary …

Hybrid Opto-Electrokinetic Technique For Micro/Nanomanipulation: Towards Application Of A Novel Non-Invasive Manipulation Technique In Microbiological Assay, Jae-Sung Kwon

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation explores various physical mechanisms of the Rapid Electrokinetic Patterning (REP) technique suggested for rapid and precise on-chip manipulation of colloids and fluids, and bio-compatibility of the technique for biological applications. REP is a hybrid opto-electrokinetic technique that is driven by the simultaneous application of an AC electric field and a heating source. It can not only effectively transport and manipulate a fluid but also concentrate and pattern particles suspended in the fluid through the combined effect of an electrohydrodynamic flow, electrostatic colloidal interactions and an electrothermal microfluidic flow. These capabilities make REP a promising tool which can provide …

Regulation Of Hyaluronate Lyase (Hyla) Expression By Regr A Transcriptional Repressor In Streptococcus Pyogenes, Alexis A. Kordis

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Streptococcus pyogenes, group A streptococci (GAS), causes diseases ranging from asymptomatic to life threatening. Some strains of S. pyogenes produce extracellular hyaluronate lyase (HylA), a potential virulence factor. HylA is an enzyme that degrades hyaluronic acid, which is found in the extracellular matrix of human tissues. The breakdown of the host tissue contributes to the spread of infection. The hylA gene is not constitutively expressed in vitro, which implies regulation.

A proposed regulator of hyaluronate lyase expression is RegR, a LacI/GalR like protein. A vector containing disrupted regR was electro-transformed into S. pyogenes M-type 22 strain 10403. Growth characteristics …

Structural Studies On The Rubella Virus Capsid Protein And Its Organization In The Virion, Vidya Mangala Prasad

Open Access Dissertations

Rubella virus is a leading cause of birth defects due to infectious agents. When contracted during pregnancy, rubella infection leads to severe damage in fetuses. Despite its medical importance, very little is known about the structure of the pleomorphic rubella virus as compared to its alphavirus relatives. The rubella capsid protein is a critical structural component of virions as well as a key factor in virus-host interactions. Three crystal structures of the structural domain of the rubella capsid protein have been described here. The polypeptide fold of the capsid protomer has not been observed previously. The capsid protein structure, along …

A Quadruplex Real-Time Pcr Assay For The Rapid Detection And Differentiation Of The Burkholderia Pseudomallei Complex: B. Mallei, B. Pseudomallei, And B. Thailandensis, Chinn-Woan Lowe

Theses and Dissertations

Methods for the rapid detection and differentiation of the Burkholderia pseudomallei complex comprising B. pseudomallei, B. mallei, and B. thailandensis, have been the topic of recent research due to the high degree of phenotypic and genotypic similarities of these species. B. pseudomallei and B. mallei are the causative agents of melioidosis and glanders, respectively. B. pseudomallei and B. mallei are recognized by the CDC as tier 1 select agents. Although B. thailandensis is generally avirulent in mammals, this species displays very similar phenotypic characteristics to that of B. pseudomallei. Optimal identification of these species remains problematic, …

Do Bacterial And Fungal Communities In Soils Of The Bolivian Altiplano Change Under Shorter Fallow Periods?, L. Gomez-Montano, A. Jumpponen, M. A. Gonzales, J. Cusicanqui, C. Valdivia, P. P. Motavalli, M. Herman, K. A. Garrett

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Traditional fallow periods in the Bolivian highlands are being shortened in an effort to increase short-term crop yields, with potential long-term impacts on soil microbial communities and their functions. In addition, native vegetation, such as Parasthrephia sp. or Baccharis sp. (both locally known as “thola”) are often removed as a fuel for cooking. We evaluated the effects of fallow period and thola on soils in 29 farmers’ fields in two municipalities in the Bolivian Altiplano (Umala and Ancoraimes). Soil fungal and bacterial community responses were characterized using 454-pyrosequencing. Soils in Ancoraimes had significantly higher levels of organic matter, nitrogen, and …

Medical Options For Treating Parasitic Diseases In Ashanti-Mampong, Ghana, West Africa, Whitney Elizabeth Wheeler, Dr. James B. Jensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I conducted my research in Ashanti-Mampong, Ghana, West Africa over the course of 3 months. My project was to study the medical options available to patients that had malaria and/or worms.

Development Of A Novel Human Vestibular Schwannoma Xenograft Model In Scid Mice, John Welling, Dr. Kim O'Neil

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Vestibular Schwannoma (VS) is a benign, slow growing tumor that arises from the myelin sheath of the vestibular nerve (cranial nerve VIII). The myelin sheath is composed of flat, layered cells known as Schwann cells, which serve to insulate nerve fibers. It is increased proliferation of these Schwann cells which leads to VS tumor growth. As VS tumors grow, they place increasing pressure on cranial nerve VIII, causing hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and balance dysfunction. Eventually VS tumors may lead to brainstem compression and even death.1

Stromal-Cell Derived Factor-1Α And Macrophages Increased Invasive Potential Of Breast Cancer Cells, Devin Twitchell, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Research has demonstrated that in some tumors, up to fifty percent of a breast tumor’s mass is composed of macrophages (1). It is well recognized that macrophages can inhibit tumor growth and, paradoxically, stimulate tumor growth and metastasis depending on the proteins produced (2). Macrophages located within the tumor environment are classified as tumor-associated macrophages. The migration of cancer cells from the primary tumor to a secondary site is a multipart process. How tumors are able to proliferate and invade into foreign areas is still unclear. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the presence of macrophages in primary tumors …

Multidisciplinary Database For Byu Fag El Gamous Excavations, Ryan Pail Peters, Richard Paul Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 1990, under the direction of Wilfred Griggs, he and six other Brigham Young University (BYU) professors, R. Paul Evans, James Farmer, Marek Kaliszewski, Donald Robertson, Mark Rowe, and Scott Woodward, and at the request of the Egyptian Government Supreme Council of Antiquities, united to begin tissue sampling and DNA analysis of the estimated 150,000 burials at the ancient Fag el Gamous cemetery in Fayum, Egypt, which was utilized approximately between 350 B.C.E. to 500 C.E.

Improved Culture Technique For Mycobacterium Ulcerans, Neal S. Thomson, Dr. Richard Robison

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Mycobacterium ulcerans is a pathogenic bacterium and is the causative agent of Buruli Ulcer, a common mycobacterial disease similar to tuberculosis and leprosy. Buruli Ulcer is endemic to Western Africa and produces a deforming and sometimes lethal skin disease. One major obstacle for research is the slow growth of the bacterium in batch culture. M. ulcerans currently grows in vitro with a doubling time of about 4.8 days, resulting in an average culture time of 8-10 weeks before the appearance of colonies. This evidence makes it difficult to study M. ulcerans in the laboratory. The goal of my research was …

Population Structure Of The Cuttlefish Sepia Officinalis From The North Atlantic-Mediterranean Region, Mark Joseph Nolte, Dr. Keith Crandall, Marcos Pérez-Losada

Journal of Undergraduate Research

An understanding of the relatedness of a population of organisms, or their phylogeny, combined with knowledge of that population’s geographical distribution, can illuminate which geographic forces and events may have played a role in forming the “family tree” of that organism. Therefore past speciation events and the incipient stages of speciation can be discerned when phylogenetic and geographic information is merged. This process, broadly known as the practice of phylogeography or biogeography, is important because it permits researchers to visualize the evolutionary interplay between environment and organism. Additionally, an understanding of an organism’s population structure, or family tree, enables scientists …

Binding Partners Of The Pho U Protein In E .Coli, Dustin C. Higgins, Dr. William Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Escherechia coli phosphate detection system is coded by a set of genes in the bacterium and is used to regulate phosphate production for metabolic processes. These genes make the PstSCAB phosphate transporter, PhoU protein, Alkaline Phosphatase, PhoR protein, and the PhoB protein. When phosphate is low in the cell’s environment, the system is activated to produce Alkaline Phosphatase.

Molecular Evolution And The Effects Of Amelioration In Meloidogyne Incognita, Adler R. Dillman, Dr. Byron J. Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The process of horizontal or lateral gene transfer involves the movement of genetic information in a lateral fashion from one organism to another, regardless of phylogenetic distance. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major mechanism of prokaryotic evolution while its role in eukaryotic evolution remains undecided, with many claims of genes being laterally transferred from prokaryotes to eukaryotes being subsequently refuted [1,2]. Recently, 12 genes of the plant parasite M. incognita have been proposed as being good candidates of HGT. Because certain rhizobial bacteria occupy a very similar niche both inside and out of the plant, and use many of …

Critical Parameters Influencing Chemical-Induced Apoptosis In Human Lymphoid Cell Lines, Matthew Ben Cook, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2005, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported that an estimated 10.9 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the year 2002 (for a total of 24.6 million persons currently living with cancer) and that 6.7 million deaths were attributable to cancer[1]. Around 300,000 new cases of leukemia, with 222,000 new deaths, were also reported. In many cases, the occurrence of cancer in an individual can be attributed to lifestyle choices, such as smoking, diet, exercise, work environment, etc. However, there are also genetic contributors to cancer.

Characterization Of Phase-Switching Genes In Photorhabdus Luminescens, Tj Bliss, Dr. Byron J. Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Nearly every living organism derives benefit from living with one or more species of bacteria during some or all of its lifetime. Numerous studies have described the phenotypic benefit that each or either partner receives from associations of this kind, but the molecular mechanisms of such interactions have not been well described. Understanding beneficial bacterial interactions with their hosts are of interest in that information obtained will have implications in identifying mechanistic components of those interactions that may operate similarly in pathogens and can be exploited in combating infection or in describing the interactions between bacteria and more complex organisms …