Life Sciences Commons^™

Piscine Myocarditis Virus (Pmcv) In Wild Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease of sea-farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., but CMS-like lesions have also been found in wild Atlantic salmon. In 2010 a double-stranded RNA virus of the Totiviridae family, provisionally named piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), was described as the causative agent of CMS. In the present paper we report the first detection of PMCV in wild Atlantic salmon. The study is based on screening of 797 wild Atlantic salmon by real-time RT-PCR. The samples were collected from 35 different rivers along the coast of Norway, and all individuals included in the study were …

Sequence Conservation In The C-Terminal Region Of Spider Silk Proteins (Spidroin) From Nephila Clavipes (Tetragnathidae) And Araneus Bicentenarius (Araneidae), Richard D. Beckwitt, Steven Arcidiacono

Richard D Beckwitt

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has been used to amplify the portion of the Spidroin 1 gene that codes for the C-terminal part of the silk protein of the spider Nephila clavipes. Along with some substitution mutations of minor consequence, the PCR-derived sequence reveals an additional base missing from the previously published Nephila Spidroin 1 sequence. Comparison of the PCR-derived sequence with the equivalent region of Spidroin 2 indicates that the insertion of this single base results in greatly increased similarity in the resulting amino acid sequences of Spidroin 1 and Spidroin 2 (75% over 97 amino acids). The same …

Differential Expression Of Alpha 4 Integrins On Effector Memory T Helper Cells During Bordetella Infections. Delayed Responses In Bordetella Pertussis, Tzvia Abramson, Tuan M. Nguyen, Dipti Ravindra, Brian Kwong, Sana Waheed, Ryan Ferguson, Nicole Tarlton, Victoria Wu, Christopher S. Sequeira, Martina Bremer

Tzvia Abramson

Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) is the causative agent of whooping cough, a respiratory disease that is reemerging worldwide. Mechanisms of selective lymphocyte trafficking to the airways are likely to be critical in the immune response to this pathogen. We compared murine infection by B. pertussis, B. parapertussis, and a pertussis toxin-deleted B. pertussis mutant (BpΔPTX) to test the hypothesis that effector memory T-helper cells (emTh) display an altered pattern of trafficking receptor expression in B. pertussis infection due to a defect in imprinting. Increased cell recruitment to the lungs at 5 days post infection (p.i.) with B. parapertussis, and to …

The Role Of Olfactory Cues In The Sequential Radiation Of A Gall-Boring Beetle, Mordellistena Convicta, Bradley Rhodes, Catherine Blair, Mizuki Takahashi, Warren Abrahamson

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

1. Herbivorous insects often have close associations with specific host plants, and their preferences for mating and ovipositing on a specific host-plant species can reproductively isolate populations, facilitating ecological speciation. Volatile emissions from host plants can play a major role in assisting herbivores to locate their natal host plants and thus facilitate assortative mating and host-specific oviposition. 2. The present study investigated the role of host-plant volatiles in host fidelity and oviposition preference of the gall-boring, inquiline beetle, Mordellistena convicta, using Y-tube olfactometers. Previous studies suggest that the gall-boring beetle is undergoing sequential host-associated divergence by utilizing the resources that …

Ecologists Engaging With Communities And Regional Decision-Makers: Organized Oral Session 14 At The 2011 Esa Annual Meeting In Austin, Texas, Nadine Lymn, George Middendorf

George Middendorf

No abstract provided.

Ultraviolet Radiation Influences Perch Selection By A Neotropical Poison-Dart Frog, Lee Kats, Gary M. Bucciarelli, David E. Schlais, Andrew R. Blaustein, Barbara A. Han

Lee Kats

Ambient ultraviolet-B radiation can harm amphibian eggs, larvae and adults. However, some amphibians avoid UV-B radiation when given the opportunity. The strawberry poison dart frog, Oophaga pumilio, is diurnal and males vocalize throughout the day in light gaps under forest canopies that expose them to solar radiation. Previous studies have demonstrated that males calling from high perches are more successful at mating than those at lower perches. We investigated whether frogs at higher perches receive more ultraviolet-B than those calling from lower perches. We also investigated whether frogs on perches receiving relatively low ultraviolet-B levels maintained their positions for longer …

Late Embryogenesis Abundant Proteins Protect Human Hepatoma Cells During Acute Desiccation, Shumin Li, Nilay Chakraborty, Apurva Borcar, Michael A. Menze, Mehmet Toner, Steven C. Hand

Michael Menze

Expression of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins is highly correlated with desiccation tolerance in anhydrobiotic animals, selected land plants, and bacteria. Genes encoding two LEA proteins, one localized to the cytoplasm/nucleus (AfrLEA2) and one targeted to mitochondria (AfrLEA3m), were stably transfected into human HepG2 cells. A trehalose transporterwas used for intracellular loading of this disaccharide. Cellswere rapidly and uniformly desiccated to low water content (<0.12 g H2O/g dry weight) with a recently developed spin-drying technique. Immediately on rehydration, control cells without LEA proteins or trehalose exhibited 0% membrane integrity, comparedwith 98% in cells loaded with trehalose and expressing AfrLEA2 or AfrLEA3m; surprisingly, AfrLEA3m without trehalose conferred 94% protection. Cell proliferation across 7 d showed an 18-fold increase for cells dried with AfrLEA3m and trehalose, compared with 27-fold for nondried controls. LEA proteins dramatically enhance desiccation tolerance in mammalian cells and offer the opportunity for engineering biostability in the dried state.

Two Different High Throughput Sequencing Approaches Identify Thousands Of De Novo Genomic Markers For The Genetically Depleted Bornean Elephant., Reeta Sharma, Benoit Goossens, Benoit Goossens, Célia Kun-Rodrigues, Tatiana Teixeira, Nurzhafarina Othman, Nurzhafarina Othman, Jason Q. Boone, Nathaniel K. Jue, Craig Obergfell, Rachel J. O'Neill, Lounès Chikhi, Lounès Chikhi, Lounès Chikhi

Nathaniel Jue

Metabolic Preconditioning Of Mammalian Cells: Mimetic Agents For Hypoxia Lack Fidelity In Promoting Phosphorylation Of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase, Apurva Borcar, Michael A. Menze, Mehmet Toner, Steven C. Hand

Michael Menze

Induction of HIF-1α by oxygen limitation promotes increased phosphorylation and catalytic depression of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and an enhanced glycolytic poise in cells. Cobalt chloride and desferrioxamine are widely used as mimics for hypoxia because they increase the levels of HIF-1α. We evaluated the ability of these agents to elicit selected physiological responses to hypoxia as a means to metabolically precondition mammalian cells, but without the detrimental effects of hypoxia. We show that, while CoCl2 does increase HIF-1α in a dose-dependent manner, it unexpectedly and strikingly decreases PDH phosphorylation at E1α sites 1, 2, and 3 (Ser293, Ser300, and …

Effects Of Canola And Corn Oil Mimetic On Jurkat Cells, Gabriela Ion, Kayla Fazio, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Gabriela Ion

BACKGROUND: The Western diet is high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil contains a healthier omega 3 to omega 6 ratio than corn oil. Jurkat T leukemia cells were treated with free fatty acids mixtures in ratios mimicking that found in commercially available canola oil (7% α-linolenic, 30% linoleic, 54% oleic) or corn oil (59% linoleic, 24% oleic) to determine the cell survival or cell death and changes in expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and receptors following oil treatment. METHODS: Fatty acid uptake was assessed by gas chromatography. Cell survival and cell death were …

Maternal Consumption Of Canola Oil Suppressed Mammary Gland Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice Offspring, Gabriela Ion, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Gabriela Ion

Background: Maternal consumption of a diet high in omega 6 polyunsaturated fats (n-6 PUFA) has been shown to increase risk whereas a diet high in omega 3 polyunsaturated fats (n-3 PUFA) from fish oil has been shown to decrease risk for mammary gland cancer in female offspring of rats. The aim of this study was to determine whether increasing n-3 PUFA and reducing n-6 PUFA by using canola oil instead of corn oil in the maternal diet might reduce the risk for breast cancer in female offspring. Methods: Female SV 129 mice were divided into two groups and placed on …

Phylogenomics And A Posteriori Data Partitioning Resolve The Cretaceous Angiosperm Radiation Malpighiales, Peter F. Stevens, Zhenxiang Xi, Brad R. Ruhfel, Hanno Schaefer, André M. Amorim, M. Sugumaran, Kenneth J. Wurdack, Peter K. Endress, Merran L. Matthews, Sarah Mathews, Charles C. Davis

Peter Stevens

Euscorpius Sicanus (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) From Tunisia: Dna Barcoding Confirms Ancient Disjunctions Across The Mediterranean Sea, Matthew R. Graham, Pavel Stoev, Nesrine Akkari, Gergin Blagoev, Victor Fet

Victor Fet

We used a DNA barcoding marker (mitochondrial cox1) to investigate the controversial natural occurrence of Euscorpius sicanus (C.L. Koch) in North Africa. We tested this hypothesis by comparing a sample collected from a mountain in Tunisia to disjunct populations in Sardinia, Malta, and Greece. Using these samples, and a few additional Euscorpius spp. from southern Europe as outgroups, we reconstructed the maternal phylogeny. We then used a molecular clock to place the phylogeny in a temporal context. The Tunisian sample grouped closest to a specimen from Sardinia, with both being more distantly related to E. sicanus from Malta, which is …

Comparison Of Phenolic Compounds And Antioxidant Capacities Of Traditional Sorghum Beers With Other Alcoholic Beverages, Fatouma Abdoul-Latif, Romaric G. Bayili, Louis C. Obame, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Thirty samples of sorghum beers “dolo” were selected from traditionally fermented household manufacturers from Burkina Faso. Dolo samples were screened for their total phenolic content, proanthocyanidins and putative antioxidant capacities, and were compared with industrial beers and wines. Total phenols were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Proanthocyanidins content were determined by the method of HCl-butanol hydrolysis. Antioxidant activities were evaluated both with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and by the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) using 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical) (ABTS•+). The average contents of total phenols and proanthocyanidins were 506 μg GAE/ml of dolo and 45 μg APE/ml of dolo, respectively. An …

Regulatory Elements Of Xenopus Col2a1 Drive Cartilaginous Gene Expression In Transgenic Frogs, Ryan R. Kerney, Brian K. Hall, James Hanken

Ryan Kerney

This study characterizes regulatory elements of collagen 2α1 (col2a1) in Xenopus that enable transgene expression in cartilage-forming chondrocytes. The reporters described in this study drive strong cartilage-specific gene expression, which will be a valuable tool for further investigations of Xenopus skeletal development. While endogenous col2a1 mRNA is expressed in many embryonic tissues, its expression becomes restricted to tadpole and adult chondrocytes. This chondrocyte-specific expression is recapitulated by col2a1 reporter constructs, which were tested through I-SceI meganuclease-mediated transgenesis. These constructs contain a portion of the Xenopus tropicalis col2a1 intron, which aligns to a cartilage-specific intronic enhancer that has been well characterized …

Individual Cell Growth Rates Of Marine Bacteria, Measured By Bromodeoxyuridine Incorporation, Koji Hamasaki, Richard A. Long, Farooq Azam

Richard A. Long

We tested the application of 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine (BrdU), a thymidine analogue that becomes incorporated into DNA during growth, to measure growth rates of individual marine bacteria cells. Immunocytochemical detection of BrdU incorporation into bacterial DNA has the potential for single-cell-based growth measurement. Optimized procedure for immunocytochemistry was applicable to 14 marine heterotrophic bacterial isolates belonging to g-proteobacteria, α-proteobacteria, Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides (CFB) group and Gram-positive bacteria. The relationship between cell-specific fluorescence intensity and specific growth rate was linearly correlated among CFB group isolates, which indicated a potential of the method for quantitative measurement. Analysis of the detection limit indicated …

Coupling Between Bacterioplankton Species Composition, Population Dynamics, And Organic Matter Degradation, Jarone Pinhassi, Farooq Azam, Johanna Hemphälä, Richard A. Long, Josefina Martinez, Ulla Li Zweifel, Åke Hagström

Richard A. Long

To study the effect of substrate addition on short term bacterial population dynamics and species composition in seawater mesocosms were maintained with water collected off Scripps Pier (La Jolla, California USA) Protein enrichment (BSA) triggered a dynamic response from the microbial food web, whereas enrichment with starch had no effect. In the protein enriched mesocosm the number of both nucleoid-containing cells and metabolically active cells increased by 3.0 X 105 cells ml-1 from Day 1 to Day 4 In the same time period the density of a set of 31 phylogenetically different bacteria (α- and g-Proteobactena as well as Flexibacter-Cytophaga-Bacteroides) …

Abundant Protein-Containing Particles In The Sea, Richard A. Long, Farooq Azam

Richard A. Long

The interaction of bacteria with particulate organic matter has implications for organic matter cycling and bacterial ecology in the ocean. Until recently, the focus has been on 'classical' particles visible by unaided eye (marine snow) or light microscopy. Recent discoveries of several new types of abundant particles, from sub-micrometer to sub-marine snow, are changing our ideas of the physical and chemical nature of the particle field with which pelagic bacteria interact. Previous workers have discovered polysaccharide-containing (Alcian Blue stainable) transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) ranging from 3 to 100s of micrometers. Looking for additional components of the sub-marine snow particle field, …

Crystallization And Polymerization, Otto Vogl, Frank T. Traceski, Eric G. Vogl

Otto Vogl

No abstract provided.

Dispositional Depression And Hostility Are Associated With Inflammatory Markers Of Cardiovascular Disease In African Americans, Michael Lipscomb

Michael Lipscomb

Daily Energy Expenditure In Precocial Shorebird Chicks: Smaller Species Perform At Higher Levels, Robert Ricklefs, Karen L. Krijgsveld, G. Henk Visser

Robert Ricklefs

Cryptococcal Genotype Influences Immunologic Response And Human Clinical Outcome After Meningitis, Darin L. Wiesner, Oleksandr Moskalenko, Jennifer M. Corcoran, Tami Mcdonald, Melissa A. Rolfes, David B. Meya, Henry Kajumbula, Andrew Kambugu, Paul R. Bohjanen, Joseph F. Knight, David R. Boulware, Kirsten Nielsen

Tami McDonald

No abstract provided.

Inferring And Testing Hypotheses Of Cladistic Character Dependence By Using Character Compatibility, F. Robin O’Keefe, Peter J. Wagner

F. Robin O’Keefe

The notion that two characters evolve independently is of interest for two reasons. First, theories of biological integration often predict that change in one character requires complementary change in another. Second, character independence is a basic assumption of most phylogenetic inference methods, and dependent characters might confound attempts at phylogenetic inference. Previously proposed tests of correlated character evolution require a model phylogeny and therefore assume that nonphylogenetic correlation has a negligible effect on initial tree construction. This paper develops “tree-free” methods for testing the independence of cladistic characters. These methods can test the character independence model as a hypothesis before …

Directional Selection Causes Decanalization In A Group I Ribozyme, Eric J. Hayden, Christian Weikert, Andreas Wagner

Eric J. Hayden

A canalized genotype is robust to environmental or genetic perturbations. Canalization is expected to result from stabilizing selection on a well-adapted phenotype. Decanalization, the loss of robustness, might follow periods of directional selection toward a new optimum. The evolutionary forces causing decanalization are still unknown, in part because it is difficult to determine the fitness effects of mutations in populations of organisms with complex genotypes and phenotypes. Here, we report direct experimental measurements of robustness in a system with a simple genotype and phenotype, the catalytic activity of an RNA enzyme. We find that the robustness of a population of …

Serotyping Group B Streptococci In A Small Community Hospital: An Analysis Of Distribution And Site Of Isolation, Jennifer M. Smith, Jason A. Rexroth, David G. Chaffin, Susan H. Jackman

Susan H. Jackman

Objective: To determine the prevalence and site of isolation of different serotypes of group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization or infection at a small community hospital. Methods: GBS isolates were obtained from a small community hospital and were then serotyped as la, Ib, II, III, IV, V or non-typeable. Hospital records were reviewed for patient sex, age and pregnancy status as well as the site of GBS isolation. Results: GBS serotypes Ia, III and V were most common and accounted for over 60% of the total number of isolates. Serotype Ia was most prevalent in reproductive-age females, while serotypes V and …

Murine Epidermal Cell Antigen (Skn)-Directed Autoimmunity Induced By Transfer Of Cd4+ T Cells, Susan H. Jackman, Shivaleela Keerthy, Giselle Perry

Susan H. Jackman

While pathogenic T cells have been identified for several diseases with epithelial cell damage, an autoimmune T cell-mediated response targeted against a known keratinocyte antigen has not been reported. Previously we described an autoimmune response directed to the mouse epidermal cell antigens, Skn. For our murine model, primed Skn-immune lymphocytes are adoptively transferred to recipients, which develop lesions at the site of mild skin trauma. In this study we investigated the nature of the autoimmune component of the Skn response. A time-course study demonstrated a relationship between the number of primed Sknimmune cells injected and the severity of skin lesions …

Serotyping Group B Streptococci In A Small Community Hospital: An Analysis Of Distribution And Site Of Isolation, Jennifer M. Smith, Jason A. Rexroth, David G. Chaffin, Susan H. Jackman

David G. Chaffin

Objective: To determine the prevalence and site of isolation of different serotypes of group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization or infection at a small community hospital. Methods: GBS isolates were obtained from a small community hospital and were then serotyped as la, Ib, II, III, IV, V or non-typeable. Hospital records were reviewed for patient sex, age and pregnancy status as well as the site of GBS isolation. Results: GBS serotypes Ia, III and V were most common and accounted for over 60% of the total number of isolates. Serotype Ia was most prevalent in reproductive-age females, while serotypes V and …

Long-Term Effects Of Estradiol Replacement In The Olfactory System, Britto P. Nathan, Michael Tonsor, Robert G. Struble

Britto P. Nathan

Olfactory dysfunction often precedes other clinical symptoms in chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Estrogen deficiency and apoE genotype are known risk factors in these diseases and these factors also affect olfaction. Therefore we examined the effects of estradiol replacement following ovariectomy on expression of apoE and markers of cell proliferation, neuronal maturation, synaptogenesis and reactive gliosis in the primary olfactory pathway of wild-type (WT) and apoE knockout (KO) mice. Estradiol replacement increased apoE staining in the olfactory nerve and glomerular layers. Estradiol increased astrocyte density and olfactory epithelium (OE) thickness regardless of the genotype. In addition estradiol …

Pictures From My Life With Polymer Science: Album 12, Otto Vogl

Otto Vogl

No abstract provided.

Maternal Consumption Of Canola Oil Suppressed Mammary Gland Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice Offspring, Gabriela Ion, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Elaine Hardman Ph.D.

Background: Maternal consumption of a diet high in omega 6 polyunsaturated fats (n-6 PUFA) has been shown to increase risk whereas a diet high in omega 3 polyunsaturated fats (n-3 PUFA) from fish oil has been shown to decrease risk for mammary gland cancer in female offspring of rats. The aim of this study was to determine whether increasing n-3 PUFA and reducing n-6 PUFA by using canola oil instead of corn oil in the maternal diet might reduce the risk for breast cancer in female offspring. Methods: Female SV 129 mice were divided into two groups and placed on …