Life Sciences Commons^™

Evidence For And Characterization Of Ca2+ Binding To The Catalytic Region Of Arabidopsis Thaliana Phospholipase Dβ, Xuemin Wang

Biology Department Faculty Works

Most types of plant phospholipase D (PLD) require Ca2+ for activity, but how Ca2+ affects PLD activity is not well understood. We reported previously that Ca2+ binds to the regulatory C2 domain that occurs in the N terminus of the Ca2+-requiring PLDs. Using Arabidopsis thaliana PLDβ and C2-deleted PLDβ (PLDβcat), we now show that Ca2+ also interacts with the catalytic regions of PLD. PLDβcat exhibited Ca2+-dependent activity, was much less active, and required a higher level of Ca2+ than the full-length PLDβ. Ca2+ binding of the proteins was stimulated by phospholipids; phosphatidylserine was the most effective among those tested. Scatchard …

Structural Mimicry In Class A G Protein-Coupled Receptor Rotamer Toggle Switches, Sean D. Mcallister, Dow P. Hurst, Judy Barnett-Norris, Diane L. Lynch, Patricia H. Reggio, Mary E. Abood

Faculty and Research Publications

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that a CB₁ TMH3-4-5-6 aromatic microdomain, which includes F3.25(190), F3.36(201), W5.43(280), and W6.48(357), is centrally involved in CB₁ receptor activation, with the F3.36(201)/W6.48(357) interaction key to the maintenance of the CB₁-inactive state. We have shown previously that when F3.36(201), W5.43(280), and W6.48(357) are individually mutated to alanine, a significant reduction in ligand binding affinity is observed in the presence of WIN 55,212-2 and SR141716A but not CP55,940 and anandamide. In the work presented here, we report a detailed functional analysis of the F3.36(201)A, F3.25(190)A, W5.43(280)A, and W6.48(357)A mutant receptors …

Evidence For And Characterization Of Ca2+ Binding To The Catalytic Region Of Arabidopsis Thaliana Phospholipase Dβ, Xuemin Wang

Xuemin (Sam) Wang

Identification And Phenotypic Characterization Of The Cell-Division Protein Cdpa, Eric Altermann, B. Logan Buck, Raul Cano, Todd R. Klaenhammer

Biological Sciences

Analysis of the automated computer annotation of the early draft phase genome of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM revealed the previously discovered S-layer gene slpA and an additional partial ORF with weak similarities to S-layer proteins. The entire gene was sequenced to reveal a 1799-bp gene coding for 599 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 64.8 kDa. No transcription or translation signals could be determined in close proximity to the 5′-region. However, a strong putative terminator with a free energy of −16.84 kcal/mol was identified directly downstream of the gene. A PSI-Blast analysis showed similarities to members of S-layer proteins, …

Electrotransformation Of Clostridium Thermocellum, Michael V. Tyurin, Sunil G. Desai, Lee R. Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

Electrotransformation of several strains of Clostridium thermocellum was achieved using plasmid pIKm1 with selection based on resistance to erythromycin and lincomycin. A custom-built pulse generator was used to apply a square 10-ms pulse to an electrotransformation cuvette consisting of a modified centrifuge tube. Transformation was verified by recovery of the shuttle plasmid pIKm1 from presumptive transformants of C. thermocellum with subsequent PCR specific to the mls gene on the plasmid, as well as by retransformation of Escherichia coli. Optimization carried out with strain DSM 1313 increased transformation efficiencies from <1 to (2.2 􏰍 0.5) 􏰎 105 transformants per 􏰃g of plasmid DNA. Factors conducive to achieving high transformation efficiencies included optimized periods of incubation both before and after electric pulse application, chilling during cell collection and washing, subculture in the presence of isoniacin prior to electric pulse application, a custom-built cuvette embedded in an ice block during pulse application, use of a high (25-kV/cm) field strength, and induction of the mls gene before plating the cells on selective medium. The protocol and preferred conditions developed for strain DSM 1313 resulted in transformation efficiencies of (5.0 􏰍 1.8) 􏰎 104 transformants per 􏰃g of plasmid DNA for strain ATCC 27405 and 􏰁1 􏰎 103 transformants per 􏰃g of plasmid DNA for strains DSM 4150 and 7072. Cell viability under optimal conditions was 􏰁50% of that of controls not exposed to an electrical pulse. Dam methylation had a beneficial but modest (7-fold for strain ATCC 27405; 40-fold for strain DSM 1313) effect on transformation efficiency. The effect of isoniacin was also strain specific. The results reported here provide for the first time a gene transfer method functional in C. thermocellum that is suitable for molecular manipulations involving either the introduction of genes associated with foreign gene products or knockout of native genes.

A Large-Sample Qtl Study In Mice: Iii. Reproduction, Joao L. Rocha, Eugene J. Eisen, Frank Siewerdt, L. Dale Van Vleck, Daniel Pomp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Using lines of mice having undergone long-term selection for high and low growth, a large-sample (n ≈ 1000 F₂) experiment was conducted to gain further understanding of the genetic architecture of complex polygenic traits. Composite interval mapping on data from 10-week-old F2 females (n = 439) detected 15 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on 5 chromosomes that influence reproduction traits characterized at day 16 of gestation. These QTL are broadly categorized into two groups: those where effects on the number of live fetuses (LF) were accompanied by parallel effects on the number of dead fetuses (DF), and those free …

Lexen: Role Of Atmospheric Trace Gases In Microbial Colonization And Succession On Recent Lava Flows, Gary M. King

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Drs. Gary M. King of the University of Maine and Klaus Nusslein of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst have been awarded a grant from the NSF Life in Extreme Environment (LExEn) program to determine the role of atmospheric trace gases in microbial colonization and succession on recent lava flows. Volcanic activity has played an important role in the development of terrestrial ecosystems for much of Earth's history, and continues to shape terrestrial environments at present. Deposition of lava and tephra result in surfaces that over time support complex, highly productive biological communities. However, young or recently extruded lavas represent extreme environments …

Evidence For Involvement Of An Electron Shuttle In Electricity Generation By Geothrix Fermentans, Daiel R. Bond, Derek Lovley

Derek Lovley

In experiments performed using graphite electrodes poised by a potentiostat (+200 mV versus Ag/AgCl) or in a microbial fuel cell (with oxygen as the electron acceptor), the Fe(III)-reducing organism Geothrix fermentans conserved energy to support growth by coupling the complete oxidation of acetate to reduction of a graphite electrode. Other organic compounds, such as lactate, malate, propionate, and succinate as well as components of peptone and yeast extract, were utilized for electricity production. However, electrical characteristics and the results of shuttling assays indicated that unlike previously described electrode-reducing microorganisms, G. fermentans produced a compound that promoted electrode reduction. This is …

Collaborative Research: Developing Methods To Study Age-Related Changes In The Physiology Of Forest Trees, Michael S. Greenwood

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Trees continue to increase in size and complexity over life spans that may last many centuries, and each year the growing regions of their shoots produce new foliage and reproductive structures. As they grow older and larger, forest trees appear to grow more slowly, produce thicker foliage and more reproductive structures. These changes are likely to be associated with age-related declines in the growth rates of forest stands, which occur before the mid-point of the lifespan of important timber species. Although similar patterns of age- and size-related change in the morphology and physiology of foliage have been described for numerous …

National Pork Producers Council Maternal Line Genetic Evaluation: A Comparison Of Growth And Carcass Traits In Terminal Progeny, J. P. Cassidy, O. W. Robison, R. K. Johnson, J. W. Mabry, L. L. Christian, M. D. Tokach, R. K. Miller, R. N. Goodwin

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to compare growth and carcass traits of 1,252 progeny of six commercially available dam lines included in the National Pork Producers Council Maternal Line Evaluation Project. Lines compared included one maternal line supplied by each of American Diamond Swine Genetics (ADSG), Danbred NA (DB), two lines supplied by Monsanto Choice Genetics (DK and GPK347), Newsham Hybrids (NH), and Landrace × Large White females supplied by the National Swine Registry (NSR). All females were mated to DB, Duroc-Hampshire terminal sires. Traits analyzed were ADG from 56 to 115 kg live weight, days to 115 kg, …

A Genome Scan For Quantitative Trait Loci And Imprinted Regions Affecting Reproduction In Pigs, J. W. Holl, J. P. Cassady, D. Pomp, R. K. Johnson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Quantitative trait loci for reproductive traits in a three-generation resource population of a cross between low-indexing pigs from a control line and high-indexing pigs from a line selected 10 generations for increased index of ovulation rate and embryonic survival are reported. Phenotypic data were collected in F2 females for birth weight (BWT, n = 428), weaning weight (WWT, n = 405), age at puberty (AP, n = 295), ovulation rate (OR, n = 423), number of fully formed pigs (FF, n = 370), number of pigs born alive (NBA, n = 370), number of mummified pigs (MUM, n = 370), …

C-Terminal 23 Kda Polypeptide Of Soybean Gly M Bd 28 K Is A Potential Allergen, Ping Xiang, Eric J. Haas, Michael G. Zeece, John P. Markwell, Gautam Sarath

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Gly m Bd 28 K is a major soybean (Glycine max Merr.) glycoprotein allergen. It was originally identified as a 28 kDa polypeptide in soybean seed flour. However, the full-length protein is encoded by an open reading frame (ORF) of 473 amino acids, and contains a 23 kDa C-terminal polypeptide of as yet unknown allergenic and structural characteristics. IgE-binding (allergenic potential) of the Gly m Bd 28 K protein including the 23 kDa C-terminal portion as well as shorter fragments derived from the full-length ORF were evaluated using sera from soy-sensitive adults. All of these sera contained IgE that …

Effects Of Different Jumping Programs On Hip And Spine Bone Mineral Density In Pre-Menopausal Women, J. Eric Strong

Theses and Dissertations

Sixty premenopausal women (age 25-50) finished a 16 week randomized controlled trial looking at the effects of different jump programs on hip and spine bone mineral density (BMD). Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group or one of two jumping groups. The Jump 10 group performed 10 jumps with 30 seconds of rest between jumps, twice daily, while the Jump 20 group performed the same protocol but with 20 jumps. At 8 weeks, BMD percent change (%Δ) at the hip was significantly different among groups when age, weight change, and subject compliance were simultaneously adjusted. In particular, the Jump …

Nebraska Vine Lines, Vol. Viii, No. 6. November/December 2004

Viticulture Publications and Research

• Fall Workshop: Instrumentation for Vineyards and Wineries – 95 attend.

• Edward Hellman

• The Grand Banquet to feature “Ragtime”

• Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to Speak at the March Forum in Kearney, NE

• Last Chance Winery

• Pioneer Nebraska Winery Turns “10”

• Taste Buds

• Masters Students to speak at 7th Forum in Kearney

Application Of Genotypic And Phenotypic Analyses To Commercial Probiotic Strain Identity And Relatedness, P. S. M. Yeung, Christopher L. Kitts, Phillip S. Tong, M. E. Sanders

Biological Sciences

Aims: The objective of this study was to generate strain-specific genomic patterns of a bank of 67 commercial and reference probiotic strains, with a focus on probiotic lactobacilli.
Methods and Results: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used as the primary method for strain differentiation. This method was compared with carbohydrate fermentation analysis. To supplement visual comparison, PFGE patterns were analysed quantitatively by cluster analysis using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages. SmaI, NotI and XbaI were found to effectively generate clear and easy-to-interpret PFGE patterns of a range of probiotic strains. Some probiotic strains from different sources shared highly …

Sex Differences In Metabolic Rates In Field Crickets And Their Dipteran Parasitoids, Gita R. Kolluru, Mark A. Chappell, Marlene Zuk

Biological Sciences

Sex differences in metabolic rate (MR) can result from dimorphism in the performance of energetically demanding activities. Male crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) engage in costly calling and aggressive activity not performed by females. Consistent with this difference, we found higher maximal MR, factorial scope, and fat content in males than females. T. oceanicus song is also costly because it attracts the parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea. Parasitized crickets had reduced maximal MR consistent with a metabolic cost to harboring larvae. This cost was greater for females, either because females invest more heavily into reproduction at the expense of metabolic …

Gene Markers And Complex Disorders: A Review, M S. Mahmood, N Kureshi, P M. Frossard

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

B850: Representative Farm Budgets And Performance Indicators For Integrated Farming Practices In Maine, Aaron K. Hoshide, Timothy J. Dalton, Stewart N. Smith

Bulletins

This report compares the relative profitability and sustainability of Maine farms integrating crops and livestock with comparable non-integrated or conventional farms. Potato and dairy systems coupled for only two years had greater profitability compared to conventional systems. Profitability increased in the short term in two ways. First, potato farms grew more of their primary cash crop. Second, dairy farms expanded cow numbers, increasing profitability assuming increasing returns to scale. Coupled systems integrated for more than ten years (long term) had more favorable profitability and sustainability measures than short-term couplers since greater manure-nutrient credits were taken for potatoes and silage corn. …

Shiga Toxin Binding To Isolated Porcine Tissues And Peripheral Blood Leukocytes, Kellie R. K. Winter, William C. Stoffregen, Evelyn A. Dean-Nystrom

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Shiga toxin (Stx) binding sites in porcine tissues and leukocytes were identified by the use of Stx overlay and anti-CD77/Gb3 immunoassays. Stx1 and Stx2 bound to similar tissue locations and leukocytes, although some differences were noted. Previously unreported Stx binding sites were identified in kidney tubules, intestinal lymphoid aggregates, sinusoidal liver cells, alveolar macrophages, and peripheral blood leukocytes.

Understanding The Role Of Behavior And Cognitions In A Group Exercise Setting, Tina L. Shrigley, Kimberley A. Dawson

Kinesiology and Physical Education Faculty Publications

The first purpose of the present study examined whether individuals with different exercise behaviors (classified by attendance) experienced different or similar cognitive patterns. It was hypothesized that different behavior would lead to different cognitive appraisals. It was predicted that there would be a difference between the three behavioral frequency groups with regard to self-efficacy measures and goal measures. The second purpose of the study was to describe, evaluate and observe whether social factors were associated with participating in exercise in groups. It was hypothesized that those who engage in exercise classes would elicit a social focus. Participants for the study …

Forage News [2004-11], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Dr. Ray Smith Joins Kentucky Forage Team
• KFGC Presents 2004 Forage Awards
• Forage Spokesman Winner
• Grigson Becomes KFGC President
• KFGC Board Elects Six New Members
• 5th Kentucky Grazing Conference Big Success
• Forage Information
• What Is the Quality of Your Hay?
• How Good Is Stockpiled Tall Fescue?
• Effects of Tall Fescue Endophyte on Reproduction
• American Forage and Grassland Council Update
• Calf Weaning Weights of Cattle Grazing Toxic or MaxQ™ Tall Fescue Stands
• Hay Production
• Upcoming Events

Alteration Of The Food Web Along The Antarctic Peninsula In Response To A Regional Warming Trend, Mark A. Moline, Herve Claustre, Thomas K. Frazer, Oscar Schofield, Maria Vernet

Biological Sciences

In the nearshore coastal waters along the Antarctic Peninsula, a recurrent shift in phytoplankton community structure, from diatoms to cryptophytes, has been documented. The shift was observed in consecutive years (1991–1996) during the austral summer and was correlated in time and space with glacial melt-water runoff and reduced surface water salinities. Elevated temperatures along the Peninsula will increase the extent of coastal melt-water zones and the seasonal prevalence of cryptophytes. This is significant because a change from diatoms to cryptophytes represents a marked shift in the size distribution of the phytoplankton community, which will, in turn, impact the zooplankton assemblage. …

Application Of Genotypic And Phenotypic Analyses To Commerical Probiotic Strain Identity And Relatedness, P.S.M. Yeung, C. L. Kitts, R. Cano, P. Tong

Biological Sciences

Aims: The objective of this study was to generate strain-specific genomic patterns of a bank of 67 commercial and reference probiotic strains, with a focus on probiotic lactobacilli.

Methods and Results: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used as the primary method for strain differentiation. This method was compared with carbohydrate fermentation analysis. To supplement visual comparison, PFGE patterns were analysed quantitatively by cluster analysis using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages. SmaI, NotI and XbaI were found to effectively generate clear and easy-to-interpret PFGE patterns of a range of probiotic strains. Some probiotic strains from different sources …

Laboratory Routines Cause Animal Stress, Jonathan P. Balcombe, Neal D. Barnard, Chad Sandusky

Laboratory Experiments Collection

Eighty published studies were appraised to document the potential stress associated with three routine laboratory procedures commonly performed on animals: handling, blood collection, and orogastric gavage. We defined handling as any non-invasive manipulation occurring as part of routine husbandry, including lifting an animal and cleaning or moving an animal's cage. Significant changes in physiologic parameters correlated with stress (e.g., serum or plasma concentrations of corticosterone, glucose, growth hormone or prolactin, heart rate, blood pressure, and behavior) were associated with all three procedures in multiple species in the studies we examined. The results of these studies demonstrated that animals responded with …

Predators In Natural Fragments: Foraging Ecology Of Wolves In British Columbia’S Central And North Coast Archipelago, C. T. Darimont, M. H. H. Price, N. N. Winchester, J. Gordon-Walker, P. C. Paquet

Biogeography and Ecological Opportunity Collection

Aim Predator–prey dynamics in fragmented areas may be influenced by spatial features of the landscape. Although little is known about these processes, an increasingly fragmented planet underscores the urgency to predict its consequences. Accordingly, our aim was to examine foraging behaviour of an apex mammalian predator, the wolf (Canis lupus), in an archipelago environment.

Location Mainland and adjacent archipelago of British Columbia, Canada; a largely pristine and naturally fragmented landscape with islands of variable size and isolation.

Methods We sampled 30 mainland watersheds and 29 islands for wolf faeces in summers 2000 and 2001 and identified prey remains. We examined …

Project Report No. 66, Metric Volume And Biomass Prediction Equations For Loblolly And Slash Pine Trees Planted In Unmanaged Pine Plantations In East Texas, Dean W. Coble, Young-Jin Lee, J. David Lenhart

Informal Project Reports

Metric equations are presented to predict the volume of wood and/or biomass contained in individual loblolly (Pinus taeda, L.) and slash (Pinus elliottii, Englem.) pine trees growing in unmanaged pine plantations in east Texas. Taper equations are also presented for both species that describe tree form in metric units.

Project Report No. 65, Stumpage Price Trends Of Sawtimber And Pulpwood In East Texas And Louisiana, Dean W. Coble, Shiaolin Cheng

Informal Project Reports

A fifteen-year stumpage price update and analysis for pine and hardwood in East Texas are reported. Thepricesofsawtimberandpulpwoodare presented for both pine and hardwood plantations by using 1988 to 2003 stumpage prices from the Texas Forest Service and Louisiana Department of Agriculture. Timber prices increased steadily from 1988 to the late 1990's, peaked, then declined into 2003 for both Louisiana and Texas. Louisiana prices, though, have remained higher than those for Texas.

The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker: Interactions With Fire, Snags, Fungi, Rat Snakes, And Pileated Woodpeckers, Richard N. Conner, Daniel Saenz, D. Craig Rudolph

Faculty Publications

Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) adaptation to fire-maintained southern pine ecosystems has involved several important interactions: (I) the reduction of hardwood frequency in the pine ecosystem because of frequent tires, (2) the softening of pine heartwood by red heart fungus (Phellinus pini) that hastens cavity excavation by the species, (3) the woodpecker's use of the pine's resin system to create abarrier against rat snakes (Elaphe sp.), and (4) the woodpecker as a keystone cavity excavator for secondary-cavity users. Historically, frequent, low-intensity ground tires in southern pine uplands reduced the availability of dead trees (snags) that are typically used by other …

Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Dec 2004, Sfa Gardens, Stephen F. Austin State University

SFA Gardens Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Genetically Effective Breeding Numbers Using A Rejection Algorithm Approach, Uma Ramakrishnan, Jay F. Storz, Barbara L. Taylor, Russell Lande

Jay F. Storz Publications

Polygynous mating results in nonrandom sampling of the adult male gamete pool in each generation, thereby increasing the rate of genetic drift. In principle, genetic paternity analysis can be used to infer the effective number of breeding males (N_ebm). However, this requires genetic data from an exhaustive sample of candidate males. Here we describe a new approach to estimate N_ebm using a rejection algorithm in association with three statistics: Euclidean distance between the frequency distributions of maternally and paternally inherited alleles, average number of paternally inherited alleles and average gene diversity of paternally inherited alleles. We quantify …