Life Sciences Commons^™

Large-Scale Molecular Diet Analysis In A Generalist Marine Mammal Reveals Male Preference For Prey Of Conservation Concern, Dietmar Schwarz, Sara M. Spitzer, Austen C. Thomas, Christa M. Kohnert, Theresa R. Keates, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Sex-specific diet information is important in the determination of predator impacts on prey populations. Unfortunately, the diet of males and females can be difficult to describe, particularly when they are marine predators. We combined two molecular techniques to describe haul-out use and prey preferences of male and female harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from Comox and Cowichan Bay (Canada) during 2012-2013. DNA metabarcoding quantified the diet proportions comprised of prey species in harbor seal scat, and qPCR determined the sex of the individual that deposited each scat. Using 287 female and 260 male samples, we compared the monthly sex ratio with …

Phenological Responses Of 215 Mothspecies To Interannual Climate Variation In The Pacific Northwest From 1895 Through 2013, Julie A. Maurer, Jon H. Shepard, Lars G. Crabo, Paul C. Hammond, Richard S. Zack, Merrill A. Peterson

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Climate change has caused shifts in the phenology and distributions of many species but comparing responses across species is challenged by inconsistencies in the methodology and taxonomic and temporal scope of individual studies. Natural history collections offer a rich source of data for examining phenological shifts for a large number of species. We paired specimen records from Pacific Northwest insect collections to climate data to analyze the responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation over a period of 119 years (1895–2013) during which average annual temperatures have increased in the region. We quantified the effects of late winter/early …

Competing Tradeoff Between Increasing Marine Mammal Predation And Fisheries Harvest Of Chinook Salmon, Brandon E. Chasco, Isaac C. Kaplan, Austen C. Thomas, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez, Dawn P. Noren, Michael J. Ford, M. Bradley Hanson, Jonathan J. Scordino, Steven J. Jeffries, Kristin N. Marshall, Andrew O. Shelton, Craig Matkin, Brian J. Burke, Eric J. Ward

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Many marine mammal predators, particularly pinnipeds, have increased in abundance in recent decades, generating new challenges for balancing human uses with recovery goals via ecosystem-based management. We used a spatio-temporal bioenergetics model of the Northeast Pacific Ocean to quantify how predation by three species of pinnipeds and killer whales (Orcinus orca) on Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) has changed since the 1970s along the west coast of North America, and compare these estimates to salmon fisheries. We find that from 1975 to 2015, biomass of Chinook salmon consumed by pinnipeds and killer whales increased from 6,100 to …

Community Structure Of Lithotrophically-Driven Hydrothermal Microbial Mats From The Mariana Arc And Back-Arc, Kevin W. Hager, Heather Fullerton, David A. Butterfield, Craig L. Moyer

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

The Mariana region exhibits a rich array of hydrothermal venting conditions in a complex geological setting, which provides a natural laboratory to study the influence of local environmental conditions on microbial community structure as well as large-scale patterns in microbial biogeography. We used high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the bacterial small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene from 22 microbial mats collected from four hydrothermally active locations along the Mariana Arc and back-arc to explore the structure of lithotrophically-based microbial mat communities. The vent effluent was classified as iron- or sulfur-rich corresponding with two distinct community types, dominated by either Zetaproteobacteria or Epsilonproteobacteria, …

Year-Round Algal Toxin Exposure In Free-Ranging Sea Lions, Adrianne M. Akmajian, Jonathan J. Scordino, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Harmful algal bloom toxins cause illness and mortality in marine mammals worldwide, yet the potential for year-round exposure to these toxins has not previously been studied. We measured concentrations of domoic acid and saxitoxin in scats from Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus (n = 383 scats) and California sea lions Zalophus californianus (n = 125 scats) over a 2 yr period. Toxin concentrations in the scats were compared to the prey remains in the scats and to concentrations in nearshore bivalves. Saxitoxin was detected in 45% and domoic acid was detected in 17% of all scats tested, and both toxins …

Physiological And Ecological Implications Of An Iron- Or Hydrogen-Oxidizing Member Of The Zetaproteobacteria, Ghiorsea Bivora, Gen. Nov., Sp. Nov., Jiro F. Mori, Jarrod J. Scott, Kevin W. Hager, Craig L. Moyer, Kirsten Küsel, David Emerson

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Chemosynthetic Fe-oxidizing communities are common at diffuse-flow hydrothermal vents throughout the world’s oceans. The foundational members of these communities are the Zetaproteobacteria, a class of Proteobacteria that is primarily associated with ecosystems fueled by ferrous iron, Fe(II). We report here the discovery of two new isolates of Zetaproteobacteria isolated from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (TAG-1), and the Mariana back-arc (SV-108), that are unique in that they can utilize either Fe(II) or molecular hydrogen (H₂) as sole electron donor and oxygen as terminal electron acceptor for growth. Both strains precipitated Fe-oxyhydroxides as amorphous particulates. The cell doubling time on H …

Hidden Diversity Revealed By Genome-Resolved Metagenomics Of Iron-Oxidizing Microbial Mats From Lō’Ihi Seamount, Hawai’I, Heather Fullerton, Kevin W. Hager, Sean M. Mcallister, Craig L. Moyer

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

The Zetaproteobacteria are ubiquitous in marine environments, yet this class of Proteobacteria is only represented by a few closely-related cultured isolates. In high-iron environments, such as diffuse hydrothermal vents, the Zetaproteobacteria are important members of the community driving its structure. Biogeography of Zetaproteobacteria has shown two ubiquitous operational taxonomic units (OTUs), yet much is unknown about their genomic diversity. Genome-resolved metagenomics allows for the specific binning of microbial genomes based on genomic signatures present in composite metagenome assemblies. This resulted in the recovery of 93 genome bins, of which 34 were classified as Zetaproteobacteria. Form II ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase genes …

Peat Moss–Like Vegetative Remains From Ordovician Carbonates, Christopher Cardona-Correa, Michael J. Piotrowski, Jennifer J. Knack, Robin E. Kodner, Dana H. Geary, Linda E. Graham

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Premise of research. Climatically favorable conditions correspond with fossil evidence for dramatic Ordovician marine biodiversification, but coeval terrestrial biodiversity is less well understood. Although diverse Middle and Late Ordovician microfossils are interpreted as reproductive remains of early bryophyte-like land plants (consistent with molecular data indicating pre-Ordovician embryophyte origin), the vegetative structure of Ordovician plants remains mysterious, as do relationships to modern groups. Because distinctive fungal microfossils indicating land plant presence were previously reported from Ordovician carbonate deposits in Wisconsin, we examined another nearby outcrop for additional evidence of terrestrial biodiversification.

Methodology. Replicate collections were made from well-understood 455–454 …

Silica Biomineralization Of Calothrix-Dominated Biofacies From Queen's Laundry Hot-Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Usa, Wendy F. Smythe, Sean M. Mcallister, Kevin W. Hager, Kyle R. Hager, Bradley M. Tebo, Craig L. Moyer

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Experiments on microorganisms capable of surviving silicification are often conducted to gain a better understanding of the process of silica biomineralization and to gain insights into microbially influenced rock formations and biofabrics like those found in ancient deposits such as the Early Archean Apex Chert formation (Schopf, 1993; House et al., 2000). An ideal microorganism for studying silicification is the large sheathed cyanobacterium Calothrix, which form distinctive organo-sedimentary structures in the low to moderate temperature regions of hydrothermal springs or columnar stromatolitic structures in aquatic systems. Our ability to identify and characterize microfossils from ancient deposits …

Comparative Single-Cell Genomics Of Chloroflexi From The Okinawa Trough Deep-Subsurface Biosphere, Craig L. Moyer

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Chloroflexi small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences are frequently recovered from subseafloor environments, but the metabolic potential of the phylum is poorly understood. The phylum Chloroflexi is represented by isolates with diverse metabolic strategies, including anoxic phototrophy, fermentation, and reductive dehalogenation; therefore, function cannot be attributed to these organisms based solely on phylogeny. Single-cell genomics can provide metabolic insights into uncultured organisms, like the deep-subsurface Chloroflexi. Nine SSU rRNA gene sequences were identified from single-cell sorts of whole-round core material collected from the Okinawa Trough at Iheya North hydrothermal field as part of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) expedition 331 …

The Hitchhiker's Guide To Europe: The Infection Dynamics Of An Ongoing Wolbachia Invasion And Mitochondrial Selective Sweep In Rhagoletis Cerasi, Hannes Schuler, Kirsten Köppler, Sabine Daxböck-Horvath, Bilal Rasool, Susanne Krumböck, Dietmar Schwarz, Thomas S. Hoffmeister, Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner, Florian M. Steiner, Arndt Telschow, Christian Stauffer, Wolfgang Arthofer, Markus Riegler

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Wolbachia is a maternally inherited and ubiquitous endosymbiont of insects. It can hijack host reproduction by manipulations such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) to enhance vertical transmission. Horizontal transmission of Wolbachia can also result in the colonization of new mitochondrial lineages. In this study, we present a 15-year-long survey of Wolbachia in the cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi across Europe and the spatiotemporal distribution of two prevalent strains, wCer1 and wCer2, and associated mitochondrial haplotypes in Germany. Across most of Europe, populations consisted of either 100% singly (wCer1) infected individuals with haplotype HT1, or 100% doubly ( …

Increasing The Use Of Student-Centered Pedagogies From Moderate To High Improves Student Learning And Attitudes About Biology, Georgianne L. Connell, Deborah A. Donovan, Timothy G. Chambers

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Student-centered strategies are being incorporated into undergraduate classrooms in response to a call for reform. We tested whether teaching in an extensively student-centered manner (many active-learning pedagogies, consistent formative assessment, cooperative groups; the Extensive section) was more effective than teaching in a moderately student-centered manner (fewer active-learning pedagogies, less formative assessment, without groups; the Moderate section) in a large-enrollment course. One instructor taught both sections of Biology 101 during the same quarter, covering the same material. Students in the Extensive section had significantly higher mean scores on course exams. They also scored significantly higher on a content postassessment when accounting …

Hydrothermal Venting And Mineralization In The Crater Of Kick’Em Jenny Submarine Volcano, Grenada (Lesser Antilles), Steven Carey, Rene Olsen, Katherine L. C. Bell, Robert Ballard, Frederic Dondin, Chris Roman, Clara Smart, Marvin Lilley, John Lupton, Brad Seibel, Winton Cornell, Craig L. Moyer

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Kick’em Jenny is a frequently erupting, shallow submarine volcano located 7.5 km off the northern coast of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles subduction zone. Focused and diffuse hydrothermal venting is taking place mainly within a small (~70 3 110 m) depression within the 300 m diameter crater of the volcano at depths of about 265 m. Much of the crater is blanketed with a layer of fine-grained tephra that has undergone hydrothermal alteration. Clear fluids and gas are being discharged near the center of the depression from mound-like vents at a maximum temperature of 180^ᵒC. The gas consists …

Sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta) Newly Recorded From Washington State, Chris Looney, David R. Smith, Sharon J. Collman, David W. Langor, Merrill A. Peterson

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Examination of museum specimens, unpublished collection data, and field surveys conducted between 2010 and 2014 resulted in records for 22 species of sawflies new to Washington State, seven of which are likely to be pest problems in ornamental landscapes. These data highlight the continued range expansion of exotic species across North America. These new records also indicate that our collective knowledge of Pacific Northwest arthropod biodiversity and biogeography is underdeveloped, even for a relatively well known and species-poor group of insects. Notable gaps in the knowledge of Washington State’s Symphyta remain for the Olympic Peninsula, the Cascade Mountain Range, and …

The Social Structure Of Golfo Dulce Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) And The Influence Of Behavioural State, Kelsey Moreno, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Ecological factors such as habitat and food availability affect the social structure of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). Here, we describe the social structure of bottlenose dolphins (T. truncatus) in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, a semi-enclosed, fjord-like tropical embayment resembling a pelagic system. We also examine behaviour-linked social strategies by comparing social structure relative to behavioural state: feeding versus non-feeding. We analysed 333 sightings over 210 days from boat-based surveys. Despite the uniqueness of the area, the 47 analysed adults had a social structure similar to other populations: a well-differentiated fission–fusion society with sex-specific patterns of associations …

Hybridization And The Spread Of The Apple Maggot Fly, Rhagoletis Pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae), In The Northwestern United States, Tracy Arcella, Glen R. Hood, Thomas H.Q. Powell, Sheina B. Sim, Wee L. Yee, Dietmar Schwarz, Scott P. Egan, Robert B. Goughnour, James J. Smith, Jeffery L. Feder

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Hybridization may be an important process interjecting variation into insect populations enabling host plant shifts and the origin of new economic pests. Here, we examine whether hybridization between the native snowberry-infesting fruit fly Rhagoletis zephyria (Snow) and the introduced quarantine pest R. pomonella (Walsh) is occurring and may aid the spread of the latter into more arid commercial apple-growing regions of central Washington state, USA. Results for 19 microsatellites implied hybridization occurring at a rate of 1.44% per generation between the species. However, there was no evidence for increased hybridization in central Washington. Allele frequencies for seven microsatellites in R. …

Fine-Scale Variability In Harbor Seal Foraging Behavior, Kenady Wilson, Monique Lance, Steven Jeffries, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Understanding the variability of foraging behavior within a population of predators is important for determining their role in the ecosystem and how they may respond to future ecosystem changes. However, such variability has seldom been studied in harbor seals on a fine spatial scale (km). We used a combination of standard and Bayesian generalized linear mixed models to explore how environmental variables influenced the dive behavior of harbor seals. Time-depth recorders were deployed on harbor seals from two haul-out sites in the Salish Sea in 2007 (n = 18) and 2008 (n = 11). Three behavioral bout types were classified …

The Effects Of Ocean Acidity And Elevated Temperature On Bacterioplankton Community Structure And Metabolism, Nam Siu, Jude K. Apple, Craig L. Moyer

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

By the end of the 21^st century, mean sea surface temperatures are expected to increase 4?C, while atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are predicted to triple causing seawater to become acidic. These compounding effects will undoubtedly have major consequences for the organisms and processes in the oceans. Bacterioplankton play a vital role in the marine carbon cycle and the oceans’ ability to sequester CO₂. We utilized pCO₂ perturbation experiments to investigate the effects of ocean acidity and elevated temperature on bacterioplankton community structure and metabolism. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of small subunit ribosomal (SSU) genes …

Integrating Environmental, Molecular, And Morphological Data To Unravel An Ice-Age Radiation Of Arctic-Alpine Campanula In Western North America, Eric G. Dechaine, Barry M. Wendling, Brenna R. Forester

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Many arctic-alpine plant genera have undergone speciation during the Quaternary. The bases for these radiations have been ascribed to geographic isolation,abiotic and biotic differences between populations, and/or hybridization andpolyploidization. The Cordilleran Campanula L. (Campanulaceae Juss.), a monophyletic clade of mostly endemic arctic-alpine taxa from western North America, experienced a recent and rapid radiation. We set out to unravel the factors that likely influenced speciation in this group. To do so, we integrated environmental, genetic, and morphological datasets, tested biogeographic hypotheses, and analyzed the potential consequences of the various factors on the evolutionary history of the clade. We created paleodistribution models …

Integrating Multiple Lines Of Evidence Into Historical Biogeography Hypothesis Testing: A Bison Bison Case Study, Jessica L. Metcalf, Stefan Prost, David Nogués-Bravo, Eric G. Dechaine, Christian Anderson, Persaram Batra, Miguel B. Araújo, Alan Cooper, Robert P. Guralnick

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

One of the grand goals of historical biogeography is to understand how and why species’ population sizes and distributions change over time. Multiple types of data drawn from disparate fields, combined into a single modelling framework, are necessary to document changes in a species’s demography and distribution, and to determine the drivers responsible for change. Yet truly integrated approaches are challenging and rarely performed. Here, we discuss a modelling framework that integrates spatio-temporal fossil data, ancient DNA, palaeoclimatological reconstructions, bioclimatic envelope modelling and coalescence models in order to statistically test alternative hypotheses of demographic and potential distributional changes for the …

The First Microbiological Contamination Assessment By Deep-Sea Drilling And Coring By The D/V Chikyu At The Iheya North Hydrothermal Field In The Mid-Okinawa Trough (Iodp Expedition 331), Katsunori Yanagawa, Takuro Nunoura, Sean M. Mcallister, Miho Hirai, Anja Breuker, Leah Brandt, Christopher H. House, Craig L. Moyer, Jean-Louis Birrien, Kan Aoike, Michinari Sunamura, Tetsuro Urabe, Michael J. Mottl, Ken Takai

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

During the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 331 at the Iheya North hydrothermal system in the Mid-Okinawa Trough by the D/V Chikyu, we conducted microbiological contamination tests of the drilling and coring operations. The contamination from the drilling mud fluids was assessed using both perfluorocarbon tracers (PFT) and fluorescent microsphere beads. PFT infiltration was detected from the periphery of almost all whole round cores (WRCs). By contrast, fluorescent microspheres were not detected in hydrothermally active core samples, possibly due to thermal decomposition of the microspheres under high-temperature conditions. Microbial contamination from drilling mud fluids to the core interior subsamples …

Deep Genetic Divergence Between Disjunct Refugia In The Arctic-Alpine King's Crown, Rhodiola Integrifolia (Crassulaceae), Eric G. Dechaine, Brenna R. Forester, Hanno Schaefer, Charles C. Davis

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Despite the strength of climatic variability at high latitudes and upper elevations, we still do not fully understand how plants in North America that are distributed between Arctic and alpine areas responded to the environmental changes of the Quaternary. To address this question, we set out to resolve the evolutionary history of the King’s Crown, Rhodiola integrifolia using multi-locus population genetic and phylogenetic analyses in combination with ecological niche modeling. Our population genetic analyses of multiple anonymous nuclear loci revealed two major clades within R. integrifolia that diverged from each other ~ 700 kya: one occurring in Beringia to the …

On The Evolutionary And Biogeographic History Of Saxifraga Sect. Trachyphyllum (Gaud.) Koch (Saxifragaceae Juss.), Eric G. Dechaine, Stacy A. Anderson, Jennifer M. Mcnew, Barry M. Wendling

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Arctic-alpine plants in the genus Saxifraga L. (Saxifragaceae Juss.) provide an excellent system for investigating the process of diversification in northern regions. Yet, sect.Trachyphyllum (Gaud.) Koch, which is comprised of about 8 to 26 species, has still not been explored by molecular systematists even though taxonomists concur that the section needs to be thoroughly re-examined. Our goals were to use chloroplast trnL-F and nuclear ITS DNA sequence data to circumscribe the section phylogenetically, test models of geographically-based population divergence, and assess the utility of morphological characters in estimating evolutionary relationships. To do so, we sequenced both genetic markers …

Advantages And Challenges Of Using Physics Curricula As A Model For Reforming An Undergraduate Biology Course, Deborah A. Donovan, L. J. Atkins, I.Y. Salter, D.J. Gallagher, R.F. Kratz, J.V. Rousseau, G.D. Nelson

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

We report on the development of a life sciences curriculum, targeted to undergraduate students, which was modeled after a commercially available physics curriculum and based on aspects of how people learn. Our paper describes the collaborative development process and necessary modifications required to apply a physics pedagogical model in a life sciences context. While some approaches were easily adapted, others provided significant challenges. Among these challenges were: representations of energy, introducing definitions, the placement of Scientists’ Ideas, and the replicability of data. In modifying the curriculum to address these challenges, we have come to see them as speaking to deeper …

Fish Consumption By Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In The San Juan Islands, Washington, Sarah M.S. Howard, Monique M. Lance, Steven J. Jeffries, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

The harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) is a large-bodied and abundant predator in the Salish Sea ecosystem, and its population has recovered since the 1970s after pas sage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the cessation of bounties. Little is known about how this large predator population may affect the recovery of fish stocks in the Salish Sea, where candidate marine protected areas are being proposed. We used a bioenergetics model to calculate baseline consumption rates in the San Juan Islands, Washing ton. Salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) and herring (Clupeidae) were the 2 most energetically important prey groups for biomass consumed …

New Insights Into The Diets Of Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In The Salish Sea Revealed By Analysis Of Fatty Acid Signatures, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Monique M. Lance, Elizabeth W. Elliott, Steven J. Jeffries, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez, John M. Kennish

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are an abundant predator along the west coast of North America, and there is considerable interest in their diet composition, especially in regard to predation on valued fish stocks. Available information on harbor seal diets, primarily derived from scat analysis, suggests that adult salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii), and gadids predominate. Because diet assessments based on scat analysis may be biased, we investigated diet composition through quantitative analysis of fatty acid signatures. Blubber samples from 49 harbor seals captured in western North America from haul-outs within the area of the San Juan Islands and …

Aspergillus Oxylipin Signaling And Quorum Sensing Pathways Depend On G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Katharyn J. Affeldt, Marion Brodhagen, Nancy P. Keller

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Oxylipins regulate Aspergillus development and mycotoxin production and are also involved inAspergillus quorum sensing mechanisms. Despite extensive knowledge of how these oxylipins are synthesized and what processes they regulate, nothing is known about how these signals are detected and transmitted by the fungus. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) have been speculated to be involved as they are known oxylipin receptors in mammals, and many putative GPCRs have been identified in the Aspergilli. Here, we present evidence that oxylipins stimulate a burst in cAMP in A. nidulans, and that loss of an A. nidulans GPCR, gprD, prevents this cAMP …

Long Distance Movements And Disjunct Spatial Use Of Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In The Inland Waters Of The Pacific Northwest, Sarah H. Peterson, Monique M. Lance, Steven J. Jeffries, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Background

Worldwide, adult harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) typically limit their movements and activity toresult, the ecological impact of harbor seals is viewed as limited to relatively small spatial scales. Harbor seals in the Pacific Northwest are believed to remainsite, one of several contributing factors to the current stock designation. However, movement patterns within the region are not well understood because previous studies have used radio-telemetry, which has range limitations. Our objective was to use satellite-telemetry to determine the regional spatial scale of movements.

Methodology

Satellite tags were deployed on 20 adult seals (n=16 males and 4 females) from …

Type-I Prenyl Protease Function Is Required In The Male Germline Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Katie Adolpsen, Amanda Amell, Nathan Havko, Sara Kevorkian, Kyle Mears, Dietmar Schwarz, Sandra R. Schulze

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Many proteins require the addition of a hydrophobic prenyl anchor (prenylation) for proper trafficking and localization in the cell. Prenyl proteases play critical roles in modifying proteins for membrane anchorage. The type I prenyl protease has a defined function in yeast (Ste24p/Afc1p) where it modifies a mating pheromone, and in humans (Zmpste24) where it has been implicated in a disease of premature aging. Despite these apparently very different biological processes, the type I prenyl protease gene is highly conserved, encoded by a single gene in a wide range of animal and plant groups. A notable exception is Drosophila melanogaster, where …

Prospects For The Study Of Evolution In The Deep Biosphere, Jennifer F. Biddle, Jason B. Sylvan, William J. Brazelton, Katina J. Edwards, Craig L. Moyer, John F. Heidelberg, William C. Nelson

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Since the days of Darwin, scientists have used the framework of the theory of evolution to explore the interconnectedness of life on Earth and adaptation of organisms to the ever-changing environment. The advent of molecular biology has advanced and accelerated the study of evolution by allowing direct examination of the genetic material that ultimately determines the phenotypes upon which selection acts. The study of evolution has been furthered through examination of microbial evolution, with large population numbers, short generation times, and easily extractable DNA. Such work has spawned the study of microbial biogeography, with the realization that concepts developed in …