Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
12-2015
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph. D.
Department
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Degree Program
Pharmacology and Toxicology, PhD
Committee Chair
Matoba, Nobuyuki
Committee Member
Arteel, Gavin
Committee Member
Bodduluri, Haribabu
Committee Member
Galandiuk, Susan
Committee Member
Jala, Venkatakrishna
Committee Member
Palmer, Kenneth
Author's Keywords
ulcerative colitis; cholera toxin B subunit; inflammatory bowel disease; inflammation
Abstract
This dissertation describes the previously unidentified effects of a plant-produced recombinant cholera toxin B subunit (CTBp) on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and its ability to protect against inflammation in a mouse model of colonic injury and ulcerative colitis (UC). To comprehensively analyze CTBp’s impacts on the GI tract, we employed global analysis methodologies based on multi-color flow cytometry to analyze immune cell populations in GI and systemic lymphatic compartments, gene expression microarray to decipher transcript-level changes in the colon and small intestine, and 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize fecal microbiota. Based on a drastic shift observed in the immune cell profile and gene expression pattern in the distal colon, we built a new working hypothesis that CTBp may enhance mucosal protection in the colon. To address this hypothesis, we used the Caco-2 human colonic cell line and the mouse dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis model. After demonstrating the potential of CTBp as a mucosal healing and anti-colitic agent, the dissertation will be summarized and future directions discussed.
Recommended Citation
Baldauf, Keegan J, "A plant-made cholera toxin B subunit enhances mucosal wound healing and protects against ulcerative colitis and colon cancer." (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2328.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/2328
