Cellular/Molecular Analysis Of Interspecies Sterile Male Hybrids In Drosophila, 2017 The Unviersity of Western Ontario
Cellular/Molecular Analysis Of Interspecies Sterile Male Hybrids In Drosophila, Rachelle L. Kanippayoor
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Over time, genetic differences can accumulate between populations that are geographically separated. This genetic divergence can lead to the evolution of reproductive isolating mechanisms that reduce gene flow between the populations and, upon secondary contact, result in distinct species. The process of speciation is, thus, what accounts for the multitude of species that contribute to the rich biodiversity on Earth. Interspecies hybrid sterility is a postzygotic isolating mechanism that affects the development of hybrids, rendering them sterile. A notable trend, known as Haldane's Rule, describes that heterogametic individual (e.g. males in Drosophila) are more susceptible to sterility than homogametic …
Phenomenological And Molecular Basis Of The Cnidarian Immune System, 2017 Florida International University
Phenomenological And Molecular Basis Of The Cnidarian Immune System, Tanya Brown
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet due partially to the habitat structure provided by corals. Corals are long lived organisms that can live for hundreds of years and as a result growth of many species is very slow. As a result of this, recovery of corals from disease outbreaks is very slow and difficult and therefore the ecosystem is deteriorating rapidly. Due to this increase in disease and its detrimental effect on coral reefs, it has become imperative to study how corals respond to disease outbreaks. The response of the coral to pathogens is …
Epigenetics Of Host-Pathogen Interactions: The Effect Of Acetosyringone On Ti Plasmid Methylation Patterns In Agrobacterium Tumefaciens C58, Genevieve Roberts
Honors Projects
The plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 can transfer a portion of its tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid to plant hosts in response to the plant wound signals, including Acetosyringone. The portion transferred is aptly titled Transfer DNA (T-DNA) which encode genes involved in tumor production and biosynthesis of a unique bacterial food source called opines that provide an advantage to the inducing Agrobacterium. The Ti plasmid contains a number of genes, including the virulence region that enables T-DNA transfer. Epigenetics investigates how chemical modifications to DNA that don’t alter sequence are used to control gene expression (for example, genes involved in pathogen …
Body Size Regulation Via Bmp Signaling In Caenorhabditis Elegans, 2017 The Graduate Center, City University of New York
Body Size Regulation Via Bmp Signaling In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Uday Madaan
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The body size of an organism can be a crucial determinant of access to nutrition, reproductive success and overall survival in the wild. However, how body size of an individual is determined is incompletely understood. Body size is a complex trait determined by multiple pathways and genes, making it difficult to understand the role of individual genes and pathways in determining overall size. In Caenorhabditis elegans, a homolog of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMP) is a major regulator of body size; functional loss of DBL-1 leads to a small body size. Due to a drastic change in body size in dbl-1 …
Zinc Transporters Ybtx And Znuabc Are Required For The Virulence Of Yersinia Pestis In Bubonic And Pneumonic Plague In Mice, 2017 Washington State University
Zinc Transporters Ybtx And Znuabc Are Required For The Virulence Of Yersinia Pestis In Bubonic And Pneumonic Plague In Mice, Alexander G. Bobrov, Olga Kirillina, Marina Y. Fosso, Jacqueline D. Fetherston, M. Clarke Miller, Tiva T. Vancleave, Joseph A. Burlison, William K. Arnold, Matthew B. Lawrenz, Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova, Robert D. Perry
Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications
A number of bacterial pathogens require the ZnuABC Zinc (Zn2+) transporter and/or a second Zn2+ transport system to overcome Zn2+ sequestration by mammalian hosts. Previously we have shown that in addition to ZnuABC, Yersinia pestis possesses a second Zn2+ transporter that involves components of the yersiniabactin (Ybt), siderophore-dependent iron transport system. Synthesis of the Ybt siderophore and YbtX, a member of the major facilitator superfamily, are both critical components of the second Zn2+ transport system. Here we demonstrate that a ybtX znu double mutant is essentially avirulent in mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic …
The 'Pseudomonas Aeruginosa' Psl Polysaccharide Is A Social But Noncheatable Trait In Biofilms, 2017 University of Dayton
The 'Pseudomonas Aeruginosa' Psl Polysaccharide Is A Social But Noncheatable Trait In Biofilms, Yasuhiko Irie, Aled E. Roberts, Kasper N. Kragh, Vernita D. Gordon, Jaime B. Hutchison, Rosalind J. Allen, Gavin Melaugh, Thomas Bjarnsholt, Stuart A. West, Stephen P. Diggle
Biology Faculty Publications
Extracellular polysaccharides are compounds secreted by microorganisms into the surrounding environment, and they are important for surface attachment and maintaining structural integrity within biofilms. The social nature of many extracellular polysaccharides remains unclear, and it has been suggested that they could function as either cooperative public goods or as traits that provide a competitive advantage. Here, we empirically tested the cooperative nature of the PSL polysaccharide, which is crucial for the formation of biofilms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We show that (i) PSL is not metabolically costly to produce; (ii) PSL provides populationlevel benefits in biofilms, for both growth and antibiotic …
The Population Genetics Of Morro Bay Eelgrass (Zostera Marina), 2017 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
The Population Genetics Of Morro Bay Eelgrass (Zostera Marina), Julia Gardner Harencar
Master's Theses
Seagrass populations are in decline worldwide. Zostera marina (eelgrass), one of California’s native seagrasses, is no exception to this trend. In the last 8 years, Morro Bay, California has lost 95% of its eelgrass. Eelgrass is an ecosystem engineer, providing important ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization, nutrient cycling, and nursery habitats for fish. The failure of recent restoration efforts necessitates a better understanding of the causes of eelgrass decline in this estuary. Previous research on eelgrass in California has demonstrated a link between population genetic diversity and eelgrass bed health, ecosystem functioning, and resilience to disturbance and extreme climatic …
The Santa Ana Speckled Dace (Rhinichthys Osculus): Phylogeography And Molecular Evolution Of The Mitochondrial Dna Control Region, 2017 California State University San Bernardino
The Santa Ana Speckled Dace (Rhinichthys Osculus): Phylogeography And Molecular Evolution Of The Mitochondrial Dna Control Region, James Jay Vanmeter
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
The purpose of this genetic study of the Santa Ana Speckled Dace Rhinichthys osculus was three-fold. The first goal was to characterize the molecular structure of the mtDNA control region of R. osculus. An 1143 base-pair region of the mitochondrial DNA genome, which included the complete control region was sequenced for all individuals. Analysis of the sequence data revealed that the molecular structure of the speckled dace control region was similar to the molecular structure described for other vertebrate taxa. The speckled dace control region contains three major domains, which vary in base frequency as well as in the frequency …
Dna Sequences Of The Mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase I (Coi) Genes From Deep Sea Fishes. Cruises Dp01 And Dp02 From May 2015 - August 2015, 2017 Nova Southeastern University
Dna Sequences Of The Mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase I (Coi) Genes From Deep Sea Fishes. Cruises Dp01 And Dp02 From May 2015 - August 2015, Andrea Bernard, Max Weber, Kimberly A. Finnegan, Mahmood S. Shivji, Ron Eytan
DEEPEND Datasets
The deep sea ecosystem is believed to contain the highest biomass of fish in the oceans. However, the taxonomic diversity in this ecosystem is incompletely described and likely to be vastly underestimated. DNA sequence data (barcodes) have become a key tool to discover hidden biodiversity. We generated mitochondrial DNA barcode datasets based on the Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene from deep sea fishes. These data were analyzed using phylogenetic and statistical methods to reveal cryptic species and make taxonomic linkages between adult fishes and their early life stages. These datasets were generated from fishes collected in the Northern Gulf …
Does Genotype Correlate With Phenotype? Evaluating Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Spp.) Color Vision Using Subject Mediated Automatic Remote Testing Apparatus (Smarta), 2017 CUNY Hunter College
Does Genotype Correlate With Phenotype? Evaluating Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Spp.) Color Vision Using Subject Mediated Automatic Remote Testing Apparatus (Smarta), Raymond Vagell
Theses and Dissertations
Ruffed lemur (Varecia spp.) color vision research was conducted using a multidisciplinary approach: psychophysics, genetic analysis, technology, and animal training. The behavioral manifestation of Varecia spp. trichromacy was shown using a touchscreen apparatus (SMARTA). Trichromats performed better than dichromats when discriminating red from green (G2 = 78.10, p < 0.001).
Chromatin-Modifying Agents Convert Fibroblasts To Oct4+ And Vegfr-2+ Capillary Tube-Forming Cells, 2017 York Community High School
Chromatin-Modifying Agents Convert Fibroblasts To Oct4+ And Vegfr-2+ Capillary Tube-Forming Cells, Anita Wary, Neil Wary '18, Jugajyoti Baruah, Victoria Mastej, Kishore K. Wary
Student Publications & Research
Rationale
The human epigenome is plastic. The goal of this study was to address if fibroblast cells can be epigenetically modified to promote neovessel formation.
Methods and results
Here, we used highly abundant human adult dermal fibroblast cells (hADFCs) that were treated with the chromatin-modifying agents 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A, and subsequently subjected to differentiation by activating Wnt signaling. Our results show that these epigenetically modified hADFCs increasingly expressed β-catenin, pluripotency factor octamer-binding transcription factor-4 (OCT4, also known as POU5F1), and endothelial cell (EC) marker called vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2, also known as Fetal Liver Kinase-1). In microscopic …
Pathogenesis, Virulence And Population Genetics Of Puccinia Emaculata, The Causal Agent Of Switchgrass Rust, 2017 University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Pathogenesis, Virulence And Population Genetics Of Puccinia Emaculata, The Causal Agent Of Switchgrass Rust, Qunkang Cheng
Doctoral Dissertations
The infection process of Puccinia emaculata on Panicum virgatum leaves was studied histologically. Appressoria were formed approximately 10 hr after inoculation and penetrations were observed over stomatal openings. Substomatal vesicles developed 3 days after inoculation (DAI) and at 5 DAI, both haustorial mother cells and haustoria were observed. At 11 DAI, uredinia were developing, but urediniospores were immature. Until 14 DAI, matured uredinia ruptured host epidermis and urediniospores were released for secondary infection. This clearly studied infection process will help understand resistance mechanisms of a resistant cultivar in future research.
Twelve agronomic and ornamental switchgrass cultivars were inoculated with 40 …
Systematics, Diversification, And Functional Diversity Of Russulaceae (Russulales), 2017 University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Systematics, Diversification, And Functional Diversity Of Russulaceae (Russulales), Brian Patrick Looney
Doctoral Dissertations
The family Russulaceae is an iconic family of mushroom-forming Basidiomycetes both because of their importance as edible mushrooms in many parts of the world and their species richness in both temperate and tropical forested biomes. While much mycological research has been focused on this group, recent systematic and ecological research has failed to develop a comprehensive or cohesive organization by which to understand the evolutionary relationships, patterns of diversification, or functional importance of the group. Recently, interest in ectomycorrhizal fungi (EmF), of which Russulaceae is a key lineage, has greatly increased due to the recognition of the importance of EmF …
Role Of Hormonal And Developmental Signaling In Plant-Cyst Nematode Interaction, 2017 University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Role Of Hormonal And Developmental Signaling In Plant-Cyst Nematode Interaction, Sarbottam Piya
Doctoral Dissertations
Plant-parasitic cyst nematodes are one of the most destructive root parasites that cause severe yield losses in many crop plants. These obligate parasites induce a specialized multi-nucleate feeding site called syncytium. This study was conducted to explore the roles of phytohormones particularly auxin and ethylene, and miRNA-mediated crosstalk between development and defense responses in establishing the compatible interaction between Arabidopsis and Heterodera schachtii. Using yeast two-hybrid assay, a complete protein-protein interaction map between Auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) proteins and auxin response factors (ARFs) was generated. In addition, gene co-expression profiles of ARFs and Aux/IAAs were incorporated with protein-protein interaction data. …
Proteomic Identification Of Histone Post-Translational Modifications Induced By Dna Double-Strand Breaks And Novel Proteins Involved In The Dna Damage Response, 2017 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Proteomic Identification Of Histone Post-Translational Modifications Induced By Dna Double-Strand Breaks And Novel Proteins Involved In The Dna Damage Response, Pingping Wang
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Inaccurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can lead to DNA mutation and chromosome rearrangements, causing human diseases such as cancer. Although we know the basic mechanisms of DSB repair, the added complexities in the chromatin context are unclear. This is partially due to the lack of unbiased systems for identifying proteins and post-translational modifications (PTMs) involved in DSB repair. In this work, we established a novel method, termed DSB-ChAP-MS (Double Strand Break-Chromatin Affinity Purification with Mass Spectrometry), for the affinity purification of a sequence-specific single copy endogenous chromosomal locus containing a DSB, followed by the proteomic identification of enriched …
Effects Of Nicotine On The Cyp6a8 Gene Promoter Of Drosophila Melanogaster, 2017 University of Tennessee
Effects Of Nicotine On The Cyp6a8 Gene Promoter Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Leslie M. Stroud
Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects
No abstract provided.
Science, Between The Lines: Rosalind Franklin, 2017 University of Rhode Island
Science, Between The Lines: Rosalind Franklin, Rachael Renzi
Senior Honors Projects
The purpose of this paper is to contrast scientific rhetoric with creative biographical writing style. Both forms of communication rely on specific syntax and styles to describe research findings to the appropriate audiences, but the often passive format of scientific literature excludes the passionate reasonings of the researcher. In order to understand why the scientist is kept separate from his or her published findings, I am going to experiment with the two contrasting forms. Throughout the paper, each form will be tested and used at varying levels. Both scientific and creative writing will be mixed. To emphasize the technically dense …
Characterization Of E-Cadherin Regulation In Response To Zeb1 Inhibition In Endometrial Cancer Cell Lines, 2017 Rowan University
Characterization Of E-Cadherin Regulation In Response To Zeb1 Inhibition In Endometrial Cancer Cell Lines, Chidozie Paul Chukwu
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process in which cells lose their epithelial structure during gastrulation. This process also affects the migration and movement of tumor cells and promotes invasion and metastases of endometrial carcinomas. Down-regulation of E-cadherin (CDH1) by transcription factors is the key target of EMT modulators and is achieved mainly by ZEB1 (zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1). Current research looking at restoration of E-cadherin expression in vitro involves the use of small molecules such as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. Trichostatin A (TSA) and small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) are tools that …
The Role Of The Expansion Segment 7 Of 25s Rrna During Oxidative Stress In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, 2017 Rowan University
The Role Of The Expansion Segment 7 Of 25s Rrna During Oxidative Stress In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Ethan Gardner
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Translation is an essential process for protein expression in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Like any cellular process, translational factors are prone to damage when the cell is under stress. One common stressor that nearly all cells may experience is abnormal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Damage caused by ROS has been associated with disease ranging from neurodegenerative impairments, to the aging process of cells. These oxygen radicals are capable of damaging a litany of molecules including nucleic acids, and molecular factors involved in translation. It has been shown that tRNA can be cleaved upon ROS-induced stress and these fragments …
Modeling 3d Retinogenesis In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Following Crispr-Mediated Crx Knockdown, 2017 Dominican University of California
Modeling 3d Retinogenesis In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Following Crispr-Mediated Crx Knockdown, Pooja Prasad
Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects
An emerging technology known as three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering has allowed scientists to mimic tissues found in vivo. Previous studies indicate that it is possible to differentiate dissociated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) into 3D retinal tissues in vitro (Bertacchi, 2015; Eiraku, 2012). The newly differentiated retinal tissues are said to encompass all of the major components found in retinal tissues. The generation of in vitro 3D tissues holds great potential in terms of patient-specific disease modeling. Although various diseases have been well-studied in animal models, there are limitations with regards to patient-specificity. The generation of animal models to study …