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 Co-Chair (if applicable)
Arteel, Gavin
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
