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Screening New Cytokinesis Genes And Investigation Of Regulation Of Hof1 In Cytokinesis, Jung Eun Park

Masters Theses

"In 1996, a complete sequence of the budding yeast genome was completed and numerous studies begun to discover the function of genes. A primary concern of this study was to identify genes that may function in cytokinesis. Seven candidate genes were chosen, which were previously shown to localize to the bud neck, the site of cytokinesis, or interact with a protein that is involved in cytokinesis. Six of those uncharacterized genes, YHR149C, YLR187W, YOL070C, YMR124W, YPL158C, and YOR304C-A, were identified by data generated by GFP tagging of the yeast proteome. Data from a large-scale two-hybrid screen was used to identify …

Antimicrobial Activities Of Aldehydes And Ketones Produced During Rapid Volatilization Of Biogenic Oils, Aruna Lamba

Masters Theses

"The overall objective of the research presented in this thesis was to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of commercially available neat compounds in order to validate the analytes which were found in the smoke generated during rapid volatilization of biogenic oil esters and mineral oils. To attain this objective various analytes were selected from the analytical data provided for the smoke, and neat compounds were purchased. A special desiccator was designed to conduct experiments. Simultaneously vapor phase concentration of the neat compounds was determined to establish relation between neat compounds and the analytes found in smoke. Other part of the thesis …

Mda-7/Il-24, Novel Anticancer Cytokine: Focus On Bystander Antitumor, Radiosensitization And Antiangiogenic Properties And Overview Of The Phase I Clinical Experience (Review), Irina V. Lebedeva, Luni Emdad, Zao-Zhong Su, Pankaj Gupta, Moira Sauane, Devanand Sarkar, Michelle R. Staudt, Shi-Jian Liu, Mohiuddin M. Taher, Ruoyu Xiao, Paola Barral, Seok-Geun Lee, Dongning Wang, Nicollaq Vozhilla, Eun Sook Park, Lejuan Chatman, Habib Boukerche, Rajagopal Ramesh, Satoshi Inoue, Sunil Chada, Rong Li, Anthony L. De Pass, Parameshwar J. Mahasreshti, Igor P. Dmitriev, David T. Curiel, Adly Yacoub, Steven Grant, Paul Dent, Neil Senzer, John J. Nemunaitis, Paul B. Fisher

Publications and Research

Subtraction hybridization applied to a ‘differentiation therapy’ model of cancer employing human melanoma cells resulted in the cloning of melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24). Initial studies confirm an inverse correlation between mda-7 expression and melanoma development and progression. Forced expression of mda-7 by means of a plasmid or via a replication incompetent adenovirus (Ad.mda-7) promotes growth suppression and induces apoptosis in a broad array of human cancers. In contrast, mda-7 does not induce growth suppressive or toxic effects in normal cells. Based on structure (containing an IL-10 signature motif), secretion by cells (including subsets of T-cells) and location on chromosome …

Germ-Line Chimerism And Paternal Care In Marmosets (Callithrix Kuhlii), Corinna N. Ross, J. A. French, G. Ortí

Biology Faculty Publications (Archived)

The formation of viable genetic chimeras in mammals through the transfer of cells between siblings in utero is rare. Using microsatellite DNA markers, we show here that chimerism in marmoset (Callithrix kuhlii) twins is not limited to blood-derived hematopoietic tissues as was previously described. All somatic tissue types sampled were found to be chimeric. Notably, chimerism was demonstrated to be present in germ-line tissues, an event never before documented as naturally occurring in a primate. In fact, we found that chimeric marmosets often transmit sibling alleles acquired in utero to their own offspring. Thus, an individual that contributes gametes to …

Species Richness And Abundance Of Large Mammals In Zaraninge Forest, Coast Region, Tanzania, H. Y. D. Kiwia

Tanzania Journal of Science

A study on the large mammals of Zaraninge Forest was conducted using the line transect method between 1995 and 2001. They comprised 16 species from 7 families, including Bovidae (5), Canidae (1), Cercopithecidae (4), Felidae (1), Galagonidae (2), Orycteropodidae (1) and Suidae (2). Only nine species of primates and antelopes were encountered frequently enough for densities to be estimated. A total of 404 sightings from 40 counts were recorded, the majority being for blue monkey (34.9%) and Angolan colobus (26.0%). For galagos, 210 sightings from 58 counts were recorded, the majority being for Rondo galago (62.2%). Absolute density (individuals km-2) …

Species Richness And Abundance Estimates Of Small Mammals In Zaraninge Coastal Forest In Tanzania, H. Y. D. Kiwia

Tanzania Journal of Science

A study on small mammals (<2 kg) was conducted in Zaraninge Forest, Coast Region, Tanzania, in the dry and wet seasons from 1994 to1996. The forest was found to harbour 11 small mammal species from 11 genera and seven families. There was high similarity in the number of species caught during the two seasons (Sørensen Coefficient (CCs)=0.92), implying there to be minimal migration of the species in the area. A total of 159 individuals were caught during the dry season, rodents accounting for 89.3% of the total catch and insectivores 10.7%. The most common species were Cricetomys gambianus and Grammomys dolichurus that had trap successes of 2.83 and 1.11 respectively. During the wet season 185 animals were caught, rodents accounting for 92.4% of the total catch and insectivores 7.6%. Cricetomys gambianus was significantly more abundant during the dry season. Graphiurus murinus was not caught in this season and no trend in abundance was detected for the other species. Forest specialist species included Paraxerus palliatus and Petrodromus petersi. No species was endemic to the forest, near-endemic species that occur in coastal and Eastern Arc forests included P. petersi and Beamys hindei. B. hindei also occurs in a few other East African forests. Threatened species are B. hindei and P. palliatus that are vulnerable and P. petersi that is endangered. Lepus capensis is in Appendix I of CITES list and Hystrix cristata and Mellivora capensis in Appendix III. The forest, though small is in good health and fairly well protected, therefore the species are not in danger of being locally extinct in the near future.

Recent Advances In Basic Neurosciences And Brain Disease: From Synapses To Behavior, Guo-Qiang Bi, Vadim Bolshakov, Guojun Bu, Catherine M. Cahill, Zhou-Feng Chen, Graham L. Collingridge, Robin L. Cooper, Jens R. Coorssen, Alaa El-Husseini, Vasco Galhardo, Wen-Biao Gan, Jianguo Gu, Kazuhide Inoue, John Isaac, Koichi Iwata, Zhengping Jia, Bong-Kiun Kaang, Mikito Kawamata, Satoshi Kida, Eric Klann, Tatsuro Kohno, Min Li, Xiao-Jiang Li, John F. Macdonald, Karim Nader, Peter V. Nguyen, Uhtaek Oh, Ke Ren, John C. Roder, Michael W. Salter, Weihong Song, Shuzo Sugita, Shao-Jun Tang, Yuanxiang Tao, Yu Tian Wang, Newton Woo, Melanie A. Woodin, Zhen Yan, Megumu Yoshimura, Ming Xu, Zao C. Xu, Xia Zhang, Mei Zhen, Min Zhuo

Biology Faculty Publications

Understanding basic neuronal mechanisms hold the hope for future treatment of brain disease. The 1st international conference on synapse, memory, drug addiction and pain was held in beautiful downtown Toronto, Canada on August 21-23, 2006. Unlike other traditional conferences, this new meeting focused on three major aims: (1) to promote new and cutting edge research in neuroscience; (2) to encourage international information exchange and scientific collaborations; and (3) to provide a platform for active scientists to discuss new findings. Up to 64 investigators presented their recent discoveries, from basic synaptic mechanisms to genes related to human brain disease. This meeting …

The Plant Structure Ontology, A Unified Vocabulary Of Anatomy And Morphology Of A Flowering Plant, Katica Ilic, Elizabeth Kellogg, Pankaj Jaiswal, Felipe Zapata, Peter Stevens, Leszek Vincent, Shulamit Avraham, Leonore Reiser, Anuradha Pujar, Martin Sachs, Noah Whitman, Susan Mccouch, Mary Schaeffer, Doreen Ware, Lincoln Stein, Seung Rhee

Biology Department Faculty Works

Formal description of plant phenotypes and standardized annotation of gene expression and protein localization data require uniform terminology that accurately describes plant anatomy and morphology. This facilitates cross species comparative studies and quantitative comparison of phenotypes and expression patterns. A major drawback is variable terminology that is used to describe plant anatomy and morphology in publications and genomic databases for different species. The same terms are sometimes applied to different plant structures in different taxonomic groups. Conversely, similar structures are named by their species-specific terms. To address this problem, we created the Plant Structure Ontology (PSO), the first generic ontological …

Caenorhabditis Briggsae Methods, Scott Everet Baird, Helen M. Chamberlin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Caenorhabditis briggsae is being developed in parallel to C. elegans as a model system, primarily for the study of evolution. Like C. elegans, C. briggsae is a protandrous hermaphrodite and like C. elegans, its genome has been sequenced. From this point, these two model systems diverge. The development, behavior, and physiology of C. elegans have been characterized through tens of thousands of genetic and molecular studies. Genetic and molecular characterizations of C. briggsae are relatively few. Experimental resources in C. elegans include a high density recombination map that is well integrated with the genome sequence. The C. briggsae …

Pro-Inflammatory Properties Of Flavobacterium Columnare Cells And Products On Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Neutrophils, Shannon Billings

All Theses

Flavobacterium columnare and Edwardsiella ictaluri are the leading causes for losses in the aquaculture industry. The losses from the diseases caused by these pathogens total $2.5 million for catfish and $100 million for total aquaculture. F. columnare's infection rates and stressors associated with outbreaks have been well-characterized, but the specific inflammatory responses of catfish neutrophils to the bacteria have not been studied. The objective, therefore, was to investigate the pro-inflammatory effects of the outer membrane proteins, extracellular products, and whole live bacteria, heat-killed (HK), and formalin-killed (FK) F. columnare and E. ictaluri to determine the effects on channel catfish phagocyte …

Amyloid-Β-Induced Pathological Behaviors Are Suppressed By Ginkgo Biloba Extract Egb 761 And Ginkgolides In Transgenic Caenorhabditis Elegans, Yanjue Wu, Zhixin Wu, Peter Butko, Yves Christen, Mary P. Lambert, William L. Klein, Christopher D. Link, Yuan Luo

Faculty Publications

Amyloid-β (Aβ) toxicity has been postulated to initiate synaptic loss and subsequent neuronal degeneration seen in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We previously demonstrated that the standardized Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761, commonly used to enhance memory and by AD patients for dementia, inhibits Aβ-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells. In this study, we use EGb 761 and its single constituents to associate Aβ species with Aβ-induced pathological behaviors in a model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans. We report that EGb 761 and one of its components, ginkgolide A, alleviates Aβ-induced pathological behaviors, including paralysis, and reduces chemotaxis behavior and 5-HT hypersensitivity in a transgenic …

Molecular Screening Of Azoreductase Gene And Its Activity In Human Intestinal Bacteria, Syndia S. Todd

McCabe Thesis Collection

The intestinal microflora are capable of performing a wide variety of metabolic transformations. "The intestinal bacteria can enhance the function of the entire gastrointestinal tract, protect against pathogenic, maintain the vital chemical balance of the gastrointestinal system, and produce needed vitamins and hormones" (http;//www.upwardquest.com/crit2.html). Some of the products of this metabolism have been associated with carcinogenic processes, such as cancer, tumor formation, gastrointestinal disease, and infections. The ability of human intestinal microbes to interact with metabolites directly or after recirculation may contribute toward different toxicological disorders and disease.

The purpose of this study is to characterize and isolate the azoreductase …

Outcomes Of The Wetline Review. The Minister For Fisheries Proposed Decision For The Future Management Of The West Coast And Gascoyne Commercial 'Wetline' Fisheries, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia.

Fisheries Management Papers

This document details my proposed decisions regarding the new management arrangements for the West Coast and Gascoyne commercial “wetline” fisheries. Before finalising my position on the new management arrangements for these fisheries I invite any final comments on the proposed arrangements set out in this document. Although specific issues have been identified, your views are sought on any or all of the matters in the document of significance to you and/or your group.

Metabolic And Phenotypic Characterization Of Aerobic Pcb Degrading Bacteria Isolated From Kalamazoo River Sediments, Brenton K. Lehmkuhl

Masters Theses

The Kalamazoo River is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which are neurotoxins and suspected carcinogens. The goal of this study was to isolate, identify, and metabolically characterize PCB degrading strains of aerobic bacteria. Biphenyl enrichments resulted in the isolation of putative PCB degrading strains from different locations along the river. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis the isolated strains were identified as belonging to the genera of Achromobacter, Acidovorax, Cellulosimicrobium, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, and Rhodococcus. These strains were screened for their PCB degrading ability and congener specificity. All of the isolated strains degraded PCBs via the 2,3-dioxygenase pathway. The range …

Identifying Individual Eurasian Otters (Lutra Lutra) Based On Measurements Of Their Footprints Standardization Of The Method And Its Potential For Censusing And Monitoring Wild Otter Populations, Jitka Vetrovcova

Biology Theses - Archive

A method for identifying individual Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra L.) from measurements of their footprints was first tested by performing experiments with captive animals. Digital photographs were taken of imprints in mud of all paws of 12 known individuals. Using customized software, 131 distance, angle, and proportion measurements were generated and subjected to discriminant and canonical analyses. The stepwise procedures of discrimination were the principal statistical analyses used. Analyzing each foot separately while using all available imprints yielded 86-93% correct classification and 59-77% Jacknife cross-validation. The efficiency of these analyses was not significantly affected by randomly reducing the number of …

Integration Without Unification: An Argument For Pluralism In The Biological Sciences, Sandra D. Mitchell, Michael R. Dietrich

Dartmouth Scholarship

In this article, we consider the tension between unification and pluralism in biological theory. We begin with a consideration of historical efforts to establish a unified understanding of evolution in the neo‐Darwinian synthesis. The fragmentation of the evolutionary synthesis by molecular evolution suggests the limitations of the general unificationist ideal for biology but not necessarily for integrating explanations. In the second half of this article, we defend a specific variety of pluralism that allows for the integration required for explanations of complex phenomena without unification on a large scale.

Evidence Of Influenza A Virus Rna In Siberian Lake Ice, Scott O. Rogers, Gang Zhang, Dany Shoham, David Gilchinsky, Sergei Davydov, John D. Castello

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Influenza A virus infects a large proportion of the human population annually, sometimes leading to the deaths of millions. The biotic cycles of infection are well characterized in the literature, including in studies of populations of humans, poultry, swine, and migratory waterfowl. However, there are few studies of abiotic reservoirs for this virus. Here, we report the preservation of influenza A virus genes in ice and water from high-latitude lakes that are visited by large numbers of migratory birds. The lakes are along the migratory flight paths of birds flying into Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. The data suggest …

Responses To Salinity Of Color Polymorphs In Two Populations Of The Sea Star, Pisaster Achraceus, Viren Johann Perumal

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pisaster ochraceus was analyzed to determine if varying salinities, animal color, or location affect the physiology of these sea stars. The three responses analyzed were aerobic respiration, ammonia excretion, and self-righting. The tested variables included two different color morphs (orange and purple) of P. ochraceus, two different locations (open coast and inland straits) in Washington State, and three salinities (22, 30, and 40 psu).

Wet mass-specific oxygen consumption rates were not significantly affected by color, location, or salinity, and Dry mass-specific oxygen consumption rates showed no significant differences for main effects, but a three-way interaction was identified. Similarly, ammonia …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Morphological Changes In Specific Laminae Of The Olfactory Bulb Of Adult Zebrafish Following Peripheral Sensory Deafferentation, Travis L. Devlin

Masters Theses

Permanent removal of the olfactory organ in adult zebrafish has been shown to result in a significant reduction in the total volume of the ipsilateral olfactory bulb. The overall objective of the current project was to investigate the hypothesis that contact between the axons of the olfactory sensory neurons and the olfactory bulb is necessary for the maintenance of the normal post-synaptic organization of the olfactory bulb by quantifying the morphological changes that take place within specific laminae of the olfactory bulb following peripheral deafferentation. Complete, unilateral ablation of the olfactory organ resulted in permanent deafferentation of the ipsilateral olfactory …

Karyotypes Of Eight Species Of Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) With A Description Of A New Karyotype For The Genus, Renata Cecília Amaro-Ghilardi, Gabriel Skuk, Rafael O. De Sá, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues, Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda

Biology Faculty Publications

Karyotypes of eight species of Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) with a description of a new karyotype for the genus. Eight species of the Neotropical genus Leptodactylus were karyologically studied: seven of them (L. gracilis, L. mystacinus, L. petersii, L. pustulatus, L. macrosternum, L. ocellatus, L. labyrinthicus) presented 2n=22 and L. silvanimbus showed a distinctive karyotype with 2n=24. Nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) were detected in two different pairs of chromosomes: pair 4 at the proximal region of the long arm of one individual of L. mystacinus from São Paulo state and of L. petersii; and …

The Distribution Of Lianas And Their Change In Abundance In Temperate Forests Over The Past 45 Years, Ronald A. Londre, Stefan A. Schnitzer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Lianas (woody vines) are an important and dynamic component of many forests throughout the world, and increases in CO₂, mean winter temperature, and forest fragmentation may promote their growth and proliferation in temperate forests. In this study, we used a 45‐year data set to test the hypothesis that lianas have increased in abundance and basal area in the interiors of 14 deciduous temperate forests in Wisconsin (USA) since 1959. We also censused woody plants along a gradient from the forest edge to the interior in seven of these forests to test the hypothesis that the abundance of lianas …

Genetic Resolution Of The Enigmatic Lesser Antillean Distribution Of The Frog Leptodactylus Validus (Anura, Leptodactylidae), Keneth Yanek, W. R. Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Leptodactylus validus has an unusual distribution, inhabiting Trinidad, Tobago, and the Lesser Antilles, but not the mainland of South America. This distribution is inconsistent with other distribution patterns observed for these islands. Although slight variation in adult morphology has been observed among the different island populations of L. validus, call data suggest the presence of a single species. Calls of L. pallidirostris from Venezuela and Brazil suggested that this taxon might be conspecific with L. validus. Sequence data from the 12S and 16S mt rDNA genes indicate that L. validus represents a single species throughout its distribution and is conspecific …

Three Perspectives On Neutrality And Drift In Molecular Evolution, Michael Dietrich

Dartmouth Scholarship

This article offers three contrasting cases of the use of neutrality and drift in molecular evolution. In the first, neutrality is assumed as a simplest case for modeling. In the second and third, concepts of drift and neutrality are developed within the context of population genetics testing and the development and application of the molecular clock.

Outsiders As Innovators In The Life Sciences, Michael Dietrich

Dartmouth Scholarship

An introduction to the book Outsider Scientists: Routes to Innovation in Biology edited by Oren Harman and Michael Dietrich

Investigation Of De Novo Cholesterol Synthetic Capacity In The Gonads Of Goldfish (Carassius Auratus) Exposed To The Phytosterol Beta-Sitosterol, Rainie L. Sharpe, Melissa Drolet, Deborah L. Maclatchy

Biology Faculty Publications

Total and intra-mitochondrial gonadal cholesterol concentrations are decreased in fish exposed to the phytoestrogen beta-sitosterol (beta-sit). The present study examined the potential for beta-sit to disrupt de novo cholesterol synthesis in the gonads of goldfish exposed to 200 microgram/g beta-sit and 10 microgram/g 17beta-estradiol (E2; estrogenic control) by intra-peritoneal Silastic® implants for 21 days. The de novo cholesterol synthetic capacity was estimated by incubating gonadal tissue with 14C-acetate for a period of 18 hours, followed by chloroform/methanol lipid extraction and thin layer chromatography (TLC) lipid separation. Lipid classes were confirmed using infrared spectroscopy. Plasma testosterone (T) and total cholesterol concentration …

Identification Of Micrornas And Other Small Rnas From The Adult Newt Eye, Evgeny Makarev, Jason R. Spence, Katia Del Rio-Tsonis, Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Biology Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are capable of controlling gene expression by targeting complimentary sequences in many mRNAs. Thus, a small number of miRNAs are capable of regulating expression of many different genes. miRNAs have been found in all animals from Drosophila to human and they are highly conserved. This work was undertaken in order to identify such RNAs in the newt eye.

The Effects Of Postfire Salvage Logging On Cavity-Nesting Birds, Richard L. Hutto, Susan M. Gallo

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We investigated the effects of postfire salvage logging on cavity-nesting birds by comparing nest densities and patterns of nest reuse over a three-year period in seven logged and eight unlogged patches of mixed-conifer forest in the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area, Montana. We found 563 active nests of 18 cavity-nesting birds; all species were found nesting in the uncut burned forest plots, but only eight nested in the salvage-logged plots. All except one species nested at a higher density in the unlogged areas, and half of the species were significantly more abundant in the unlogged plots. Every timber-drilling and timber-gleaning species …

Central Dysregulation Of The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis In Neuron-Specific Proopiomelanocortin-Deficient Mice, James L. Smart, Virgine Tolle, Veronica Otero-Corchon, Malcolm J. Low

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

No abstract provided.

The Fat Cadherin Acts Through The Hippo Tumor-Suppressor Pathway To Regulate Tissue Size, Maria Willecke, Fisun Hamaratoglu, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Ryan Udan, Chiao-Lin Chen, Chunyao Tao, Xinwei Zhang, Georg Halder

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: The Hippo tumor-suppressor pathway has emerged as a key signaling pathway that controls tissue size in Drosophila. Merlin, the Drosophila homolog of the human Neurofibromatosis type-2 (NF2) tumor-suppressor gene, and the related protein Expanded are the most upstream components of the Hippo pathway identified so far. However, components acting upstream of Expanded and Merlin, such as transmembrane receptors, have not yet been identified.

Results: Here, we report that the protocadherin Fat acts as an upstream component in the Hippo pathway. Fat is a known tumor-suppressor gene in Drosophila, and fat mutants have severely overgrown imaginal discs. We …

Lobe And Serrate Are Required For Cell Survival During Early Eye Development In Drosophila, Amit Singh, Xiao Shi, Kwang-Wook Choi

Biology Faculty Publications

Organogenesis involves an initial surge of cell proliferation, leading to differentiation. This is followed by cell death in order to remove extra cells. During early development, there is little or no cell death. However, there is a lack of information concerning the genes required for survival during the early cell-proliferation phase. Here, we show that Lobe (L) and the Notch (N) ligand Serrate (Ser), which are both involved in ventral eye growth, are required for cell survival in the early eye disc. We observed that the loss-of-ventral-eye phenotype in L or Ser mutants is due to …