Life Sciences Commons^™

Short Germ Insects Utilize Both The Ancestral And Derived Mode Of Polycomb Group-Mediated Epigenetic Silencing Of Hox Genes, Yuji Matsuoka, Tetsuya Bando, Takahito Watanabe, Yoshiyasu Ishimaru, Sumihare Noji, Aleksander Popadic, Taro Mito

Biological Sciences Faculty Research Publications

In insect species that undergo long germ segmentation, such as Drosophila, all segments are specified simultaneously at the early blastoderm stage. As embryogenesis progresses, the expression boundaries of Hox genes are established by repression of gap genes, which is subsequently replaced by Polycomb group (PcG) silencing. At present, however, it is not known whether patterning occurs this way in a more ancestral (short germ) mode of embryogenesis, where segments are added gradually during posterior elongation. In this study, two members of the PcG family, Enhancer of zeste (E(z)) and Suppressor of zeste 12 (Su(z)12), were analyzed in the …

Low Mitochondrial Dna Diversity In An Ancient Population From China: Insight, Yu Dong, Chunxiang Li, Fengshi Luan, Zhenguang Li, Hongjie Li, Yinqiu Cui, Hui Zhou, Ripan S. Malhi

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

To gain insight into the social organization of a population associated with the Dawenkou period, ancient DNA analysis of 18 individuals from human remains from Fujia site, Shandong Province, China was completed. Directly radiocarbon dated to 4800–4500 cal BP, the Fujia site is assumed to be associated with a transitional phase from matrilineal clans to patrilineal monogamous families. Our results reveal a low mitochondrial DNA diversity from the site and population. Combined with Y-chromosome data, the pattern observed at the Fujia site is most consistent with a matrilineal community. The patterns also suggest that the bond of marriage were de-emphasized …

Analyzing The Interactions Of Kdm5/Lid And Sin3 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Ambikai Gajan

Wayne State University Dissertations

SIN3, the scaffold protein of a histone modifying complex is conserved from yeast to mammals. Drosophila SIN3 associates with both a histone deactylase RPD3 and a histone demethylase dKDM5/LID. Immunopurification of dKDM5/LID verifies a previously observed interaction with SIN3 and RPD3. Furthermore, deficiency of dKDM5/LID phenocopies deficiency of SIN3 in many cellular and developmental processes. Knockdown of both Sin3A and lid hinder cell proliferation in Drosophila cultured cells and developing flies. Knockdown of these genes also results in a curved wing phenotype implicating a role in wing development. Analysis of underlying gene expression changes upon decreased expression of SIN3, dKDM5/LID …

Acoustic Cues Of Physical Formidability In Cage Fighters, Stefan Mattias-Maria Goetz

Wayne State University Theses

Across the animal kingdom, the sex that experiences the most reproductive variance tends to evolve sexually dimorphic traits—both behavioral and morphological—which aid in reproduction. Human evolution has been marked by greater male intrasexual selection and as a result, men display a variety of secondary sexual characteristics, putatively serving to enhance biological fitness. Among these, fundamental frequency, closely related to perception of pitch, among men is half that of women. Likewise, monotonicity, that is, variance in pitch across an utterance, is higher in men (i.e., women show greater variance in pitch) while formant dispersion, which gives the voice its timbre, is …

Drosophila Cyclin J And The Somatic Pirna Pathway Cooperate To Regulate Germline Stem Cells, Paul Michael Albosta

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cyclin J (CycJ) is a highly conserved cyclin that is uniquely expressed specifically in ovaries in Drosophila. Deletion of the genomic region containing CycJ and adjacent genes resulted in a genetic interaction with neighboring piRNA pathway gene, armitage (armi). Here I assessed oogenesis in CycJ null in the presence or absence of mutations in armi or other piRNA pathway genes. Although CycJ null flies had decreased egg laying and hatching rates, ovaries appeared normal indicating that CycJ is dispensable for oogenesis under normal conditions. Further double mutant analysis of CycJ and neighbor armi, as well as two other piRNA pathway …

The Loss Of Genomic Uracil Homeostasis And Aid-Dependent Accumulation Of Dna Damage In B Cell Lymphomas, Sophia Shalhout

Wayne State University Dissertations

Activation-induced deaminase (AID) is a sequence-selective DNA cytosine deaminase that introduces uracils in immunoglobulin genes. This DNA mutator is required for somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination- processes involved in the affinity maturation and diversification of antibodies. AID, however, can also lead to deleterious mutations and translocations promoting lymphomagenesis. The introduction of uracils throughout the genome of activated B cells and the ability of UNG2 glycosylase to excise these uracils is examined here. This interplay was also studied in cancerous B cells, with different results emerging in transformed cells versus healthy cells. Genomic uracil levels are found to remain at …

A Protective Role Of Autophagy In A Drosophila Model Of Friedreich's Ataxia (Frda), Luan Wang

Wayne State University Dissertations

Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is an inherited autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease. It affects 1 in every 50,000 people in central Europe and North America. FRDA is caused by deficiency of Frataxin, an essential mitochondrial iron chaperone protein, and the associated oxidative stress damages. Autophagy, a housekeeping process responsible for the bulk degradation and turnover of long half-life proteins and organelles, is featured by the formation of double-membrane vacuoles and lysosomal degradation. Previous researches indicate that Danon’s disease, the inherited neural disorder disease that shares similar symptoms with FRDA, is due to the malfunction of autophagy. Based on this, we raise the …

Novel Biochemical And Phenotypical Findings On The Nodal Signaling Components Lefty And Cripto, Amapola Balancio

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

NOVEL BIOCHEMICAL AND PHENOTYPICAL FINDINGS ON THE NODAL SIGNALING COMPONENTS LEFTY AND CRIPTO

by

Amapola Balancio

December 2014

Advisor: Dr. William Branford, Jr.

Major: Biological Sciences (Molecular and Developmental Biology)

Degree: Master of Science

Nodal, a Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-B), is a key regulator of proper development along with its atypical TGF-B inhibitor Lefty and its EGF-CFC co-receptor Cripto. Studies have shown that Nodal is unable to signal in the absence of a functional Cripto, indicating that it is a Nodal obligate co-receptor. In fact, one of the ways that Lefty prevents Nodal is by binding to Cripto and …

The Contribution Of The Melanin Pathway To Overall Body Pigmentation Changes During Ontogenesis Of Periplaneta Americana, Thomas Roger Lemonds

Wayne State University Theses

Pigmentation is one of the most diverse and distinguishable features of insect morphology. The most prominent colors observed in insects are black or brown, whose production is attributed to the melanin pathway. At present, though, the contribution of this pathway to overall body pigmentation throughout ontogenesis is still lacking. To address this question we examined the roles of four key melanin genes (TH, DDC, ebony, and aaNAT), in embryonic and post-embryonic development of Periplaneta americana. Our results show show that while the melanin pathway plays no role during the earliest nymphal stages, it is required during the later stages of …