Scholarly Work - Microbiology & Immunology
Recent Submissions
-
Efficacy and Safety of Immuno-Magnetically Sorted Smooth Muscle Progenitor Cells Derived from Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Restoring Urethral Sphincter Function
(2017-04)Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-based cell therapy holds promise for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI). However, safety concerns, especially tumorgenic potential of residual undifferentiated cells ... -
Prioritizing surveillance of Nipah virus in India
(2019-06)The 2018 outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala, India, highlights the need for global surveillance of henipaviruses in bats, which are the reservoir hosts for this and other viruses. Nipah virus, an emerging paramyxovirus in ... -
Synthetic secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (LGM2605) inhibits Libby amphibole fiber-induced acute inflammation in mice
(2019-07)Background Exposure to the Libby amphibole (LA) asbestos-like fibers found in Libby, Montana, is associated with inflammatory responses in mice and humans, and an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, asbestosis, ... -
Characterization of synovial fluid metabolomic phenotypes of cartilage morphological changes associated with osteoarthritis
(2019-08)"Objective Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease with etiological heterogeneity. The objective of this study was to classify OA subgroups by generating metabolomic phenotypes from human synovial fluid. ... -
Geobiological feedbacks, oxygen, and the evolution of nitrogenase
(2019-02)Biological nitrogen fixation via the activity of nitrogenase is one of the most important biological innovations, allowing for an increase in global productivity that eventually permitted the emergence of higher forms of ... -
TrxR1, Gsr, and oxidative stress determine hepatocellular carcinoma malignancy
(2019-06)Thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1)-, glutathione reductase (Gsr)-, and Nrf2 transcription factor-driven antioxidant systems form an integrated network that combats potentially carcinogenic oxidative damage yet also protects ... -
Physiological adaptations to serpentinization in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman
(2019-03)Hydration of ultramafic rock during the geologic process of serpentinization can generate reduced substrates that microorganisms may use to fuel their carbon and energy metabolisms. However, serpentinizing environments ... -
A Novel Gastric Spheroid Co-culture Model Reveals Chemokine-Dependent Recruitment of Human Dendritic Cells to the Gastric Epithelium
(2019-03)Background & Aims Gastric dendritic cells (DCs) control the adaptive response to infection with Helicobacter pylori, a major risk factor for peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. We hypothesize that DC interactions ... -
A review of the mechanisms of mineral-based metabolism in early Earth analog rock-hosted hydrothermal ecosystems
(2019-02)Prior to the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis similar to 2.8-3.2Ga, life was dependent on chemical energy captured from oxidation-reduction reactions involving minerals or substrates generated through interaction of water ... -
A novel multifunctional oligonucleotide microarray for Toxoplasma gondii
(2010-10)Background Microarrays are invaluable tools for genome interrogation, SNP detection, and expression analysis, among other applications. Such broad capabilities would be of value to many pathogen research communities, ... -
Epidemic Clostridioides difficile Ribotype 027 Lineages: Comparisons of Texas Versus Worldwide Strains
(2019-02)Background The epidemic Clostridioides difficile ribotype 027 strain resulted from the dissemination of 2 separate fluoroquinolone-resistant lineages: FQR1 and FQR2. Both lineages were reported to originate in North ... -
Mixing of meteoric and geothermal fluids supports hyperdiverse chemosynthetic hydrothermal communities
(2019-02)Little is known of how mixing of meteoric and geothermal fluids supports biodiversity in non-photosynthetic ecosystems. Here, we use metagenomic sequencing to investigate a chemosynthetic microbial community in a hot spring ... -
Resident Alveolar Macrophages Are Susceptible to and Permissive of Coxiella burnetii Infection
(2012-12)Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a zoonotic disease with potentially life-threatening complications in humans. Inhalation of low doses of Coxiella bacteria can result in infection of the host alveolar ... -
The polymorphic pseudokinase ROP5 controls virulence in Toxoplasma gondii by regulating the active kinase ROP18
(2012-11)Secretory polymorphic serine/threonine kinases control pathogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii in the mouse. Genetic studies show that the pseudokinase ROP5 is essential for acute virulence, but do not reveal its mechanism of ... -
Discovery of a splicing regulator required for cell cycle progression
(2013-02)In the G1 phase of the cell division cycle, eukaryotic cells prepare many of the resources necessary for a new round of growth including renewal of the transcriptional and protein synthetic capacities and building the ... -
Alpha-toxin Induces Programmed Cell Death of Human T cells, B cells, and Monocytes During USA300 Infection
(2012-05)This investigation examines the influence of alpha-toxin (Hla) during USA300 infection of human leukocytes. Survival of an USA300 isogenic deletion mutant of hla (USA300Δhla) in human blood was comparable to the parental ... -
Virus-like Particle-Induced Protection against MRSA Pneumonia Is Dependent on IL-13 and Enhancement of Phagocyte Function
(2012-07)The importance of the priming of the lung environment by past infections is being increasingly recognized. Exposure to any given antigen can either improve or worsen the outcome of subsequent lung infections, depending on ... -
Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of the Aspergillus fumigatus hypoxia response using an oxygen-controlled fermenter
(2012-02)Background Aspergillus fumigatus is a mold responsible for the majority of cases of aspergillosis in humans. To survive in the human body, A. fumigatus must adapt to microenvironments that are often characterized by low ... -
The SaeR/S gene regulatory system induces a pro-inflammatory cytokine response during Staphylococcus aureus infection
(2011-05)Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus accounts for a large portion of the increased staphylococcal disease incidence and can cause illness ranging from mild skin infections to rapidly fatal sepsis ... -
A systematic screen to discover and analyze apicoplast proteins identifies a conserved and essential protein import factor
(2011-12)Parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa cause diseases that impact global health and economy. These unicellular eukaryotes possess a relict plastid, the apicoplast, which is an essential organelle and a validated drug target. ...