Life Sciences Commons^™

Consent To The Use Of Stored Dna For Genetics Research: A Survey Of Attitudes In The Jewish Population, Marc D. Schwartz, Karen H. Rothenberg, Linda Joseph, Judith Benkendorf, Caryn Lerman

Karen H. Rothenberg

No abstract provided.

Environmental Dna Sequencing Primers For Eutardigrades And Bdelloid Rotifers, Byron J. Adams, Jeremy Whiting, Elizabeth K. Costello, Kristen R. Freeman, Andrew P. Martin, Michael S. Robeson, Steve K. Schmidt

Faculty Publications

Background: The time it takes to isolate individuals from environmental samples and then extract DNA from each individual is one of the problems with generating molecular data from meiofauna such as eutardigrades and bdelloid rotifers. The lack of consistent morphological information and the extreme abundance of these classes makes morphological identification of rare, or even common cryptic taxa a large and unwieldy task. This limits the ability to perform large-scale surveys of the diversity of these organisms. Here we demonstrate a culture-independent molecular survey approach that enables the generation of large amounts of eutardigrade and bdelloid rotifer sequence data directly …

Dna, Red Tide And The Sea: A New Exhibit At Mystic Aquarium & Ife, Margaret (Peg) A. Van_Patten

Wrack Lines

DNA, Red Tide and the Sea is a new exhibit at Mystic Aquarium & IFE. It was developed by UConn Marine Sciences Professor Senjie Lin, and Mystic Aquarium. Children can extract DNA from fruit and learn about genetic codes and red tides in the ocean.

Exploring Red-Tailed Hawk Migration Using Stable Isotope Analysis And Dna Sexing Techniques, Kara Clare Donohue

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the movements of migratory birds and connecting the different stages of their annual cycle is necessary for the conservation and management of migratory bird species. Stable isotope technology has the potential to shed light on the movements of migratory species and to help us better understand their population dynamics. Several studies use stable hydrogen isotopes in particular to predict origins of birds sampled during migration or in winter. However, recent work on stable hydrogen isotopes in feathers (δD_f) draws into question the utility of this technology in estimating origins of migrants. My objective was to determine whether …

Non-Antibiotic Selection Systems For Soybean Somatic Embryos: The Lysine Analog Aminoethyl-Cysteine As A Selection Agent, Suryadevara S. Rao, Lewamy Mamadou, Matt Mcconnell, Raghuveer Polisetty, Prachuab Kwanyuen, David Hildebrand

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: In soybean somatic embryo transformation, the standard selection agent currently used is hygromycin. It may be preferable to avoid use of antibiotic resistance genes in foods. The objective of these experiments was to develop a selection system for producing transgenic soybean somatic embryos without the use of antibiotics such as hygromycin.

RESULTS: When tested against different alternate selection agents our studies show that 0.16 microg/mL glufosinate, 40 mg/L isopropylamine-glyphosate, 0.5 mg/mL (S-(2 aminoethyl)-L-cysteine) (AEC) and the acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors Exceed and Synchrony both at 150 microg/mL inhibited soybean somatic embryo growth. Even at the concentration of 2 mg/mL, …

Lifelines Fall 2009, Southern Adventist University

Lifelines - Biology Department Newsletter

The Fall 2009 issue of Lifelines includes articles on Southern's Ancient DNA Project, an alumni feature, student research, and news from the Pre-Dent Club.

Bridging Functional Genomics And Toxicogenomics Through Dna Microarrays In A Fish Model, Shuzhao Li

Dissertations

In a case study of finding gene expression signatures for environmental stressors in Cyprinodon variegatus, this dissertation examines several important issues of applying DNA microarray technology to fish toxicogenomics. The most relevant disciplines, fish toxicogenomics and computational systems biology are reviewed in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 reviews major aspects of DNA microarray technology.

On DNA microarrays, even for probes that target the same transcript, large variations are seen in the probe signals. These variations are partly dependent and partly independent on probe sequences. Chapter 3 estimates the sequence independent variation by combining experimental and computational approaches. Chapter 4 and …

Rapid Fixation Of Non-Native Alleles Revealed By Genome-Wide Snp Analysis Of Hybrid Tiger Salamanders, Benjamin M. Fitzpatrick, Jarrett R. Johnson, D. Kevin Kump, H. Bradley Shaffer, Jeramiah J. Smith, S. Randal Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Hybrid zones represent valuable opportunities to observe evolution in systems that are unusually dynamic and where the potential for the origin of novelty and rapid adaptation co-occur with the potential for dysfunction. Recently initiated hybrid zones are particularly exciting evolutionary experiments because ongoing natural selection on novel genetic combinations can be studied in ecological time. Moreover, when hybrid zones involve native and introduced species, complex genetic patterns present important challenges for conservation policy. To assess variation of admixture dynamics, we scored a large panel of markers in five wild hybrid populations formed when Barred Tiger Salamanders were introduced into …

Evolution Of A Subtilisin-Like Protease Gene Family In The Grass Endophytic Fungus Epichloë Festucae, Michelle K. Bryant, Christopher L. Schardl, Uljana Hesse, Barry Scott

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Subtilisin-like proteases (SLPs) form a superfamily of enzymes that act to degrade protein substrates. In fungi, SLPs can play either a general nutritive role, or may play specific roles in cell metabolism, or as pathogenicity or virulence factors.

RESULTS: Fifteen different genes encoding SLPs were identified in the genome of the grass endophytic fungus Epichloë festucae. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these SLPs belong to four different subtilisin families: proteinase K, kexin, pyrolysin and subtilisin. The pattern of intron loss and gain is consistent with this phylogeny. E. festucae is exceptional in that it contains two kexin-like genes. Phylogenetic analysis …

Srs2 Disassembles Rad51 Filaments By A Protein-Protein Interaction Triggering Atp Turnover And Dissociation Of Rad51 From Dna, Edwin Antony, Eric J. Tomko, Qi Xiao, Lumir Krejci, Timothy M. Lohman, Tom Ellenberger

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Rad51 is a DNA recombinase functioning in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks and the generation of genetic diversity by homologous recombination (HR). In the presence of ATP, Rad51 self-assembles into an extended polymer on single-stranded DNA to catalyze strand exchange. Inappropriate HR causes genomic instability, and it is normally prevented by remodeling enzymes that antagonize the activities of Rad51 nucleoprotein filaments. In yeast, the Srs2 helicase/translocase suppresses HR by clearing Rad51 polymers from single-stranded DNA. We have examined the mechanism of disassembly of Rad51 nucleoprotein filaments by Srs2 and find that a physical interaction between Rad51 and the C-terminal …

Analyzing The Interconnectedness Between Space, Place, And Human Interaction With The Natural Environment: "Ecological Reawakening: Organic Dna And Evolution", Sarah Moos

Scripps Senior Theses

I have organized this paper into four chapters: "The Environmental Situation," "Space and Place," "Art and the Natural Environment," and "Creating Work of My Own." Chapter 1 explains human beings' intrinsic interconnection to the natural environment, outlining why humans should be concerned about the current degraded state of the natural world. Chapter 2 discusses the concepts of space and place. It analyzes how human beings interact with and experience spaces, developing their sense of place - within physical, theoretical, and spiritual realms. It finally illustrates the importance that spaces and places have in humans' lives. Chapter 3 describes the Land …

Rap1 Is Essential For Silencing Telomeric Variant Surface Glycoprotein Genes In Trypanosoma Brucei, Xiaofeng Yang, Luisa M. Figueiredo, Amin Espinal, Eiji Okubo, Bibo Li

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Trypanosoma brucei expresses variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes in a strictly monoallelic fashion in its mammalian hosts, but it is unclear how this important virulence mechanism is enforced. Telomere position effect, an epigenetic phenomenon, has been proposed to play a critical role in VSG regulation, yet no telomeric protein has been identified whose disruption led to VSG derepression. We now identify tbRAP1 as an intrinsic component of the T. brucei telomere complex and a major regulator for silencing VSG expression sites (ESs). Knockdown of tbRAP1 led to derepression of all VSGs in silent ESs, but not VSGs located elsewhere, and …

Borrelia Burgdorferi Ebfc Defines A Newly-Identified, Widespread Family Of Bacterial Dna-Binding Proteins, Sean P. Riley, Tomasz Bykowski, Anne E. Cooley, Logan H. Burns, Kelly Babb, Catherine A. Brissette, Amy Bowman, Matthew L. Rotondi, M. Clarke Miller, Edward Demoll, Kap Lim, Michael G. Fried, Brian Stevenson

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

The Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, encodes a novel type of DNA-binding protein named EbfC. Orthologs of EbfC are encoded by a wide range of bacterial species, so characterization of the borrelial protein has implications that span the eubacterial kingdom. The present work defines the DNA sequence required for high-affinity binding by EbfC to be the 4 bp broken palindrome GTnAC, where ‘n’ can be any nucleotide. Two high-affinity EbfC-binding sites are located immediately 5′ of B. burgdorferi erp transcriptional promoters, and binding of EbfC was found to alter the conformation of erp promoter DNA. Consensus EbfC-binding …

Species Delimitation In Lemurs: Multiple Genetic Loci Reveal Low Levels Of Species Diversity In The Genus Cheirogaleus, Linn F. Groeneveld, David W. Weisrock, Rodin M. Rasoloarison, Anne D. Yoder, Peter M. Kappeler

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Species are viewed as the fundamental unit in most subdisciplines of biology. To conservationists this unit represents the currency for global biodiversity assessments. Even though Madagascar belongs to one of the top eight biodiversity hotspots of the world, the taxonomy of its charismatic lemuriform primates is not stable. Within the last 25 years, the number of described lemur species has more than doubled, with many newly described species identified among the nocturnal and small-bodied cheirogaleids. Here, we characterize the diversity of the dwarf lemurs (genus Cheirogaleus) and assess the status of the seven described species, based on phylogenetic and …

Microarray And Cdna Sequence Analysis Of Transcription During Nerve-Dependent Limb Regeneration, James R. Monaghan, Leonard G. Epp, Srikrishna Putta, Robert B. Page, John A. Walker, Chris K. Beachy, Wei Zhu, Gerald M. Pao, Inder M. Verma, Tony Hunter, Susan V. Bryant, David M. Gardiner, Tim T. Harkins, S. Randal Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Microarray analysis and 454 cDNA sequencing were used to investigate a centuries-old problem in regenerative biology: the basis of nerve-dependent limb regeneration in salamanders. Innervated (NR) and denervated (DL) forelimbs of Mexican axolotls were amputated and transcripts were sampled after 0, 5, and 14 days of regeneration.

RESULTS: Considerable similarity was observed between NR and DL transcriptional programs at 5 and 14 days post amputation (dpa). Genes with extracellular functions that are critical to wound healing were upregulated while muscle-specific genes were downregulated. Thus, many processes that are regulated during early limb regeneration do not depend upon nerve-derived factors. …

The Poetry Of Genetics: On The Pitfalls Of Popularizing Science, Anita L. Allen

All Faculty Scholarship

The role genetic inheritance plays in the way human beings look and behave is a question about the biology of human sexual reproduction, one that scientists connected with the Human Genome Project dashed to answer before the close of the 20th century. This is also a question about politics, and, it turns out poetry, because, as the example of Lucretius shows, poetry is an ancient tool for the popularization of science. "Popularization" is a good word for successful efforts to communicate elite science to non-scientists in non-technical languages and media. According to prominent sociobiologist E.O. Wilson, "sexual dominance is a …

Lyophilization Of Spodoptera Frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae Yields High-Quality Dna For Use In Aflp Genetic Studies, Pete L. Clark, David J. Isenhour, Steven R. Skoda, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Claudia Gianni, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Agricultural research in the 21st century has become a collaborative effort. Research on crop pests like Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), commonly known as the fall armyworm (FAW), can involve international collaboration because it is a pest not only in the southern United States, but also in Latin and South America. Our interest to study the genetic variation of 24 subpopulations of FAW from the southern United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Argentina required insect collection procedures that preserve the integrity of DNA for molecular genetic analysis. The samples were collected primarily from maize (Zea mays L.), but also …

Generation Of A Reporter Library Of Eralpha Interacting Dna Sequences, Cormac Jennings

Masters

Oestrogens are a group of steroid hormones of which oestradiol is the major form. Oestrogens are present in men and women and some of their main physiological roles involve female and male reproduction, bone metabolism and homeostasis. Oestrogens carry out their actions by diffusing across the cell membrane and binding to their receptor called the oestrogen receptor (ER), of which two types exist, ERα and ERβ. ERs regulate gene expression through the binding of DNA, most notably the estrogen response element (ERE). Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women in industrialised countries and 65 percent of breast cancers …

Effect Of High Amylose Maize Starches On Colonic Fermentation And Apoptotic Response To Dna-Damage In The Colon Of Rats, Ian L. Brown, Richard K. Le Leu, Graeme P. Young, Ying Hu

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

We investigated in rats the effects of feeding different forms of high amylose maize starches (HAMS) rich in resistant starch (RS) to understand what the implications of RS heterogeneity might be for colonic biology, including innate cellular responses to DNA-damage.

Methods

A range of maize starches were compared: digestible cornstarch (Control), HYLON^® VII, Hi-maize^® 1043, Hi-maize^® 240, Hi-maize^® 260 and NOVELOSE^® 330. Included in the comparison was Cellulose. End-points after 4 weeks included: pH, short chain fatty acids (SCFA) levels, colonic epithelial cell kinetics and apoptotic response to carcinogen 'azoxymethane' in the colonic epithelium. …

Real-Time Single-Molecule Observation Of Rolling-Circle Dna Replication, Nathan A. Tanner, Joseph J. Loparo, Samir M. Hamdan, Slobodan Jergic, Nicholas E. Dixon, Antoine M. Van Oijen

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

We present a simple technique for visualizing replication of individual DNA molecules in real time. By attaching a rolling-circle substrate to a TIRF microscope-mounted flow chamber, we are able to monitor the progression of single-DNA synthesis events and accurately measure rates and processivities of single T7 and Escherichia coli replisomes as they replicate DNA. This method allows for rapid and precise characterization of the kinetics of DNA synthesis and the effects of replication inhibitors.

Site-Specific Covalent Attachment Of Dna To Proteins Using A Photoactivatable Tus-Ter Complex, Dahdah B. Dahdah, Isabelle Morin, Morgane Moreau, Nicholas E. Dixon, Patrick M. Schaeffer

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Investigations into the photocrosslinking kinetics of the protein Tus with various bromodeoxyuridine-substituted Ter DNA variants highlight the potential use of this complex as a photoactivatable connector between proteins of interest and specific DNA sequences.

Desiccation Protects Antarctic Mosses From Ultraviolet-B Induced Dna Damage, Johanna Turnbull, Sharon A. Robinson, Simon J. Leslie

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Antarctic mosses live in a frozen desert, and are characterised by the ability to survive desiccation. They can tolerate multiple desiccation-rehydration events over the summer growing season. As a result of recent ozone depletion, such mosses may also be exposed to ultraviolet-B radiation while desiccated. The ultraviolet-B susceptibility of Antarctic moss species was examined in a laboratory experiment that tested whether desiccated or hydrated mosses accumulated more DNA damage under enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation. Accumulation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and pyrimidine (64) pyrimidone dimers was measured in moss samples collected from the field and then exposed to ultraviolet-B radiation in either …

On Race Theory And Norms, Christian Sundquist

Articles

This article has been adapted from an address given at the Albany Law Review Symposium in Spring 2009. This article discusses the judicial acceptance of DNA random match estimates, which uses DNA analysis to estimate the likelihood that a criminal defendant is the source of genetic material that is found at a crime scene. Relying on race, these tests demonstrate how such a re-inscription of race as a biological entity threatens the modern conception of race as a social construction, and how those estimates should be rejected as inadmissible on a doctrinal level under the Federal Rules of Evidence.

Forensic Bird-Strike Identification Techniques Used In An Accident Investigation At Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma, 2008, Carla J. Dove, Nor Faridah Dahlan, Marcy Heacker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

On March 4, 2008, a Cessna Citation 1 (Model 500) crashed in a wooded area near Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma, killing all 5 people on board. This paper describes the detailed forensic methods and expertise used by the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab to identify the bird that caused this bird-strike incident. We used standard methods of whole-feather analysis, microscopic examination, and DNA barcoding in this case to identify American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) as the bird species involved in this fatal crash. We also report the importance of proper field investigation and evidence collection for accurate results, …

Due-B, A New Human Dna Replication Protein, Is The Functional Homolog Of S. Cerevisiae Sld3, Jianhong Yao

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

DNA unwinding elements (DUEs) are commonly found at DNA replication origins. The DUE binding protein (DUE-B) is crucial for the initiation of DNA replication in eukaryotes. The unique 59 amino acid C-terminal part of DUE-B shares nearly 50% similarity with yeast the C-terminus of Sld3. DUE-B plays a key role in eukaryotic DNA replication because it is required for the loading of Cdc45, the MCM helicase activator, on chromatin. Here we show that DUE-B, just like yeast Sld3, binds to Cdc45 and TopBP1 through its C-terminus in Sf9 cells and in vitro. We also show that DUE-B, Cdc45 and TopBP1 …