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Identification Of The Wings Apart Transcriptional Unit In Drosophila Melanogaster, Ginny R. Morriss

Biology ETDs

Muscle development is an evolutionarily conserved process. Mechanisms that govern the development of specific muscles in invertebrates can inform our understanding of how vertebrate muscles form. Understanding these processes allows us to translate developmental mechanisms to disease pathogenesis, as similar genes and developmental processes are affected by these diseases. In this dissertation, CG14614 is identified as the gene responsible for the wings apart phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster. This mutation leads to a loss of the adult jump muscle (TDT) in most cases and a greater than 60% reduction in muscle fibers in its least severe form. wap mutants fail to …

Pattern And Process In Metabolic Ecology: From Biotic Interactions To Cultural Diversity Gradients, William R. Burnside

Biology ETDs

Many ecological patterns and processes are functions of metabolism (Brown 2004), meaning the acquisition, transformation, and allocation of energy, materials, and information within the bodies of individuals and among members of human and other animal societies. Individual metabolic rate should influence behavior by determining the energy available for action as well as the rate at which the body requires fuel. First, I test a key prediction of the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE), that biotic interaction rates are characteristic functions of temperature. Findings support this prediction and suggest that herbivory, predation, parasitism, parasitoidy, and competition increase exponentially with temperature and …

Pollination Ecology Of Agave Palmeri In New Mexico, And Landscape Use Of Leptonycteris Nivalis In Relation To Agaves, Angela E. England

Biology ETDs

Where animals spend time can provide important clues to their ecological needs, but this information is very difficult to obtain for small volant animals. The research described in Chapter 1 was an attempt to discern how L. nivalis utilize the landscape in relation to the distribution of Agave havardiana in Big Bend National Park, Texas. I found that although the landscape use of Leptonycteris nivalis is centered on habitat with high concentrations of blooming A.havardiana, it is not restricted to those areas, and furthermore adults and juveniles may differ in their behavior. Adult females may remain near food sources in …

Reproductive Phenology Of Fishes Of The Rio Grande, New Mexico: A Genes-To-Community Approach, Trevor James Krabbenhoft

Biology ETDs

Reproductive phenology is a key life history attribute of long lived organisms that can strongly affect reproductive success and, ultimately, drive community composition. Understanding the ecological causes and consequences and genetic mechanisms shaping reproductive timing is key to predicting the outcome of environmental change (e.g., climate change). The three chapters that comprised this dissertation were focused on elucidating the ecological and genetic underpinnings of reproductive timing in the fish community of an arid-land river, the Rio Grande, New Mexico. In Chapter 1, we assessed reproductive phenology in the Rio Grande fish community with four years of young-of-year sampling data and …

Linking Environment To Ecology In Arid Land Consumers: Two Case Studies, Ian White Murray

Biology ETDs

The physical environment has a profound influence over many aspects of animal ecology, such as governing the pace and timing of phenology and the patterns of activity across space and time. In extreme habitats such as deserts, the most important components of the physical environment are precipitation and temperature. Not only do these vary temporally and spatially, but this variation may influence the life history and ecology of species. My research examines how variance in temperature and precipitation influences the ecology of two species of desert dwelling consumers (desert woodrats and desert tortoises) over differing temporal scales. In Chapter 1, …

Effects Of Translocation And Climatic Events On The Population Genetic Structure Of Black Bears In New Mexico, Frederic S. Winslow

Biology ETDs

Population structure of the American black bear (Ursus americanus) in New Mexico has been shaped by anthropogenic and natural forces. Black bears occur in habitat islands throughout New Mexico with natural movement among islands influenced by periodic drought, resource limitations and dispersal. Both natural movement and human mediated translocations primarily involve male black bears because of their tendency to move farther distances and more frequent conflict with human dominated landscapes than females. Using DNA microsatellite analysis to investigate the degree of differentiation between different population segments (Fst =0.025 across genetic loci, range = 0.018-0.032) we determined that black bear populations …

Short Lesson Plan Associated With Increased Acceptance Of Evolutionary Theory And Potential Change In Three Alternate Conceptions Of Macroevolution In Undergraduate Students, Joel K. Abraham, Kathryn E. Perez, Nicholas Downey, Jon C. Herron, Eli Meir

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Undergraduates commonly harbor alternate conceptions about evolutionary biology; these alternate conceptions often persist, even after intensive instruction, and may influence acceptance of evolution. We interviewed undergraduates to explore their alternate conceptions about macroevolutionary patterns and designed a 2-h lesson plan to present evidence that life has evolved. We identified three alternate conceptions during our interviews: that newly derived traits would be more widespread in extant species than would be ancestral traits, that evolution proceeds solely by anagenesis, and that lineages must become more complex over time. We also attempted to measure changes in the alternate conceptions and levels of acceptance …

Availability And Quality Of Vegetation Affects Reproduction Of The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) In Improved Pastures, Anna Louise Hathaway

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As part of a state-funded Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus Daudin) translocation project, I monitored actively grazed improved pastures to determine if they could serve as suitable recipient sites for the threatened Gopher Tortoise displaced by human development. For cattle ranches to be considered suitable recipient sites females must be able to acquire sufficient energy to produce a clutch of viable eggs, and sufficiently high quality vegetation must be available to support juvenile recruitment into the population. Vegetation surveys were conducted to determine the composition and percent cover of plant species, especially those containing high amounts of nutrients, specifically nitrogen. Resident …

Repeated Origin And Loss Of Adhesive Toepads In Geckos, Tony Gamble, Eli Greenbaum, Todd R. Jackman, Anthony P. Russell, Aaron M. Bauer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Geckos are well known for their extraordinary clinging abilities and many species easily scale vertical or even inverted surfaces. This ability is enabled by a complex digital adhesive mechanism (adhesive toepads) that employs van der Waals based adhesion, augmented by frictional forces. Numerous morphological traits and behaviors have evolved to facilitate deployment of the adhesive mechanism, maximize adhesive force and enable release from the substrate. The complex digital morphologies that result allow geckos to interact with their environment in a novel fashion quite differently from most other lizards. Details of toepad morphology suggest multiple gains and losses of the adhesive …

A Study Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, In Tampa Bay: Effects Of Perkinsus Marinus On Reproduction And Condition, Bridgit Melora Mccrickard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Five sites in Tampa Bay, Florida, were sampled monthly from February 2006 to January 2007. These sites were located at the mouth of the Alafia River, in an inlet of Cross Bayou, on the easement of Gandy Bridge, near mangrove in Manatee County, and an inlet of Salt Creek, off Bayboro Harbor. Standard methods were used to determine shell height and Condition Index (CI). Intensity and prevalence of Perkinsus marinus were analyzed using Ray's Thioglycollate medium test, while Haplosporidium nelsoni was studied by histological examination. Histological methods were also used to determine sex ratios, reproductive phases, and egg diameters. …

The Role Of A And B Vitamins During Orofacial Development Of Xenopus Laevis, Allyson Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

Orofacial anomalies make up about a third of the 120,000 birth defects each year in the United States. Children born with these abnormalities must undergo immense physical and emotional strain in order to correct the defects. In fact, about $697 million is spent every year surgically treating children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate (2011). In countries where surgery is not an option, this abnormality causes immense difficulties in eating, hearing, speech, and psychosocial development. The causes of cleft lip/palate are extremely complex. Genetics play a role in the anomaly; however, 95% of cleft palate cases are non-syndromic and likely …

Five Nuclear Loci Resolve The Polyploid History Of Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.) And Relatives, Jimmy Triplett, Yunjing Wang, Jinshun Zhong, Elizabeth Kellogg

Biology Department Faculty Works

Polyploidy poses challenges for phylogenetic reconstruction because of the need to identify and distinguish between homoeologous loci. This can be addressed by use of low copy nuclear markers. Panicum s.s. is a genus of about 100 species in the grass tribe Paniceae, subfamily Panicoideae, and is divided into five sections. Many of the species are known to be polyploids. The most well-known of the Panicum polyploids are switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and common or Proso millet (P. miliaceum). Switchgrass is in section Virgata, along with P. tricholaenoides, P. amarum, and P. amarulum, whereas P. miliaceum is in sect. Panicum. We have …

Human Breast Milk And Antiretrovirals Dramatically Reduce Oral Hiv-1 Transmission In Blt Humanized Mice, Angela Wahl, Michael D. Swanson, Tomonori Nochi, Rikke Olesen, Paul W. Denton, Morgan Chateau, J. Victor Garcia

Biology Faculty Publications

Currently, over 15% of new HIV infections occur in children. Breastfeeding is a major contributor to HIV infections in infants. This represents a major paradox in the field because in vitro, breast milk has been shown to have a strong inhibitory effect on HIV infectivity. However, this inhibitory effect has never been demonstrated in vivo. Here, we address this important paradox using the first humanized mouse model of oral HIV transmission. We established that reconstitution of the oral cavity and upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract of humanized bone marrow/liver/thymus (BLT) mice with human leukocytes, including the human cell types important for …

Bacteriophages Phi Mr299-2 And Phi Nh-4 Can Eliminate Pseudomonas Aeruginosa In The Murine Lung And On Cystic Fibrosis Lung Airway Cells, Aidan Coffey, Et. Al.

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of infection in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). In addition, biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas are major problems that can complicate antibiotic therapy. We evaluated the efficacy of using bacteriophages to kill the pathogen in both biofilms and in the murine lung. We isolated and characterized two phages from a local wastewater treatment plant, a myovirus (ϕNH-4) and a podovirus (ϕMR299-2). Both phages were active against clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. Together, the two phages killed all 9 clinical isolate strains tested, including both mucoid and nonmucoid strains. An …

A Genetic Study Of Ssv1, The Prototypical Fusellovirus, Eric Iverson, Kenneth M. Stedman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Viruses of thermophilic Archaea are unique in both their structures and genomic sequences. The most widespread and arguably best studied are the lemon-shaped fuselloviruses. The spindle-shaped virus morphology is unique to Archaea but widespread therein. The best studied fusellovirus is SSV1 from Beppu, Japan, which infects Sulfolobus solfataricus. Very little is known about the function of the genes in the SSV1 genome. Recently we have developed genetic tools to analyze these genes. In this study, we have deleted three SSV1 open reading frames (ORFs) ranging from completely conserved to poorly conserved: VP2, d244, and b129. Deletion of the universally conserved …

Transcendental Thermodynamics, Richard E. Morel, George Fleck

Kahn Institute Projects

Thermodynamics is often viewed as a narrow, introspective discipline, trapped by its origins in the 18th and 19th centuries. By dramatic contrast, we show that the Fourth Law of Thermodynamics provides explanations and interpretations of all natural events, extending across artificial boundaries of tradition- al academic disciplines. The Fourth Law of Thermodynamics states that far-from-equilibrium systems increase entropy at the maximum rate available to them. This broadly inclusive paradigm applies to systems from molecules, to organisms, to the biosphere. The Fourth Law is the Law of Evolution. All systems that communicate with their environment exhibit self-organization and self-optimization, enabling the …

Evolution Of A Sexually Dimorphic Trait In A Broadly Distributed Topminnow (Fundulus Olivaceus), Jacob F. Schaefer, David D. Duvernell, Brian R. Kreiser, Charles Champagne, Scott R. Clark, Melissa Gutierrez, Laura K. Stewart, Chazz Coleman

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Understanding the interaction between sexual and natural selection within variable environments is crucial to our understanding of evolutionary processes. The handicap principle predicts females will prefer males with exaggerated traits provided those traits are indicators of male quality to ensure direct or indirect female benefits. Spatial variability in ecological factors is expected to alter the balance between sexual and natural selection that defines the evolution of such traits. Male and female blackspotted topminnows (Fundulidae: Fundulus olivaceus) display prominent black dorsolateral spots that are variable in number across its broad range. We investigated variability in spot phenotypes at 117 sites …

Dissection Of The Role Of The Stable Signal Peptide Of The Arenavirus Envelope Glycoprotein In Membrane Fusion, Emily L. Messina, Joanne York, Jack H. Nunberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein (GPC) retains a stable signal peptide (SSP) as an essential subunit in the mature complex. The 58-amino-acid residue SSP comprises two membrane-spanning hydrophobic regions separated by a short ectodomain loop that interacts with the G2 fusion subunit to promote pH-dependent membrane fusion. Small-molecule compounds that target this unique SSP-G2 interaction prevent arenavirus entry and infection. The interaction between SSP and G2 is sensitive to the phylogenetic distance between New World (Junin) and Old World (Lassa) arenaviruses. For example, heterotypic GPC complexes are unable to support virion entry. In this report, we demonstrate that the hybrid GPC …

Fighting For Their Lives: Plants And Pathogens, Maryann Herman, Mary Williams

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Acoustic Analysis Of The Vocal Repertoire Of The Golden Rocket Frog (Anomaloglossus Beebei), Beth A. Pettitt, Godfrey R. Bourne, Mark A. Bee

Biology Faculty Publications

This study describes the vocal repertoire of the Guyanan golden rocket frog, Anomaloglossus beebei, a bromeliad specialist with biparental care. Using multivariate analyses of nine call properties, as well as the occurrence of nonlinear phenomena, three signal types were distinguished—advertisement, courtship, and aggressive calls. Although all three call types were composed of a short series of rapidly repeated pulses, advertisement calls were produced at higher amplitudes and had longer pulse durations than both courtship calls and aggressive calls. Courtship calls exhibited lower dominant frequencies than both advertisement and aggressive calls, which had similar dominant frequencies. Aggressive calls had more …

Aquatic Heteroptera Of The Lake Manguao Catchment, Palawan And New Rank Of Rhagovelia Kawakamii Hoberlandti Hungerford & Matsuda 1961, Hendrik Freitag, Herbert Zettel

Biology Faculty Publications

Results of an inventory of the fauna of aquatic and semiaquatic true bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera) of small streams in a lake catchment of northern Palawan are presented. Twenty-one species were recorded. Taxonomic and ecological notes, distribution and collection sites are given for each identified taxon. Rhagovelia hoberlandti Hungerford & Matsuda 1961 is newly ranked as a subspecies of R. kawakamii (Matsumura 1913): Rhagovelia kawakamii hoberlandti Hungerford & Matsuda 1961, stat.n. Cercotmetus asiaticus Amyot & Serville 1843 is recorded for the first time from the Philippines. Endemic and few undescribed taxa are discussed. Additional environmental data of the sampled waters are …

Mitochondrial Dna Assessment Of The Phylogeography Of The Gopher Tortoise, Joshua R. Ennen, Brian R. Kreiser, Carl P. Qualls, Daniel Gaillard, Matthew Aresco, Roger Birkhead, Tracey Tuberville, Earl D. Mccoy, Henry R. Mushinsky, Thomas W. "Bill" Hentges, Aaron W. Schrey

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Identifying geographic barriers that define genetic structure within a species is crucial in formulating an effective conservation plan. The identification of appropriate management units is critical for the protection and recovery of the gopher tortoise Gopherus polyphemus, which have declined across their entire range. Previous molecular work at various spatial scales has identified distinct population assemblages of the gopher tortoise. The goal of this study was to assess the genetic structure in gopher tortoises through a more complete sampling of the federally listed as threatened portion of the range and evaluate the extent of genetic isolation imposed by several …

Discrete Targeting Of Peptide And Non-Peptide Neurotransmitters By A Single Neuron, Daniel Kueh

Dissertations

The heart excitor (HE) motor neuron in the medicinal leech, Hirudo, releases acetylcholine (ACh) and a peptide, FMRFamide, to regulate the contractile activity of the heart tube and associated side vessels. Consistent with Dale’s Principle, it was assumed that both neurotransmitters were coreleased by all presynaptic varicosities. However, discrete peptide-positive and peptide-negative varicosities can be found consistently at particular sites of innervation on the heart tube. Dual-labeled HE neurons were produced by pressure injecting Neurobiotin into single HE neurons and applied antibodies against FMRFamide on the same preparations. Consistent with initial expectations, peptide-labeled varicosities were numerous and widely distributed …

A Method For Rearing Large Quantities Of The Damselfly, Ischnura Ramburii (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), In The Laboratory, Jason L. Locklin, Joshua S. Huckabee, Eben Gering

Biology Faculty Articles

Laboratory based experimental designs typically require large sample sizes of genetically related organisms at the same developmental stage. Several described methods for rearing damselflies have been published, but these methods require laborious techniques when rearing large quantities of damselflies simultaneously. We have developed a relatively easy and inexpensive method for rearing large quantities of a coenagrionid damselfly that streamlines previously published methods and employs new techniques that increase efficiency and yield. Culturing large numbers of damselflies in the laboratory is manageable and opens diverse research avenues.

Seasonal Food Habits Of Burrowing Owls (Athene Cunicularia) In Human-Altered Landscapes, Carie Marie Wingert

Master's Theses

In 2004, I initiated a year-long study to investigate the food habits of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia). Burrowing owls have been found in a variety of human-altered landscapes; however, little is known about burrowing owl food habits in urban landscapes. Burrowing owl food habits during the non-breeding season are also largely undocumented, despite increasing concern over the survival of overwintering burrowing owls. Differences in prey consumption between reproductive and non-reproductive owls during the breeding season have not yet been examined. I collected pellets over a 12 month period at four study sites affected by different levels of human …

Challenges For Biological Interpretation Of Environmental Proteomics Data In Non-Model Organisms, Wesley W. Dowd

Biology Faculty Works

Environmental physiology, toxicology, and ecology and evolution stand to benefit substantially from the relatively recent surge of “omics” technologies into these fields. These approaches, and proteomics in particular, promise to elucidate novel and integrative functional responses of organisms to diverse environmental challenges, over a variety of time scales and at different levels of organization. However, application of proteomics to environmental questions suffers from several challenges—some unique to high-throughput technologies and some relevant to many related fields—that may confound downstream biological interpretation of the data. I explore three of these challenges in environmental proteomics, emphasizing the dependence of biological conclusions on …

Characterization Of Muscle Spindle Afferents In The Adult Mouse Using An In Vitro Muscle-Nerve Preparation, Katherine Wilkinson, H. E. Kloefkorn, S. Hochman

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

We utilized an in vitro adult mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) nerve-attached preparation to characterize the responses of muscle spindle afferents to ramp-and-hold stretch and sinusoidal vibratory stimuli. Responses were measured at both room (24°C) and muscle body temperature (34°C). Muscle spindle afferent static firing frequencies increased linearly in response to increasing stretch lengths to accurately encode the magnitude of muscle stretch (tested at 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% of resting length [Lo]). Peak firing frequency increased with ramp speeds (20% Lo/sec, 40% Lo/sec, and 60% Lo/sec). As a population, muscle spindle afferents could entrain 1:1 to sinusoidal vibrations throughout the …

Connexin-32 And Connexin-43 Immunoreactivity In Rodent Taste Buds, Amanda E. Bond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies indicate that ATP is one of the primary neurotransmitters in taste transduction. ATP release occurs from taste cells via specific hemichannels such as pannexin/connexin hemichannels (Huang et al., 2007; Romanov et al., 2007). We hypothesize that Type II (receptor) and possibly Type III (presynaptic) cells release ATP at sites containing pannexin/connexin hemichannels. In this study, we examine the presence of connexin–32–LIR (Like Immunoreactivity) and connexin–43–LIR in rodent taste buds through immunocytochemical analysis and DAB (Di–amino–benzidine) immunoelectron microscopy. We observed that connexin–32–LIR co–localizes with P2X2–LIR in nerve fibers and in a small subset of NCAM–LIR cells. Connexin–32–LIR does not co–localize …

The Effects Of Theophylline On The In Vitro Respiratory Response To Hypoxia, Ke Geng

Theses

The isolated transverse brainstem slice preparation of neonatal mice is employed to investigate the function of theophylline, a competitive nonselective phophodiesterase inhibitor and adenosine receptor antagonist, on the hypoxic ventilatory response. Brainstem slices are isolated from neonatal mice (4-8 days old) and superfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), equilibrated with a hyperoxic gas mixture (95% O₂, 5% CO₂) as a control, and anoxic mixture (0% O₂, 5% CO₂, 95% N₂) to create severe hypoxia at the tissue level. Using suction electrodes, extracellular population activities of respiratory neurons is recorded from …

Natural Selection And Moral Sentiment: Evolutionary Biology's Challenge To Moral Philosophy, Charles W. Wright

Headwaters

No abstract provided.