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Institution

University of Texas Medical Branch

EducationGalveston, Texas, United States
About: University of Texas Medical Branch is a education organization based out in Galveston, Texas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Virus. The organization has 22033 authors who have published 38268 publications receiving 1517502 citations. The organization is also known as: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston & UTMB.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that MI increases the number of hemichannels on the cell surface assayed by biotinylation and Western blot, and that this change is followed by increased dephosphorylation and S-nitrosylation, presumably because of increase in open probability.
Abstract: Marked increase in cell permeability ascribed to open connexin (Cx)43 hemichannels is induced by metabolic inhibition (MI) of cortical astrocytes in culture, but the molecular mechanisms are not established. Dephosphorylation and/or oxidation of Cx43 hemichannels was proposed as a potential mechanism to increase their open probability. We now demonstrate that MI increases the number of hemichannels on the cell surface assayed by biotinylation and Western blot, and that this change is followed by increased dephosphorylation and S-nitrosylation. The increase in rate of dye uptake caused by MI is comparable to the increase in surface expression; thus, open probability and permeation per hemichannel may be unchanged. Reducing agents did not affect dephosphorylation of Cx43 hemichannels but reduced dye uptake and S-nitrosylation. Uptake was also reduced by elevated intracellular but not extracellular levels of reduced glutathione. Moreover, nitric oxide donors induced dye uptake and nitrosylation of surface Cx43 but did not affect its abundance or phosphorylation. Thus, permeability per channel is increased, presumably because of increase in open probability. We propose that increased dye uptake induced by MI is mediated by an increased number of Cx43 hemichannels in the surface and is associated with multiple molecular changes, among which nitrosylation of intracellular Cx43 cysteine residues may be a critical factor.

279 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Sequence alignments suggested that the deduced domain II structure is conserved within the IRESs of pestiviruses as well as the novel flavivirus GB virus B.
Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) initiates translation of its polyprotein under the control of an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that comprises most of the 341-nucleotide (nt) 5′ nontranslated RNA (5′NTR). A comparative analysis of related flaviviral sequences suggested that an RNA segment for which secondary structure was previously ill defined (domain II, nt 44 to 118) forms a conserved stem-loop that is located at the 5′ border of the HCV IRES and thus may function in viral translation. This prediction was tested by a mutational analysis of putative helical structures that examined the impact of both covariant and noncovariant nucleotide substitutions on IRES activity in vivo and in vitro. Results of these experiments provide support for predicted base pair interactions between nt 44 to 52 and 111 to 118 and between nt 65 to 70 and 97 to 102 of the HCV 5′NTR. Substitutions at either nt 45 and 46 or nt 116 and 117 resulted in reciprocal changes in V1 nuclease cleavage patterns within the opposing strand of the putative helix, consistent with the predicted base pair interactions. IRES activity was highly dependent on maintenance of the stem-loop II structure but relatively tolerant of covariant nucleotide substitutions within predicted helical segments. Sequence alignments suggested that the deduced domain II structure is conserved within the IRESs of pestiviruses as well as the novel flavivirus GB virus B. Despite marked differences in primary nucleotide sequence within conserved helical segments, the sequences of the intervening single-stranded loop segments are highly conserved in these different viruses. This suggests that these segments of the viral RNA may interact with elements of the host translational machinery that are broadly conserved among different mammalian species.

279 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A phylogenetic analysis of the largest YFV data set compiled to date shows how gene sequence data can be used to test hypotheses of viral dispersal and demographics, and document the role of human migration in the spread of infectious disease.
Abstract: Yellow fever virus (YFV) remains the cause of severe morbidity and mortality in South America and Africa. To determine the evolutionary history of this important reemerging pathogen, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of the largest YFV data set compiled to date, representing the prM/E gene region from 133 viral isolates sampled from 22 countries over a period of 76 years. We estimate that the currently circulating strains of YFV arose in Africa within the last 1,500 years and emerged in the Americas following the slave trade approximately 300–400 years ago. These viruses then spread westwards across the continent and persist there to this day in the jungles of South America. We therefore illustrate how gene sequence data can be used to test hypotheses of viral dispersal and demographics, and document the role of human migration in the spread of infectious disease.

279 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results of the study showed that clindamycin, vancomycin, and tobramycin exhibited good elution characteristics and had consistently high levels in bone and granulation tissue.
Abstract: The elution of antibiotics from antibiotic-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) beads was measured in mongrel dogs. The antibiotics, used in mixture with Simplex cement, included cefazolin (Ancef; 4.5 g/40 g cement powder), ciprofloxacin (Cipro; 6 g/40 g powder), clindamycin (Cleocin; 6 g/40 g powder), ticarcillin (Ticar; 12 g/40 g powder), tobramycin (Nebcin; 9.8 g/40 g powder), and vancomycin (Vancocin; 4 g/40 g powder). After a pneumatic drill was used to dredge a trough in the tibia, five beads were implanted. During the next 28 days, seroma samples and serum samples were taken for antibiotic measurements. On Day 28, the dogs were killed, beads removed, and the seroma, serum, bone, and granulation tissue sampled. The results of the study showed that clindamycin, vancomycin, and tobramycin exhibited good elution characteristics and had consistently high levels in bone and granulation tissue.

279 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Mar 2009-Burns
TL;DR: Gene therapy, initially developed for treatment of congenital defects, is a new option for enhancing wound repair, and in order to accelerate wound closure, genes encoding for growth factors or cytokines showed the greatest potential.

278 citations


Authors

Showing all 22143 results

NameH-indexPapersCitations
Stuart H. Orkin186715112182
Eric R. Kandel184603113560
John C. Morris1831441168413
Joseph Biederman1791012117440
Richard A. Gibbs172889249708
Timothy A. Springer167669122421
Gabriel N. Hortobagyi1661374104845
Roberto Romero1511516108321
Charles B. Nemeroff14997990426
Peter J. Schwartz147647107695
Clifford J. Woolf14150986164
Thomas J. Smith1401775113919
Edward C. Holmes13882485748
Jun Lu135152699767
Henry T. Lynch13392586270
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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers from the Institution in previous years
YearPapers
202330
2022196
20211,616
20201,487
20191,298
20181,152