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Lifelines Fall 2009, Southern Adventist University

Lifelines - Biology Department Newsletter

The Fall 2009 issue of Lifelines includes articles on Southern's Ancient DNA Project, an alumni feature, student research, and news from the Pre-Dent Club.

Ornithocoprophilous Plants Of Mount Desert Rock, A Remote Bird-Nesting Island In The Gulf Of Maine, U.S.A, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Nathaniel S. Pope, Jose Perez-Orozco, Tanner B. Harris

Biological Sciences

Plants growing on seabird-nesting islands are uniquely adapted to deal with guano-derived soils high in N and P. Such ornithocoprophilous plants found in isolated, oceanic settings provide useful models for ecological and evolutionary investigations. The current study explored the plants found on Mount Desert Rock (MDR), a small seabird-nesting, oceanic island 44 km south of Mount Desert Island (MDI), Hancock County, Maine, U.S.A. Twenty-seven species of vascular plants from ten families were recorded. Analyses of guano-derived soils from the rhizosphere of the three most abundant species from bird-nesting sites of MDR showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) NO₃⁻, available …

Spatial Dynamics Of Nesting Behavior: Lizards Shift Microhabitats To Construct Nests With Beneficial Thermal Properties, Michael W. Sears, Michael J. Angilletta, Robert M. Pringle

Publications

Because temperature affects the growth, development, and survival of embryos,
oviparous mothers should discriminate carefully among available nesting sites. We combined a radiotelemetric study of animal movements with a spatial mapping of environmental temperatures to test predictions about the nesting behavior of the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus). Females made large excursions from their typical home ranges to construct nests in exposed substrates. These excursions appeared to be related solely to nesting because all females returned to forested habitat immediately afterward. On average, 1% (range ¼ 0–8%, n ¼ 19) of the area used by a female during nesting was …

Scared Sick? Predator-Pathogen Facilitation Enhances The Exploitation Of A Shared Resource, Ricardo A. Ramirez, W E. Snyder

Biology Faculty Publications

Resource use generally increases with greater consumer diversity, an effect often attributed to resource partitioning. Pathogens and predators are two classes of consumer that exhibit differences in ecologically important traits (e.g., size, resource acquisition strategy, foraging location) that could lead to complementary effects on shared prey/hosts. To examine this possibility, we manipulated diversity among a community of predators and pathogens that together attack an herbivorous beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, and measured resulting effects on herbivore suppression and resulting plant damage. We found that herbivore mortality increased, and plant damage decreased, when more natural enemy species were present. However, closer examination revealed …

Prevalence And Intensity Of Trypanosome Infections In Stable And Declining Populations Of Brush-Tailed Bettongs (Bettongia Penicillata), Melissa Chiasson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata), or woylie, is an endemic Australian marsupial that has recently suffered a large population crash in the Upper Warren region of Western Australia. Research has shown that both the declining Upper Warren population of brush-tailed bettongs and a stable population at Karakamia Wildlife Sanctuary are infected with a novel Trypanosoma sp., and the declining Upper Warren population was found to have a higher prevalence of trypanosome infection that that of the stable Karakamia population. In this study, further work was done to see if 1) the prevalence and intensity of trypanosome infection still differed significantly …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No 75 - Research And Development Plan 2009-10, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The Department of Fisheries R&D plan for 2009/10 outlines the research, monitoring and assessment activities that are specifically directed towards supporting the collection of information that will assist in achieving the objectives of the Fish Resources Management Act (1994) for the coming five year period. This series is updated on an annual basis and should be read in conjunction with the most recent State of Fisheries report where comprehensive analyses of the current status of each of the fisheries and fish habitat resources are described.

The plan specifically focuses on those activities that are currently planned or identified which directly …

First Records Of Hypleurochilus Geminatus And Centropristis Philadelphica From Chesapeake Bay, Aimee D. Halvorson

Virginia Journal of Science

During the fall of 2007, Centropris philadelphica (rock seabass) and Hypleurochilus geminatus (Crested blenny) were collected from Chesapeake Bay. These captures are significant as they represent the first substantiated record of C. philadelphica from Chesapeake Bay and only the second and third validated records of H. geminatus. Additionally, the first record of H. geminatus from Chesapeake Bay was only recently recognized since the specimen had been previously misidentified as Parablennius marmoreus (seaweed blenny). The collection of seven individuals of H. geminatus in 2007, from two locations, indicates that the species may be resident within the Chesapeake Bay estuary.

Mangroves And Crabs As Ecosystem Engineers In Zanzibar, Charlie Nicholson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Primary productivity within mangroves results from detrital and coprophagous interactions on the forest floor. The feeding behaviors of Sesarmid crabs (Decapoda:Brachyura) alter the structural and chemical composition of benthic sediment through the consumption and incorporation of mangrove leaf-litter. In doing so they create habitats for organisms that in turn provide an additional food source for herbivorous crabs. Species specific herbivory was observed in order to understand the implications of Sesarmid activity on sediment composition. The study was conducted at two contrasting mangrove forest sites, one in a protected area at Jozani and the other in a disturbed area at Pete …

Controlling The Dengue Mosquito (Aedes Aegypti): Assessment Of The Effects Of Metofluthrin, A Novel Vapor-Active Pyrethroid, On Mosquito Behavior In A Modeled Domestic Setting., Randy Kring

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Dengue fever is a potentially life-threatening illness that is endemic in over 100 countries and threatens approximately half of the world’s population. The dengue virus is transmitted between humans by a mosquito vector, principally the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti. This mosquito prefers to live and feed in and around people’s homes. As a result, preventing mosquito bites within a domestic setting is essential to controlling the dengue virus. Although several methods of bite prevention are currently available to the public, most of these methods only provide short-term protection from the dengue mosquito. In contrast, a recently developed synthetic pyrethroid called …

Maternally Derived Antibodies In Avian Eggs And Offspring: Ecology, Life History, And Development, Brianne Ashley Addison

Dissertations

Mothers can alter offspring phenotypes through a variety of indirect effects, including the deposition of nutrients, hormones, and defense proteins in to the egg. Defense proteins, and antibodies in particular, may be tremendously important for neonatal defense against pathogens and the direction of resources into growth rather than immune responsiveness. Moreover, maternally derived immunoglobulins have been proposed to have an imprinting effect on the development of humoral immunity. In my dissertation, I explored a variety of ecological, life history, and developmental factors that could contribute to the evolution of yolk antibody allocation in a variety of avian species. In the …

Complex Evolution Of A Highly-Conserved Microsatellite Locus In Several Fish Species, J.-X. Liu, Bert Ely

Faculty Publications

The evolutionary dynamics of a highly conserved microsatellite locus (Dla 11) were studied in several fish species. The data indicated that multiple types of compound microsatellites arose through point mutations that were sometimes followed by expansion of the derived motif. Furthermore, extensive length variation was detected among species in the regions immediately flanking the repeat region.

Large-Scale Patterns In Trematode Richness And Infection Levels In Marine Crustacean Hosts, David W. Thieltges, Brian L. Fredensborg, Anja Studer, Robert Poulin

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

Little is known about the patterns of variation in parasitism in marine hosts. Trematodes, the dominant parasites in intertidal systems, are transmitted from their first intermediate hosts (snails) to a range of second intermediate hosts, including crustaceans. Using published studies of trematode infections in crustacean hosts, we investigated general patterns of variation in trematode species richness and infection levels (i.e. percentage of hosts infected and mean number of individual parasites per host). Since the production and release of infective stages in snails is strongly temperature dependent, we also investigated a potential decrease in trematode infection levels with increasing latitude (as …

Geographical Patterning Of Sixteen Goat Breeds From Italy, Albania And Greece Assessed By Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Lorraine Pariset, Antonella Cuteri, Christina Ligda, Alessio Valentini, Econogene Consortium

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: SNP data of goats of three Mediterranean countries were used for population studies and reconstruction of geographical patterning. 496 individuals belonging to Italian, Albanian and Greek breeds were genotyped to assess the basic population parameters.

Results: A total of 26 SNPs were used, for a total of 12,896 genotypes assayed. Statistical analysis revealed that breeds are not so similar in terms of genetic variability, as reported in studies performed using different markers. The Mantel test showed a strongly significant correlation between genetic and geographic distance. Also, PCA analysis revealed that breeds are grouped according to geographical origin, …

A Hump-Shaped Relationship Between Isolation And Abundance Of Notonecta Irrorata Colonists In Aquatic Mesocosms, Shannon J. Mccauley, Christopher J. Davis, Jennifer Nystrom, Earl E. Werner

Biological Sciences

We examined the relationship between the isolation of experimental aquatic mesocosms and the abundance of an aquatic insect colonist, Notonecta irrorata, over two years. We used a curve-fitting approach to assess whether linear or quadratic models better describe the relationship between isolation and abundance. For two measures of mesocosm isolation, distance to nearest source and distance to the largest source population, there was a significant quadratic relationship between isolation and abundance. Abundance of colonizing N. irrorata was not found to be significantly related to a third measure of isolation, mesocosm connectivity. These results indicate that the relationship between habitat …

Five Year Management Strategy For The Recreational Trout Fishery. Discussion Paper For Public Comment On Future Management., The Rfac’S Recreational Freshwater Fisheries Stakeholder Sub-Committee

Fisheries Management Papers

The Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) was concerned over the delay in time in progressing this issue and recommended that the issue of trout stocking for recreational purposes be progressed in isolation. This matter was referred to the Recreational Freshwater Fisheries Stakeholder Sub-Committee (RFFSS) to progress the recreational aspects of stocking trout within State public waters. This strategy represents a significant step in ensuring the appropriate level of management is provided for the translocation of trout into and within Western Australia for recreational purposes. It is also hoped that this policy will serve as a guide for the management and …

Desulfovibrio Idahonensis Sp. Nov., Sulfatereducing Bacteria Isolated From A Metal(Loid)-Contaminated Freshwater Sediment, H. Sass, S. Ramamoorthy, C. Yarwood, H. Langner, P. Schumann, R. M. Kroppenstedt, S. Spring, R. Frank Rosenzweig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Two novel sulfate-reducing bacteria, strains CY1 and CY2, were isolated from heavy-metal-contaminated sediments of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA. Strains CY1 and CY2 were found to contain c-type cytochromes and to reduce sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur, DMSO, anthraquinone disulfonate and fumarate using lactate as an electron donor. In a comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences, CY1 and CY2 were found to be 100% identical, but only 97 and 92.4% similar, respectively, to the type strains of Desulfovibrio mexicanus and Desulfovibrio aminophilus. Unlike these species, however, CY1 was neither able to disproportionate thiosulfate nor able to use yeast extract or …

Sex And Microhabitat Influence The Allocation Of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids To Tissues In The Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus, Sarah A. Gravem

Master's Theses

Field surveys of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus demonstrated that concentrations of natural sunscreens, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), were higher in females than males for both gonadal and epidermal tissues, increased in ovaries as spawning season approached, and were influenced by the sea urchins’ microhabitat. Sea urchins occupying burrows, or “pits”, had lower concentrations of MAAs than those outside pits, suggesting a trade-off between physical and UV protection. Overall, UV irradiance did not influence MAA accumulation in gonadal tissues. However, males increased their allocation of MAAs to epidermal tissues in the microhabitat with the highest irradiance. Relative concentrations of individual MAAs were similar …

Impact Of Weed Management Practices On Grapevine Growth, Yield Components, Plant And Arthropod Abundance, And Carabid Seed Predation In Paso Robles Vineyard, Paolo Sanguankeo

Master's Theses

In the Central Coast of California, USA, wine grape growers are making efforts to identify weed control practices that promote biodiversity in their vineyards while maintaining yields. A field study was conducted in Paso Robles, CA in 2006 and 2007 evaluating the effect on Zinfandel grape-vine growth and production, groundcover plant, and ground dwelling arthropod communities of five weed control practices: 1) flumioxazin, 2) simazine, 3) cultivation, 4) cover crop, and 5) untreated control.

The herbicide treatments had the lowest weed biomass followed by the cultivation, being approximately 10 and 2 times lower than the weed biomass of either the …

Time's Arrow Flies Like A Bird: Two Paradoxes For Avian Circadian Biology, Vincent M. Cassone, Jiffin K. Paulose, Melissa G. Whitfield-Rucker, Jennifer L. Peters

Biology Faculty Publications

Biological timekeeping in birds is a fundamental feature of avian physiology, behavior and ecology. The physiological basis for avian circadian rhythmicity has pointed to a multi-oscillator system of mutually coupled pacemakers in the pineal gland, eyes and hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). In passerines, the role of the pineal gland and its hormone melatonin is particularly important. More recent molecular biological studies have pointed to a highly conserved mechanism involving rhythmic transcription and translation of "clock genes". However, studies attempting to reconcile the physiological role of pineal melatonin with molecular studies have largely failed. Recent work in our laboratory has suggested …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.70 - Stakeholder Survey 2008, Tara Baharthah

Fisheries Occasional Publications

A telephone survey of Department of Fisheries’ stakeholders was conducted in August 2008 in order to evaluate their perception of the Department’s management of commercial and recreational fishing, pearling and aquaculture, and fish and fish habitat protection. The survey also assessed satisfaction with the level of service provided to stakeholders and their involvement in decision making processes. The results of this survey were compared to similar surveys conducted during 2002, 2004, 2006 and a survey of the general public conducted during 2008. The sample comprised of 149 interviews – 39 representing the commercial fishing sector, 41 representing the recreational fishing …

Plasma Testosterone Correlates With Morph Type Across Breeding Substages In Male White-Throated Sparrows, M. B. Swett, Creagh W. Breuner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) exhibit a genetic polymorphism that affects plumage and behavior in both sexes. White-striped morphs are more territorially aggressive, whereas tan-striped morphs provision nestlings at a higher rate. We investigated testosterone physiology in this species in an effort to understand hormonal mechanisms for the observed differences in aggression and parental care between the morphs. We found a small but significant difference in plasma testosterone between free-living white-striped and tan-striped males over the course of the breeding season. This difference correlates with previously observed differences in aggressive behavior and suggests that testosterone may mediate these differences. Testosterone remained …

Sibship Reconstruction Demonstrates The Extremely Low Effective Population Size Of Striped Bass Morone Saxatilis In The Santee-Cooper System, South Carolina, Usa, Jin-Xian Liu, Bert Ely

Faculty Publications

For organisms with great fecundity and high mortality in early life stages, such as shellfish or fishes, the need to match reproductive activity with environmental conditions conducive to spawning, fertilization, larval development and recruitment may result in extreme variance in reproductive success among individuals. The main objective of this study was to investigate evidence of large variance in the reproductive success of the striped bass Morone saxatilis in the Santee-Cooper system, South Carolina, USA. Seven microsatellite loci were analysed in 603 recruits representing three yearly cohorts from 1992 to 1994, and a group analysis was performed to identify full-sib families. …

Fatty Acid Oxidation And Meiotic Resumption In Mouse Oocytes, Stephen M. Downs, Jessica Odette, John Klinger

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

We have examined the potential role of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-induced meiotic maturation. Etomoxir and malonyl CoA, two inhibitors of carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT1), and thus FAO, blocked meiotic induction in dbcAMP-arrested cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes (CEO) and denuded oocytes (DO) by the AMPK activator, AICAR. C75, an activator of CPT1 and FAO, stimulated meiotic resumption in CEO and DO. This effect was insensitive to the AMPK inhibitor, compound C, indicating an action downstream of AMPK. Palmitic acid or carnitine also promoted meiotic resumption in DO in the presence of AICAR. Since C75 also suppresses the …

Defective Gut Function In Drop-Dead Mutant Drosophila, Cassandra R. Peller, Elizabeth M. Bacon, Julie A. Bucheger, Edward M. Blumenthal

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Mutation of the gene drop-dead (drd ) causes adult Drosophila to die within 2 weeks of eclosion and is associated with reduced rates of defecation and increased volumes of crop contents. In the current study, we demonstrate that flies carrying the strong allele drd^lwf display a reduction in the transfer of ingested food from the crop to the midgut, as measured both as a change in the steady-state distribution of food within the gut and also in the rates of crop emptying and midgut filling following a single meal. Mutant flies have abnormal triglyceride (TG) and glycogen stores …

Cdna Cloning, Expression And Fibrin(Ogen)Olytic Activity Of Two Low-Molecular Weight Snake Venom Metalloproteinases, Ying Jia, Sara E. Lucena, Esteban Cantu, Elda E. Sánchez, John C. Perez

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

Two cDNA clones, AplVMP1 and AplVMP2, were isolated from a snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) venom gland cDNA library. The full-length cDNA sequence of AplVMP1 with a calculated molecular mass of 46.61 kDa is 1,233 bp in length. AplVMP1 encodes PI class metalloproteinase with an open reading frame of 411 amino acid residues that includes signal peptide, pro-domain and metalloproteinase domains. The full-length cDNA of the AplVMP2 (1,371bp) has a calculated molecular mass of 51.16 kDa and encodes PII class metalloproteinase. The open reading frame of AplVMP2 with a 457 amino acid residues is composed of signal peptide, pro-domain, …

The Multipurpose 15-Protofilament Microtubules In C. Elegans Have Specific Roles In Mechanosensation, Alexander Bounoutas, Robert O'Hagan, Martin Chalfie

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Because microtubules perform many essential functions in neurons, delineating unique roles attributable to these organelles presents a formidable challenge. Microtubules endow neurons with shape and structure and are required for developmental processes including neurite outgrowth [1], intracellular transport [2], and synapse formation and plasticity [3, 4]; microtubules in sensory neurons may be required for the above processes in addition to a specific sensory function. In Caenorhabditis elegans, six touch receptor neurons (TRNs) sense gentle touch [5] and uniquely contain 15-protofilament microtubules [6]. Disruption of these microtubules by loss of either the MEC-7 β-tubulin [7] or MEC-12 α-tubulin [8] or by …

Manipulating Testosterone To Assess Links Between Behavior, Morphology, And Performance In The Brown Anole Anolis Sagrei, Robert M. Cox, Derek S. Stenquist, Justin P. Henningsen, Ryan Calsbeek

Dartmouth Scholarship

Survival and reproductive success are determined by the complex interplay between behavior, physiology, morphology, and performance. When optimal trait combinations along these various phenotypic axes differ between sexes or across seasons, regulatory mechanisms such as sex steroids can often facilitate sex‐specific and/or seasonal trait expression. In this study, we used surgical castration and replacement of exogenous testosterone in adult male brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) to simultaneously examine the effects of testosterone on a suite of morphological (dewlap area, body size), physiological (immune function), behavioral (dewlap, head bob, and push‐up displays), and performance (stamina, sprint speed, bite force) traits. …

The Effects Of Fluorescent Tracking Powder On Oxygen Consumption In Salamanders Using Either Cutaneous Or Bimodal Respiration, Sarah A. Orlofske, Kristine L. Grayson, William A. Hopkins

Biology Faculty Publications

Fluorescent powder is gaining attention as an effective method for tracking terrestrial amphibian movements, particularly for species that are too small for conventional tracking equipment. The technique requires coating portions of an animal with fluorescent powder, releasing the animal, and following the trail of powder as it is progressively lost during movement. Recent studies have shown that fluorescent powder has no negative effects on survival or growth. However, a substance that coats the skin, a major respiratory organ in most amphibians, may have sublethal effects on performance and consequently behavior. We tested the effect of fluorescent powder application on the …

Nesfatin-1 Exerts Cardiovascular Actions In Brain: Possible Interaction With The Central Melanocortin System, Gina L.C. Yosten, Willis K. Samson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nesfatin-1 is a recently discovered hypothalamic peptide that was shown to suppress food intake through a melanocortin-3/4 receptor-dependent mechanism. Since nesfatin-1 mRNA is detected in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, and because many peptides that alter food intake also influence cardiovascular function, we tested the ability of centrally administered nesfatin-1 to affect mean arterial pressure (MAP) in conscious, freely moving rats. Significant increases in MAP were observed following intracerebroventricular administration of nesfatin-1. Pretreatment with either the melanocortin-3/4 receptor antagonist, SHU9119 (intracerebroventricular), or the α-adrenergic antagonist, phentolamine (intra-arterial), abrogated the rise in MAP induced by nesfatin-1, indicating that nesfatin-1 may …

Phospholipase Dα1 And Phosphatidic Acid Regulate Nadph Oxidase Activity And Production Of Reactive Oxygen Species In Aba-Mediated Stomatal Closure In Arabidopsis, Xuemin Wang, Yanyan Zhang, Huiying Zhu, Qun Zhang, Maoyin Li, Min Yan, Rong Wang, Liling Wang, Ruth Welti, Wenhua Zhang

Biology Department Faculty Works

We determined the role of Phospholipase Dα1 (PLDα1) and its lipid product phosphatidic acid (PA) in abscisic acid (ABA)-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Arabidopsis thaliana guard cells. The pldα1 mutant failed to produce ROS in guard cells in response to ABA. ABA stimulated NADPH oxidase activity in wild-type guard cells but not in pldα1 cells, whereas PA stimulated NADPH oxidase activity in both genotypes. PA bound to recombinant Arabidopsis NADPH oxidase RbohD (respiratory burst oxidase homolog D) and RbohF. The PA binding motifs were identified, and mutation of the Arg residues 149, 150, 156, and 157 in …