UTSA Faculty, Staff and Postdoctoral Researcher Work
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Item 10th Street substation excavation of the Acequia Madre (41 BX 8), San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1985) Cox, I. WaynneThe acequias or irrigation systems were an important factor in the early history of San Antonio. One of the earliest of these was the Acequia Madre (41 BX 8) or Mother Ditch. Recently, proposed construction by City Public Service at the 10th Street Substation was expected to encounter the course of the acequia, thus requiring archaeological investigation. Excavation of a section of the acequia with a backhoe and archival research revealed new information about the history of this ancient waterway.Item 1975 Archaeological investigations at Old Ursuline Academy, San Antonio, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1977) Katz, Paul R.Archaeological investigations were conducted at Old Ursuline Academy (41 BX 235), presently the Southwest Craft Center, during the month of October, 1975. This work was necessitated by planned renovations to the dormitory building, one of the complex of nineteenth century buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Figs. 1, 2). The nature of the renovation would consist of excavating below the present floor of the dormitory basement so that air conditioning ducts and blower units might be installed; transformation of this basement from a storage place into a series of functional rooms and galleries; construction of a new entryway into the basement from the south (Figs. 2, 3); and the construction of a French drain along the south side of the dormitory to prevent flooding of the basement area (Fig. 2). Archaeological excavation units were located in those areas to be most severely disturbed by construction activities: two units in the dormitory basement and three units in the courtyard close to the south wall of the dormitory (Fig. 2). Preliminary analysis of the excavation data showed significant parallels with the 1974 Texas Historical Commission investigations (Clark 1974), permitting a clearance letter to be written almost immediately. Subsequent detailed analyses led to the postulation of a number of activity pat-terns and foci, with the conclusion that the dormitory courtyard portion of the site can provide a degree of scientific and historic data far in excess of the space that it occupies relative to the rest of the site.Item The 1979 Archaeological Survey of Portions of the Choke Canyon Reservoir in Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1981) Roemer, Erwin, Jr.The Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, conducted an intensive surface survey aimed at location and evaluation of cultural resources in portions of the Choke Canyon Reservoir in Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas. The survey was conducted between May and September 1979. The area examined consists of approximately 8400 acres (3400 hectares) located in areas not previously available for survey. A total of 94 archaeological sites, 86 low density scatters, and 20 isolated finds was recorded. This total includes 16 historic sites or site components and 14 sites containing Late Prehistoric materials. The remaining prehistoric sites are either Archaic or of an unidentified cultural period. A total of 32 sites is recommended for further field evaluations. Site recording and preliminary evaluation took precedence, and minimal artifact collections were made. The previous work in the area by the Texas Historical Commission and Texas Tech University strongly influenced survey methodology and evaluation. Concluding interpretations present a discussion of the current state of settlement system investigations and an affirmation of the basic cultural models presented by earlier workers.Item 1999 excavations at Mission Rosario(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2000) Nickels, David L.Mission Nuestra Senora del Rosario founded in 1754, is located four miles west of modem-day Goliad, Texas. Established for the Karankawa Indians, it was finally abandoned in 1808. Archaeological investigations have been conducted at the site in the 1940s, 1970s, and 1990s. This body of work, the most recent, was conducted by the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio (CAR) (UTSA) under the auspices of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). In July through September 1999, CAR excavated 105 units, cleared some above-ground walls, and probed for buried walls or foundations. A geophysical survey complementing the archaeological investigations was conducted by Baylor University geophysicists. Archival research combined with extensive field mapping using an electronic Total Data Station has resulted in a visual synthesis of mission features and the previous investigations associated with them.Item 1999 Reburial at Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Antonio, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2001) Tomka, Steve A.; Zapata, José E.On November 15, 1999, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR), The University of Texas at San Antonio, returned 122 curation boxes containing human remains of between 103 and 125 individuals to Monsignor Balthazar Janacek, Archdiocese Director, Old Spanish Missions. These remains had been obtained during two previous Witte Memorial Museum excavations at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Subsequently, CAR returned the majority of the burial goods associated with these human remains to Monsignor Janacek. CAR then entered into an agreement with the Archdiocese of San Antonio to locate and monitor the excavation of the two reburial areas that were to coincide with two previously excavated areas. The location and monitoring of the reburial areas began on November 22, 1999. The reburial of the human remains and associated artifacts occurred on November 27, 1999. Present at the reburial ceremony were representatives of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, the National Park Service, the American Indians of Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions, a member of CAR, and members of the press and public.Item 3-D biocompatible microneedle arrays with nanoporous surface(DEStech Publications, Inc., 2014) Chen, Po Chun; Hsieh, Sheng JenDuring the past few years, developing painless needles or patches to replace traditional hypodermic needles has been investigated. Since micromachining can be used to construct a high density metallic micropillar array, we propose to use a biocompatible metal oxide, such as Al2O3 and TiO2, as an alternative material for fabricating arrays of microneedles. In this study, we fabricated an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) covered Al micro-indent array using electrochemical and mechanical micromachining. We demonstrate use of a nanoindenter to make pyramidal indentions on Al surface in order to produce a female microneedle array mold. We also performed melting injection to fill AAO template with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to produce UHMWPE nanotubes. The microneedle array provides a 3-D structure that possesses several hundred times more surface area than a traditional nanotube template. This suggests that a medical-grade polymer microneedle array can potentially be formed for more applications. This 3-D microneedle array device can be used not only for painless injection or extraction, but also for storage, highly sensitive detection, drug delivery, and microelectrodes.Item 3D printing with reusable voxels: A faster and greener future(DEStech Publications, Inc., 2014) Stipe, Audrey; Wan, HungDaMany of the applications in the 3D printing market have been for manufacturing prototypes in an inexpensive and relatively fast manner. Today, 3D printers make this possible by no longer having to use third party manufacturers. For all of the purposes that 3D printing is used, many of them, such as 3D geographic maps, visual art, model support structures, dioramas, prototypes, do not require a high precession. Furthermore, for such applications, there is no need for permanent prints. Due to the advancements in technology, and its residual pollution from waste, there is a need for a ‘greener’ method to 3-D printing. To meet this demand, we propose MIRV (Mechanically Interchangeable and Reusable Voxels), for voxel-based printing, a new method for 3-D printing. MIRV uses pre-built volumetric elements to build 3-D objects, by employing specially designed reusable and interchangeable building elements in voxel-based printing. When there is no longer need for the printed object, the object can be disassembled and the parts reused. This eliminates any wasted material. Meanwhile, all building elements of each layer are displaced in one simultaneous motion. Thus, the overall time to build a print can be significantly reduced compared to other 3D printing technologies.Item 41 BX 68: A prehistoric quarry-workshop in northern Bexar County, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1978) McGraw, A. Joachim; Valdez, FredDuring late February and early March of 1978, personnel from the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, conducted intensive mapping and limited subsurface testing of the prehistoric quarry-workshop site of 41 BX 68. Investigations of the site, located near the intersection of FM 1604 and Elm Creek in northern Bexar County (see Fig. 1), were conducted under the terms of a contract (Purchase Order No. 40-7442-8-426) with the Soil Conservation Service. Located near proposed Floodwater Retarding Structure 11, portions of the extensive site will soon be altered or critically damaged by modification. Preliminary observations of the site indicated large areas were relatively undisturbed since the original aboriginal activity had taken place (Brown et al. 1977). Intact, relatively undisturbed concentrations of lithic debris were noted (see Fig. 2). The frequency, distribution and association of these materials were considered to be of unusual value in identifying intra-site activity areas. The intent of the current investigation was to formulate a preliminary description of the site and identify various aspects of lithic technological processes and their intra-site relationships in a prehistoric south central Texas quarry-workshop area.Item 41MV120: a stratified late archaic site in Maverick County, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1998) Vierra, Bradley J.This report presents the findings of the data recovery program conducted at site 41MV120. The excavation was conducted under a contractual agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation under Texas Antiquities Pennit number 1622. A total of 9,147 lithic artifacts, 30,903 g of fire-cracked rock, 1623 g of mussel shells, 457 g of snails, 43 macrobotanical samples, 79 historic artifacts, and 15 bones was recovered from these excavations. 41MV120 is a stratified Late Archaic site dating from ca. 2200-1200 B.P. It was periodically inundated by floodwaters from the Rio Grande which buried a series of occupational levels. The site appears to represent a long-term pattem of redundant reuse. It presumably reflects a short-term campsite from which local terrace gravels were used for core reduction and tool production. Several species of aquatic and tenestrial resources were exploited while residing at the camp, including shellfish and medium-to small-sized animals.Item A 3D Printed Linear Pneumatic Actuator for Position, Force and Impedance Control(2018-05-24) Krause, Jeremy; Bhounsule, PranavAlthough 3D printing has the potential to provide greater customization and to reduce the costs of creating actuators for industrial applications, the 3D printing of actuators is still a relatively new concept. We have developed a pneumatic actuator with 3D-printed parts and placed sensors for position and force control. So far, 3D printing has been used to create pneumatic actuators of the bellows type, thus having a limited travel distance, utilizing low pressures for actuation and being capable of only limited force production and response rates. In contrast, our actuator is linear with a large travel distance and operating at a relatively higher pressure, thus providing great forces and response rates, and this the main novelty of the work. We demonstrate solutions to key challenges that arise during the design and fabrication of 3D-printed linear actuators. These include: (1) the strategic use of metallic parts in high stress areas (i.e., the piston rod); (2) post-processing of the inner surface of the cylinder for smooth finish; (3) piston head design and seal placement for strong and leak-proof action; and (4) sensor choice and placement for position and force control. A permanent magnet placed in the piston head is detected using Hall effect sensors placed along the length of the cylinder to measure the position, and pressure sensors placed at the supply ports were used for force measurement. We demonstrate the actuator performing position, force and impedance control. Our work has the potential to open new avenues for creating less expensive, customizable and capable actuators for industrial and other applications.Item A Bayesian network based decision support system(DEStech Publications, Inc., 2014) Chen, Wen-Hsin; Wang, Wei-Hua AndrewIn this highly dynamic environment, data and information are rapidly changing in time. For a decision support system, to capture continuum data and then to extract knowledge from data is in high demand. Our research work focus on developing a systematic approach for discovering causal relations among data and dynamic updating upon to the varying goals. Bayesian network is a powerful tool for representing knowledge and tackling the above inquires. In this research, the entropy-based searching mechanism designed on Bayesian network is adopted to learn the structure of a goal-specific mission. Link strength and connection strength are the measures for selecting links to be added and subtracted. However, these two measures are the relative measures instead of absolute thresholds. Initially, we designed a link/connection strength selecting method for possible adjacency matrices in tabu searching. In the second phase, we used a homogeneity test to ensure the quality of the learned structure. The results of this study will be an important stepping stone to attain the learning requirements of designing, building, and operating effective decision support systems under dynamic environment.Item A Computational Approach to Explore the Interaction of Semisynthetic Nitrogenous Heterocyclic Compounds with the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease(2020-12-27) Llanes, Alejandro; Cruz, Héctor; Nguyen, Viet D.; Larionov, Oleg V.; Fernández, Patricia L.In the context of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous attempts have been made to discover new potential antiviral molecules against its causative agent, SARS-CoV-2, many of which focus on its main protease (Mpro). We hereby used two approaches based on molecular docking simulation to explore the interaction of four libraries of semisynthetic nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds with Mpro. Libraries L1 and L2 contain 52 synthetic derivatives of the natural compound 2-propylquinoline, whereas libraries L3 and L4 contain 65 compounds synthesized using the natural compound physostigmine as a precursor. Validation through redocking suggested that the rigid receptor and flexible receptor approaches used for docking were suitable to model the interaction of this type of compounds with the target protein, although the flexible approach seemed to provide a more realistic representation of interactions within the active site. Using empirical energy score thresholds, we selected 58 compounds from the four libraries with the most favorable energy estimates. Globally, favorable estimates were obtained for molecules with two or more substituents, putatively accommodating in three or more subsites within the Mpro active site. Our results pave the way for further experimental evaluation of the selected compounds as potential antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2.Item A constructive cooperative coevolutionary algorithm applied to press line optimisation(DEStech Publications, Inc., 2014) Glorieux, Emile; Svensson, Bo; Danielsson, Fredrik; Lennartson, BengtSimulation-based optimisation often considers computationally expensive problems. Successfully optimising such large scale and complex problems within a practical timeframe is a challenging task. Optimisation techniques to fulfil this need to be developed. A technique to address this involves decomposing the considered problem into smaller subproblems. These subproblems are then optimised separately. In this paper, an efficient algorithm for simulation-based optimisation is proposed. The proposed algorithm extends the cooperative coevolutionary algorithm, which optimises subproblems separately. To optimise the subproblems, the proposed algorithm enables using a deterministic algorithm, next to stochastic genetic algorithms, getting the flexibility of using either type. It also includes a constructive heuristic that creates good initial feasible solutions to reduce the number of fitness calculations. The extension enables solving complex, computationally expensive problems efficiently. The proposed algorithm has been applied on automated sheet metal press lines from the automotive industry. This is a highly complex optimisation problem due to its non-linearity and high dimensionality. The optimisation problem is to find control parameters that maximises the line's production rate. These control parameters determine velocities, time constants, and cam values for critical interactions between components. A simulation model is used for the fitness calculation during the optimisation. The results show that the proposed algorithm manages to solve the press line optimisation problem efficiently. This is a step forward in press line optimisation since this is to the authors' knowledge the first time a press line has been optimised efficiently in this way.Item A Conway–Maxwell–Poisson Type Generalization of Hypergeometric Distribution(2023-02-02) Roy, Sudip; Tripathi, Ram C.; Balakrishnan, NarayanaswamyThe hypergeometric distribution has gained its importance in practice as it pertains to sampling without replacement from a finite population. It has been used to estimate the population size of rare species in ecology, discrete failure rate in reliability, fraction defective in quality control, and the number of initial faults present in software coding. Recently, Borges et al. considered a COM type generalization of the binomial distribution, called COM–Poisson–Binomial (CMPB) and investigated many of its characteristics and some interesting applications. In the same spirit, we develop here a generalization of the hypergeometric distribution, called the COM–hypergeometric distribution. We discuss many of its characteristics such as the limiting forms, the over- and underdispersion, and the behavior of its failure rate. We write its probability-generating function (pgf) in the form of Kemp’s family of distributions when the newly introduced shape parameter is a positive integer. In this form, closed-form expressions are derived for its mean and variance. Finally, we develop statistical inference procedures for the model parameters and illustrate the results by extensive Monte Carlo simulations.Item A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis of Psychometric Intelligence and Achievement in Reading and Math(2017-09-01) Watkins, Marley W.; Styck, Kara M.A cross-lagged panel analysis of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) intelligence test scores and reading and math achievement test scores of 337 students twice assessed for special education eligibility across a test-retest interval of 2.85 years was conducted. General intelligence (g) was loaded by the four WISC-IV factor index scores whereas reading and math were composite scores. After confirming measurement invariance, it was found that g, reading, and math were stable across time and synchronously correlated. The cross-lagged paths from g at time 1 to reading and math at time 2 (0.26 and 0.39, respectively) were both significantly greater than zero whereas the paths from reading and math at time 1 to g at time 2 (0.03 and 0.23, respectively) were not statistically significant. Given this pattern of relationships and extant research on the correlates of general intelligence, it was tentatively inferred that general intelligence was the temporal precursor to reading and math achievement.Item A Cultural Resource Inventory of 550 Previously Surveyed Acres on Camp Swift, Bastrop County, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2012) Munoz, Cynthia M.From November 2011 to January 2012, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted an intensive archaeological reconnaissance survey of 550 acres of previously surveyed land located on the Texas Military Forces’ (TXMF) Camp Swift Facility in north-central Bastrop County, Texas. The work was performed to fulfill contract requirements with the TXMF’s Adjutant General’s Office. The survey was conducted under the requirements of Section 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966. The survey was performed under interagency cooperation agreement TX11-ENV-09, with Dr. Steve Tomka, CAR Director, serving as Principal Investigator, Dr. Raymond Mauldin, CAR Assistant Director, serving as Project Manager, and Cynthia Moore Munoz serving as the Project Archaeologist. The work was conducted in advance of proposed improvements to the facility and in response to a large wildfire. The improvements will consist of an expansion of approximately 39 acres to an existing dropzone. Because the wildfire burned off most of the vegetation on 1,454 acres of the facility leaving high ground visibility, a resurvey of a portion of the area was also conducted. The goal of the pedestrian survey was to identify and document prehistoric and historic archaeological sites that may be impacted by the dropzone improvement or exposed and/or affected by the wildfire. This report summarizes the results of the fieldwork and provides recommendations regarding the management of cultural resources located on the project area. Pedestrian reconnaissance and 265 shovel tests were used to search for cultural resources on the 550 acre project area. Thirty-six isolated surface finds, including debitage, tools, a projectile point, a core, glass, ceramics, and a brick, were documented. Seven previously recorded sites were revisited. Ten new sites were identified during this survey. The CAR requested and was assigned trinomials (41BP859-868) for the sites. The TexSite records are on file at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL). The ten new sites include two prehistoric surface scatters (41BP861 and 862), three prehistoric surface scatters with buried material (41BP859, 865, and 866), one buried prehistoric site with no visible surface scatter (41BP867), and four historic surface scatters (41BP860, 863, 864, and 868). Six of the ten sites (41BP860, 861, 862, 864, 867, and 868) were recommended by the CAR as not eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The remaining four sites (41BP859, 863, 865, and 866) were assessed as unknown with further investigations recommended. Following laboratory processing and analysis, and in consultation with the TXMF’s Adjutant General’s Office, all sediment samples were discarded. This discard was in conformance with Texas Historical Commission (THC) guidelines. All remaining archaeological samples collected by the CAR, along with all associated artifacts, documents, notes, and photographs, were prepared for curation according to THC guidelines and are permanently curated at TARL at the University of Texas in Austin.Item A cultural resource survey for Medina Electric Cooperative, Inc., in Uvalde, Medina, and Frio counties, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1982) Frkuska, Augustine J.; Frkuska, Elizabeth G.The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR), The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), under contract with Alexander Utility Engineering, Inc., (letter dated May 5, 1980), conducted an archaeological survey for the Medina Electric Cooperative, Inc. Although the CAR was contracted in May 1980, at the request of Medina Electric Cooperative, Inc., the actual survey was not carried out until February 25-March 1, 1981. The survey, which was conducted in three neighboring south Texas counties (Fig. 1), was concentrated along proposed electrical distribution lines at D'Hanis in Medina County, north of Uvalde in Uvalde County, and southwest of Pearsall in Frio County. General supervision of the project was provided by Dr. Thomas R. Hester, Director, and Jack D. Eaton, Associate Director, of the CAR-UTSA. The project was carried out by Augustine and Elizabeth Frkuska, Center staff archaeologists. The survey methods were based upon the guidelines for site survey presented in Field Methods in Archaeology (Hester, Heizer, and Graham 1975:13-36). Any artifacts observed along the proposed routes were recorded as to their location and association with their environment. The areas surveyed were restricted in width since the majority of the proposed distribution lines followed public road right-of-ways, including areas just inside private property fronting along the road. Holes are to be excavated at predetermined intervals to set the utility poles, and in certain areas along the route there are to be anchor pins for the distribution lines. In addition, electrical system substations are to be constructed. This would involve the landscaping and fencing of designated areas along each of the proposed lines. All field information was recorded on standard forms. Photographs were taken of distribution line routes and potential sites. Selected artifacts were collected from the surface of sites and stored in paper bags labeled with a temporary site number. The site was then located and marked on a 7.51 United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map. All artifacts and collected data were processed according to standard archaeological procedures. Interpretations presented in this report are based on information obtained from the field survey and literature research. The information is presented under the names given to the distribution line routes and substations by the Medina Electric Cooperative, Inc. The areas surveyed for the Medina Electric Cooperative, Inc., are encompassed by the south-central Texas region. Five major chronological periods are recognized for this area of Texas. These periods are: (1) Paleo-Indian (ca. 9200 B.C.-6000 B.C.), (2) Pre-Archaic (ca. 6000 B.C.-3500 B.C.), (3) Archaic (ca. 3500 B.C.-A.D. 1000), (4) Late Prehistoric (ca. A.D. 1000-Historic contact), and (5) Historic (the period of historic European intrusion). The prehistoric occupation in south-central Texas is represented by all chronological periods. The sections describing the previous archaeology for each of the surveyed areas refer to this chronology.Item A Customized Human Mitochondrial DNA Database (hMITO DB v1.0) for Rapid Sequence Analysis, Haplotyping and Geo-Mapping(2023-08-31) Shen-Gunther, Jane; Gunther, Rutger S.; Cai, Hong; Wang, YufengThe field of mitochondrial genomics has advanced rapidly and has revolutionized disciplines such as molecular anthropology, population genetics, and medical genetics/oncogenetics. However, mtDNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis for matrilineal haplotyping and phylogeographic inference remains hindered by the lack of a consolidated mitogenome database and an efficient bioinformatics pipeline. To address this, we developed a customized human mitogenome database (hMITO DB) embedded in a CLC Genomics workflow for read mapping, variant analysis, haplotyping, and geo-mapping. The database was constructed from 4286 mitogenomes. The macro-haplogroup (A to Z) distribution and representative phylogenetic tree were found to be consistent with published literature. The hMITO DB automated workflow was tested using mtDNA-NGS sequences derived from Pap smears and cervical cancer cell lines. The auto-generated read mapping, variants track, and table of haplotypes and geo-origins were completed in 15 min for 47 samples. The mtDNA workflow proved to be a rapid, efficient, and accurate means of sequence analysis for translational mitogenomics.Item A Customized Monkeypox Virus Genomic Database (MPXV DB v1.0) for Rapid Sequence Analysis and Phylogenomic Discoveries in CLC Microbial Genomics(2022-12-22) Shen-Gunther, Jane; Cai, Hong; Wang, YufengMonkeypox has been a neglected, zoonotic tropical disease for over 50 years. Since the 2022 global outbreak, hundreds of human clinical samples have been subjected to next-generation sequencing (NGS) worldwide with raw data deposited in public repositories. However, sequence analysis for in-depth investigation of viral evolution remains hindered by the lack of a curated, whole genome Monkeypox virus (MPXV) database (DB) and efficient bioinformatics pipelines. To address this, we developed a customized MPXV DB for integration with "ready-to-use" workflows in the CLC Microbial Genomics Module for whole genomic and metagenomic analysis. After database construction (218 MPXV genomes), whole genome alignment, pairwise comparison, and evolutionary analysis of all genomes were analyzed to autogenerate tabular outputs and visual displays (collective runtime: 16 min). The clinical utility of the MPXV DB was demonstrated by using a Chimpanzee fecal, hybrid-capture NGS dataset (publicly available) for metagenomic, phylogenomic, and viral/host integration analysis. The clinically relevant MPXV DB embedded in CLC workflows proved to be a rapid method of sequence analysis useful for phylogenomic exploration and a wide range of applications in translational science.Item A De Novo Sequence Variant in Barrier-to-Autointegration Factor Is Associated with Dominant Motor Neuronopathy(2023-03-09) Marcelot, Agathe; Rodriguez-Tirado, Felipe; Cuniasse, Philippe; Joiner, Mei-ling; Miron, Simona; Soshnev, Alexey A.; Fang, Mimi; Pufall, Miles A.; Mathews, Katherine D.; Moore, Steven A.; Zinn-Justin, Sophie; Geyer, Pamela K.Barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) is an essential component of the nuclear lamina. Encoded by BANF1, this DNA binding protein contributes to the regulation of gene expression, cell cycle progression, and nuclear integrity. A rare recessive BAF variant, Ala12Thr, causes the premature aging syndrome, Néstor–Guillermo progeria syndrome (NGPS). Here, we report the first dominant pathogenic BAF variant, Gly16Arg, identified in a patient presenting with progressive neuromuscular weakness. Although disease variants carry nearby amino acid substitutions, cellular and biochemical properties are distinct. In contrast to NGPS, Gly16Arg patient fibroblasts show modest changes in nuclear lamina structure and increases in repressive marks associated with heterochromatin. Structural studies reveal that the Gly16Arg substitution introduces a salt bridge between BAF monomers, reducing the conformation ensemble available to BAF. We show that this structural change increases the double-stranded DNA binding affinity of BAF Gly16Arg. Together, our findings suggest that BAF Gly16Arg has an increased chromatin occupancy that leads to epigenetic changes and impacts nuclear functions. These observations provide a new example of how a missense mutation can change a protein conformational equilibrium to cause a dominant disease and extend our understanding of mechanisms by which BAF function impacts human health.