Life Sciences Commons^™

Evidence For An Epigenetic Mechanism By Which Hsp90 Acts As A Capacitor For Morphological Evolution, Vincent E. Sollars, Xiangyi Lu, Li Xiao, Xiaoyan Wang, Mark D. Garfinkel, Douglas M. Ruden

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Morphological alterations have been shown to occur in Drosophila melanogaster when function of Hsp90 (heat shock 0-kDa protein 1α, encoded by Hsp83) is compromised during development1. Genetic selection maintains the altered phenotypes in subsequent generations1. Recent experiments have shown, however, that phenotypic variation still occurs in nearly isogenic recombinant inbred strains of Arabidopsis thaliana2. Using a sensitized isogenic D. melanogaster strain, iso-KrIf-1, we confirm this finding and present evidence supporting an epigenetic mechanism for Hsp90’s capacitor function, whereby reduced activity of Hsp90 induces a heritably altered chromatin state. The altered chromatin state is evidenced by ectopic expression …

Serotyping Group B Streptococci In A Small Community Hospital: An Analysis Of Distribution And Site Of Isolation, Jennifer M. Smith, Jason A. Rexroth, David G. Chaffin, Susan H. Jackman

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Objective: To determine the prevalence and site of isolation of different serotypes of group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization or infection at a small community hospital.

Methods: GBS isolates were obtained from a small community hospital and were then serotyped as la, Ib, II, III, IV, V or non-typeable. Hospital records were reviewed for patient sex, age and pregnancy status as well as the site of GBS isolation.

Results: GBS serotypes Ia, III and V were most common and accounted for over 60% of the total number of isolates. Serotype Ia was most prevalent in reproductive-age females, while serotypes V and …

Murine Epidermal Cell Antigen (Skn)-Directed Autoimmunity Induced By Transfer Of Cd4+ T Cells, Susan H. Jackman, Shivaleela Keerthy, Giselle Perry

Biochemistry and Microbiology

While pathogenic T cells have been identified for several diseases with epithelial cell damage, an autoimmune T cell-mediated response targeted against a known keratinocyte antigen has not been reported. Previously we described an autoimmune response directed to the mouse epidermal cell antigens, Skn. For our murine model, primed Skn-immune lymphocytes are adoptively transferred to recipients, which develop lesions at the site of mild skin trauma. In this study we investigated the nature of the autoimmune component of the Skn response. A time-course study demonstrated a relationship between the number of primed Sknimmune cells injected and the severity of skin lesions …

Phylogenetic Structure Of Two Central Mexican Centruroides Species Complexes, William Ian Towler

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Central Mexico is home to numerous species of highly toxic Centruroides scorpions. Two species complexes C. infamatus, (C.L. Koch, 1844), and C. limpidus (Karsch, 1879) typify the complex relationships that exist between and within the complexes. Their existing taxonomic status is based on morphological features such as coloration and morphosculpture. A complete and modern study of these scorpions does not exist, and is needed. In an attempt to clarify the status and relationship between these complexes we initiated a molecular based approach applying mitochondrial gene markers (16S and CO1). This study confirms two divergent clades within C. infamatus; divergence rate …

Comparisons In Morphology, Reproductive Status, And Feeding Ecology Of Plethodon Cinereus At High And Low Elevations In West Virginia, Mizuki Takahashi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

To develop effects of elevation on morphological features, reproductive status, and feeding ecology of Plethodon cinereus in West Virginia, overall comparisons between high (>4000 ft) and low (<1260 ft) elevation populations were made. Adult P. cinereus from high elevations were smaller in SVL (female: p=0.003, male: p<0.001), but stored larger amounts of fat (female: p=0.041, male: p=0.006) in their tails than fromlow elevations. Larger amounts of tail fat could be an adaptation to harsh environments at high elevations. It was determined that in West Virginia, where as females at low elevations oviposit annually, females at high elevations oviposit biennially. Stomach content analysis revealed that salamanders at high elevations were confronted by food shortage. Because of less prey availability and longer winters at high elevations, salamanders at high elevations attained the smaller body size than at low elevations and could not obtain sufficient energy in 1 year to yolk a clutch.

A Mechanistic Study Of Myoglobin Nephrotoxicity, Jennifer L. Minigh

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Myoglobin is an endogenous protein that can become nephrotoxic under certain conditions such as crush injuries, drug overdose, and seizures where prolonged contraction of muscle leads to cell death and leakage of myoglobin. The mechanism of myoglobin-induced nephrotoxicity is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize the sequence and mechanistic events associated with the in vitro toxicity of myoglobin in renal cortical slices. Renal tissue was isolated from Fischer 344 rats. Slices of renal cortex were prepared by freehand. These slices were then incubated for 60-180 minutes with myoglobin (0-12 mg/mL) pretreated with 4 mM ascorbic …

Pkcα Translocation And Actin Remodeling In Contracting A7r5 Smooth Muscle Cells, Chenwei Li

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Recent research indicates that protein kinase C (PKC) plays an important role in smooth muscle contraction. Because PKC activation and specificity of substrate phosphorylation is believed to be associated with the relocalization of the enzyme to specific cell sites, we first investigated the subcellular translocation of PKCα in A7r5 smooth muscle cells by confocal microscopy through use of standard immunohistologic staining and PKCα - enhanced green fluorescent protein (PKCα -EGFP) fusion protein expression. PKCα was diffusely distributed throughout the cytosol in the unstimulated A7r5 cell. Upon stimulation with phorbol 12, 13 dibutyrate (PDBu), PKCα was translocated primarily to either the …

Gender Differences In Gross And Fine Motor Abilities In Preschool Aged Children In West Virginia, Kelly R. Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in gross and fine motor abilities in preschool aged children in West Virginia. Subjects consisted of 21 males and 16 females. Data was collected via the West Virginia Educare Initiative using the Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs. Results of this study indicate that there are no significant gender differences in either gross motor or fine motor abilities in preschool aged children.

Characterization Of Host-Bacteria Interactions Contributing To Group B Streptococcus Colonization, Jennifer Marie Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of life-threatening bacterial infections during the first three months of life. GBS is also a frequent cause of maternal postpartum infections. Both types of infections stem from maternal vaginal and/or rectal colonization with GBS in the perinatal period. Limited information is available concerning how the colonization process occurs and what role the host immune system may play in the establishment of persistent colonization by GBS. The complex interactions between the immune system and GBS normally should end in clearance of the bacteria. However, since colonization by GBS occurs in a large number …

Comparison Of Hydrostatic Weighing And Plethysmography Techniques For The Development Of Skinfold Prediction Equations For Children, Tomoko Tozuka

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Regression equations between skinfold (SKF) measurements and air displacement plethysmography (ADP) were determined 6 to 18 year old athletes (80 males / 34 females) using Pearson r correlation coefficients. Triceps and mid-calf SKF and percent body fat (%BF) by ADP were measured during an Athletic Ability Assessment at The HIT Center (Huntington, WV). A high relationship was found between SKF and %BF by ADP (males; r² = .76, females; r² = .74, all; r² = .77). Data from the subjects were compared with similar correlations determined between SKF and %BF by hydrostatic weighing (HW) from another study …

Diets Of Bats In West Virginia, Theresa Sydney Burke

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Little work has been conducted concerning feeding ecology of bats, and only 2 studies have been done in West Virginia. West Virginia is a prime location for the study of bats because 12 species are reported in the state. To increase knowledge of food habits of bats inhabiting West Virginia, fecal samples of 7 species were examined: Virginia Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus), Rafinesquii’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii), Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis), Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus), Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), and Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus). Collections of samples were made in the eastern mountainous …

Molecular Systematics Of Rhinichthys Bowersi And Its Taxonomic Status, Gilbert Wesley Gladwell Ii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Rhinichthys bowersi is a cyprinid fish that is found mostly in tributaries of the Monongahela River. Several investigators have examined the morphology, protein polymorphism, and parasite/host relationships of R. bowersi and concluded that it is a valid species of introgressive hybrid origin while others have examined the same data and concluded that it is an F1 hybrid of R. cataractae and Nocomis micropogon. In this study, mitochondrial DNA was amplified from the 12s gene of R. bowersi and compared to that of R. cataracta, N. micropogon, and R. atratulus, an outgroup. Mitochondrial DNA differences were analyzed by Neighbor Joining (NJ), …

Effects Of Excessive Nitrogen Deposition On Foliar Nutrient Dynamics, Nutrient Concentrations, And Nutrient Ratios In A Central Appalachian Hardwood Forest, Sarah Beth Burdette

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Many forested systems of the eastern US are becoming significantly nitrogen (N) saturated due to chronic N deposition from the atmosphere. Nitrogen saturation has the potential to alter important internal plant processes, such as nutrient cycling. While extensive research has been conducted on the responses of soil to N saturation, considerably less research has focused on the response of plant nutrient dynamics, nutrient concentrations, and nutrient ratios to excess N. Research was conducted on two watersheds at the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia: WS3 (fertilized with ammonium sulfate annually since 1989) and WS7 (untreated control). Presenescent and senesced leaves …

The Natural History And Possible Extirpation Of Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Acris Crepitans Blanchardi, In West Virginia, Nancy J. Dickson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs, Acris crepitans blanchardi, historically occurred in Clay, Mason, Putnam, and Wayne counties of West Virginia. It has been since 1948 that a specimen was collected from these counties or any other in this state. The first objective of this study was to gather natural history information on A. c. blanchardi based on a population in Lawrence County, Ohio. The second objective of this study was to determine if A. c. blanchardi has been extirpated from West Virginia. The third objective was to determine differences between historical, potential, and current population sites based on vegetation sampling, predators, water …

A Gis Approach For The Abandoned Mine Inventory With Haul Roads Of The Monongahela National Forest To Provide A Comparative Analysis Of Usfs/Usace Collection Procedures And Image Basemap Selection For Cartographic Representation, John R. Ferguson Ii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Monongahela National Forest spans 10 counties in eastern central West Virginia. It has been an area of high mining and timbering activities throughout much of the early to mid twentieth century. As a result, the United States Forest Service (USFS) has focused reclamation and remediation efforts on the abandoned mine land areas. Much of the area has been subjected to mining after effects such as acid mine drainage, structural remains, gob/spoil piles, garbage piles, mine portals, and highwalls. In 1998 the USFS contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to locate these mining remains and provide a …

Status Of The Small-Mouthed Salamander, Ambystoma Texanum (Mathes) In West Virginia, Robert Fiorentino

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Over the past 60 years little natural history information on Ambystoma texanum (Small-mouthed Salamander) has been collected in West Virginia, the eastern most location for the species. Three historical breeding populations of A. texanum have been documented in the state, but salamanders from 2 of these locations have not been documented for the past 30 years. Searches of historical sites and favorable habitat in Mason, Jackson, and Wood counties yielded no evidence for the presence of A. texanum, except for the known breeding site in Wood County. Information on time of breeding and egg development was collected at the Wood …

Actin And Myosin Remodeling In The A7r5 Smooth Muscle Cell, Michael E. Fultz

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Active remodeling of the cytoskeleton has been proposed to contribute to the low energy cost and maintenance of the sustained contraction in smooth muscle. Using confocal microscopy and standard immunohistochemical techniques, direct observation of actin remodeling was studied in the contracting A7r5 cell in response to the diacylglycerol (DAG) analog phorbol 12, 13 dibutyrate (PDBu). -actin was shown to exist in the resting cell as parallel stress cables that extend across the cell. Stimulation by PDBu resulted in a sustained contraction that occurred in approximately eighty-five percent of the A7r5 cells. The initial contraction was not uniform, but primarily occurred …

Effects Of Developmental Activities On Streamside Salamander Communities In Boone County, West Virginia, Mindy S. Hamilton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A study was conducted from May 1998 through June 1999 in three streams associated with mountaintop mining and valley fills in Boone County, West Virginia. Streamside salamander communities were monitored in these streams, as well as in two relatively undisturbed reference streams in the region, using refugia bags, rock-on-rock methodology, and day surveys. The relative abundance of salamanders was compared between the streams in order to detect effects of the associated valley fills to downstream biota. Relative abundance was lower in two of three streams associated with valley fills as compared to the reference streams. However, there was no significant …

Determining The Genetic Distances Between Sub-Populations Of Aneides Aeneus In The Westvāco Wildlife And Ecological Research Forest, Andrew Nicholas Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Aneides aeneus, the Green Salamander, is a plethodontid species ranging from southern Pennsylvania to central Alabama and from eastern Mississippi to Maryland. Populations of Green Salamanders most often inhabit cliffs and rocky outcrops which are moist but not wet and shaded. The animal is listed as a species of special concern by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Diversity Program. Genetic and reproductive isolation due to strict habitat preferences of the Green Salamander could be a factor in the decline of the species. Seventeen tissue samples were retrieved from five sites within the Westvāco Wildlife and Ecosystem …

Effects Of Harvesting On Herbaceous Layer Diversity Of A Central Appalachian Hardwood Forest, Frank S. Gilliam

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Clearcutting is a common harvesting practice in many eastern hardwood forests. Among the vegetation strata of these forests, the herbaceous layer is potentially the most sensitive in its response to harvest-mediated disturbances and has the highest species diversity. Thus, it is important to understand the response of herbaceous layer diversity to forest harvesting. Previous work on clearcut and mature stands at the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF), West Virginia, has shown that, although, harvesting did not alter appreciably herbaceous layer cover, it influenced the relationship of cover to biotic and abiotic factors, such as tree density and soil nutrients, respectively. The …