Maryland Shared Open Access Repository
MD-SOAR is a shared digital repository platform for twelve colleges and universities in Maryland. It is currently funded by the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) Library Consortium (usmai.org) and other participating partner institutions. MD-SOAR is jointly governed by all participating libraries, who have agreed to share policies and practices that are necessary and appropriate for the shared platform. Within this broad framework, each library provides customized repository services and collections that meet local institutional needs. Please follow the links below to learn more about each library's repository services and collections.
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Item type: Item , IDENTIFICATION OF THE GENE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BIRT-HOGG-DUBÉ SYNDROME AND STUDIES OF BHD GENE EXPRESSION BY IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION(2003-09) Warren, Michelle B.; Hood College Biology; Biomedical and Environmental ScienceThe Birt-Hogg-Dubè (BHD) syndrome phenotype involves the development of fibrofolliculomas, spontaneous pneumothorax, and an increased risk for development of renal tumors. In order to localize the genetic locus responsible for BHD, a genome wide scan using 185 microsatellite markers was conducted using a large family with 40 affected members. Linkage analysis in 8 additional BHD families narrowed the linked region to 4 cM on chromosome 17p11.2. A physical map was created in silico using available genome browsers to identify candidate genes for mutation analysis in a panel of BHD patients. Simultaneously, 20 new microsatellite markers were designed in the linked region to analyze additional BHD families and linkage analysis identified new recombinants, which narrowed the linked region to 700kb between markers CA109 and D17S2196. After screening 39 candidate genes from the region of non combination, germline mutations were identified in 8 of 9 BHD families in a pair of uncharacterized overlapping mRNAs which detected a single transcript in multiple tissues by Northern blot analysis. Five different mutations were identified in 9 BHD families. Four of the 5 mutations resulted in a frameshift to protein truncation after a number of missense amino acids. The first mutation was a deletion of 2 nucleotides and the insertion of one nucleotide in exon 7 (1087delAGinsC). The second is a 28bp duplication in exon 9 (nt 1378-1405 duplication). Five families had an insertion or deletion of a C at exon 11 nt 1733. In addition 14 of 53 additional families tested had the same 1733insC mutation and 8 of 53 families had the 1733deI0 mutation. The fifth mutation was an amino acid substitution to a stop codon (C1844G). Extensive BLAST searches have not shown homology to any known gene and not identified key functional domains, suggesting that the BHD gene product, folliculin, is a novel protein. To gain information about BHD expression in kidney, lung and skin in situ hybridization was performed using an antisense fluorescent riboprobe. BHD mRNA expression was seen in kidney distal tubules, the inner and outer root sheaths of the hair follicle, keratinocytes surrounding the sebaceous glands, the spinous layer of the epidermis, stromal cells and type 1 pneumocytes in the lung. A tissue microarray was also used to identify other tissues that express the BHD mRNA including samples from the brain, tonsils, spleen, prostate, breast, pancreas and parotid. The acinar cells of the pancreas and parotid, as well as the epithelial ducts of the breast and prostate, strongly expressed BHD mRNA. Strong expression was seen in neurons of the cerebrum, Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, macrophage, and lymphocytes in the tonsils and spleen.Item type: Item , Developing an In Vitro Model for Exploring Lymphocyte Chemotaxis(1980-12) Warren, Jonathan T.; Hood College Biology; Biomedical and Environmental ScienceIn developing an in vitro method for studying lymphocyte chemotaxis, testing began with the standard assays (i.e. modified Boyden) used with other leukocytes. These techniques were found to give significant yet limited information. For example, the visual aspects of directed migration were neglected. Of these assays, the radiolabel ( ⁵¹Cr)/ double-filter method was most precise and easiest to perform. The preferred method, however, was discovered to be an under-agarose one that permitted determinations of cellular distributions, cytoplasmic orientations, migration distances and paths. Cell interactions observed in Zigmond chambers complemented these studies by making the observation of intercellular interference possible. The lower chemotropism indices found for lymphocytes may be explained by this phenomenon. Besides refining the technical requirements for a more sensitive in vitro assay, future studies will concentrate on the chemotactic profile of lymphocyte sub-populations.Item type: Item , SYNTHETIC PEPTIDE ELISA CAN PREDICT AN ANTISERUM'S ABILITY TO NEUTRALIZE A SPECIFIC STRAIN OF THE HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS TYPE 1(1994-12) Warner, Gregory L.; Hood College Biology; Biomedical and Environmental ScienceIn order to better understand the specificity of the immune response toward infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection of specific antibodies to HIV-1 using synthetic peptides mimicking a specific immunodominant hypervariable epitope (V3) of the gp120 envelope glycoprotein. Antibodies raised during the natural HIV-1 infection have been found to bind synthetic V3 peptides in either a strain or cross-strain specific manner when measured either by ELISA or neutralization assays. A direct relationship between the strain or cross-specificity of both V3 binding and neutralizing antibodies has not been well studied. In this study, short peptides were synthesized that mimic the V3 loop region of the gp120 molecule of two genomic variants of HIV-1 and used to screen HIV-1 positive serum samples for the presence of mono-reactive and cross-reactive antibodies. These were further characterized for cross-reactivity in a soluble peptide competition ELISA and their ability to neutralize HIV-1 in a strain or cross-strain specific manner. For the selected panel of representative antisera used in this study, a good correlation was found between specific reactivity in the synthetic peptide ELISA and their ability to neutralize HIV-1 in a strain and cross-reactive manner. This type of methodology may allow for a more rapid and easier way to identify various circulating viral strains for vaccine development in the ongoing worldwide epidemic.Item type: Item , Development of an EBV Real-time PCR Assay and Application to Two Epidemiological Studies(2005-05) Walters, Michael A.L.; Hood College Biology; Biomedical and Environmental ScienceA real-time quantitative FOR assay capable of measuring EBV DNA load was developed, validated and applied to test hypotheses relevant to EBV associated disease and pathogenesis. EBV appears to be a major cofactor that predisposes iatrogenically and naturally immunocompromised individuals, such as HIV-infected subjects, transplant patients and others, to develop various lymphoproliferative disorders. Recent evidence suggests that these patients experience elevated EBV levels in PBMC, blood and saliva. To determine whether EBV loads are elevated in PBMC of HIV infected subjects compared to immunocompetent controls and whether EBV loads are higher in EBV related AIDS lymphoma subjects compared to HIV infected subjects without cancers, we studied a subset of 459 HIV-1 seropositive patients with and without cancers and 61 randomly selected blood donors. Our results showed that EBV load was significantly increased when subjects were HIV positive and even higher if they had cancers, as compared to immunocompetent controls. Additional results from a Ugandan sickle cell disease study of 600 children (and their mothers), were in agreement with these findings irrespective of age or gender of the subjects. Uganda is an area endemic for BL and KSHV.Item type: Item , Views of American Democracy(1973-04) Wagner, Rita Marron; Hood College Political Science; Human Sciences