Life Sciences Commons^™

Analysis Of Gut Microbiota From Aedes Albopictus Mosquitoes Collected In Central Illinois, Megan E. Cooper

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Aedes albopictus, Asian tiger mosquitoes, are vectors of a wide number of human viral diseases including, West Nile virus, Dengue virus, Chikungunya virus and (recently) Zika virus. A large body of evidence has suggested that microbiomes of mosquito midguts are closely associated with specific mosquito life processes such as nutrition, reproduction, aggregation and defense against toxins. In this study we characterize the bacterial flora of the midguts of adult female Ae. albopictus collected from woodlots and residential areas in Champaign and Coles Counties of Central Illinois (40 samples in each category). After extraction of DNA from dissected midguts, we …

Biotransformation Of Oxo-Bile Acids Derivatives By Human Gut Bacteria, Laina Sallam

Masters Theses

Bile acids are one group of steroids that can be metabolically transformed by human gut anaerobes. One of these transformations is the conversion of primary bile acids to secondary bile acids by 7α-dehydroxylating gut bacteria such as Clostridium scindens, Clostridium hylemonae, and Clostridium hiranonis. These anaerobes metabolize bile acid derivatives via 3α- and 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSDH). Studies to date have not reported if these organisms are capable of converting 12-oxolithocholic acid (12-oxoLCA) to deoxycholic acid (DCA). The emphasis of this study was to determine the ability of C. scindens ATCC 35704, C. hiranonis DSM 13275, and C. …

Resolution Of The Nutritional Requirements And Metabolic Profile Of Clostridium Scindens Atcc 35704, A Major Bile Acid-Dehydroxylating Anaerobe In The Human Gut, Rachana Shrestha

Masters Theses

Bile acids (cholate and chenodeoxycholate) are synthesized from cholesterol in the human liver, and secreted in small intestine for food digestion. However, a portion of these primary bile acids is converted in the colon to toxic secondary bile acids, deoxycholate and lithocholate. Secondary bile acid formation is the result of 7α-dehydroxylating anaerobes, and one of the key players in this conversion is Clostridium scindens. Interestingly, little is known about the basic physiology and nutrition of C. scindens. Therefore, the goal of this research was to understand the nutritional requirement, and determine the 7α-dehydroxylation activity and end products from …

Distiphallus Morphology And Its Role In Copulation Dynamics In Anastrepha Suspensa (Loew), Taylor J. Inboden

Masters Theses

Anastrepha suspensa (Diptera; Tephritidae) is an agricultural pest species

causing severe economic damage and is controlled, in part, by applying knowledge

of this species' reproduction (e.g., disrupting fertile copulations by SIT). During

copulation, males transfer sperm as well as protein rich fluids through an aedeagus

and distiphallus, which females then store in three spermathecae and one ventral

receptacle. Within the female reproductive tract, the ventral receptacle and the

three spermathecae are strategically separated from each other. I hypothesized

males' ability to direct sperm transfer within the female reproductive tract is

through the structures found in the distiphallus. Utilizing scanning electron …