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Articles 1 - 18 of 18
Full-Text Articles in Biology
The Effect Of The Zika Virus On Rna Stress Granule Components, Nina Williams
The Effect Of The Zika Virus On Rna Stress Granule Components, Nina Williams
Biological Sciences
In recent years, Zika virus (ZIKV) has taken over mainstream media. It captivated the world with the images of microcephaly babies born to infected mothers and the appearance of Guillain-Barré syndrome emerging from infected adults. ZIKV is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. This virus is composed of a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome that belongs to the Flaviviridae family. Our long-term goal is to understand the mechanisms in which the virus subverts the host organism’s translation machinery by modulation of RNA stress granules (SGs). Stress granules are RNA-protein complexes found in the cytoplasm that form when the cell is exposed to …
Climactic Niche Model For Overwintering Monarch Butterflies In A Topographically Complex Region Of California, Ashley Fisher, Kiana Saniee, Charis Van Der Heide, Jessica Griffiths, Daniel Meade, Francis X. Villablanca
Climactic Niche Model For Overwintering Monarch Butterflies In A Topographically Complex Region Of California, Ashley Fisher, Kiana Saniee, Charis Van Der Heide, Jessica Griffiths, Daniel Meade, Francis X. Villablanca
Biological Sciences
We use climatic conditions that are associated with known monarch butterfly overwintering groves in California to build a Maxent model, and focus on the fine scale probability of overwintering grove occurrence in a topographically complex region of the state (Santa Barbara County). Grove locations are known from recent and historical surveys and a long-term citizen science database. The climatic niche model performs well, predicting that overwintering habitat is most likely to occur along the coast and at low elevations, as shown by empirical data. We then use climatic variables in conjunction with climate change scenarios to model the future location …
Intracanopy Adjustment Of Leaf-Level Thermal Tolerance Is Associated With Microclimatic Variation Across The Canopy Of A Desert Tree (Acacia Papyrocarpa), Ellen M. Curtis, Charles A. Knight, Andrea Leigh
Intracanopy Adjustment Of Leaf-Level Thermal Tolerance Is Associated With Microclimatic Variation Across The Canopy Of A Desert Tree (Acacia Papyrocarpa), Ellen M. Curtis, Charles A. Knight, Andrea Leigh
Biological Sciences
Tree crowns are spatially heterogeneous, sometimes resulting in significant variation in microclimate across the canopy, particularly with respect to temperature. Yet it is not known whether such localised temperature variation equates to intracanopy variation in leaf-level physiological thermal tolerance. Here, we studied whether microclimate variation across the canopy of a dominant desert tree equated to localised variation in leaf thermal thresholds (T50) among four canopy positions: upper south, upper north, lower south, lower north. Principal component analysis was used to generate a composite climatic stress variable (CSTRESS) from canopy temperature, vapour pressure deficit, and …
Inducing Ni Sensitivity In The Ni Hyperaccumulator Plant Alyssum Inflatum Nyárády (Brassicaceae) By Transforming With Cax1, A Vacuolar Membrane Calcium Transporter, Rasoul Ghasemi, Hoorieh Share, Roza Sharif, Robert S. Boyd, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Inducing Ni Sensitivity In The Ni Hyperaccumulator Plant Alyssum Inflatum Nyárády (Brassicaceae) By Transforming With Cax1, A Vacuolar Membrane Calcium Transporter, Rasoul Ghasemi, Hoorieh Share, Roza Sharif, Robert S. Boyd, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Biological Sciences
The importance of calcium in nickel tolerance was studied in the nickel hyperaccumulator plant Alyssum inflatum by gene transformation of CAX1, a vacuolar membrane transporter that reduces cytosolic calcium. CAX1 from Arabidopsis thaliana with a CaMV35S promoter accompanying a kanamycin resistance gene was transferred into A. inflatum using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Transformed calli were subcultured three times on kanamycin-rich media and transformation was confirmed by PCR using a specific primer for CAX1. At least 10 callus lines were used as a pool of transformed material. Both transformed and untransformed calli were treated with varying concentrations of either calcium (1–15 mM) or …
The Effects Of Intrahippocampal Estradiol Administration On Spatial Memory And Protein Expression In Rats Fed A High Fat Diet, Lauren M. Maitner
The Effects Of Intrahippocampal Estradiol Administration On Spatial Memory And Protein Expression In Rats Fed A High Fat Diet, Lauren M. Maitner
Biological Sciences
Estradiol acts throughout the body; one key target that expresses large numbers of estradiol receptors is the brain, and specifically the hippocampus. Estradiol can exhibit neuroprotective effects in the brain. However, the set of pathways through which this occurs is not well understood. In vitro work has shown that administration of estradiol to hippocampal neurons inactivates caspase 3, a protease involved in apoptosis and the cleavage of tau. Cleavage of tau results in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Together with formation of amyloid-beta plaques, this is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. We tested the hypothesis that administration of …
Development Of A Rapid Small-Scale Purification Method For The Quantitation Of Heparin-Like Glycosaminoglycans From Cell Culture Media, Marina Danielle Infantado
Development Of A Rapid Small-Scale Purification Method For The Quantitation Of Heparin-Like Glycosaminoglycans From Cell Culture Media, Marina Danielle Infantado
Biological Sciences
Heparin is an anticoagulant medicinally used to inhibit blood clotting. It is commonly administered to patients requiring surgery or kidney dialysis. Presently, it is produced from animal tissues, but a recent contamination crisis pointed to the need for a safer source of the drug. Our project seeks to develop a rapid, inexpensive, high-throughput assay to quantitate the production of heparin and other glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) from cultured mammalian cells. In order to quantitate heparin from cell culture media, a purification method is needed to separate GAGs from interfering constituents in the media. We developed a purification protocol that absorbs Pluronic and …
The Role Of Rck/P54 Enzymatic Activity During Hepatitis C Infection, Rachel E. Eager
The Role Of Rck/P54 Enzymatic Activity During Hepatitis C Infection, Rachel E. Eager
Biological Sciences
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected 30,500 people in the United States alone in 2014. As a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus, the HCV genome facilitates translation and replication of the virus within the host cell. During infection, HCV subverts numerous host proteins to aid in viral production. One such protein is DDX6, a DEAD-box helicase that is associated with the decapping complex and microRNA Induced Silencing Complex (miRISC). Previous studies in our lab have shown that DDX6 is required for HCV expression. Specifically, DDX6 modulates the interaction of miR-122 with the HCV 5’ UTR and promotes stability and replication of the …
Effects Of Zinc On Cognition, Anthony Piche
Effects Of Zinc On Cognition, Anthony Piche
Biological Sciences
Insulin resistance is the defining symptom of type 2 diabetes and a key risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Work from our lab and others has shown that insulin is a key component of brain pathways mediating cognition; specifically, mechanisms that transduce hippocampal memory processing. In the hippocampus, insulin regulates glucose metabolism through translocation of the glucose transporter GluT4 and modulates several other molecular cascades. Studies where insulin is studied as a cognitive modulator have generally used a formulation that contains zinc to stabilize insulin. However, zinc itself modulates molecular signaling pathways including AKT and GSK3β, which are both downstream of …
One-Step Cellular Micro-Rna Detection With Programmable Dna Nanoswitches, Molly F. Macisaac
One-Step Cellular Micro-Rna Detection With Programmable Dna Nanoswitches, Molly F. Macisaac
Biological Sciences
MicroRNAs play important roles in gene regulation. Additionally, differential expression of specific microRNAs have been correlated with a wide range of diseases. Sensitive and selective detection of microRNAs is thus important for enabling their use as biomarkers, drugs, or drug targets. Current detection techniques such as northern blotting and quantitative real-time PCR require skilled personnel and expensive equipment to execute complex and time consuming assays. Here we develop and validate a one-step, non-enzymatic microRNA detection assay using DNA nanoswitches programmed to recognize and bind a specific microRNA. Binding induces a loop in the structure, allowing the target microRNA to be …
Biological Crusts Of Serpentine And Non-Serpentine Soils From The Barberton Greenstone Belt Of South Africa, Arthurita Venter, Stefan Siebert, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Sandra Barnard, Anatoliy Levanets, Arshad Ismail, Mushal Allam, Bianca Peterson, Tomasz Sanko
Biological Crusts Of Serpentine And Non-Serpentine Soils From The Barberton Greenstone Belt Of South Africa, Arthurita Venter, Stefan Siebert, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Sandra Barnard, Anatoliy Levanets, Arshad Ismail, Mushal Allam, Bianca Peterson, Tomasz Sanko
Biological Sciences
Climate and geography can influence biological soil crust (BSC) community composition, but local heterogeneity in variables such as soil characteristics or microclimate gradients can also impact cryptogamic diversity. Heavy metals and nutrient imbalances in serpentine soils are known to influence the distributions of higher plants, but cryptogamic species appear to be more tolerant of substrate. The aim of this study was to compare the cryptogamic composition of serpentine and non-serpentine soils by using integrative taxonomy, which combines morphological and DNA barcoding data, to determine how soil characteristics in combination with rainfall can influence BSC community composition. Samples from serpentine and …
Senecio Conrathii N.E.Br. (Asteraceae), A New Hyperaccumulator Of Nickel From Serpentinite Outcrops Of The Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, Stefan Siebert, Nadine Carol Schutte, Stoffel Pieter Bester, Dennis Mmakgabo Komape, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Senecio Conrathii N.E.Br. (Asteraceae), A New Hyperaccumulator Of Nickel From Serpentinite Outcrops Of The Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, Stefan Siebert, Nadine Carol Schutte, Stoffel Pieter Bester, Dennis Mmakgabo Komape, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Biological Sciences
Five nickel hyperaccumulators belonging to the Asteraceae are known from ultramafic outcrops in South Africa. Phytoremediation applications of the known hyperaccumulators in the Asteraceae, such as the indigenous Berkheya coddii Roessler, are well reported and necessitate further exploration to find additional species with such traits. This study targeted the most frequently occurring species of the Asteraceae on eight randomly selected serpentinite outcrops of the Barberton Greenstone Belt. Twenty species were sampled, including 12 that were tested for nickel accumulation for the first time. Although the majority of the species were excluders, the known hyperaccumulators Berkheya nivea N.E.Br. and B. zeyheri …
Sympatric Serpentine Endemic Monardella (Lamiaceae) Species Maintain Habitat Differences Despite Hybridization, Kathleen M. Kay, Suzie Woolhouse, Brett A. Smith, Nathaniel S. Pope, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Sympatric Serpentine Endemic Monardella (Lamiaceae) Species Maintain Habitat Differences Despite Hybridization, Kathleen M. Kay, Suzie Woolhouse, Brett A. Smith, Nathaniel S. Pope, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Biological Sciences
Ecological differentiation and genetic isolation are thought to be critical in facilitating coexistence between related species, but the relative importance of these phenomena and the interactions between them are not well understood. Here, we examine divergence in abiotic habitat affinity and the extent of hybridization and introgression between two rare species of Monardella (Lamiaceae) that are both restricted to the same serpentine soil exposure in California. Although broadly sympatric, they are found in microhabitats that differ consistently in soil chemistry, slope, rockiness and vegetation. We identify one active hybrid zone at a site with intermediate soil and above-ground characteristics, and …
A Global Forum On Ultramafic Ecosystems: From Ultramafic Ecology To Rehabilitation Of Degraded Environments, Guillaume Echevarria, Alan J. M. Baker, Robert S. Boyd, Antony Van Der Ent, Takafumi Mizuno, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Shota Sakaguchi, Aida Bani
A Global Forum On Ultramafic Ecosystems: From Ultramafic Ecology To Rehabilitation Of Degraded Environments, Guillaume Echevarria, Alan J. M. Baker, Robert S. Boyd, Antony Van Der Ent, Takafumi Mizuno, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Shota Sakaguchi, Aida Bani
Biological Sciences
The 9th International Conference on Serpentine Ecology (ICSE) was held in Tirana and Pogradec (Albania) from June 5 to 9, 2017. More than 100 delegates from 29 countries around the world gathered to present their research on recent advances in: (i) ultramafic soils, (ii) biogeochemistry, (iii) diversity of ultramafic flora, microflora and fauna, (iv) ecophysiology of ultramafic-adapted organisms, (v) interactions between ultramafic organisms and their ecology, (vi) nature rehabilitation of degraded ultramafic environments (resulting from mining activities), and (vii) the production of bio-based metals through agromining technology. Additionally, the ICSE featured the first symposium on ultramafic aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology. …
Ultramafic Vegetation And Soils In The Circumboreal Region Of The Northern Hemisphere, Anzhelika Teptina
Ultramafic Vegetation And Soils In The Circumboreal Region Of The Northern Hemisphere, Anzhelika Teptina
Biological Sciences
The paper summarizes literature on climate, soil chemistry, vegetation and metal accumulation by plants found on ultramafic substrata in the circumboreal zone (sensu Takhtajan, Floristic regions of the world, 1986) of the Northern Hemisphere. We present a list of 50 endemic species and 18 ecotypes obligate to ultramafic soils from the circumboreal region of Holarctic, as well as 30 and 2 species of Ni and Zn hyperaccumulators, respectively. The number of both endemics and hyperaccumulators are markedly lower compared to that of the Mediterranean and tropical regions. The diversity of plant communities on ultramafics soils of the circumboral region is …
Diversity And Functional Traits Of Lichens In Ultramafic Areas: A Literature Based Worldwide Analysis Integrated By Field Data At The Regional Scale, Sergio E. Favero-Longo, Enrica Matteucci, Paolo Giordani, Alexander G. Paukov, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Diversity And Functional Traits Of Lichens In Ultramafic Areas: A Literature Based Worldwide Analysis Integrated By Field Data At The Regional Scale, Sergio E. Favero-Longo, Enrica Matteucci, Paolo Giordani, Alexander G. Paukov, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Biological Sciences
While higher plant communities found on ultramafics are known to display peculiar characteristics, the distinguishability of any peculiarity in lichen communities is still a matter of contention. Other biotic or abiotic factors, rather than substrate chemistry, may contribute to differences in species composition reported for lichens on adjacent ultramafic and non-ultramafic areas. This work examines the lichen biota of ultramafics, at global and regional scales, with reference to species-specific functional traits. An updated world list of lichens on ultramafic substrates was analyzed to verify potential relationships between diversity and functional traits of lichens in different Köppen–Geiger climate zones. Moreover, a …
Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase Is A Potential Therapeutic Target In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells, Abdul Manan Sanni-Adam
Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase Is A Potential Therapeutic Target In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells, Abdul Manan Sanni-Adam
Biological Sciences
No abstract provided.
Lessons On Evolution From The Study Of Edaphic Specialization, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Lessons On Evolution From The Study Of Edaphic Specialization, Nishanta Rajakaruna
Biological Sciences
Plants adapted to special soil types are ideal for investigating evolutionary processes, including maintenance of intraspecific variation, adaptation, reproductive isolation, ecotypic differentiation, and the tempo and mode of speciation. Common garden and reciprocal transplant approaches show that both local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity contribute to edaphic (soil-related) specialization. Edaphic specialists evolve rapidly and repeatedly in some lineages, offering opportunities to investigate parallel evolution, a process less commonly documented in plants than in animals. Adaptations to soil features are often under the control of major genes and they frequently have direct or indirect effects on genes that contribute to reproductive isolation. …
Effect Of The Specific Carbohydrate Diet On The Microbiome Of A Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis And Ulcerative Colitis Patient, Alanna Dubrovsky, Christopher Kitts
Effect Of The Specific Carbohydrate Diet On The Microbiome Of A Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis And Ulcerative Colitis Patient, Alanna Dubrovsky, Christopher Kitts
Biological Sciences
A 20-year-old female was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) at age 14 and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) at age 16. The PSC was successfully treated with high doses of oral vancomycin; however, the UC was more difficult to manage. After many drug treatments failed to treat the UC, the patient began following the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD). This report documents fecal microbiome changes resulting from following the SCD for two weeks. The DNA extracted from fecal samples was subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing to quantify bacterial species abundance. Not only were substantial changes in the fecal bacterial composition detectable …