PARylation is crucial to NAT10’s role in the DNA damage response

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "The protein NAT10 has been implicated in the rapid-aging disease progeria and in human cancers. NAT10 normally resides in the nucleolus, an organelle within the nucleus that assembles cellular protein factories, but when DNA becomes damaged, NAT10 is translocated out of the nucleolus into the thick nuclear fluid, called the nucleoplasm. Researchers recently sought to clarify the mechanism of this translocation using several in vitro experiments. They found that the DNA damage response regulator PARP1 attached ADP-ribose molecules to NAT10 in a process called PARylation. Specifically, PARP1 mediated PARylation at three conserved amino acids within a sequence called the nucleolar localization signal (NuLS). Proper PARylation at these sites was essential for NAT10’s translocation to the nucleoplasm after DNA damage. and for NAT10’s interaction with the chromatin-modifying enzyme MORC2, which helps cells survive after DNA damage..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Revealing the oyster spat eukaryotic microbiome with CCSAS, a new sequencing method

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "The microbiome can both positively and negatively affect host health, with broader effects on ecosystems and evolution. Prokaryotic members of the microbiome are commonly studied by sequencing 16S rRNA fragments, but eukaryotic members are hard to study because their analogous 18S rRNA fragments are vastly outnumbered by those of the host. To solve this problem, researchers recently developed a new method, CRISPR-Cas Selective Amplicon Sequencing (CCSAS). In CCSAS, a single-guide RNA specific to the host taxon directs the enzyme Cas9 to cleave host 18S rRNA, preventing its amplification and detection, while the 18S rRNA of eukaryotic microbes like fungi and protists is left intact. The researchers tested the method by investigating the eukaryotic microbiome in settled oyster larvae (spat). CCSAS uncovered a diverse array of eukaryotic microbes with much less host (metazoan) fragment contamination than alternative methods..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Serotonin activates pro-cancer cell signaling and drives progression in colorectal cancer

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "While best known for its role in the brain, serotonin does more in our body than influence mood. There is even growing evidence that it is involved in tumor development. However, little is known about its role in colorectal cancer. In a recent study, researchers found that serotonin promotes colon cancer cell growth in cell culture and animal models. Further tests revealed that serotonin is moved into colorectal cancer cells via its transporter SERT and that once the serotonin is inside the cancer cells, the enzyme TG2 links serotonin to the protein RhoA, activating it. Through down-stream signaling mediators, activated RhoA increases expression of the known cancer-promoting protein YAP. Blocking SERT from transporting serotonin with citalopram reversed the serotonin-induced YAP expression and cell proliferation increases and blocked serotonin’s effects on tumor formation in mice..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Quantitative systems pharmacology model of a masked, tumor-activated antibody

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "herapeutic monoclonal antibodies bind proteins on tumors, which can enable the killing of cancer cells. However, there can be collateral damage to healthy tissues that also express those proteins. At CytomX , researchers are exploring the use of a new class of antibodies called Probody™ therapeutics. Masks attached to the ends of a Probody therapeutic can “blindfold” the antibody and reduce its binding to healthy tissues. However, when the antibody encounters a tumor, proteases —enzymes in the tumor microenvironment—can remove these masks to activate the antibody. In this way, Probody therapeutics are designed to maximize anti-cancer activity while minimizing harm to healthy tissue. In a new study, researchers used computer modeling to predict how Probody therapeutics can be tuned to achieve this effect. This model, comprising thousands of equations, estimates the amount of both masked and unmasked (or activated) forms of the antibody in the tumor and in the rest of the body after dosing..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Inhibition of ABL tyrosine kinases shows potential for metastatic cancer treatment

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "Cancer develops as a small cluster of abnormally replicating cells that form a tumor. As this tumor grows, cancerous cells may begin to invade other tissues in the body in a process called the “metastatic cascade”. During this advanced stage of cancer, aggressive cancer cells detach from the primary tumor, move through the bloodstream to other organs, and develop new tumors. Because such late-stage cancer is usually associated with a poor prognosis, preventing metastasis is critical to the development of effective cancer treatments. One promising area of research focuses on tyrosine kinases. Tyrosine kinases are enzymes with important roles in cell health when functioning normally, but those in the Abelson (ABL) family (ABL1 and ABL2) can promote tumor progression when abnormally activated. ABL1 and ABL2 affect how cells attach to one another as well as their orientation, thereby enabling previously stationary cells to become mobile and promoting the metastatic cascade..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

The roles of neutrophil granules in heart attack pathology

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "Myocardial infarction (MI), also known as a heart attack, is a common but serious cardiac emergency. The severity and mortality of MI are related to overactivation of immune cells called neutrophils. Specifically, excessive activation of a process called neutrophil degranulation appears to impair MI recovery. During degranulation, molecules that can help fight pathogens and repair tissue damage are released from cytoplasmic granules. This is normally beneficial, but too much degranulation can aggravate MI-related injury. Four main types of granules are released: primary/azurophilic, secondary/specific, tertiary/gelatinase, and secretory granules. These granule types are synthesized and released at different times and contain different mixtures of molecules. For example, primary granules contain the enzyme MPO, excess levels of which can impair ventricular healing and function after MI, while secondary granules contain NGAL, which can increase the risk of plaque formation and promote inflammation and fibrosis..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Reduced expression of kappa opioid receptor drives metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "Esophageal cancers are common globally but are difficult to treat and have a poor prognosis. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is especially dangerous and has poorly understood molecular mechanisms. A recent study took a comprehensive look at the kappa opioid receptor (KOR), a protein that has been shown to influence the progression of other cancers. First, researchers examined existing patient datasets and found that ESCC tumors had reduced KOR expression and that lower expression of KOR was correlated with reduced patient survival. In the lab, they found that reducing KOR expression in cultured ESCC cells led to increased proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. When looking for potential mechanisms, they found that down-regulation of KOR activated the PDK1-AKT signaling pathway. It also led to invasion-related changes in cells, including invadopodia formation and cytoskeletal rearrangement. Reducing expression of KOR in mice led to increased metastasis and phosphorylation of the AKT enzyme..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

GDF-8 promotes placenta formation by upregulating MMP2 via Snail

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "During pregnancy, the placenta acts as a critical bridge between mother and child, providing oxygen and nutrients to the developing baby. One important process in placenta formation is “invasion” of the mother’s blood supply by placental cells called extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs). This process is promoted by the enzyme MMP2, whose expression is upregulated by the protein GDF-8, but the exact mechanism is unclear. To learn more, researchers recently examined GDF-8, MMP2, and cell invasion in human EVTs in vitro. They found that treatment with GDF-8 indeed stimulated MMP2 expression in the cells. This effect was blocked by an inhibitor of TGF-β type I receptors, indicating that the TGF-β pathway was involved. Further investigation revealed that the TGF-β signaling proteins Snail and Slug were also upregulated by GDF-8. However, silencing Snail and Slug expression individually showed that only Snail was required for GDF-8-mediated MMP2 stimulation..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Investigating heavy metal resistance in wastewater treatment microbes

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "Wastewater treatment protects ecosystems from pollution, including dangerous heavy metal contaminants. Nitrogen and phosphorus can be removed from wastewater by denitrifying phosphorus removal sludge (DPRS). This artificial ecosystem contains many different microbes active in anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic processes. However, heavy metal pollution can stop DPRS from reaching its full potential. So researchers examined DPRS microbiomes in response to Cr(VI), Ni(II), and Cd(II) contamination. Using metaproteomics, they found that different microbial groups adopted different resistance mechanisms. Nitrospira improved its oxygen utilization, and Nitrosomonas produced more enzymes under heavy metal stress. Phosphorus-accumulating bacteria also produced polyphosphate, which could support community-wide detoxification, and showed a variety of other resistance responses, illuminating different microbial responses to pollutants and how diversity within a community keeps it healthy..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

The functional evolution of the termite gut microbial community

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "Termites are one of the few animal lineages able to digest the most abundant biomolecule on earth, lignocellulose. Of the nine families of termites, all but one of them eat wood, with the last feeding on soil. While termites produce enzymes that break down lignocellulose, their gut microbes are still a critical part of the digestion process. But most termite gut microbiome research to date is based on research from wood-feeding or pest species of termites. So, a recent study examined the prokaryotic gut microbes from a sample of termite species that better represent the diversity of termites. The gut microbes possessed a similar set of carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism genes across the termite phylogenetic tree. The proportions of these genes varied with the hosts’ diet and position on the phylogenetic tree. Surprisingly, the soil-feeding termites didn't even have unique microbial metabolic genes or pathways compared to wood-feeding species..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Targeting inflammatory processes to prevent sepsis

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview: "Sepsis is one of the main causes of death in the intensive care unit. When an infection becomes severe, the immune system misfires, triggering a cascade of inflammatory responses. Pro-inflammatory factors secreted by immune cells called macrophages enhance the damage, worsening the clinical picture, and while interventions for sepsis are available, mortality remains high. Now, researchers have identified a new target in the battle against sepsis. Using cells isolated from mice, they measured gene and protein expression during E. coli challenge. They found that cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), an enzyme that regulates metabolism, also regulates inflammatory responses during sepsis. CYP1A1 directed macrophages to initiate a microbe-internalizing process, phagocytosis, during infection. Inhibiting CYP1A1 blocked phagocytosis of bacteria in macrophages, preventing the cells from secreting more inflammatory molecules. This strategy was also effective in a mouse model of sepsis..." The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Creating Literary Analysis

Most literature students are introduced to literary theory and writing about literature as separate subjects, though the two are intimately linked in the practice of literary scholarship. Literary scholarship is guided by literary theories and expressed through writing; it doesn’t make sense to learn each in isolation. Literary theories are intellectual models that scholars use to understand stories, novels, poems, plays, and other texts. Different theories prioritize different historical, social, or methodological concerns. The authors believe students of literature should learn about many literary theories so they can discover which interpretive tools work best for them when they write about literature in their classes (and beyond). This book aims to help students build up a personal toolbox of interpretive possibilities.

Material Type: Reading, Textbook

Authors: John Pennington, Ryan Cordell

Poetry Analysis

This English Language Arts lesson focuses on the understanding of literary devices as related to poetry with poems found via poetryfoundation.org.Students will analyze tone and mood by rephrasing lines of poetry to match the author's intent.Students will explore the poet's message and defend their ideas in paragraph form.This assignment addresses Nebraska state standards: NE.LA 10.1.6.A NE.LA 10.1.6.C  NE.LA 10.1.6.K  NE.LA 10.2.2.E This lesson will take about 40-50 minutes.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Katie Schneider

The Oregon State Guide to English Literary Terms

This free video series provides definitions of literary terms in English literature to students and teachers. It also offers examples of how these literary devices can be applied to poems, plays, novels, and short stories. We are in the process of translating the videos into Spanish and many of them now contain these subtitles.

Material Type: Lesson

Authors: Oregon State University, School of Writing Literature and Film

Literary Terms & Expressions

A list of various literary terms and expressions.

Material Type: Reading

Gene Machine: The Lac Operon

Build a gene network! The lac operon is a set of genes which are responsible for the metabolism of lactose in some bacterial cells. Explore the effects of mutations within the lac operon by adding or removing genes from the DNA.

Material Type: Simulation

Authors: George Spiegelman, Jared Taylor, John Blanco, Kathy Perkins, Noah Podolefsky

Lysogenic and Lytic Cycles

Stimulate your students imagination as they use the internet to research the stages of the Lysogenic and Lytic reproductive cycles to create their own scripts for the accompanying slide deck. Students will then find creative ways to turn their script into a podcast.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Interactive, Lesson Plan

Author: Toni Kormish

Microbiology Staining Poster Set

This poster set was designed for display in a microbiology teaching laboratory. The consistent 12 step layout contributes to a cohesive appearance. The color hints on the bottom of each poster shows what students should expect as results from staining. These posters were designed to be printed as 18x24 in, or displayed digitally.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration

Author: Eric Osborn

Micrograph Bacillus cereus 48 h endospore 1000X p000061

This micrograph was taken at 1000X total magnifcation on a brightfield microscope. The subject is Bacillus cereus cells were grown in broth culture for 48 hours at 30 degrees Celsius. The cells were heat-fixed to a slide and stained with malachite green (endospores) and safranin red (vegetative cells) prior to visualization.Image credit: Emily Fox

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration

Author: Emily Fox

Biology, Genetics, Gene Expression, Prokaryotic Gene Regulation

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the steps involved in prokaryotic gene regulationExplain the roles of activators, inducers, and repressors in gene regulation

Material Type: Module