Biology Commons^™

Adverse Effects Of Chronic Circadian Desynchronization In Animals In A "Challenging" Environment, Fabian Preuss, Tueming Tang, Aaron D. Laposky, Deanna M. Arble, Ali Keshavarzian, Fred W. Turek

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Continuous disruption of circadian rhythms, as seen in human shift workers, has been associated with the development of a number of adverse mental and physiological conditions. However, scientific evidence linking circadian disruption to overall health, particularly in animal models, is not well documented. In this study, we have demonstrated that exposing C57BL/6J mice to 12-h phase shifts every 5 days for 3 mo had no effect on body weight or intestinal physiology. However, when animals were further challenged with dextran sodium sulfate to induce colitis, chronic shifting of the light-dark cycle led to a dramatic increase in the progression of …

Phylogeography Of The Bigeye Chub Hybopsis Amblops (Teleostei: Cypriniformes): Early Pleistocene Diversification And Post‐Glacial Range Expansion, Peter B. Berendzen, Tony Gamble, Andrew M. Simons

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The bigeye chub, Hybopsis amblops, is a member of the Central Highlands ichthyofauna of eastern North America. Phylogenetic analyses of the H. amblops species group based on a 1059 bp fragment of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene did not recover a monophyletic group. The inclusion of Hybopsis hypsinotus in the species complex is questionable. Within H. amblops, five strongly supported clades were identified; two clades containing haplotypes from the Ozark Highlands and three clades containing haplotypes from the Eastern Highlands and previously glaciated regions of the Ohio and Wabash River drainages. Estimates of the timing of divergence …

Sex-Biased Predation On Taricha By A Novel Predator In Annadel State Park, Amber Noelle Brouillette

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Newts of the genus Taricha have long been studied due to the powerful neurotoxin found in their skin. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) acts by blocking receptors in sodium channels, ultimately resulting in death via asphyxiation. The only documented predators of species in this genus have been snakes of the genus Thamnophis. Recently, predation on Taricha in Ledson Marsh in Annadel State Park, Santa Rosa, CA was discovered. Predation was in the form of laceration or evisceration, and tracking of predation from 1998-2008 showed that it was male-biased. Two species of Taricha were found living sympatrically at this location, the California newt …

Predator-Prey Relationships And Spatial Ecology Of Jaguars In The Southern Pantanal, Brazil: Implications For Conservation And Management, Sandra Maria Cintra Cavalcanti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Pantanal wetland of Brazil is an important area for the conservation of jaguars (Panthera onca) and a stronghold for the species. Although our knowledge of jaguar ecology has increased since the first field studies in the mid 1980’s, a detailed study of this cryptic species remains challenging. In the following chapters, we investigated the ecology of jaguars in the southern Pantanal of Brazil. In Chapter II, we examined the foraging ecology of jaguars, documenting predation rates, patterns, and species killed. We found individual jaguars differed in the selection of their prey. There were differences in the proportion …

Estimating Total Phosphorus And Total Suspended Solids Loads From High Frequency Data, Amber Spackman Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Frequently measured turbidity was examined as a surrogate for total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) loads at two locations in the Little Bear River, Utah, USA. Using regression techniques, equations were developed for TP and TSS as functions of turbidity. The equations accounted for censored data, and additional explanatory variables to represent hydrological conditions were considered for inclusion in the equations. By using the resulting surrogate relationships with high frequency turbidity measurements, high frequency estimates of TP and TSS concentrations were calculated. To examine the effect of sampling frequency, reference loads were determined from the concentration records for …

Phenotypic Plasticity And The Post-Modern Synthesis: Integrating Evo-Devo And Quantitative Genetics In Theoretical And Empirical Studies, Alison G. Scoville

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mainstream evolutionary biology lacks a mature theory of phenotype. Following from the Modern Synthesis, researchers tend to assume an unrealistically simple mapping of genotype to phenotype, or else trust that the complexities of developmental architecture can be adequately captured by measuring trait variances and covariances. In contrast, the growing field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) explicitly examines the relationship between developmental architecture and evolutionary change, but lacks a rigorous quantitative and predictive framework. In my dissertation, I strive to integrate quantitative genetics and evo-devo, using both theoretical and empirical studies of plasticity. My first paper explores the effect of realistic …

Evolutionary Genetics Of Tetrodotoxin (Ttx) Resistance In Snakes: Tracking A Feeding Adaptation From Populations Through Clades, Chris R. Feldman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the nature of adaptive evolution has been the recent focus of research detailing the genetic basis of adaptation and theoretical work describing the mechanics of adaptive evolution. Nevertheless, key questions regarding the process of adaptive evolution remain. Ultimately, a detailed description of the ecological context, evolutionary history, and genetic basis of adaptations is required to advance our understanding of adaptive evolution. To address some of the contemporary issues surrounding adaptive evolution, I examine phenotypic and genotypic changes in a snake feeding adaptation.

Adaptations can arise through fixation of novel mutations or recruitment of existing variation. Some populations of the …

Garter Snake (Thamnophis) Natural History: Food Habits And Interspecific Aggression, Michael J. Edgehouse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Communication and recognition are closely intertwined and have been well documented in closely related species over the past several decades. These two types of behaviors often will aid in fostering or disrupting coexistence of similar species. Frequently, it is through different diet patterns that similar species will be able to coexist. This study uses data from 1972 through 2006 to demonstrate the diet of Thamnophis sirtalis, T. atratus, T. elegans, and T. couchii throughout their California range of sympatry with Taricha torosa. Additionally, an in depth examination of the diet of T. sirtalis, T. elegans, …

Ethylene Synthesis And Sensitivity In Crop Plants, Joseph F. Romagnano

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The gaseous plant hormone ethylene is a small molecule that regulates developmental change. Research was conducted in three areas: sensitivity, synthesis, and alterations to synthesis. Vegetative pea plants were more sensitive than radish plants to atmospheric ethylene. Light intensity did not affect ethylene sensitivity. Ethylene synthesis rates were measured for unstressed cotton, corn, soybean, and tomato plants. The per-plant ethylene synthesis rate ranged from 0.1-80 pmol plant^-1 s^-1. However, when normalized to net photosynthetic rate, this range was 1-4 µmol of ethylene synthesis per mol of CO₂ uptake. Diurnal cycles in ethylene synthesis were present in …

Disturbance As Restoration In The Intermountain Sagebrush Steppe: Effects On Non Target Bird Species, Russell Edward Norvell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Changes in shrubsteppe passerine bird habitat associations in response to disturbance were investigated at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Spatial measures incorporated the effects of area at different ecological scales (nest site, territory, and landscape) to include ecologically meaningful extents. Temporal measures included seasonal and annual effects, and were designed to detect lagged responses should they occur. Local-to-landscape scale effects of mechanical restoration treatments on local extirpation and abundances of nine species indicated most were insensitive to changes in habitat quality, while abundance models showed only broad declines. Changing the availability of nesting habitat on both the attractiveness and quality …

Diets Of Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) In Utah Alfalfa Fields, Lynette Nicole Davidson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aphidophagous lady beetles rely on multiple sources of food in their environment. Alfalfa fields provide both aphids and many alternate foods, such as other arthropod prey, pollen, and fungi. Alfalfa fields (Medicago sativa L.) in Utah have low aphid densities, which may require lady beetles to consume alternative sources of food. Many methods can be used to determine these diets; frass analysis is used here to compare the diets of the introduced species Coccinella septempunctata L. with two native species, C. transversoguttata richardsoni Brown and Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville, that occur in the Utah alfalfa habitat.

In initial laboratory experiments …

Combining Environmental History And Soil Phytolith Analysis At The City Of Rocks National Reserve: Developing New Methods In Historical Ecology, Lesley Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Historical ecology is an emerging and interdisciplinary field that seeks to explain the changes in ecosystems over time through a synthesis of information derived from human records and biological data. The methods in historical ecology cover a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. However, methods for the more recent past (about 200 years) are largely limited to the human archive and dendrochronological evidence which can be subject to human bias, limited in spatial extent or not appropriate for non-forested systems. There is a need to explore new methods by which biological data can be used to understand historic vegetation …

Mountain Pine Beetle Fecundity And Offspring Size Differ Among Lodgepole Pine And Whitebark Pine Hosts, Donovan Gross

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelmann) is a treeline species in the central Rocky Mountains. Its occupation of high elevations previously protected whitebark pine from long-term mountain pine beetle outbreaks. The mountain pine beetle, however, is currently reaching outbreaks of record magnitude in high-elevation whitebark pine. We used a factorial laboratory experiment to compare mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) life history characteristics between a typical host, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Engelmann), and whitebark pine. We tested the effects of natal host and brood host on beetle fecundity, offspring size, and brood sex-ratio. We reared mountain pine beetles …

Construction Of A New Model System In Saccharomyces Cerevisa To Study Yopo And Identify Its Targets, Laura Nejedlik

Dissertations

Yersinia species use a type three secretion system (TTSS) to inject Yersinia outer proteins (Yops) into the target cell. The effector YopO is a serine/threonine kinase which upon association with actin becomes active. However, activation of the kinase is not required for actin disruption. YopO also contains a Rho/Rac binding domain, but it is unclear how it affects these proteins.

We have established an expression system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study YopO. The expression vector contains a GAL1 promoter for inducible expression of YopO as well as a V5 epitope used for visualization of each Yop. We have shown that …

Characterization Of The Ap-1 And Nf-Kappa B Transcription Factors In The U-87 Mg Astrocytoma Cell Line, Denise L. Smith

Dissertations

Growth factors, signaling molecules and transcription factors are frequently mutated in cancer and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has been shown to be over-expressed in most gliomas. In the astrocytoma cell line U-87 MG, the over-expression of PDGF has been shown to lead to over-expression of transcription factors activator-protein-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and it is believed that the individual subunits of AP-1 (c-Jun, JunB, JunD, c-Fos, FosB, Fra-1, and Fra-2) and NF-κB (c-Rel, p50, p52, p65, and RelB) play different roles in proliferation, survival and differentiation in the U-87 MG cell line.

To assess these different roles, transient …

Monogenic Control Of Sex-Limited Colouration In The Honey Gourami, Trichogaster Chuna, Jack Frankel

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Of the numerous subtropical and tropical freshwater speciesof fish, labyrinth fish are among the most varied in bodymarkings and colouration patterns. Four taxonomic families(Belontiidae, Anabantidae, Helostomatidae, and Osphrone-midae) of the suborder Anabantoidei comprise the ‘tradi-tional’ labyrinth fishes, a group of about 80 African andSoutheast Asian species (Linke 1991). These Anabantoidsare popular with aquarists due to their interesting reproduc-tive behaviours, with males of most species brooding eggs intheir mouths or in floating bubble nests (Vevers 1980; Linke1991; Axelrod and Vorderwinkler 1995; Mills 2000). Theyhave also been the focus of genetic, environmental, and mor-phological studies (Sommer 1982; Gosline 1985; Klinkhardtet al. 1995; …

Living Where The Flow Is Right: How Flow Affects Feeding In Bryozoans, Marney C. Pratt

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Bryozoans are suspension feeding colonial animals that remain attached to the substratum or other surfaces. How well a bryozoan can feed in a particular flow regime could help determine the distribution and abundance of that bryozoan. I tested how velocity of flow affects feeding rate in four species of bryozoans in the laboratory and how these species perform in different flow regimes in the field. I found that one species, Membranipora membranacea, had a higher ingestion rate than did the other three species at all velocities of flow tested. Membranipora also had a higher rate of ingestion at intermediate velocities, …

An Analysis Of Illegal Bushmeat Availability In Local Restaurants Located In Voi, Kenya, Bridget A. Sutton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The illegal bushmeat harvest has been identified as a reason for declining wildlife populations throughout much of Africa. For many years the trade was thought to exist primarily in Western Africa. The illegal use of bushmeat in Eastern Africa, including Kenya, went undocumented and unstudied. In 2004, the Born Free Foundation published a study which claimed illegal sale of wild game was substantial in butcheries throughout Nairobi, Kenya. In an effort to determine other markets of the commercial trade, the goal of this study was to analyze local restaurants in Voi, Kenya for illegal bushmeat sale. The town of Voi …

Yellow Head Virus: Transmission And Genome Analyses, Hongwei Ma

Dissertations

Yellow head virus (YHV) is an important pathogen to shrimp aquaculture. Among 13 species of naturally YHV-negative crustaceans in the Mississippi coastal area, the daggerblade grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, and the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, were tested for potential reservoir and carrier hosts of YHV using PCR and real time PCR. The YHV replicated in the daggerblade grass shrimp, and was still detectable on 36 d post-inoculation, causing 8% mortality after injection. However, YHV did not replicate in the blue crab. These data suggest that the daggerblade grass shrimp could act as a reservoir host for YHV. Storage conditions of …

Biochemical Characterization Of Two Yeast Paralogous Proteins Mth1 And Std1, Satish Pasula

Dissertations

Glucose is the most abundant monosaccharide and preferred carbon and energy source for most cells. Many organisms have evolved sophisticated means to sense glucose and respond to it appropriately. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae senses glucose through two transmembrane proteins, Snf3 and Rgt2. In the presence of extracellular glucose Snf3 and Rgt2 generate an intracellular signal that leads to the degradation of Mthl and Stdl, thereby inducing the expression of hexose transporter genes (EXT) by inhibiting the function of Rgtl, a transcriptional repressor of HXT genes. Mthl and Stdl are degraded via the Yckl/2 Kinase-SCFGrrl-26S proteasome pathway triggered by the …

The Genetics Of Colonization In Two Amphibian Species After The 1980 Eruption Of Mount St. Helens, Kristin Ann Bakkegard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The genetics of colonization is understudied in salamanders but has large conservation implications as new habitats are formed or restored to their previous condition. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens provided a natural experiment to study the genetic effects of a large infrequent environmental disturbance on two species of salamander, Taricha granulosa (Rough-skinned newt) and Ambystoma gracile (Northwestern salamander). Both these species breed in ponds, and are thought to exhibit high breeding site fidelity and low vagility. I designated three treatments based on the effects of the eruption: new ponds (created by the eruption, immigrants only), recovery lakes (in …

Reproductive Tactics Of Aphidophagous Lady Beetles: Comparison Of A Native Species And An Invasive Species That Is Displacing It, Yukie Kajita

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has been introduced to North America in recent decades, raising concerns of adverse impacts on native lady beetles, including the congeneric C. transversoguttata richardsoni (Brown). The central focus of my dissertation is to understand the importance of reproduction, in particular, in promoting invasion of C. septempunctata and its replacement of native lady beetles in alfalfa fields of western North America.

Studies were conducted to compare reproductive tactics of the invasive C. septempunctata and the native C. transversoguttata, by addressing: 1) maximum rate of reproduction of overwintered lady beetles, 2) population dynamics of the invasive …

A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Effects Of Wildlife Water Developments In The Western United States, Randy T. Larsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Free water can be a limiting factor to wildlife in arid regions of the world. In the western United States, management agencies have installed numerous, expensive wildlife water developments (e.g. catchments, guzzlers, wells) to: 1) increase the distribution or density of target species, 2) influence animal movements, and 3) mitigate for the loss of available free water. Despite over 50 years as an active management practice, water developments have become controversial for several species. We lack an integrated understanding of the ways free water influences animal populations. In particular, we have not meshed understanding of evolutionary adaptations that reduce the …

Investigating The Oligomerization Of Vitronectin, Yacynth Ruwansara

Masters Theses

Vitronectin is a multi-functional glycoprotein that is present in the plasma and extra-cellular matrix of eukaryotes. It is capable of binding a wide variety of structurally different ligands, including plasminogen activators, plasminogen activator-inhibitors, proteases, cell surface receptors and components of the extra-cellular matrix. Vitronectin exists in two conformations – as a monomer in circulation, and as a multimer in the extracellular matrix. The pathway by which vitronectin undergoes the transition from monomer to multimer is not well characterized, but this laboratory has put forward evidence to suggest that the binding of vitronectin with plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), facilitates higher …

The Role Of Msa In The Global Regulation Of Virulence In Staphylococcus Aureus, Vijayaraj Nagarajan

Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen causing life threatening diseases in humans. Previously we showed that msa modulates the activity of sarA (Staphylococcal accessory regulator), which is one of a major global regulator of virulence in S. aureus. The objective of this study is to characterize the role of msa (Modulator of SarA) in the global regulation of virulence in S. aureus. Structure and function predictions were done using several computational tools and approaches to understand the nature of msa. A novel S. aureus microarray meta-database (SAMMD) was designed and developed to compare and contrast other transcriptomes with msa transcriptome. …

Co-Encapsulation Of Gallium With Gentamicin In Liposomes Enhances Antimicrobial Activity Of Gentamicin Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Majed Halwani, B. Yebio, Zacharias E. Suntres, M. Alipour, Ali Azghani, A. Omri

Ali Azghani

Distribution Patterns Of Sciurus Niger (Eastern Fox Squirrel) Leaf Nests Within Woodlots Across A Suburban/Urban Landscape, Carmen M. Salsbury

Carmen M. Salsbury

To determine habitat characteristics that influence Sciurus niger (Eastern Fox Squirrel) abundance and distribution within a suburban/urban landscape in the midwestern United States, I documented the density and placement of fox squirrel leaf nests in 20 woodlots in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. Marion County, IN. The woodlots varied in size (0.94 to 19.5 ha), approximate age, shape, and degree of isolation from other woodlots and suitable squirrel habitat in the surrounding area. Only 8.0% of nests were located in a tree with another nest, and nests were randomly distributed in all but one woodlot, where they were uniformly dispersed. Nest …

The Role Cranberry Proanthocyanidins Play In The Primary Attachment Of Bacteria To Surfaces: Bacillus Cereus Model, Anthony Robert Jones

Biology Dissertations

The development of a proanthocyanidin (PAC) treatment, along with the understanding of its mechanism of action, would provide an alternative method of preventing attachment to and colonization of surfaces by microorganisms, as well as potentially disrupting preexisting biofilms. The purpose of this research is to examine the role a cranberry proanthocyanidin plays in the primary attachment of Bacillus cereus to an abiotic surface. This technology could be employed in food processing plants where a premium is placed on maintaining a sanitized work environment to prevent product contamination. A biofilm assay showed that a surface treated with proanthocyanidins actually promoted rather …

The Effect Of S-Triazines And Nitrobenzene On The Degradation Of Toluene And Napthalene In Solid Phase Systems, Samandra Demons

Biology Dissertations

Nitrogen is known to be a limiting factor in polluted environments, however many studies overlook the potential role for nitrogen to significantly influence the removal rate and efficiency with which microorganisms can degrade aromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, inoculated and uninoculated aerated soil microcosms containing different s-triazines were examined for their ability to efficiently and rapidly treat contaminated soils containing naphthalene, nitrobenzene, and toluene (NNT), via a microbial consortium consisting of Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Aeromonas. After an experimental period of 14 days, greater than 90% degradation of NNT supplemented with different s-triazines, at concentrations of 1000-3000 ppm was observed. A …

Study Of Assembly And Function Of The Drrab Complex, Prajakta A. Pradhan

Biology Dissertations

The DrrAB proteins of Streptomyces peucetius belong to the ABC family of ubiquitous membrane transporters. The DrrA and DrrB proteins together form a drug efflux pump that carries out the transport of the anticancer drug doxorubicin by carrying out ATP hydrolysis. The present study is the first where the intrinsic factors involved in the assembly of the DrrAB functional complex have been elucidated. The drrA and drrB genes in the wild type operon have overlapping stop and start codons (ATGA) which indicates translational coupling between the two genes. On insertion of a fortuitous stop codon in DrrA it was shown …