Scholarly Work - Microbiology & Cell Biology
Recent Submissions
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Defective AMPA-mediated synaptic transmission and morphology in human neurons with hemizygous SHANK3 deletion engrafted in mouse prefrontal cortex
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2021-02)Genetic abnormalities in synaptic proteins are common in individuals with autism; however, our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms disrupted by these abnormalities is limited. SHANK3 is a postsynaptic ... -
Immune suppressive activity of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer requires inactivation of the type I interferon pathway
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2021-03)Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are pathologically activated neutrophils and monocytes with potent immune suppressive activity. These cells play an important role in accelerating tumor progression and undermining ... -
Controlled Modular Multivalent Presentation of the CD40 Ligand on P22 Virus-like Particles Leads to Tunable Amplification of CD40 Signaling
(American Chemical Society, 2021-11)Ligands of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF) are appealing targets for immunotherapy research due to their integral involvement in stimulation or restriction of immune responses. TNFSF-targeted therapies are ... -
Molecular Evidence for an Active Microbial Methane Cycle in Subsurface Serpentinite-Hosted Groundwaters in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman
(American Society for Microbiology, 2021-01)Serpentinization can generate highly reduced fluids replete with hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4), potent reductants capable of driving microbial methanogenesis and methanotrophy, respectively. However, CH4 in serpentinized ... -
Arsenate-Induced Changes in Bacterial Metabolite and Lipid Pools during Phosphate Stress
(American Society for Microbiology, 2021-02)Arsenic is widespread in the environment and is one of the most ubiquitous environmental pollutants. Parodoxically, the growth of certain bacteria is enhanced by arsenic when phosphate is limited. -
Essential Oils from Monarda fistulosa: Chemical Composition and Activation of Transient Receptor Potential A1 (TRPA1) Channels
(MDPI, 2020-10)Little is known about the pharmacological activity of Monarda fistulosa L. essential oils. To address this issue, we isolated essential oils from the flowers and leaves of M. fistulosa and analyzed their chemical composition. ... -
Diversification of methanogens into hyperalkaline serpentinizing environments through adaptations to minimize oxidant limitation
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2020-11)Metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) and single amplified genomes (SAGs) affiliated with two distinct Methanobacterium lineages were recovered from subsurface fracture waters of the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman. ... -
Optically activated, customizable, excitable cells
(Public Library of Science, 2020-12)Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors are powerful tools for studying complex signaling in the nervous system, and now both Ca2+ and voltage sensors are available to study the signaling behavior of entire neural ... -
Metabolic Responses to Arsenite Exposure Regulated through Histidine Kinases PhoR and AioS in Agrobacterium tumefaciens 5A
(MDPI, 2020-09)Arsenite (AsIII) oxidation is a microbially-catalyzed transformation that directly impacts arsenic toxicity, bioaccumulation, and bioavailability in environmental systems. The genes for AsIII oxidation (aio) encode a ... -
Dynamic gut microbiome changes to low-iron challenge
(American Society for Microbiology, 2020-11)Iron is an essential micronutrient for life. In mammals, dietary iron is primarily absorbed in the small intestine. Currently, the impacts of dietary iron on the taxonomic structure and function of the gut microbiome and ... -
A Single Microbiome Gene Alters Murine Susceptibility to Acute Arsenic Exposure
(2021-05)Environmental toxicant exposure contributes to morbidity and mortality of many human diseases. With respect to arsenic, microbially driven chemical transformations dictate its toxicity and mobility in virtually every ... -
Microbial Oxidation of Arsenite: Regulation, Chemotaxis, Phosphate Metabolism and Energy Generation
(2020-09)Arsenic (As) is a metalloid that occurs widely in the environment. The biological oxidation of arsenite [As(III)] to arsenate [As(V)] is considered a strategy to reduce arsenic toxicity and provide energy. In recent years, ... -
P38 MAPK signaling mediates retinoic acid‐induced CD103 expression in human dendritic
(2020-11)Retinoic acid (RA) is an active derivative of vitamin A and a key regulator of immune cell function. In dendritic cells (DCs), RA drives the expression of CD103 (integrin αE), a functionally relevant DC subset marker. In ... -
SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance identifies naturally occurring truncation of ORF7a that limits immune suppression
(2021-06)Over 950,000 whole-genome sequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been determined for viruses isolated from around the world. These sequences are critical for understanding the spread ... -
Inhibitory effect of IQ-1S, a selective c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, on phenotypical and cytokine-producing characteristics in human macrophages and T-cells
(2020-07)c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a critical mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) implicated in inflammatory processes, with IQ-1S (11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one oxime sodium salt) being a high-affinity JNK inhibitor ... -
Roadmap for naming uncultivated Archaea and Bacteria
(2020-08)The assembly of single-amplified genomes (SAGs) and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) has led to a surge in genome-based discoveries of members affiliated with Archaea and Bacteria, bringing with it a need to develop ... -
The Accessory Gene saeP of the SaeR/S Two-Component Gene Regulatory System Impacts Staphylococcus aureus Virulence During Neutrophil Interaction
(2020-04)Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) causes a range of diseases ranging from superficial skin and soft-tissue infections to invasive and life-threatening conditions (Klevens et al., 2007; Kobayashi et al., 2015). S. aureus ... -
Functional Properties of Helicobacter pylori VacA Toxin m1 and m2 Variants
(2020-04)Helicobacter pylori colonizes the gastric mucosa and secretes a pore-forming toxin (VacA). Two main types of VacA, m1 and m2, can be distinguished by phylogenetic analysis. Type m1 forms of VacA have been extensively ... -
Carbonyl Reductase 1 Plays a Significant Role in Converting Doxorubicin to Cardiotoxic Doxorubicinol in Mouse Liver, but the Majority of the Doxorubicinol-Forming Activity Remains Unidentified
(2020-03)Doxorubicin is a widely used cancer therapeutic, but its effectiveness is limited by cardiotoxic side effects. Evidence suggests cardiotoxicity is due not to doxorubicin, but rather its metabolite, doxorubicinol. Identification ... -
Tissue Tropism in Streptococcal Infection: Wild-Type M1T1 Group AStreptococcusIs Efficiently Cleared by Neutrophils Using an NADPH Oxidase-Dependent Mechanism in the Lung but Not in the Skin
(2019-09)Group A Streptococcus (GAS) commonly causes pharyngitis and skin infections. Little is known why streptococcal pharyngitis usually does not lead to pneumonia and why the skin is a favorite niche for GAS. To partially address ...