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Biogenesis of JC Polyomavirus Associated Extracellular Vesicles
Get PDFJC polyomavirus (JCPyV) is a small, non-enveloped virus that persists in the kidney in about half the adult population. In severely immune-compromised individuals JCPyV causes the neurodegenerative disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in the brain. JCPyV has been shown to infect cells by both direct and indirect mechanisms, the latter involving extracellular vesicle (EV) mediated infection. While direct mechanisms of infection are well studied indirect EV mediated mechanisms are poorly understood. Using a combination of chemical and genetic approaches we show that several overlapping intracellular pathways are responsible for the biogenesis of virus containing EV. Here we show that targeting neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) with the drug cambinol decreased the spread of JCPyV over several viral life cycles. Genetic depletion of nSMase2 by either shRNA or CRISPR/Cas9 reduced EV-mediated infection. Individual knockdown of seven ESCRT-related proteins including HGS, ALIX, TSG101, VPS25, VPS20, CHMP4A, and VPS4A did not significantly reduce JCPyV associated EV (JCPyV(+) EV) infectivity, whereas knockdown of the tetraspanins CD9 and CD81 or trafficking and/or secretory autophagy-related proteins RAB8A, RAB27A, and GRASP65 all significantly reduced the spread of JCPyV and decreased EV-mediated infection. These findings point to a role for exosomes and secretory autophagosomes in the biogenesis of JCPyV associated EVs with specific roles for nSMase2, CD9, CD81, RAB8A, RAB27A, and GRASP65 proteins
What Happened: Episode 4
No full textEpisode 4 of 6 in podcast series What Happened. The series documents the missing person case of Maura Murray and its cultural significance
Cook or Die Trying: Episode 2
No full textEpisode 2 of 3 in podcast series Cook or Die Trying. The series offers up a day-in-the-kitchen documentary of sorts about one college student\u27s attempt to make her own food
Cook or Die Trying: Episode 3
No full textEpisode 3 of 3 in podcast series Cook or Die Trying. The series offers up a day-in-the-kitchen documentary of sorts about one college student\u27s attempt to make her own food
I Am No Man : The Importance of Female Archetypes in Fantasy
Get PDFAccording to JRR Tolkien in his essay On Fairy-Stories, fantasy stories and storytelling are important universal aspects to humanity. This two-part project explores the use of female archetypes in the fantasy genre as an example of their importance. For part one, various pieces of fantasy literature were read to gain a closer understanding of the scope of each author\u27s style, worldbuilding, and use of female characters. Then a creative piece of three fantasy short stories in the fantasy genre were written to shed light on various aspects of the female experience. For part two, a critical analysis essay was written that discusses each story\u27s creation in detail and explains how fantasy and archetypes influence our views of women and the female experience
Call It How We See It: Episode 3
No full textEpisode 3 of 3 in podcast series Call It How We See It. The series considers the strengths and weaknesses of Boston sports franchises from the perspective of three co-hosts who are used to winning ways
The Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Memory Performance
Get PDFPrevious research has found a link between trait mindfulness and various aspects of wellbeing and cognition. Further, research on state mindfulness has found it to relate to performance on a memory task designed to examine eyewitness susceptibility. In the present study, I sought to expand on these findings by examining whether levels of trait mindfulness would also predict how susceptible individuals’ memories are to external suggestion. Seventy-three participants studied six common household scenes, and then rated the pleasantness of items they were told were recalled by another participant. These items included six suggested items not present in the scenes. After completing a two-part memory task including a free recall test and a source recognition test, participants completed a mindfulness questionnaire to measure levels of trait mindfulness. Results showed that participants demonstrated false memory for the suggested items on the recall test, but not the recognition test. Further, I found a positive correlation between mindfulness levels and accurate recognition. These results suggest that people who are higher in mindfulness may show better source monitoring abilities, but their susceptibility to misleading information from a social source may not be related
Nothing to See Here: Episode 2
No full textEpisode 2 of 3 in podcast series Nothing to See Here. The series provides a critical, and at time comical, look at where and when embarrassment fits into our social experiences and senses of self
Kick the Habit: Episode 3
No full textEpisode 3 of 3 in podcast series Kick the Habit. The series is a reflective take on how and why we rely on routines to make it through our everyday lives, and whether or not we really need them
What Happened: Episode 2
No full textEpisode 2 of 6 in podcast series What Happened. The series documents the missing person case of Maura Murray and its cultural significance