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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Seed-Transmitted Wheat Mosaic Virus In Sweet Corn In Utah, Claudia Nischwitz Jul 2020

Seed-Transmitted Wheat Mosaic Virus In Sweet Corn In Utah, Claudia Nischwitz

Biology Faculty Publications

Wheat mosaic virus (WMoV) (syn. High Plains virus) was first observed in corn in 1993 in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, and Texas (Seifers et al. 1997). The virus causes chlorotic streaks and mosaic on corn foliage, and it stunts ear development. When infected early in the season, plants frequently die. There are anecdotal reports of reduced seed germination rates in infected seed lots. The host range of the virus includes corn, small grains, and yellow and green foxtail. The virus is transmitted by the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella Keifer 1969). Seed transmission of WMoV at extremely low rates was …


Her9/Hes4 Is Required For Retinal Photoreceptor Development, Maintenance, And Survival, Cagney E. Coomer, Stephen G. Wilson, Kayla F. Titialii-Torres, Jessica D. Bills, Laura A. Krueger, Rebecca A. Petersen, Evelyn M. Turnbaugh, Eden L. Janesch, Ann C. Morris Jul 2020

Her9/Hes4 Is Required For Retinal Photoreceptor Development, Maintenance, And Survival, Cagney E. Coomer, Stephen G. Wilson, Kayla F. Titialii-Torres, Jessica D. Bills, Laura A. Krueger, Rebecca A. Petersen, Evelyn M. Turnbaugh, Eden L. Janesch, Ann C. Morris

Biology Faculty Publications

The intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate vertebrate photoreceptor specification and differentiation are complex, and our understanding of all the players is far from complete. Her9, the zebrafish ortholog of human HES4, is a basic helix-loop-helix-orange transcriptional repressor that regulates neurogenesis in several developmental contexts. We have previously shown that her9 is upregulated during chronic rod photoreceptor degeneration and regeneration in adult zebrafish, but little is known about the role of her9 during retinal development. To better understand the function of Her9 in the retina, we generated zebrafish her9 CRISPR mutants. Her9 homozygous mutants displayed striking retinal phenotypes, including decreased …


Brain Micrornas Among Social And Solitary Bees, Karen M. Kapheim, Beryl M. Jones, Eirik Søvik, Eckart Stolle, Robert M. Waterhouse, Guy Bloch, Yehuda Ben-Shahar Jul 2020

Brain Micrornas Among Social And Solitary Bees, Karen M. Kapheim, Beryl M. Jones, Eirik Søvik, Eckart Stolle, Robert M. Waterhouse, Guy Bloch, Yehuda Ben-Shahar

Biology Faculty Publications

Evolutionary transitions to a social lifestyle in insects are associated with lineage-specific changes in gene expression, but the key nodes that drive these regulatory changes are unknown. We examined the relationship between social organization and lineage-specific microRNAs (miRNAs). Genome scans across 12 bee species showed that miRNA copy-number is mostly conserved and not associated with sociality. However, deep sequencing of small RNAs in six bee species revealed a substantial proportion (20–35%) of detected miRNAs had lineage-specific expression in the brain, 24–72% of which did not have homologues in other species. Lineage-specific miRNAs disproportionately target lineage-specific genes, and have lower expression …


Morphological Evidence For An Oral Venom System In Caecilian Amphibians, Pedro Luiz Mailho-Fontana, Marta Maria Antoniazzi, Cesar Alexandre, Daniel Carvalho Pimenta, Juliana Mozer Sciani, Edmund D. Brodie Jr., Carlos Jared Jul 2020

Morphological Evidence For An Oral Venom System In Caecilian Amphibians, Pedro Luiz Mailho-Fontana, Marta Maria Antoniazzi, Cesar Alexandre, Daniel Carvalho Pimenta, Juliana Mozer Sciani, Edmund D. Brodie Jr., Carlos Jared

Biology Faculty Publications

Amphibians are known for their skin rich in glands containing toxins employed in passive chemical defense against predators, different from, for example, snakes that have active chemical defense, injecting their venom into the prey. Caecilians (Amphibia, Gymnophiona) are snake-shaped animals with fossorial habits, considered one of the least known vertebrate groups. We show here that amphibian caecilians, including species from the basal groups, besides having cutaneous poisonous glands as other amphibians do, possess specific glands at the base of the teeth that produce enzymes commonly found in venoms. Our analysis of the origin of these glands shows that they originate …


Investigating The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Forest Fragmentation On Plant Functional Diversity, Jenny Zambrano, Norbert J. Cordeiro, Carol Garzon-Lopez, Lauren Yeager, Claire Fortunel, Henry J. Ndangalasi, Noelle G. Beckman Jul 2020

Investigating The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Forest Fragmentation On Plant Functional Diversity, Jenny Zambrano, Norbert J. Cordeiro, Carol Garzon-Lopez, Lauren Yeager, Claire Fortunel, Henry J. Ndangalasi, Noelle G. Beckman

Biology Faculty Publications

Ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation alter the functional diversity of forests. Generalising the magnitude of change in functional diversity of fragmented landscapes and its drivers is challenging because of the multiple scales at which landscape fragmentation takes place. Here we propose a multi-scale approach to determine whether fragmentation processes at the local and landscape scales are reducing functional diversity of trees in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. We employ a structural equation modelling approach using five key plant traits (seed length, dispersal mode, shade tolerance, maximum tree height, and wood density) to better understand the functional responses of trees to …


Plasticity Of Least Tern And Piping Plover Nesting Behaviors In Response To Sand Temperature, Alicia K. Andes, Mark H. Sherfy, Terry L. Shaffer, Susan N. Ellis-Felege Jul 2020

Plasticity Of Least Tern And Piping Plover Nesting Behaviors In Response To Sand Temperature, Alicia K. Andes, Mark H. Sherfy, Terry L. Shaffer, Susan N. Ellis-Felege

Biology Faculty Publications

Birds that nest on the ground in open areas, such as Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) and Interior Least Terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos), are exposed to high temperatures in thermally stressful environments. As a result, some ground-nesting avian species have adapted behavioral strategies to maintain thermal regulation of eggs and themselves. We assessed the impact of sand temperature on shorebird nesting behaviors by installing video cameras and thermocouples at 52 Least Tern and 55 Piping Plover nests on the Missouri River in North Dakota during the 2014–2015 breeding seasons. Daily duration and frequency of shading behaviors exhibited …


Inactivation Of Hippo And Cjun-N-Terminal Kinase (Jnk) Signaling Mitigate Fus Mediated Neurodegeneration In-Vivo, Ankita Sarkar, Abijeet Singh Mehta, Prajakta Deshpande, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Udai Bhan Pandey, Amit Singh Jul 2020

Inactivation Of Hippo And Cjun-N-Terminal Kinase (Jnk) Signaling Mitigate Fus Mediated Neurodegeneration In-Vivo, Ankita Sarkar, Abijeet Singh Mehta, Prajakta Deshpande, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Udai Bhan Pandey, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of motor neurons in the central nervous system, has no known cure to-date. Disease causing mutations in human Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) leads to aggressive and juvenile onset of ALS. FUS is a well-conserved protein across different species, which plays a crucial role in regulating different aspects of RNA metabolism. Targeted misexpression of FUS in Drosophila model recapitulates several interesting phenotypes relevant to ALS including cytoplasmic mislocalization, defects at the neuromuscular junction and motor dysfunction. We screened for the genetic modifiers of human FUS-mediated neurodegenerative phenotype using molecularly …


Hyaloid Vasculature And Mmp2 Activity Play A Role During Optic Fissure Fusion In Zebrafish, Megan L. Weaver, Warlen P. Piedade, Nishita N. Meshram, Jakub K. Famulski Jun 2020

Hyaloid Vasculature And Mmp2 Activity Play A Role During Optic Fissure Fusion In Zebrafish, Megan L. Weaver, Warlen P. Piedade, Nishita N. Meshram, Jakub K. Famulski

Biology Faculty Publications

Vertebrate retinal development requires timely and precise fusion of the optic fissure (OF). Failure of this event leads to congenital vision impairment in the form of coloboma. Recent studies have suggested hyaloid vasculature to be involved in OF fusion. In order to examine this link, we analyzed OF fusion and hyaloid vasculogenesis in the zebrafish pax2a noi mutant line. We first determined that pax2a−/− embryos fail to accumulate F-actin in the OF prior to basement membrane (BM) degradation. Furthermore, using 3D and live imaging we observed reduced OF hyaloid vascularization in pax2a−/− embryos. When examining the connection between …


The Fire And Tree Mortality Database, For Empirical Modeling Of Individual Tree Mortality After Fire, C. Alina Cansler, Sharon M. Hood, J. Morgan Varner, Phillip J. Van Mantgem, Michelle C. Agne, Robert A. Andrus, Matthew P. Ayres, Bruce D. Ayres, Jonathan D. Bakker, Michael A. Battaglia, Barbara J. Bentz, Carolyn R. Breece, James K. Brown, Daniel R. Cluck, Tom W. Coleman, R. Gregory Corace Iii, W. Wallace Covington, Douglas S. Cram, James B. Cronan, Joseph E. Crouse, Adrian J. Das, Ryan S. Davis, Et Al. Jun 2020

The Fire And Tree Mortality Database, For Empirical Modeling Of Individual Tree Mortality After Fire, C. Alina Cansler, Sharon M. Hood, J. Morgan Varner, Phillip J. Van Mantgem, Michelle C. Agne, Robert A. Andrus, Matthew P. Ayres, Bruce D. Ayres, Jonathan D. Bakker, Michael A. Battaglia, Barbara J. Bentz, Carolyn R. Breece, James K. Brown, Daniel R. Cluck, Tom W. Coleman, R. Gregory Corace Iii, W. Wallace Covington, Douglas S. Cram, James B. Cronan, Joseph E. Crouse, Adrian J. Das, Ryan S. Davis, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

Wildland fires have a multitude of ecological effects in forests, woodlands, and savannas across the globe. A major focus of past research has been on tree mortality from fire, as trees provide a vast range of biological services. We assembled a database of individual-tree records from prescribed fires and wildfires in the United States. The Fire and Tree Mortality (FTM) database includes records from 164,293 individual trees with records of fire injury (crown scorch, bole char, etc.), tree diameter, and either mortality or top-kill up to ten years post-fire. Data span 142 species and 62 genera, from 409 fires occurring …


Circadian Disruption With Constant Light Exposure Exacerbates Atherosclerosis In Male Apolipoproteine-Deficient Mice, Jeffrey M. Chalfant, Deborah A. Howatt, Lisa R. Tannock, Alan Daugherty, Julie S. Pendergast Jun 2020

Circadian Disruption With Constant Light Exposure Exacerbates Atherosclerosis In Male Apolipoproteine-Deficient Mice, Jeffrey M. Chalfant, Deborah A. Howatt, Lisa R. Tannock, Alan Daugherty, Julie S. Pendergast

Biology Faculty Publications

Disruption of the circadian system caused by disordered exposure to light is pervasive in modern society and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms by which this happens are largely unknown. ApolipoproteinE-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice are studied commonly to elucidate mechanisms of atherosclerosis. In this study, we determined the effects of light-induced circadian disruption on atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice. We first characterized circadian rhythms of behavior, light responsiveness, and molecular timekeeping in tissues from ApoE−/− mice that were indistinguishable from rhythms in ApoE+/+ mice. These data showed that ApoE−/− mice had no inherent circadian …


Diversity Of Trichoptera Emergence And Their Longitudinal Distribution Along Streams In Central Palawan, The Philippines, Hendrik Freitag, Wolfram Mey Jun 2020

Diversity Of Trichoptera Emergence And Their Longitudinal Distribution Along Streams In Central Palawan, The Philippines, Hendrik Freitag, Wolfram Mey

Biology Faculty Publications

Trichoptera emergences were cumulatively collected from two rivers in central Palawan over 11 months by use of specially modified emergence traps. The quantitative samples were identified at species level. Fifty morphospecies, of which fifteen have been recently newly described, are recognized. The highest species diversity was found in pristine headwater streams. Leptoceridae were most speciose with eleven Oecetis spp., four Leptocerus spp., two Adicella spp., and one species each of Tagalopsyche, Triaenodes, and Triplectides. Highest abundances were observed for Ecnomus cabayugani (Ecnomidae), Dipseudopsis digitata, and Hyalopsyche winkleri (Dipseudopsidae) which contributed alone 34% of the annual emergence. A mid-stream site where …


How Many Tree Species Of Birch Are In Alaska? Implications For Wetland Designations, Carol A. Rowe, Robert W. Lichvar, Paul G. Wolf Jun 2020

How Many Tree Species Of Birch Are In Alaska? Implications For Wetland Designations, Carol A. Rowe, Robert W. Lichvar, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Wetland areas are critical habitats, especially in northern regions of North America. Wetland classifications are based on several factors, including the presence of certain plant species and assemblages of species, of which trees play a significant role. Here we examined wetland species of birch (Betula) in North America, with a focus on Alaska, and the use of birche tree species in wetland delineation. We sampled over 200 trees from sites, including Alaska, Alberta, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. We used genetic data from over 3000 loci detected by restriction site associated DNA analysis. We used an indirect estimate of …


Solution Blow Spinning Of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Based Fibers For Energy Harvesting Applications: A Review, Rasheed Atif, Jibran Khaliq, Madeleine Combrinck, Ahmed H. Hassanin, Nader Shehata, Eman Elnabawy, Islam Shyha Jun 2020

Solution Blow Spinning Of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Based Fibers For Energy Harvesting Applications: A Review, Rasheed Atif, Jibran Khaliq, Madeleine Combrinck, Ahmed H. Hassanin, Nader Shehata, Eman Elnabawy, Islam Shyha

Biology Faculty Publications

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based piezoelectric materials (PEMs) have found extensive applications in energy harvesting which are being extended consistently to diverse fields requiring strenuous service conditions. Hence, there is a pressing need to mass produce PVDF-based PEMs with the highest possible energy harvesting ability under a given set of conditions. To achieve high yield and efficiency, solution blow spinning (SBS) technique is attracting a lot of interest due to its operational simplicity and high throughput. SBS is arguably still in its infancy when the objective is to mass produce high efficiency PVDF-based PEMs. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the critical parameters …


Regional Phenotypic Differences Of The Opener Muscle In Procambarus Clarkii: Sarcomere Length, Fiber Diameter, And Force Development, Rachel C. Holsinger, Robin L. Cooper Jun 2020

Regional Phenotypic Differences Of The Opener Muscle In Procambarus Clarkii: Sarcomere Length, Fiber Diameter, And Force Development, Rachel C. Holsinger, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

The opener muscle in the walking legs of the crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) has three distinct phenotypic regions although innervated by only one excitatory motor neuron. These regions (distal, central, and proximal) have varied biochemistry and physiology, including synaptic structure, troponin-T levels, fiber diameter, input resistance, sarcomere length, and force generation. The force generated by the central fibers when the excitatory neuron was stimulated at 40 Hz was more than the force generated by the other regions. This increase in force was correlated with the central fibers having longer sarcomeres when measured in a relaxed claw. These data support …


Acoustic Energy Harvesting And Sensing Via Electrospun Pvdf Nanofiber Membrane, Nader Shehata, Ahmed H. Hassanin, Eman Elnabawy, Remya Nair, Sameer A. Bhat, Ishac Kandas May 2020

Acoustic Energy Harvesting And Sensing Via Electrospun Pvdf Nanofiber Membrane, Nader Shehata, Ahmed H. Hassanin, Eman Elnabawy, Remya Nair, Sameer A. Bhat, Ishac Kandas

Biology Faculty Publications

This paper introduces a new usage of piezoelectric poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) electrospun nanofiber (NF) membrane as a sensing unit for acoustic signals. In this work, an NF mat has been used as a transducer to convert acoustic signals into electric voltage outcomes. The detected voltage has been analyzed as a function of both frequency and amplitude of the excitation acoustic signal. Additionally, the detected AC signal can be retraced as a function of both frequency and amplitude with some wave distortion at relatively higher amplitudes and within a certain acoustic spectrum region. Meanwhile, the NFs have been characterized through …


Developmental Plasticity Shapes Social Traits And Selection In A Facultatively Eusocial Bee, Karen M. Kapheim, Beryl M. Jones, Hailin Pan, Cai Li, Brock A. Harpur, Clement F. Kent, Amro Zayed, Panagiotis Ioannidis, Robert M. Waterhouse, Callum Kingwell, Eckart Stolle, Arián Avalos, Guojie Zhang, W. Owen Mcmillan, William T. Wcislo May 2020

Developmental Plasticity Shapes Social Traits And Selection In A Facultatively Eusocial Bee, Karen M. Kapheim, Beryl M. Jones, Hailin Pan, Cai Li, Brock A. Harpur, Clement F. Kent, Amro Zayed, Panagiotis Ioannidis, Robert M. Waterhouse, Callum Kingwell, Eckart Stolle, Arián Avalos, Guojie Zhang, W. Owen Mcmillan, William T. Wcislo

Biology Faculty Publications

Developmental plasticity generates phenotypic variation, but how it contributes to evolutionary change is unclear. Phenotypes of individuals in caste-based (eusocial) societies are particularly sensitive to developmental processes, and the evolutionary origins of eusociality may be rooted in developmental plasticity of ancestral forms. We used an integrative genomics approach to evaluate the relationships among developmental plasticity, molecular evolution, and social behavior in a bee species (Megalopta genalis) that expresses flexible sociality, and thus provides a window into the factors that may have been important at the evolutionary origins of eusociality. We find that differences in social behavior are derived …


Outstanding Questions In Flower Metabolism, Monica Borghi, Alisdair R. Fernie May 2020

Outstanding Questions In Flower Metabolism, Monica Borghi, Alisdair R. Fernie

Biology Faculty Publications

The great diversity of flowers, their color, odor, taste, and shape, is mostly a result of the metabolic processes that occur in this reproductive organ when the flower and its tissues develop, grow, and finally die. Some of these metabolites serve to advertise flowers to animal pollinators, other confer protection towards abiotic stresses, and a large proportion of the molecules of the central metabolic pathways have bioenergetic and signaling functions that support growth and the transition to fruits and seeds. Although recent studies have advanced our general understanding of flower metabolism, several questions still await an answer. Here, we have …


Fecal Microbiota Transplant Rescues Mice From Sepsis Due To Multi-Drug Resistant Healthcare Pathogens By Restoring Systemic Immunity, Sangman Michael Kim, Jennifer R. Defazio, Sanjiv K. Hyoju, Kishan Sangani, Robert Keskey, Monika A. Krezalek, Nikolai N. Khodarev, Naseer Sangwan, Scott Christley, Katharine G. Harris, Ankit Malik, Alexander Zaborin, Romain Bouziat, Diana R. Ranoa, Mara Wiegerinck, Jordan D. Ernest, Baddr A. Shakhsheer, Irma D. Fleming, Ralph R. Weichselbaum, Dionysios A. Antonopoulos, Jack A. Gilbert, Luis B. Barreiro, Olga Zaborina, Bana Jabri, John C. Alverdy May 2020

Fecal Microbiota Transplant Rescues Mice From Sepsis Due To Multi-Drug Resistant Healthcare Pathogens By Restoring Systemic Immunity, Sangman Michael Kim, Jennifer R. Defazio, Sanjiv K. Hyoju, Kishan Sangani, Robert Keskey, Monika A. Krezalek, Nikolai N. Khodarev, Naseer Sangwan, Scott Christley, Katharine G. Harris, Ankit Malik, Alexander Zaborin, Romain Bouziat, Diana R. Ranoa, Mara Wiegerinck, Jordan D. Ernest, Baddr A. Shakhsheer, Irma D. Fleming, Ralph R. Weichselbaum, Dionysios A. Antonopoulos, Jack A. Gilbert, Luis B. Barreiro, Olga Zaborina, Bana Jabri, John C. Alverdy

Biology Faculty Publications

Death due to sepsis remains a persistent threat to critically ill patients confined to the intensive care unit and is characterized by colonization with multi-drug-resistant healthcare-associated pathogens. Here we report that sepsis in mice caused by a defined four-member pathogen community isolated from a patient with lethal sepsis is associated with the systemic suppression of key elements of the host transcriptome required for pathogen clearance and decreased butyrate expression. More specifically, these pathogens directly suppress interferon regulatory factor 3. Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) reverses the course of otherwise lethal sepsis by enhancing pathogen clearance via the restoration of host immunity …


Assessing The Influence Of Riparian Invasion By The Shrub Lonicera Maackii On Terrestrial Subsidies To Headwater Streams, Erin C. Rowekamp, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan Mcewan May 2020

Assessing The Influence Of Riparian Invasion By The Shrub Lonicera Maackii On Terrestrial Subsidies To Headwater Streams, Erin C. Rowekamp, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

Invasion of Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) into riparian areas of headwater streams creates strong potential for alterations of terrestrial subsidies that may drive bottom-up effects on aquatic biota. In this study, we analyzed effects of L. maackii on terrestrial subsidies in stream sites that represented a gradient of invasion intensity in temperate deciduous forests of southwestern Ohio (USA). Leaf litter biomass, terrestrial and aquatic fine woody debris (0.5–9.9 cm diameter) volume and count, and terrestrial and aquatic coarse woody debris (>9.9 cm diameter) volume were analyzed. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that sites with a higher …


The Importance Of Ile716 Toward The Mutagenicity Of 8-Oxo-2’-Deoxyguanosine With Bacillus Fragment Dna Polymerase, Michelle L. Hamm, Anarosa A. Garcia, Rachel Gilbert, Manavi Johri, Miranda Ricart, Samantha L. Sholes, Laura A. Murray-Nerger, Eugene Y. Wu May 2020

The Importance Of Ile716 Toward The Mutagenicity Of 8-Oxo-2’-Deoxyguanosine With Bacillus Fragment Dna Polymerase, Michelle L. Hamm, Anarosa A. Garcia, Rachel Gilbert, Manavi Johri, Miranda Ricart, Samantha L. Sholes, Laura A. Murray-Nerger, Eugene Y. Wu

Biology Faculty Publications

8-oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine (OdG) is a prominent DNA lesion that can direct the incorporation of dCTP or dATP during replication. As the latter reaction can lead to mutation, the ratio of dCTP/dATP incorporation can significantly affect the mutagenic potential of OdG. Previous work with the A-family polymerase BF and seven analogues of OdG identified a major groove amino acid, Ile716, which likely influences the dCTP/dATP incorporation ratio opposite OdG. To further probe the importance of this amino acid, dCTP and dATP incorporations opposite the same seven analogues were tested with two BF mutants, I716M and I716A. Results from these studies support the …


Combining Experimental Evolution And Genomics To Understand How Seed Beetles Adapt To A Marginal Host Plant, Alexandre Rêgo, Samridhi Chaturvedi, Amy Springer, Alexandra M. Lish, Caroline L. Barton, Karen M. Kapheim, Frank J. Messina, Zachariah Gompert Apr 2020

Combining Experimental Evolution And Genomics To Understand How Seed Beetles Adapt To A Marginal Host Plant, Alexandre Rêgo, Samridhi Chaturvedi, Amy Springer, Alexandra M. Lish, Caroline L. Barton, Karen M. Kapheim, Frank J. Messina, Zachariah Gompert

Biology Faculty Publications

Genes that affect adaptive traits have been identified, but our knowledge of the genetic basis of adaptation in a more general sense (across multiple traits) remains limited. We combined population-genomic analyses of evolve-and-resequence experiments, genome-wide association mapping of performance traits, and analyses of gene expression to fill this knowledge gap and shed light on the genomics of adaptation to a marginal host (lentil) by the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. Using population-genomic approaches, we detected modest parallelism in allele frequency change across replicate lines during adaptation to lentil. Mapping populations derived from each lentil-adapted line revealed a polygenic basis for …


Impacts Of Smooth Pigweed (Amaranthus Hybridus) On Cover Crops In Southern Ontario, Heather Vanvolkenburg, Frédérique C. Guinel, Liette Vasseur Apr 2020

Impacts Of Smooth Pigweed (Amaranthus Hybridus) On Cover Crops In Southern Ontario, Heather Vanvolkenburg, Frédérique C. Guinel, Liette Vasseur

Biology Faculty Publications

Amaranthus hybridus is a noxious weed in Ontario, with demonstrated allelopathic properties that can lead to decreased agricultural production. We tested the germination and growth of five cover crop species exposed to A. hybridus extracts, and to dried or fresh materials in soil. A germination index was calculated, and the dry weight of plant organs were measured to quantify responses to treatments. All species had reduced germination (≤29%) in 100% extract. Trifolium pratense had significant root weight reductions in extract (52%) and dried (72%) treatments, whereas shoot weight only decreased (48%) in dried treatment. Medicago sativa shoot weight decreased (52%) …


Microbial Lag Phase Can Be Indicative Of, Or Independent From, Cellular Stress, Philip G. Hamill, Andrew Stevenson, Phillip E. Mcmullan, James P. Williams, Abiann D. R. Lewis, Sudharsan S., Kath E. Stevenson, Keith D. Farnsworth, Galina Khroustalyova, Jon Y. Takemoto, John P. Quinn, Alexander Rapoport, John E. Hallsworth Apr 2020

Microbial Lag Phase Can Be Indicative Of, Or Independent From, Cellular Stress, Philip G. Hamill, Andrew Stevenson, Phillip E. Mcmullan, James P. Williams, Abiann D. R. Lewis, Sudharsan S., Kath E. Stevenson, Keith D. Farnsworth, Galina Khroustalyova, Jon Y. Takemoto, John P. Quinn, Alexander Rapoport, John E. Hallsworth

Biology Faculty Publications

Measures of microbial growth, used as indicators of cellular stress, are sometimes quantified at a single time-point. In reality, these measurements are compound representations of length of lag, exponential growth-rate, and other factors. Here, we investigate whether length of lag phase can act as a proxy for stress, using a number of model systems (Aspergillus penicillioides; Bacillus subtilis; Escherichia coli; Eurotium amstelodami, E. echinulatum, E. halophilicum, and E. repens; Mrakia frigida; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Xerochrysium xerophilum; Xeromyces bisporus) exposed to mechanistically distinct types of cellular stress including low water activity, …


Assessing Seed Handling Processes To Facilitate A Community-Engaged Approach To Regional Forest Restoration, Meredith Cobb, Michaela J. Woods, Ryan Mcewan Apr 2020

Assessing Seed Handling Processes To Facilitate A Community-Engaged Approach To Regional Forest Restoration, Meredith Cobb, Michaela J. Woods, Ryan Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

In the Midwestern United States, there is a strong management impetus toward reforestation to replace trees lost to due to tree mortality and to establish forests on previously cleared properties. Here, we describe a public outreach and volunteer effort that aimed to generate positive, community-engaged restoration outcomes and report on a practical experiment involving seed handling. We obtained tree seeds that were donated by members of the community to local land managers. We evaluated the size of the seeds collected and tested the influence of common stratification media (none, sand and vermiculite) and seed size on germination success of three …


Diversity, Function And Regulation Of Cell Surface And Intracellular Immune Receptors In Solanaceae, Jong Hum Kim, Christian Castroverde Apr 2020

Diversity, Function And Regulation Of Cell Surface And Intracellular Immune Receptors In Solanaceae, Jong Hum Kim, Christian Castroverde

Biology Faculty Publications

The first layer of the plant immune system comprises plasma membrane-localized receptor proteins and intracellular receptors of the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat protein superfamily. Together, these immune receptors act as a network of surveillance machines in recognizing extracellular and intracellular pathogen invasion-derived molecules, ranging from conserved structural epitopes to virulence-promoting effectors. Successful pathogen recognition leads to physiological and molecular changes in the host plants, which are critical for counteracting and defending against biotic attack. A breadth of significant insights and conceptual advances have been derived from decades of research in various model plant species regarding the structural complexity, functional diversity and …


Deep Multilayer Brain Proteomics Identifies Molecular Networks In Alzheimer's Disease Progression, Bing Bai, Xusheng Wang, Yuxin Li, Ping-Chung Chen, Kaiwen Yu, Kaushik Kumar Dey, Jay M. Yarbro, Xian Han, Brianna M. Lutz, Shuquan Rao, Yun Jiao, Jeffrey M. Sifford, Jonghee Han, Minghui Wang, Haiyan Tan, Timothy I. Shaw, Ji-Hoon Cho, Suiping Zhou, Hong Wang, Mingming Niu, Ariana Mancieri, Kaitlynn A. Messler, Xiaojun Sun, Zhiping Wu, Vishwajeeth Pagala, Anthony A. High, Wenjian Bi, Hui Zhang, Hongbo Chi, Vahram Haroutunian, Bin Zhang, Thomas G. Beach, Gang Yu, Junmin Peng Mar 2020

Deep Multilayer Brain Proteomics Identifies Molecular Networks In Alzheimer's Disease Progression, Bing Bai, Xusheng Wang, Yuxin Li, Ping-Chung Chen, Kaiwen Yu, Kaushik Kumar Dey, Jay M. Yarbro, Xian Han, Brianna M. Lutz, Shuquan Rao, Yun Jiao, Jeffrey M. Sifford, Jonghee Han, Minghui Wang, Haiyan Tan, Timothy I. Shaw, Ji-Hoon Cho, Suiping Zhou, Hong Wang, Mingming Niu, Ariana Mancieri, Kaitlynn A. Messler, Xiaojun Sun, Zhiping Wu, Vishwajeeth Pagala, Anthony A. High, Wenjian Bi, Hui Zhang, Hongbo Chi, Vahram Haroutunian, Bin Zhang, Thomas G. Beach, Gang Yu, Junmin Peng

Biology Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) displays a long asymptomatic stage before dementia. We characterize AD stage-associated molecular networks by profiling 14,513 proteins and 34,173 phosphosites in the human brain with mass spectrometry, highlighting 173 protein changes in 17 pathways. The altered proteins are validated in two independent cohorts, showing partial RNA dependency. Comparisons of brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid proteomes reveal biomarker candidates. Combining with 5xFAD mouse analysis, we determine 15 Aβ-correlated proteins (e.g., MDK, NTN1, SMOC1, SLIT2, and HTRA1). 5xFAD shows a proteomic signature similar to symptomatic AD but exhibits activation of autophagy and interferon response and lacks human-specific deleterious events, …


Introduction To The Special Issue: The Role Of Seed Dispersal In Plant Populations: Perspectives And Advances In A Changing World, Noelle G. Beckman, Clare E. Aslan, Haldre S. Rogers Mar 2020

Introduction To The Special Issue: The Role Of Seed Dispersal In Plant Populations: Perspectives And Advances In A Changing World, Noelle G. Beckman, Clare E. Aslan, Haldre S. Rogers

Biology Faculty Publications

Despite the importance of seed dispersal as a driving process behind plant community assembly, our understanding of the role of seed dispersal in plant population persistence and spread remains incomplete. As a result, our ability to predict the effects of global change on plant populations is hampered. We need to better understand the fundamental link between seed dispersal and population dynamics in order to make predictive generalizations across species and systems, to better understand plant community structure and function, and to make appropriate conservation and management responses related to seed dispersal. To tackle these important knowledge gaps, we established the …


A Positive Feedback Loop Of Hippo- And C-Jun-Amino-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathways Regulates Amyloid-Beta-Mediated Neurodegeneration, Madison Irwin, Meghana Tare, Aditi Singh, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Neha Gogia, Matthew Riccetti, Prajakta Deshpande, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh Mar 2020

A Positive Feedback Loop Of Hippo- And C-Jun-Amino-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathways Regulates Amyloid-Beta-Mediated Neurodegeneration, Madison Irwin, Meghana Tare, Aditi Singh, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Neha Gogia, Matthew Riccetti, Prajakta Deshpande, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD, OMIM: 104300) is an age-related disorder that affects millions of people. One of the underlying causes of AD is generation of hydrophobic amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) peptides that accumulate to form amyloid plaques. These plaques induce oxidative stress and aberrant signaling, which result in the death of neurons and other pathologies linked to neurodegeneration. We have developed a Drosophila eye model of AD by targeted misexpression of human Aβ42 in the differentiating retinal neurons, where an accumulation of Aβ42 triggers a characteristic neurodegenerative phenotype. In a forward deficiency screen to look for genetic modifiers, we identified a molecularly …


Carbonatites As Rock Fertilizers: A Review, James Mc Jones, Frédérique C. Guinel, Pedro M. Antunes Feb 2020

Carbonatites As Rock Fertilizers: A Review, James Mc Jones, Frédérique C. Guinel, Pedro M. Antunes

Biology Faculty Publications

Rock fertilizers are geological resources used in agriculture for their nutrient content, but slow weathering rates hinder their effectiveness. Carbonatites are igneous rocks made mostly of carbonate minerals with a relatively high weathering rate and often containing nutrient-bearing accessory minerals (e.g., apatite and biotite). Despite evidence supporting their potential as rock fertilizers, a comprehensive review of such data is missing in the literature. Furthermore, when studies on agricultural uses of carbonatites exist, they typically center on applied research aspects (i.e., “does it work?”) rather than on basic research aspects (i.e., “how does it work?”). Here we evaluate the applicability of …


Dramatic Dietary Shift Maintains Sequestered Toxins In Chemically Defended Snakes, Tatsuya Yoshida, Rinako Ujiie, Alan H. Savitzky, Teppei Jono, Takato Inoue, Naoko Yoshinaga, Shunsuke Aburaya, Wataru Aoki, Hirohiko Takeuchi, Li Ding, Qin Chen, Chengquan Cao, Tein-Shun Tsai, Anslem De Silva, Dharshani Mahaulpatha, Et Al. Feb 2020

Dramatic Dietary Shift Maintains Sequestered Toxins In Chemically Defended Snakes, Tatsuya Yoshida, Rinako Ujiie, Alan H. Savitzky, Teppei Jono, Takato Inoue, Naoko Yoshinaga, Shunsuke Aburaya, Wataru Aoki, Hirohiko Takeuchi, Li Ding, Qin Chen, Chengquan Cao, Tein-Shun Tsai, Anslem De Silva, Dharshani Mahaulpatha, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

Unlike other snakes, most species of Rhabdophis possess glands in their dorsal skin, sometimes limited to the neck, known as nucho-dorsal and nuchal glands, respectively. Those glands contain powerful cardiotonic steroids known as bufadienolides, which can be deployed as a defense against predators. Bufadienolides otherwise occur only in toads (Bufonidae) and some fireflies (Lampyrinae), which are known or believed to synthesize the toxins. The ancestral diet of Rhabdophis consists of anuran amphibians, and we have shown previously that the bufadienolide toxins of frog-eating species are sequestered from toads consumed as prey. However, one derived clade, the Rhabdophis nuchalis Group, has …