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Biology Faculty Publications

2014

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Articles 91 - 105 of 105

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

The Dry Box And C-Terminal Domain Of The Human Cytomegalovirus Us27 Gene Product Play A Role In Promoting Cell Growth And Survival, C C. Tu, Juliet Spencer Jan 2014

The Dry Box And C-Terminal Domain Of The Human Cytomegalovirus Us27 Gene Product Play A Role In Promoting Cell Growth And Survival, C C. Tu, Juliet Spencer

Biology Faculty Publications

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread pathogen that can lay dormant in healthy individuals and establish lifelong latent infection. This successful co-existence is facilitated by a number of viral gene products that manipulate host cellular functions and immune responses. Among these immunomodulatory genes are four G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) encoded by HCMV, designated US27, US28, UL33, and UL78. Studies have shown the US28 gene product to be a functional chemokine receptor that signals both constitutively and in a ligand-dependent manner, resulting in a wide range of cellular effects. In previous work, we have found that US27 expression results in at …


Cmvil-10 Stimulates The Invasive Potential Of Mda-Mb-231 Breast Cancer Cells, Cendy Valle Oseguera, Juliet Spencer Jan 2014

Cmvil-10 Stimulates The Invasive Potential Of Mda-Mb-231 Breast Cancer Cells, Cendy Valle Oseguera, Juliet Spencer

Biology Faculty Publications

Cancer is the result of unregulated cell growth that leads to tumor formation, and in many cases, metastases. Although there are several risk factors associated with cancer, one area that remains poorly understood is the impact of infectious disease. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family that is highly prevalent in the population. HCMV usually causes clinical disease only in immune compromised individuals, but recent evidence suggests that HCMV may be strongly associated with some forms of cancer, particularly glioblastoma and breast cancer. We investigated the possibility that cmvIL-10, a viral cytokine with homology to human IL-10 …


Lack Of Quantitative Training Among Early-Career Ecologists: A Survey Of The Problem And Potential Solutions, F. Barraquand, T. G. Ezard, P. Søgaard Jørgensen, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, S. Chamberlain, R. Salguero-Gómez, T. J. Curran, T. Poisot Jan 2014

Lack Of Quantitative Training Among Early-Career Ecologists: A Survey Of The Problem And Potential Solutions, F. Barraquand, T. G. Ezard, P. Søgaard Jørgensen, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, S. Chamberlain, R. Salguero-Gómez, T. J. Curran, T. Poisot

Biology Faculty Publications

Proficiency in mathematics and statistics is essential to modern ecological science, yet few studies have assessed the level of quantitative training received by ecologists. To do so, we conducted an online survey. The 937 respondents were mostly early-career scientists who studied biology as undergraduates. We found a clear self-perceived lack of quantitative training: 75% were not satisfied with their understanding of mathematical models; 75% felt that the level of mathematics was “too low” in their ecology classes; 90% wanted more mathematics classes for ecologists; and 95% more statistics classes. Respondents thought that 30% of classes in ecology-related degrees should be …


The Unseen World: Environmental Microbial Sequencing And Identification Methods For Ecologists, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, J. Izard, C. Klatt, J. Zhou, E. Aronson Jan 2014

The Unseen World: Environmental Microbial Sequencing And Identification Methods For Ecologists, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, J. Izard, C. Klatt, J. Zhou, E. Aronson

Biology Faculty Publications

Microorganisms inhabit almost every environment, comprise the majority of diversity on Earth, are important in biogeochemical cycling, and may be vital to ecosystem responses to large-scale climatic change. In recent years, ecologists have begun to use rapidly advancing molecular techniques to address questions about microbial diversity, biogeography, and responses to environmental change. Studies of microbes in the environment generally focus on three broad objectives: determining which organisms are present, what their functional capabilities are, and which are active at any given time. However, comprehending the range of methodologies currently in use can be daunting. To provide an overview of environmental …


Biotic Mechanisms Of Community Stability Shift Along A Precipitation Gradient, Lauren M. Hallett, Joanna S. Hsu, Elisa E. Cleland, Scott L. Collins, Timothy L. Dickson, Emily C. Farrer, Laureano A. Gherardi, Katherine L. Gross, Richard J. Hobbs, Laura Turnball, Katharine N. Suding Jan 2014

Biotic Mechanisms Of Community Stability Shift Along A Precipitation Gradient, Lauren M. Hallett, Joanna S. Hsu, Elisa E. Cleland, Scott L. Collins, Timothy L. Dickson, Emily C. Farrer, Laureano A. Gherardi, Katherine L. Gross, Richard J. Hobbs, Laura Turnball, Katharine N. Suding

Biology Faculty Publications

Understanding how biotic mechanisms confer stability in variable environments is a fundamental quest in ecology, and one that is becoming increasingly urgent with global change. Several mechanisms, notably a portfolio effect associated with species richness,compensatory dynamics generated by negative species covariance and selection for stable dominant species populations can increase the stability of the overall community. While the importance of these mechanisms is debated, few studies have contrasted their importance in an environmental context. We analyzed nine long-term data sets of grassland species compositiont o investigate how two key environmental factors, precipitation amount and variability, may directly influence community stability …


Sarpa Salpa Herbivory On Shallow Reaches Of Posidonia Oceanica Beds, Latina Steele, Kelly M. Darnell, Just Cebrián, Jose Luis Sanchez-Lizaso Jan 2014

Sarpa Salpa Herbivory On Shallow Reaches Of Posidonia Oceanica Beds, Latina Steele, Kelly M. Darnell, Just Cebrián, Jose Luis Sanchez-Lizaso

Biology Faculty Publications

Sarpa salpa herbivory on shallow reaches of Posidonia oceanica beds.— Here, we examined the temporal and small–scale spatial variability of grazing by the herbivorous fish Sarpa salpa on shallow beds of the temperate seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Herbivory intensity expressed as the percent of leaf area taken by fish bites was higher in September 2006 than in February 2007, and at 0.5 m than at 1.5 m during both sampling times. All S. salpa feeding at the shallow locations studied were juveniles, with bite sizes ranging from 0.03 to 0.62 cm2. Juveniles feeding at 1.5 m were larger in February 2007 …


Revision Of Anacaena Thomson, 1859 Xi. Republic Of The Philippines (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae), Hendrik Freitag Jan 2014

Revision Of Anacaena Thomson, 1859 Xi. Republic Of The Philippines (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae), Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

The species of Anacaena THOMSON, 1859 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) of the Republic of the Philippines are revised. Fifteen new species are described: Anacaena albay sp.n., A. amplocomata sp.n., A. apo sp.n., A. balabag sp.n., A. cordillera sp.n., A. davao sp.n., A. destructa sp.n., A. emergens sp.n., A. hemisphaerica sp.n., A. levistriata sp.n., A. philippina sp.n., A. princesa sp.n., A. quezona sp.n., A. sulcata sp.n., and A. zamboangana. All species are endemic to the Philippines, twelve are aquatic, the habitat of three species is unknown. All Philippine species are morphologically similar to other species of the eastern Oriental Region and probably do …


De Novo Assembly And Analysis Of The Northern Leopard Frog Rana Pipiens Transcriptome, Matthew K. Christenson, Andrew J. Trease, Lakshmi-Prasad Potluri, Andrew Jezewski, Vincent M. Davis, Lindsey A. Knight, Alan Kolok, Paul H. Davis Jan 2014

De Novo Assembly And Analysis Of The Northern Leopard Frog Rana Pipiens Transcriptome, Matthew K. Christenson, Andrew J. Trease, Lakshmi-Prasad Potluri, Andrew Jezewski, Vincent M. Davis, Lindsey A. Knight, Alan Kolok, Paul H. Davis

Biology Faculty Publications

The northern leopard frog Rana (Lithobates) pipiens is an important animal model, being used extensively in cancer, neurology, physiology, and biomechanical studies. R. pipiens is a native North American frog whose range extends from northern Canada to southwest United States, but over the past few decades its populations have declined significantly and is now considered uncommon in large portions of the United States and Canada. To aid in the study and conservation of R. pipiens, this paper describes the first R. pipiens transcriptome. The R. pipiens transcriptome was annotated using Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), …


A Mega-Diverse Water Beetle Genus (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae: Hydraena Kugelann) Commonly Overlooked In Southeast Asia And Its Potential Use For Environmental Biomonitoring, Hendrik Freitag Jan 2014

A Mega-Diverse Water Beetle Genus (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae: Hydraena Kugelann) Commonly Overlooked In Southeast Asia And Its Potential Use For Environmental Biomonitoring, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

This study summarizes the current knowledge of the water beetle genus Hydraena Kugelann in Southeast Asia. The surprising species diversity and endemism rates in Hydraenopsis Janssens, the only subgenus present in Southeast Asia, are discussed. Data of five published Hydraena surveys from the Philippines and Singapore are used to evaluate species richness and the occurrence of species assemblages that are subject to the presence and quality of forests. Species richness was found to be generally higher in old grown forests. Some species appeared to be confined to near-natural forests. The denomination of indicator species is impeded by adequate sampling data, …


Between Two Fern Genomes, E. B. Sessa, J. A. Banks, M. S. Barker, J. P. Der, A. M. Duffy, S. W. Graham, M. Hasebe, J. Langdale, F. W. Li, D. B. Marchant, K. M. Pryer, C. J. Rothfels, S. J. Roux, M. L. Salmi, E. M. Sigel, D. E. Soltis, P. S. Soltis, D. W. Stevenson, Paul G. Wolf Jan 2014

Between Two Fern Genomes, E. B. Sessa, J. A. Banks, M. S. Barker, J. P. Der, A. M. Duffy, S. W. Graham, M. Hasebe, J. Langdale, F. W. Li, D. B. Marchant, K. M. Pryer, C. J. Rothfels, S. J. Roux, M. L. Salmi, E. M. Sigel, D. E. Soltis, P. S. Soltis, D. W. Stevenson, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Ferns are the only major lineage of vascular plants not represented by a sequenced nuclear genome. This lack of genome sequence information significantly impedes our ability to understand and reconstruct genome evolution not only in ferns, but across all land plants. Azolla and Ceratopteris are ideal and complementary candidates to be the first ferns to have their nuclear genomes sequenced. They differ dramatically in genome size, life history, and habit, and thus represent the immense diversity of extant ferns. Together, this pair of genomes will facilitate myriad large-scale comparative analyses across ferns and all land plants. Here we review the …


A Samoan Hebeloma With Phylogenetic Ties To The Western Pacific, Bradley R. Kropp Jan 2014

A Samoan Hebeloma With Phylogenetic Ties To The Western Pacific, Bradley R. Kropp

Biology Faculty Publications

Hebeloma ifeleletorum is described as a new species from American Samoa. Based on analyses of ITS and combined nLSU-ITS datasets H. ifeleletorum clusters with but is distinct from described species that have been placed in the genus Anamika by some. The phylogenetic relationship of H. ifeleletorum to the genus Anamika from Asia and to other species from Australia and New Caledonia suggests that H. ifeleletorum has origins in the western Pacific.


Production Of Destruxins From Metarhizium Spp. Fungi In Artificial Medium And In Endophytically Colonized Cowpea Plants, P. S. Golo, D. R. Gardner, Michelle M. Grilley, Jon Y. Takemoto, S. B. Krasnoff, M. S. Pires, E. K. K. Férnandes, V. R. Bittencourt, Donald W. Roberts Jan 2014

Production Of Destruxins From Metarhizium Spp. Fungi In Artificial Medium And In Endophytically Colonized Cowpea Plants, P. S. Golo, D. R. Gardner, Michelle M. Grilley, Jon Y. Takemoto, S. B. Krasnoff, M. S. Pires, E. K. K. Férnandes, V. R. Bittencourt, Donald W. Roberts

Biology Faculty Publications

Destruxins (DTXs) are cyclic depsipeptides produced by many Metarhizium isolates that have long been assumed to contribute to virulence of these entomopathogenic fungi. We evaluated the virulence of 20 Metarhizium isolates against insect larvae and measured the concentration of DTXs A, B, and E produced by these same isolates in submerged (shaken) cultures. Eight of the isolates (ARSEF 324, 724, 760, 1448, 1882, 1883, 3479, and 3918) did not produce DTXs A, B, or E during the five days of submerged culture. DTXs were first detected in culture medium at 2–3 days in submerged culture. Galleria mellonella and Tenebrio molitor …


Genotyping-By-Sequencing For Populus Population Genomics: An Assessment Of Genome Sampling Patterns And Filtering Approaches, M. Schilling, Paul G. Wolf, A. M. Duffy, H. S. Rai, C. A. Rowe, B. A. Richardson, K. E. Mock Jan 2014

Genotyping-By-Sequencing For Populus Population Genomics: An Assessment Of Genome Sampling Patterns And Filtering Approaches, M. Schilling, Paul G. Wolf, A. M. Duffy, H. S. Rai, C. A. Rowe, B. A. Richardson, K. E. Mock

Biology Faculty Publications

Continuing advances in nucleotide sequencing technology are inspiring a suite of genomic approaches in studies of natural populations. Researchers are faced with data management and analytical scales that are increasing by orders of magnitude. With such dramatic advances comes a need to understand biases and error rates, which can be propagated and magnified in large-scale data acquisition and processing. Here we assess genomic sampling biases and the effects of various population-level data filtering strategies in a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) protocol. We focus on data from two species of Populus, because this genus has a relatively small genome and is emerging …


2014 Virginia Wildflower Of The Year: Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera Sempervirens, W. John Hayden Jan 2014

2014 Virginia Wildflower Of The Year: Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera Sempervirens, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

The flashy red flowers of coral honeysuckle beckon hummingbirds to their sweet nectar. Coral honeysuckle is a twining woody vine, usually climbing on other vegetation but sometimes trailing along the ground; older stems have papery-brown exfoliating bark.


First Report Of Satellite Males During Breeding In Leptodactylus Latrans (Amphibia, Anura), Gabriel Laufer, Noelia Gobel, José M. Mautone, María Galán, Rafael O. De Sá Jan 2014

First Report Of Satellite Males During Breeding In Leptodactylus Latrans (Amphibia, Anura), Gabriel Laufer, Noelia Gobel, José M. Mautone, María Galán, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Individual males can adopt alternative mating tactics. The occurrence of satellite males is a common behaviour across anuran taxa (e.g., Lithobates clamitans, Wells, 1977; Anaxyrus cognatus, Krupa, 1989; Dendropsophus ebraccatus, Miyamoto and Cane, 1980; Rhinella crucifer, Forester and Lynken, 1986). Satellite males take peripheral positions to calling males, and adopt alternate mating tactics in an attempt to intercept females that are attracted to calling males (Wells, 2007) to increase their own mating success. Satellite males could have an inexpensive form of mate-locating, avoiding predators, and saving energy (Arak, 1983). Furthermore, this strategy could play an important role in the genetic …