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Examining The Effectiveness Of Probiotic Therapy For Improving Growth Performance Of Triploid Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) In Aquaculture Using A Behavioural Genomics Approach, Chelsea Frank
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
With an increasing human population, there has been increased production of fish to meet nutritional needs. Commercial aquaculture accounts for a significant portion of seafood production with salmonids being the major farmed finfish in Canada. To obtain greater biomass from aquaculture with minimal drawbacks (e.g., compromised flesh quality), triploidization has been implemented, altering ploidy from 2N to 3N, to induce sterility and promote energy investment towards somatic growth. Triploid individuals experience transcriptional and behavioural changes resulting in disease, mortalities, and reduced growth. Probiotic therapies (live microorganisms) have been recommended to potentially overcome drawbacks of triploidy and improve mass due to …
The Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia Illucens Linnaeus (Diptera: Stratiomyidae): A Novel Approach To Combat Food Waste In Windsor-Essex., Patricia Obianuju Okpara
The Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia Illucens Linnaeus (Diptera: Stratiomyidae): A Novel Approach To Combat Food Waste In Windsor-Essex., Patricia Obianuju Okpara
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Within Ontario alone, approximately 3.7 million tonnes of organic food waste is generated yearly. This waste includes food scraps, wasted food, and plant wastes such as leaves, plant stems, and fruit. Most of it is transported to landfills for composting each year, but the use of landfills as a method of waste management is not sustainable. It adds strain to the environment by releasing harmful greenhouse gases and by demanding landfill space. The current protocols set by the Ontario government, while promising, do not address methods that support the safe disposal of organic waste and conversion into valuable end products …
The Influence Of Administrative Timing In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatments, Emily Mailloux
The Influence Of Administrative Timing In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatments, Emily Mailloux
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Breast cancer accounts for 25% of all cancers in Canadian women, and 15-20% of these are triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), which have a poorer prognosis than other breast cancer subtypes. TNBC lacks expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which are common therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Due to the lack of target therapy, generalized chemotherapy treatments are used instead. The standard of care for treatment of TNBC instead consists of doxorubicin (A), cyclophosphamide (C) paclitaxel (T), and carboplatin (Carbo), that target various aspects of the cell cycle to induce cell …
Application Of Crispr/Cas9 Whole Genome Screens To Advance Macrophage Biology, Kevin Wanniarachchi
Application Of Crispr/Cas9 Whole Genome Screens To Advance Macrophage Biology, Kevin Wanniarachchi
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Advances in CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technologies present opportunities to better understand the contribution of individual genes to complex eukaryotic cellular processes. I have applied CRISPR whole genome screen technologies to inform further mechanistic understanding of macrophage fitness and neutral lipid metabolism. This work is important because macrophages play critical roles in immune function and are implicated as causative agents in disease states. Chapter One of this dissertation provides insights into how CRISPR genome screening technologies have improved biological discovery and key findings from their application and discusses how this technology can be implemented to advance the discovery of novel macrophage …
C3 And C4 Grass Dominated Plant Communities Differ In Response To Future Larger And Less Frequent Rainfall, Zigeng Chen
C3 And C4 Grass Dominated Plant Communities Differ In Response To Future Larger And Less Frequent Rainfall, Zigeng Chen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Climate change is leading to larger and less frequent rainfall in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). We ask if this change in rainfall would influence carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in the NGP. First, we collected soils from C3 and C4 grass dominated plant communities from western South Dakota and conducted an incubation experiment to explore the effects of soil water content (SWC) and temperature on soil respiration (Rs) and N mineralization rate (ΔIN). Second, we conducted a three-year rainfallmanipulation (RaMP) experiment with two distinct rainfall regimes (frequent/small and infrequent/large events with constant total monthly precipitation) and two grasses …
Characterization Of Parp1-Dependent Poly-Adp-Ribosylation Of Sprtn, Quincee Simonson
Characterization Of Parp1-Dependent Poly-Adp-Ribosylation Of Sprtn, Quincee Simonson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) are a type of DNA lesion that form when proteins become covalently linked to DNA. It is estimated that replicating cells experience approximately 6,000 DPCs per day per genome during exponential growth (Ruggiano & Ramadan, 2021). If left unrepaired, DPCs can be lethal to cells. For this reason, cells have evolved multiple pathways to repair or bypass DPCs to survive. One such pathway involves SPRTN, a nuclear metalloprotease that plays a key role in the repair of DPCs through direct proteolysis (Lopez-Mosqueda et al., 2016; Vaz et al., 2016). Once SPRTN degrades the bulky protein component of …
Seroprevalence Of Sars-Cov-2 Antibodies Among Rural Healthcare Workers, Jordan Neises
Seroprevalence Of Sars-Cov-2 Antibodies Among Rural Healthcare Workers, Jordan Neises
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The objective of this longitudinal cohort study was to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV- 2) in healthcare workers employed at healthcare clinics in three rural counties in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota from May 13, 2020 through December 22, 2020. Three blood draws were performed at five clinical sites and tested for the presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Serum samples were tested for the presence of antibodies using a fluorescent microsphere immunoassay (FMIA), neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Spike-pseudotyped particles (SARS-CoV-2pp) assay, and serum virus neutralization (SVN) assay. The seroprevalence was determined …
Understanding Human Gut Bacterial Interactions And Their Role In Colonization Resistance Against Clostridioides Difficile Using Mini-Bioreactor Array And Caenorhabditis Elegans As Model Systems, Achuthan Ambat
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Although fecal transplantation has shown to be effective against Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), key species responsible for colonization resistance still need to be better identified. There needs to be more understanding of the rules governing the development of a healthy microbiome upon transplantation. The bottom-up approach of assembling simple to complex communities in model systems such as bioreactors is one of the ways to approach this problem. Studying synthetic communities with less complexity can yield a system-level understanding of microbial interactions. In the first study, we assembled a synthetic community of 14 bacterial species belonging to the core human microbiota …
Endogenous Antioxidant Response And Lipid Peroxidation Levels In Muscle Tissue Of The Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera Bonasus), Bailey Berry
Endogenous Antioxidant Response And Lipid Peroxidation Levels In Muscle Tissue Of The Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera Bonasus), Bailey Berry
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant response within cells. ROS generation is a natural consequence of ETC activity within the mitochondria and is associated with aerobic metabolism. Oxidative stress data on elasmobranch muscle is limited, with previous studies primarily focusing on mammalian and teleost muscle. Elasmobranch skeletal muscle is generally composed of large proportions of white muscle fibers (anaerobic), low proportions of red muscle fibers (aerobic), and low proportions of pink muscle fibers (anaerobic). The cownose ray, a benthopelagic batoid species, presents an interesting model of study because it contains relatively …
Dna Methylation And The Response To Infection In Introduced House Sparrows, Melanie Gibson
Dna Methylation And The Response To Infection In Introduced House Sparrows, Melanie Gibson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Epigenetics is the study of molecular modification of a genome without changing its base pairs. The most studied type of epigenetic mechanism is DNA methylation, which is capable of turning a gene “on” or “off.” Epigenetic potential is the capacity to which an individual can have methylation on its genome. The more CpGs available, the greater the epigenetic potential. In invasive species, genetic variation has been observed to be paradoxical: not much of it exists on a genomic level, but epigenetically, phenotypic variation can occur. The focus on shift in gene expression in this study is on Toll-Like Receptor 4 …
Sustainability Practices In Aquaculture: Using Algae Turf Scrubber Biomass To Raise Black Soldier Flies As An Alternative Feed In Blue Tilapia, Oreochromis Aureus, Culture, Michelle C. Lowery
Sustainability Practices In Aquaculture: Using Algae Turf Scrubber Biomass To Raise Black Soldier Flies As An Alternative Feed In Blue Tilapia, Oreochromis Aureus, Culture, Michelle C. Lowery
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Since the 1980s, non-algal aquaculture has grown to encompass 49% of all seafood production in response to a growing human population and increased seafood demand (FAO, 2022). Hurdles exist to aquaculture sustainability, including dependence on wild sourced fishmeal (FM) and the impacts wastewater discharge. It takes 4-5 tons of wild forage fish to produce one ton of dry FM (Miles and Chapman, 2006) and as aquaculture is primarily conducted in earthen ponds and public open water bodies (FAO, 2022), finfish culture can have a high impact on the surrounding environment by discharging excess nutrients. This study used algae turf scrubber …
Genetic Characterization Of Centromere-Mediated Uniparental Genome Elimination In Arabidopsis, Diana Spencer
Genetic Characterization Of Centromere-Mediated Uniparental Genome Elimination In Arabidopsis, Diana Spencer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The production of haploids through crossing was first discovered from instances of interspecies crosses in Nicotiana spp. in 1924. Since then, haploid induction crosses has been used to improve plant breeding programs and commercially utilized in a number of crop industries. The generation of doubled haploid instantaneously creates a pure homozygous line, therefore eliminating the need for several generations of inbreeding. There are several pathways to induce haploids in plants: of these methods, centromere-mediated genome elimination pathway engenders the highest haploid induction rate (HIR) with up to 45% in Arabidopsis compared to 15% through phospholipase-mediated haploid induction in maize. Centromere-mediated …
Fine-Scale Site Selection Of Strand-Feeding Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) And Their Prey, Deborah Kleinclaus
Fine-Scale Site Selection Of Strand-Feeding Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) And Their Prey, Deborah Kleinclaus
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Strand-feeding is a unique, cooperative foraging strategy used by some common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at low tide in South Carolina and Georgia salt marshes, where a group of dolphins charges schools of fish, thrusting them onto the bank with their bow wave and then capturing prey items onshore. Strand-feeding dolphins are estuarine residents and frequent predictable stranding sites, suggesting an intimate knowledge of the area. Dolphin behavior prior to stranding suggests they do not herd the fish before charging, but instead prey on fish already shoaling near the bank. The use of active acoustics from strand-feeders in order to …
Abundance And Growth Of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon In The Edisto River, Sc, Molly Katherine Takacs
Abundance And Growth Of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon In The Edisto River, Sc, Molly Katherine Takacs
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Information on abundance and body growth are important for understanding the status and health of populations, and this information can be used to guide and monitor conservation and recovery efforts for species of conservation concern. The Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) is an anadromous fish native to the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. Due to overfishing and habitat degradation, population levels declined, and Atlantic Sturgeon were placed on the Endangered Species list in 2012. Although there is substantial research on adult Atlantic Sturgeon, knowledge about their early life history is lacking. The objective of this study were …
Alcohol, Stress, And Sex In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis, Nicholas Burski
Alcohol, Stress, And Sex In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis, Nicholas Burski
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) costs the U.S. billions of dollars each year and is a leading cause of preventable death. AUD leads to many health complications, and those who suffer from AUD will often have stress and anxiety disorder comorbidities. To better understand this connection between AUD and stress and anxiety disorders, restraint stress (RS) and chronic-intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE) procedures were used on rats to analyze neuroinflammation via ELISA in the infralimbic and prelimbic cortices, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Levels of proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, were found to be elevated across different tests …
Importance Of The Microhabitat And Microclimate Conditions In The Northern Gray-Cheeked Salamander (Plethodon Montanus) Across An Elevation Gradient, Trevor Chapman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The southern Appalachian Mountains have among the highest salamander diversity in the world, largely due to local speciation in the family Plethodontidae. Plethodontid salamanders (i.e., lungless salamanders) are particularly sensitive to habitat climate conditions due to their reliance on cutaneous respiration, and their immediate environmental conditions (microhabitat) likely influence their dispersion and activity more than the large-scale atmospheric conditions. The Northern Gray-cheeked salamander (Plethodon montanus) is restricted to high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between P. montanus and its microhabitat by examining behavioral preference for climatic conditions, characterizing the microclimate with …
Quantifying Spatial Heterogeneity Of Wild Blueberries And Crop Water Stress Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Technologies, Kallol Barai
Quantifying Spatial Heterogeneity Of Wild Blueberries And Crop Water Stress Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Technologies, Kallol Barai
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The wild blueberry is one of the major crops of Maine, with significant economic value and potential health benefits. Due to global climate change, drought impacts have been increasing significantly in recent years in the northeast region of the USA, causing significant economic losses in the agricultural sectors. It has been predicted to increase further in the future. Changing patterns of the elevated atmospheric temperatures, increased rainfall variabilities, and more frequent drought events have made the wild blueberry industry of Maine vulnerable, suggesting the adoption of novel approaches to mitigate the negative impacts of global climate changes. Also, wild blueberry …
Characterization Of Microbotryum Lychnidis-Dioicae Secreted Effector Proteins That Manipulate Its Host Plant, Silene Latifolia., Ming-Chang Tsai
Characterization Of Microbotryum Lychnidis-Dioicae Secreted Effector Proteins That Manipulate Its Host Plant, Silene Latifolia., Ming-Chang Tsai
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The smut fungal species Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae is an obligate phytopathogen colonizing the plant host, Silene latifolia. A significant feature of M. lychnidis-dioicae infection is that the fungus can replace pollen on the anthers of susceptible host plants with fungal teliospores, thus earning the fungus the name: anther smut disease of flowers. The fungus synthesizes and secretes effector proteins into the cells of the plant host during infection, and the protein-protein interactions may interfere with and modify metabolism, plant development, and gene expression of the host to allow fungal colonization. Two potential fungal effector proteins, MVLG_06175 and MVLG_05122, were identified …
Quantifying Population-Level Effects Of Warm-Water Catch-And-Release Mortality On Muskellunge (Esox Masquinongy) In The James River, Virginia, Cory J. Bauerlien
Quantifying Population-Level Effects Of Warm-Water Catch-And-Release Mortality On Muskellunge (Esox Masquinongy) In The James River, Virginia, Cory J. Bauerlien
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Catch-and-release (C&R) has become a popular practice in many fisheries, both as a management strategy and as an angler ethic. The practice has been used to both increase the abundance and size structure of fish populations but relies heavily on the assumption that released fish survive the encounter. The Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) is a large-bodied, coolwater predatory game fish that is highly prized by many anglers. Many Muskellunge fisheries have transitioned to almost exclusively C&R angling. Muskellunge fisheries have increased in both number and popularity, particularly in southern and mid-Atlantic rivers. However, there is little information on population characteristics for …
Winter Use Of Winyah Bay, Sc By The Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias), And Their Movements South Of Cape Hatteras, Nc, Meredith L. Langford
Winter Use Of Winyah Bay, Sc By The Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias), And Their Movements South Of Cape Hatteras, Nc, Meredith L. Langford
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
South of Cape Hatteras, NC, little is known about the coastal distribution and movement of the Spiny Dogfish, Squalus acanthias. Between January 2018 and March 2020 this study conducted winter demersal longline sampling in Winyah Bay, SC to investigate habitat use by Spiny Dogfish. In addition to monitoring Winyah Bay use through catch-and-release, 13 individuals were outfitted with implanted Vemco™ acoustic transmitters to monitor large scale movements along the U.S. East Coast. Across three sampling seasons 84 female Spiny Dogfish were captured within lower Winyah Bay. No males were observed over the course of the study. The mean fork length …
Evaluating Threats To The Water Quality Of Little Buffalo Creek And Sarver Run Through Water Quality Analysis And Backpack Electrofishing Surveys, Riley Williams
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Currently, 64.8% and 52.2% of Little Buffalo Creek and Sarver Run stream kilometers are impaired, respectively. Impairment sources to Little Buffalo Creek include agriculture, riparian deforestation, on-site wastewater, and urban runoff. Impairment sources to Sarver Run are unknown. Our goal was to understand sources of impairment through water quality analysis and fish surveys. Water samples were collected monthly and analyzed for cation and anion concentrations. Mass ratio analysis comparing Br/SO4 and Mg/Li, Ca/Mg and Ca/Sr, Mg/Na and SO4/Cl, and SO4/Cl and Mg/Li suggests that mine drainage and conventional oil and gas may be impacting water …
A Review Of Current Methods In Avian Dietary Analysis And Their Integrated Application To Characterize The Trophic Niche Of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia Motacilla)., Brandon Hoenig
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Characterizing a species’ dietary composition presents an avenue to understand many facets of its ecological niche and can provide essential information for the species’ long-term conservation. To date, the vast majority of diet studies have relied on direct identification of prey during foraging observations or from diet samples to characterize the dietary habits of birds. However, advancements in laboratory-based approaches have revolutionized the field of trophic ecology by allowing researchers to indirectly infer dietary habits with higher resolution across greater time scales. Here, I apply two of these laboratory-based techniques, namely DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis, to characterize the …
Detection And Occurrence Of Nerodia Harteri (Serpentes: Colubridae) In An Upper Portion Of The Brazos River Watershed, Jessica Yates
Detection And Occurrence Of Nerodia Harteri (Serpentes: Colubridae) In An Upper Portion Of The Brazos River Watershed, Jessica Yates
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Semiaquatic snakes are disproportionately impacted by habitat alteration adjacent to wetlands because of their reliance on both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Brazos River Watersnakes, Nerodia harteri, are endemic natricines with one of the most restricted geographic ranges in North America. I quantified detection and site occupancy probabilities of N. harteri and its sympatric congeners (N. erythrogaster and N. rhombifer), as well as microhabitat selection within the Nerodia community. Within occupied transects, search effort was positively correlated with detecting N. harteri, whereas environmental and/or habitat variables were better predictors for detecting the sympatric congeners. Microhabitat selection between …
Age, Growth, Foraging, And Trophic Ecology Of Bigeye (Thunnus Obesus) And Yellowfin (Thunnus Albacares) Tuna In Continental Shelf And Slope Regions Of The Northeast U.S., Riley S. Austin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Traditional stock assessments require, in part, accurate knowledge of growth relationships to estimate a variety of aspects involved in population conservation management of exploited species. In addition, the local distribution and condition of top pelagic predators is driven by detection of abundant forage aggregations and along with traditional stock assessments, should be considered for effective management of marine populations. Empirical analyses of these data are severely lacking for bigeye (Thunnus obesus) and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) tuna in the Atlantic Ocean, especially for the former. Given historical studies’ observations of these two top predators use as biological samplers due to their …
The Role Of Foxd1 In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Kyle H. Bond
The Role Of Foxd1 In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Kyle H. Bond
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the 8th most common cancer in the United States, with the clear cell variant (ccRCC) being the most prevalent. Over 14,000 people die every year to RCC, with rates continuing to increase with an aging general population. Patients suffering from metastatic RCC (mRCC) have extremely poor prognoses, with a 5-year survival of only 11.2%. Current treatment options include resection of primary lesions, tyrosine kinase inhibition (Sunitinib, Pazopanib), mTOR inhibition (Temsirolimus, Everolimus), and immune checkpoint inhibition (Nivolumab, Atezolizumab). Recent attention has been drawn to inhibition of transcription factors like HIF2α (Belzutifan). There is a need …
Effect Of Mycorrhizae Inoculation On The Growth And Success Of Three Taxodium Distichum Hybrids In Saline - Impacted Coastal Soils, Elif Ilhan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In 2008, Galveston Island was severely impacted by Hurricane Ike, resulting in high salt deposition in the soil and groundwater. This caused a loss of many native plant species. A study was initiated to determine effective ways to promote the growth conditions of three bald cypress genotypes (Taxodium distichum var distichum and Taxodium distichum var mexicanum crosses) in salt-affected soils. The treatments applied were mycorrhizae inoculation, fertilizer application, and a combination of mycorrhizae inoculation and fertilizer application. A total of sixty (60) trees planted in plots of three rows and divided into five randomized replication blocks of four treatments …
Using Macroinvertebrates To Assess The Effects Of Nutrient Input Between The Nolichucky And Pigeon Rivers, Anna Grizzard
Using Macroinvertebrates To Assess The Effects Of Nutrient Input Between The Nolichucky And Pigeon Rivers, Anna Grizzard
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Previous work found significant differences in growth rates of native mussels at locations downstream from the regulated Walter’s Dam and the out-of-service, free-flowing Davy Crockett Dam. The purpose of this study is to investigate differences within the macroinvertebrate communities related to factors driving the differences in mussel growth between rivers. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected following the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation protocol for SQKICK collection and analyzed using the Tennessee Macroinvertebrate Index (TMI). There were no significant differences in TMI scores between the downstream sites of the rivers, but there were significant increases in chlorophylla, dissolved oxygen, …
Fish Community Assembly At Multiple Spatial Scales In East Texas Streams, Jake R. Swanson
Fish Community Assembly At Multiple Spatial Scales In East Texas Streams, Jake R. Swanson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Stream communities are structured by environmental processes that vary in strength across different spatiotemporal scales. Therefore, revealing how stream fish communities are influenced by environmental gradients may clarify how communities respond to disturbance associated with anthropogenic change. I investigated the relative role environmental variables play in the processes that structure the taxonomic and functional diversity of stream fish communities, as well as historical trends in occurrence and local habitat associated with a species of greatest conservation need within east Texas. The results of this study indicate that stream sites with more habitat complexity and stability support a more taxonomically and …
Functional Role Of Ppal And Potential For Moss In Industrial Applications., Susana Perez Martinez
Functional Role Of Ppal And Potential For Moss In Industrial Applications., Susana Perez Martinez
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation is an examination and characterization of the functional roles of PPAL. PROTEIN PRENYLTRANSFERASE ALPHA SUBUNIT-LIKE (PPAL) is a recently discovered gene. PPAL homologs are present in all plants and many animals, where its function is largely unknown. It is possible that PPAL could participate in prenylation processes since it shares similarity to the α subunits of known prenylation enzymes. Prenylation is a post-translational modification of proteins that involves the addition of a lipid moiety to proteins to facilitate membrane targeting and association and promote protein-protein interactions. Prenylation has important roles in plant growth and development, including …
Characterization Of Hemocytes In Amblyomma Americanum And Investigation Of Traf6’S Role In Proliferation Of Hemocytes In Response To Infection, Jacquelyn T. May
Characterization Of Hemocytes In Amblyomma Americanum And Investigation Of Traf6’S Role In Proliferation Of Hemocytes In Response To Infection, Jacquelyn T. May
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Amblyomma americanum is a medically important vector in the southeast United States. Cellular and molecular aspects of the immune system of this species were examined. To investigate cellular processes, hemocytes produced in response to gram-negative infection were characterized according to their ultrastructure. Four hemocyte types were identified: prohemocytes, plasmatocytes, type-I granulocytes, and type-II granulocytes. To elucidate molecular processes, we investigated AamTRAF as an immune-related gene by silencing the gene using RNAi then quantifying the hemocytes after inoculation with gram-negative and positive bacteria. It was found that silencing AamTRAF caused a decrease in hemocyte proliferation in response to gram-positive but not …