Life Sciences Commons^™

Investigating The Role Of Small Noncoding Rnas In Vertebrate Anoxia Tolerance, Claire Louise Riggs

Dissertations and Theses

Very few vertebrates survive extended periods of time without oxygen. Entry into metabolic depression is central to surviving anoxia, which is supported by overall suppression of protein synthesis, yet requires increased expression of specific proteins. Studying the rapid and complex regulation of gene expression associated with survival of anoxia may uncover new mechanisms of cellular biology and transform our understanding of cells, as well as inform prevention and treatment of heart attack and stroke in humans. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) have emerged as regulators of gene expression that can be rapidly employed, can target individual genes or suites of genes, …

Characterization Of Calcium Homeostasis Parameters In Trpv3 And Cav3.2 Double Null Mice, Aujan Mehregan

Masters Theses

In mammals, calcium influx is required for oocyte maturation and egg activation, as it supports the persistent calcium oscillations induced by fertilization. These oscillations are required for the initiation of embryo development. The molecular identities of the plasma membrane calcium-permeant channels that underlie calcium influx are not established. Among these channels, Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid, member 3 (TRPV3) allows divalent cations, namely strontium (Sr²⁺) and calcium (Ca²⁺) with high permeability, into cells, and its expression pattern seems to predict an essential role in the initiation of development. Another channel that was identified to be expressed in …

Daphnia: A Possible Way To Combat A Deadly Amphibian Pathogen, Taylor Thomas

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Globally there is a biodiversity crisis, with many groups of species threatened with extinction due to changes in the environment and human impacts. Amphibians are one such group and according to the IUCN, over 30% of amphibians are threatened by extinction. There are many factors have that can explain the decline of amphibians including pollution, habitat loss, climate change and disease. One factor is chytridiomycosis, an emerging infectious disease caused by the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. The chytrid enters the keratinized skin of the amphibian and asexually reproduces, where it disrupts host functions, often leading to host death.

Due to …

Tetrameric Structure Of Beta-Amylase 2 (Bam2) In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Lauren Elizabeth Pope

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Plants store starch during the day for use at night. This process of transitory starch degradation is mostly attributable to the β-Amylase (BAM) family, which are starch exohydrolases that cleave the penultimate α-1,4 glycosidic bonds of starch to release maltose. BAM2 was recently characterized as a catalytically active, K⁺-requiring tetramer with sigmoidal kinetics and cooperativity. All other catalytically active BAMs display Michaelis-Menten kinetics, no cooperativity, and do not require salt, making BAM2’s characteristics intriguing. Due to a lack of a crystal structure, a monomeric homology model of BAM2 was generated using I-TASSER based on a BAM5 from soybean. …

The Role Of Brain Stem 5-Ht1a And Gaba-A Receptors In The Thermoregulatory Response To Hypoxic Stress, Alexander Schmidt

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause of infant mortality. Alterations in brainstem development of Serotonin (5HT) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are linked to its cause. The sympathetic premotor neurons located in the Nucleus of the Raphe Pallidus (NRP) in the brainstem have both 5-HT1A and GABA-A receptor subtypes that mediate protective cardiovascular responses to environmental stress. It is hypothesized that alteration in these receptors at the NRP will also modify protective thermoregulatory responses to hypoxic stress such as hypothermia. Using aseptic techniques, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (230-385g) were instrumented with radiotelemetry probes to non-invasively measure core …

Resource Selection, Survival, And Departure Of Adult Female Mallards From The Lake St. Clair Region During Autumn And Winter, Matthew Palumbo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

During autumn and winter, mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) maximize fitness through their spatiotemporal distribution to avoid mortality risks while balancing trade-offs to access foods to undergo migration and maintain homeostasis. Thousands of mallards use Lake St. Clair as it is an important, but threatened, migratory staging area in the Great Lakes. My goal was to understand how mallards were selecting resources in the region and potential relationships of selection strategies. My objectives were to estimate resource selection of adult female mallards, in relation to perceived risk of hunting mortality, and determine if selection strategies were related to survival and …

Diet And Activity Patterns Of Five Bat Species In North-Central Kansas, Holly G. Wilson

Master's Theses

My study focuses on six bat species that occur in north-central Kansas. Although each species is widely distributed, information about their diet and activity patterns is lacking, especially within Kansas. Increased knowledge about bat species in Kansas can provide a baseline for future studies and conservation efforts for the species included in my study; big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis), and tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) were captured and fecal samples were examined for diet diversity. I captured bats in mist nets in the Kansas …

Role Of Transforming Growth Factor (Tgf) – Β Signaling In Craniofacial Development, Malignancies And Regeneration, Jingpeng Liu

Theses & Dissertations

The transforming growth factor (TGF) – β signaling pathway regulates a diversity of fundamental cellular processes such as cell growth and proliferation, cell differentiation, migration, apoptosis and other biological functions, both during embryogenesis and in adult tissue homeostasis. TGF-β is known to play a critical role in palatal development as in TGF-β knockout murine models, TGF-β deficiency causes cleft palate, a common craniofacial deformity in humans due to the abnormality of growth, elevation or fusion of the two palatal shelves. In order to investigate the mechanisms of how TGF-β regulates palatogenesis, we generated TGF-β3 knockout (-/-) murine models, performed systematic …

Organizational Effects Of Defeminizing Toxicants: Lessons Learned From An Environmental Sentinel Organism, The Fathead Minnow., Jonathan Ali

Theses & Dissertations

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are chemicals that interfere with hormone function and are increasingly detected in aquatic environments, where they elicit adverse effects from exposed organisms. The toxicological effects of EDCs can be described as either activational (reversible) or organizational (irreversible), where the latter are associated with adverse outcomes in reproductive performance of adult fish. However, few studies have investigated the organizational impacts of anti-estrogenic or “defeminizing” EDCs, e.g. agrichemicals or pharmacological agents, in an environmentally-relevant or “sentinel” species. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of early-life EDC-initiated changes in estrogenic gene expression on organizational effects …

Mechanism Of Gene Regulation By Coding Polya Tracks, Laura Lea Arthur

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of gene expression is essential for cellular development and survival. The great variety and complexity of regulatory mechanisms underscores this fact. Messenger RNA stability and translational efficiency are often key determinants of gene expression. mRNA surveillance pathways, discovered for their role in degradation of aberrant mRNA, are now known to be instrumental in the regulation of physiologically correct mRNA stability. Thus, the study of cis elements in a transcript that can induce mRNA surveillance pathways has become an area of particular interest.

Here I report on the mechanism of gene regulation by coding polyA tracks, defined as a sequence …

Regulation Of Liver Mitochondrial Metabolism During Hibernation By Post-Translational Modification, Katherine E. Mathers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Hibernation, characterized by a seasonal reduction in metabolism and body temperature, allows animals to conserve energy when environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, food availability) are unfavourable. During hibernation, small mammals such as the 13-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) cycle between two distinct metabolic states: torpor, where metabolic rate is suppressed by >95% and body temperature falls to ~5 °C, and interbout euthermia (IBE), where metabolic rate and body temperature rapidly increase and are maintained at euthermic levels several hours. Suppression of metabolism during entrance into torpor is paralleled by rapid suppression of liver mitochondrial metabolism. In my thesis, I …

Mutational Analysis Of The Molluscum Contagiosum Virus Mc160 Protein, Henri Estanbouli

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Molluscum Contagiosum Virus (MCV), belongs to a family of large DNA viruses called Poxviridae. MCV causes a common skin infection resulting in benign neoplasms. 122 million cases of MC were reported in 2010. The virus is not primarily lethal, though fatalities have occurred due to secondary bacterial infections. Even with the high volume of reported cases, MCV is very much understudied, and its pathogenicity is not well understood. Thus, with that in mind, a more in-depth understanding of the MCV-host interactions is a priority. Presumably during infection, MCV utilizes immune evasion molecules to inhibit activation of the host pro-inflammatory …

Comparison Of Bacterial And Archaeal Communities In The Subsurface Versus Surface: Implications For Nitrogen Cycling, Jason C. Kimble 5059801155

Biology ETDs

Arid-land caves are thought to be extremely nitrogen-limited, but almost nothing is known about how microbes in subsurface arid-land environments obtain this essential element to meet cellular demand. The depth of caves beneath the surface may represent a critical factor affecting microbial nitrogen cycling in these environments. Percolation of water and nutrients from a precipitation pulse event would affect deep arid-land carbonate caves at a much slower rate. To obtain nitrogen in deep, carbonate caves, microorganisms could use fixed N in the host rock for assimilatory biochemical pathways or for a respiratory electron acceptor. However, the latter process leads to …

The Role Of Orphan Nuclear Receptor Dax-1 (Nr0b1) In Human Breast Cancer Cells: Expression, Proliferation And Metastasis, Erin Dishington

Master's Theses

The orphan nuclear hormone receptor DAX-1 (Dosage Sensitive Sex Reversal, Adrenal Hypoplasia Congenita on the X Chromosome, gene 1) plays an important role in the development of adrenal and gonadal tissues and functions as a global negative-regulator of steroidogenesis. In addition, it is known to be involved in several diseases including some cancers. Herein, we describe our examination of the role of DAX-1 in breast cancer, specifically its influence on proliferation and metastasis and its expression during progressive stages of disease. In an effort to understand how DAX-1 influences breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, we used MCF7 breast cancer …

Analysis Of Heart Muscle Tissue For Detection Of Fluorescently Labeled Cells In Conventional- And Frozen-Section Tissue Preparations, Lena Anna Mitchell

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Forage Selection And Habitat Architecture As Drivers Of Small Mammal Community Dynamics In An Arid, Nutrient Limited, Highly Stochastic Ecosystem, Jennifer Darby Noble

Biology ETDs

In the Northern Chihuahuan desert, grassland and shrubland co-occur as separate stable states under similar climatic conditions. In this bottom up (resource driven) system, the magnitude and timing of precipitation events drives primary production which varies from year to year and season to season. Climate change is predicted to alter precipitation regimes, and increase aridity, facilitating shrub encroachment which results in increased landscape heterogeneity and a decrease in plant biodiversity. These changes will likely result in a restructuring of small mammal communities.

We used long-term data on precipitation, primary production, and abundances of small mammals in adjacent grassland and shrubland …

A Teachable Unit On Soft Corals With Instructional Method Variances, Emily Breech

Honors Projects

The soft coral Sinularia flexibilis contains an aqueous alcohol extract that has shown antineoplastic activity against lymphocytic leukemia (Weinheimer and Matson, 1977). It also has other biological properties that work as antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory agents, and cytotoxicity activities (Kamel and Slattery, 2005). There is much research on the effects of flow rate on growth and morphology (Khalesi, Beeftink, & Wijffels, 2007) and the effects of light-dependency on growth rate (Khalesi, Beeftink, & Wijffels, 2009). The purpose of this student project was to further research on S. flexibilis, as well as incorporate that research into evaluating the effects of lecture-based teaching …

Zinc Chloride Activates Phospho-Akt And Promotes Chondrocyte Maturation In The Atdc5 Chondrogenic Cell Line, Donya T. Burgess

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Fracture healing is characterized by inflammation, cartilage formation, bone deposition, and remodeling. Endochondral ossification is an important part of callus formation that relies on the maturation of chondrocytes. Early in their maturation these cells express collagen type II alpha 1 chain (COL2A1) and express collagen type X alpha 1 chain (COL10A1) as they mature further and become hypertrophic chondrocytes. Activation of the insulin pathway is considered a primary factor involved in the initiation of chondrogenesis and its progression during bone healing. Insulin mimetics like zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) have been shown to improve bone healing outcomes and enhance bone …

Analyzing Coxsackievirus B3 Genomic Rna By Site Directed Mutagenesis And Shape Analysis, Sara Smith

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Virulent Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is linked to myocarditis, pancreatitis, and type I diabetes. Avirulent CVB3 doesn’t cause disease. CVB3 possesses a positive, single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome containing 7,400 nucleotides, organized into four sections: a 5’ untranslated region (5’ UTR), a single open reading frame, a 3’ untranslated region, and a poly-A tail. The 5’ UTR is 743 nucleotides divided into 7 domains. Mutations within the 5’ UTR can alter RNA structure, and thus alter virulence. Nucleotide associations responsible for higher level RNA folding patterns and structure haven’t been defined. We are investigating the 5’ UTR by selective 2’ hydroxyl …

Design And Synthesis Of Analogs Of Myo-Inositol, Serine, And Cysteine To Enable Chemical Biology Studies, Tanei J. Ricks

Doctoral Dissertations

Phosphorylated myo-inositol compounds including inositol phosphates (InsPs) as well as the phosphatidylinositol polyphosphate lipids (PIP_ns) are critical biomolecules that regulate many of the most important biological processes and pathways. They are aberrant in many disease states due to their regulatory function. The same is true of the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) which can serve as a marker to begin apoptosis. However, the full scope of activities of these structures is not clear, particularly since techniques that enable global detection and analysis of the production of these compounds spatially and temporally are lacking. With all of these obstacles in …

Does Browsing Matter? : Predation And Population Declines In The Federally Endangered Schweinitz's Sunflower (Helianthus Schweinitzii T&G), Bryan Benson England Iii

Graduate Theses

Herbivory is a ubiquitous ecological process, yet its importance to plant community ecology and conservation biology is controversial. When Schweinitz's sunflower (Helianthus schweinitzii T&G) was listed as a federally endangered species in 1991, "Predation and Parasitism" were considered "not applicable" as threats, and it was the lack of large herbivores that was repeatedly identified as a threat to this species' survival. Two decades later, persistent negative population trends in many protected populations and anecdotal reports of "heavy browse pressure from white-tailed deer" led to suggestions that herbivory by deer could be impeding the recovery of this species. To test for …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Alternative And Prescription Antibiotics Against Gram-Positive Bacteria, Rachel Jenkins, Roan Dickenson, Sam Turnbull, Marcela Torres

Senior Theses

The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a global public health concern that threatens the efficacy of antibiotic drugs. We found that natural remedies, specifically coconut oil, honey and cinnamon essential oil, have the potential to be used as a clinical alternative to treat antibiotic-resistant infections. In this experiment, we performed a disk diffusion test and measured the area of inhibition of each treatment to compare the effectiveness of natural and prescription antibiotics. Cinnamon essential oil showed significantly greater antibiotic activity compared to a prescription treatment, amoxicillin. With bacterial resistance continuously expanding, more work needs to be done to determine …

Surveying The Circular Rep Encoding Single Stranded (Cress) Dna Viral Consortium Found In Invasive Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) And Sediments Of The Central Lake Michigan Benthos, Nicholas Gezon

Masters Theses

Globalization and resulting increases in international trade has allowed for the movement of species between almost all ecosystems on Earth. The Great Lakes in particular has seen a number of high impact invasive species that have moved in following the opening of the lakes to intercontinental shipping trade. This research specifically focuses on the benthic community of Lake Michigan which has seen significant community shifts including declines of the amphipods Diporeia spp. and the expansion of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis). Little is known about the viral community in the benthos of Lake Michigan and how …

Genetic Diversity Of Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys Kempii) Sea Turtles On South Padre Island, Texas, Hilary R. Frandsen

Theses and Dissertations

In 2010, researchers observed an abrupt decline in nesting numbers of the Kemp’s ridley following 35 years of positive growth. In wake of this halt, and subsequent lowered nesting averages, evaluation of the genetic diversity of remaining individuals is relevant to investigate the plausibility of a genetic bottleneck, and determine the reproductive stability of the Kemp’s ridley.

Here, I evaluate the genetic diversity within a sampling of the Kemp’s ridleys on South Padre Island using two methods: targeting the mitochondrial control region and targeting the complete mitochondrial genome. Opportunistic samples were donated from juvenile ridleys on the East coast, and …

Phylogeography Of An Estuarian Calanoid Copepod; Acartia Tonsa In The Texas Gulf Of Mexico, Nicole J. Figueroa

Theses and Dissertations

The calanoid copepod, Acartia tonsa is one of the most abundant and well-studied estuarian species. However, the idea that this cosmopolitan species has unrestricted dispersal and high gene flow has been challenged. In this study, a more holistic picture of the phylogeography of A. tonsa was developed using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase one (mtCOI). Multiple new lineages were found in the Texas Gulf of Mexico that are basal to Northeastern Atlantic lineages. Connectivity was also observed between Brazil and the Texas Gulf of Mexico. The revised phylogeny shows a clear pattern of cryptic speciation as the species made a …

Foxo3 Regulation Of Stem Cell Markers Oct4 And Sox2 In Pten-Null Glioblastomas, Eduardo Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The PI3K pathway controls many cellular processes such as cell growth, survival, metabolism, apoptosis, and differentiation. Canonically, PI3K activates AKT leading to subsequent nuclear exportation of FOXO transcription factors. Dysregulation of the PI3K pathway is a hallmark in many cancers and often is attributable to a null mutation in PTEN. PTEN is a phosphatase that reverses the reactions catalyzed by PI3K. Loss of PTEN leads to constitutive inactivation of tumor suppressor FOXO proteins. However, there is increasing evidence that FOXO may still reside and promote transcriptional activity in the nucleus despite high PI3K output within certain advance cancers and …

The Cost Of Roaming Free: Assessing The Effects Of Plant Secondary Metabolites On Diet Selection And Nutritional Condition In A Free-Ranging Generalist Herbivore, Daniel Patrick Melody

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Large vertebrate herbivores have a wide variety of browsing options available. However, most plants contain a suite of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) that can have toxic effects when ingested. Herbivores must therefore make dietary choices that minimize the potentially harmful effects of PSM ingestion and maximize the use of available nutrients and protein. During winter months, in northern latitudes, climatological factors restrict browsing options and many populations of herbivores must subsist primarily on forage that is relatively poor in nutritional quality and high in PSMs. Many species of herbivores have developed a suite of behavioral and physiological adaptations to cope …

The Relative Importance Of Fire History, Management Treatments, Biotic, And Abiotic Factors On The Abundance Of Key Vegetative Components In An Endangered Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem, Ann Marie Raymondi

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Dryland ecosystems are globally distributed and occupy nearly half of Earth’s terrestrial surface. Drylands are particularly vulnerable to degradation and their restoration has become a global concern. Sagebrush-steppe ecosystems in the intermountain western United States have been subject to decades of active management efforts to address invasive species and restore plant communities, and can serve as a relevant case study to investigate dynamics between fire, invasive species, and management treatments in a representative dryland system. My objective was to determine the relative importance of fire history, management treatment history, abiotic, and biotic factors in relation to the abundance of key …

Brook Trout Behavioral Thermoregulation And Habitat Selection In A Small Michigan Coldwater Stream: Implications For Successful Management, Justin Emory Wegner

Masters Theses

Global warming and conversion of forests for urbanization, agriculture and mineral extraction are increasing water temperatures throughout Brook Trout’s range causing population declines; particularly in populations persisting in marginal habitats and in the southern limits of their distribution. The Brook Trout is an ectotherm that can cope with elevated water temperature by moving to coldwater refuge such as groundwater seeps, coldwater tributary confluences, and headwaters. Availability of coldwater refuge is vital for the survival of Brook Trout populations threatened by increasing water temperatures. I used radio telemetry to study the movement, habitat use, and behavioral thermoregulation of Brook Trout living …

Phosphorus Retention In West Michigan Two-Stage Agricultural Ditches, Emily Kindervater

Masters Theses

Input of excess nutrients into a water body can negatively impact ecological structure and function, as well as the economic vitality of surrounding communities, by contributing to eutrophication. For example, phosphorus (P) and sediment inputs from agricultural drainage have facilitated the development of hypereutrophic conditions in Lake Macatawa, a drowned river mouth lake located in Holland, Michigan. Two-stage ditches, an agricultural best management practice (BMP), are used in some areas of the Midwest to reduce N export downstream via denitrification. This BMP simulates a mini-floodplain by replacing a traditional, trapezoidal ditch with a channel that has excavated benches on each …