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A Kinesin-Like Calmodulin-Binding Protein In Chlamydomonas: Evidence For A Role In Cell Division And Flagellar Functions, Erin E. Dymek, Daniel Goduti, Tal Kramer, Elizabeth F. Smith

Dartmouth Scholarship

Kinesin-like calmodulin-binding protein, KCBP, is a novel member of the C-kinesin superfamily first discovered in flowering plants. This minus-end-directed kinesin exhibits Ca(2+)-calmodulin-sensitive motor activity in vitro and has been implicated in trichome morphogenesis and cell division. A homologue of KCBP is also found in the unicellular, biflagellate green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrKCBP). Unlike plant cells, Chlamydomonas cells do not form trichomes and do not assemble a phragmoplast before cell division. To test whether CrKCBP is involved in additional microtubule-based processes not observed in plants, we generated antibodies against the putative calmodulin-binding domain and used these antibodies in biochemical and localization …

Application Of Polymerase Chain Reaction To Screen Rodents From New Mexico, Texas, Bolivia, And Nicaragua For Leishmania And An Assessment Of The Specificity Of Primers, Robert Alan Miranda

Theses & Dissertations

Polymerase chain reaction was used to screen rodents from four regions for Leishmania and to screen isolates of L. enriettii and L. hertigi using L. mexicana complex primers and L. (Viannia) primers to examine the specificity of these primers. Twenty-five rodent specimens from Bolivia, 42 from Nicaragua, 84 from New Mexico, and 74 from Texas were tested for Leishmania. Two Oryzomys acritus and two Oryzomys nitidus from Bolivia and one Neotoma micropus from Texas tested positive for Leishmania and additionally tested positive with L. mexicana complex-specific primers. Isolates of L enriettii and L hertigi reacted with L mexicana complex …

Book Review: Evolution In Four Dimensions By Eva Jablonka And Marion J. Lamb, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Selective Male Mortality In The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta, Gary N. Fritz, Robert K. Vander Meer, Catherine A. Preston

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Males in polygyne populations of Solenopsis invicta are primarily sterile diploids and thought to not express the Gp-9 gene coding for a pheromone-binding protein affecting complex social behavior.We examined an aspect of the breeding system hitherto not considered—male Gp-9 genotypes in relation to sperm stored in queens. Four sites with varying frequencies of sympatric monogyne and polygyne colonies were sampled, including sexuals, workers, and broods from four colonies. Most queens were heterozygotes storing B sperm. Although predicted to be common, only 14 of 504 males were B or BB genotypes, suggesting strong selection. Increased frequency of polygyne colonies at each …

Sequence Analysis Of The Rdna Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 And Polymerase Chain Reaction Identification Of Anopheles Fluminensis (Diptera: Culicidae: Anopheles) In Bolivia, Corey L. Brelsfoard, Gary Fritz, Roberto Rodriguez

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Anopheles fluminensis Root is a member of the Arribalzagia Series in the subgenus Anopheles. We report the first record of this species in the department of Cochabamba, Bolivia. This species was sampled from two locations in the foothills of the eastern Andes Mountains within the Chapare Valley. Larvae were collected in fast-flowing, shaded streams at the edges of rocky pools. We provide the first sequence data for the rDNA of An. fluminensis, a partial sequence of the 5.8S and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). The ITS2 of An. fluminensis, sequenced from two individuals at one site, was at least …

Somato-Dendritic Morphology Predicts Physiology For Neurons That Contribute To Several Kinds Of Limb Movements, Ari Berkowitz, Gina L.C. Yosten, R. Mark Ballard

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

It has been difficult to predict the behavioral roles of vertebrate CNS neurons based solely on their morphologies, especially for the neurons that control limb movements in adults. We examined the morphologies of spinal interneurons involved in limb movement control, using intracellular recording followed by Neurobiotin injection in the in vivo adult turtle spinal cord preparation. We report here the first description of a class of spinal interneurons whose somato-dendritic morphologies predict their robust activity during multiple forms of ipsilateral and contralateral fictive hindlimb scratching and fictive hindlimb withdrawal. These "transverse interneurons" or T cells have mediolaterally elongated soma and …

Host-Parasite Relatedness In Wood Ducks: Patterns Of Kinship And Parasite Success, Charlotte Nielsen, Brad Semel, Paul Sherman, David Westneat, Patricia Parker

Biology Department Faculty Works

We investigated the role of kinship in intraspecific nest parasitism of wood ducks (Aix sponsa). Among waterfowl, female philopatry creates the potential for female relatives to nest in proximity. Costs of intraspecific nest parasitism to host females may be reduced if parasites lay eggs with kin. However, previous observations of marked wood ducks indicated that females avoided parasitizing clutch mates or the female that incubated them. To further examine the role of kinship, we determined the genotypes of 27 host-parasite pairs at five microsatellite loci. Average relatedness between hosts and all females laying parasitic eggs was only 0.04 ± 0.03. …

Unexpected Diversity And Complexity Of The Guerrero Negro Hypersaline Microbial Mat, Ruth E. Ley, J. Kirk Harris, Joshua Wilcox, John R. Spear, Scott R. Miller, Brad M. Bebout, Julia A. Maresca, Donald A. Bryant, Mithcell L. Sogin, Norman R. Pace

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We applied nucleic acid-based molecular methods, combined with estimates of biomass (ATP), pigments, and microelectrode measurements of chemical gradients, to map microbial diversity vertically on a millimeter scale in a hypersaline microbial mat from Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico. To identify the constituents of the mat, small-subunit rRNA genes were amplified by PCR from community genomic DNA extracted from layers, cloned, and sequenced. Bacteria dominated the mat and displayed unexpected and unprecedented diversity. The majority (1,336) of the 1,586 bacterial 16S rRNA sequences generated were unique, representing 752 species (>= 97% rRNA sequence identity) in 42 of the …

What Use Is Half A Wing In The Ecology And Evolution Of Birds?, Kenneth P. Dial, Ross J. Randall, Terry R. Dial

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The use of incipient wings during ontogeny in living birds reveals not only the function of these developing forelimbs in growing birds’ survival but also the possible employment of protowings during transitional stages in the evolution of flight. When startled, juvenile galliform birds attempt aerial flight even though their wings are not fully developed. They also flap their incipient wings when they run up precipitous inclines, a behavior we have described as wing-assisted incline running (WAIR), and when they launch from elevated structures. The functional benefit of beating these protowings has only recently been evaluated. We report the first ontogenetic …

Analysis Of Distal-Less Gene Expression In Ciona Intestinalis, Michelle Cangiano

Senior Honors Projects

Several homeobox-containing genes related to Distal-less (Dlx/Dll) have been isolated from a wide variety of organisms and have been shown to function as developmental regulators. In Drosophila only one Distal-less gene has been identified so far, and in vertebrates many components of the Distal-less family have been characterized. This suggests that, during the evolution of the Chordate phylum, the Dlx genes arose from an ancestral Distal-less gene via gene duplication. Three Dll homeoboxes have been isolated from the protochordate Ciona intestinalis and their clustered arrangement has been described. Since Ciona is regarded as one of the most primitive extant chordates, …

On The Geomorphology, Hydrology, And Biogeochemistry Of Stream-Lake Interactions In The Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, Usa, Christopher D. Arp

Biology

This dissertation focuses on the geomorphology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry of streams and lakes as coupled, interacting ecosystems in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, USA. The study design used intensive field studies of several ecosystems nested within a broader comparative study of many ecosystems. Stream geomorphology was affected by lakes due to the glacial legacy of lakes and subsequent modification of water and sediment flux. Hydrologically, streams below lakes had more frequent and longer duration floods, and lakes were shown to attenuate summer floods, but not spring snowmelt floods. Biogeochemically, nutrient uptake among streams showed high phosphate and low nitrate uptake downstream …

Mycobacterium-Plant Interactions In Bioremediation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds, Robert D. Child

Biology

Five mycobacterium isolates that degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons colonize the surface of barley roots from a seed inoculum. Colonization was maintained in the presence of an aggressive root-colonizing pseudomonad. All five of the mycobacterium strains utilized components in root washes for growth but they differed in their potential for biofilm formation. Components in the barley root washes did not impede the mineralization of pyrene. An inexpensive, portable, flexible microcosm chamber system was constructed and implemented in pyrene mineralization experiments. The system facilitated control of sterile conditions, air flow-through, and collection of volatilized radiolabeled compounds. Mineralization rates of pyrene were higher …

A Survey Of The Bees Of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah: Incidence, Abundance, And Community Dynamics, Olivia Messinger

Biology

A survey of the bees of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah, was conducted over a period of four years. Six hundred and fifty-six species were discovered within the monument, including numerous range extensions, several new species, and three genera new to the state of Utah. This is the richest bee landscape studied to date; reasons for the high diversity include the large elevation gradient, the richness of flowering plants, many of which are limited in distribution and require specific pollinators, and the many small local populations of species. To test the significance of these features on patterns of bee …

Proximate And Ultimate Mechanisms Associated With Female Secondary Coloration In The Mexican Boulder Spiny Lizard, (Sceloporus Pyrocephalus), Rebecca Marie Calisi

Biology Theses - Archive

Secondary sexual coloration is thought to be the result of runaway selection for signals that honestly communicate relative fitness. Much theoretical work suggests sexual selection has driven conspicuous secondary traits in males while natural selection has driven inconspicuous traits in females; however, in some species, bright female secondary coloration does exist. I used the Mexican boulder spiny lizard (Sceloporus pyrocephalus) as a model to examine secondary coloration in females. Adult females of S. pyrocephalus have conspicuously colored gular regions, ranging from red, orange, to yellow, while adult males weakly express color in the gular region. Both sexes have dark stripes …

Induction Of Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis (Eat) In Sprague-Dawley Rats And Measurements Of Severity Of Eat Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Claudio Miguel Fernandez

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

As early as the 1950’s it was shown that animals as mice, rats, guinea pigs, and monkeys that received one injection of xenogeneic thyroglobulin emulsified in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) developed Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis (EAT) (Voller et al., 1980). The damage reported was destruction of the thyroid follicles, and infiltration of the thyroid by macrophages, neutrophils, and lymphocytes. An injection of Bordetella pertussis proved to enhance the incidence and severity of EAT in animal models. Bordetella pertussis is no longer manufactured in large quantities, and it is extremely difficult to purchase. Therefore, a different procedure had to be developed that …

Gene Deletion In Yeast That Affects Mitochondrial Dna Stability, Function And Maintenance, Rachel Charron

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The study of genomic analysis of deletion mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae associated with mitochondrial genome stability has produced both genetic and biochemical findings to be applied to the study of many mitochondrial genetic disorders in humans. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has approximately 6,200 ORFs in its genome. Of the 6,200 ORFs, 4,878 are non-essential. The EuroScarf deletion project removed all the non-essential ORFs, of the 4,878 viable haploid strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and replaced them with the G418 resistance cassette. A subset of 700 deletion mutants that were previously identified as important for mitochondrial function and biogenesis was compiled from the …

Preparation And Purification Of Enlarged Multinucleated U937 Human Leukemia Cells And Their Susceptibility To Physical Damage By Ultrasound, Kathryn Gold

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Multinucleation occurs in neoplastic cells that have been treated with cytochalasin B, a fungal toxin that disrupts actin microfilament structures. When the actin cytoskeleton is disrupted, contractile ring formation and cytokinesis are inhibited. In normal cells cytochalasin B prevents the cells from entering the cell cycle. However in neoplastic cells, since cytokinesis no longer occurs, the dividing cell becomes enlarged and heavily multinucleated. We propose that enlarged leukemia cells may be more sensitive to ultrasound treatment because of their increased size and weakened cytoskeletal structure. To determine the differential chemical and physical response of enlarged, multinucleated cells in comparison with …

A Framework For Understanding Ecological Traps And An Evaluation Of Existing Evidence, Bruce A. Robertson, Richard L. Hutto

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

When an animal settles preferentially in a habitat within which it does poorly relative to other available habitats, it is said to have been caught in an “ecological trap.” Although the theoretical possibility that animals may be so trapped is widely recognized, the absence of a clear mechanistic understanding of what constitutes a trap means that much of the literature cited as support for the idea may be weak, at best. Here, we develop a conceptual model to explain how an ecological trap might work, outline the specific criteria that are necessary for demonstrating the existence of an ecological trap, …

Mechanisms Underlying The Sperm Quality Advantage In Sperm Competition And Cryptic Female Choice In Drosophila Melanogaster, James Pattarini, William T. Starmer, Adam Bjork, Scott Pitnick

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Contrary to early predictions of sperm competition theory, postcopulatory sexual selection favoring increased investment per sperm (e.g., sperm size, sperm quality) has been demonstrated in numerous organisms. Recent findings reveal that sperm production strategies are highly variable, with males of some species producing relatively few, giant sperm. We empirically demonstrate for Drosophila melanogaster that both sperm quality and sperm quantity independently contribute to competitive male fertilization success. The interaction between sperm quality and quantity suggests an internal positive reinforcement on selection for sperm quality, with selection predicted to intensify as investment per sperm increases and the number of sperm competing …

Ventilator Induced Lung Injury, John A. Johnson Jr.

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Severe physical-trauma can lead to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Currently, the only known treatment for ARDS is mechanical ventilation. However, if mechanical ventilation is applied inappropriately further injury and malfunction of the lungs may occur, and thus, causing a ventilator induced lung injury (VILI). VILI has several manifestations including volutrauma, atelectrauma, and biotrauma. These mechanisms often exacerbate one another adding further insult to the injury. The goal of this current study is to establish a stable control pig model of ARDS as a comparison for ventilatory strategies that will act in a more protective manner than …

Tumor Suppressor Activity Of Odc Antizyme In Mek-Driven Skin Tumorigenesis, David J. Feith, Sofia Origanti, Paula L. Shoop, Suzanne Sass-Kuhn, Lisa M. Shantz

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

To test the hypothesis that suppression of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity blocks the promotion of target cells in the outer root sheath of the hair follicle initiated by Raf/MEK/ERK activation, we crossed mice overexpressing an activated MEK mutant in the skin (K14-MEK mice) with two transgenic lines overexpressing antizyme (AZ), which binds to ODC and targets it for degradation. K14-MEK mice develop spontaneous skin tumors without initiation or promotion. These mice on the ICR background were crossed with K5-AZ and K6-AZ mice on both the carcinogenesis-resistant C57BL/6 background and the sensitive DBA/2 background. Expression of AZ driven by either the …

Somatostatin Regulates The Extracellular Regulated Kinase Cascade Of Human Rheumatoid Arthritis Synoviocytes, Frances Mae West

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Somatostatin (SRIF, somatotropin release inhibitory factor) is a ubiquitously expressed neuropeptide, interacting with cells via five SRIF receptor subtypes (sst.-sst.), belonging to the guanine nucleotide binding protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. SRIF receptors have been well documented for their ability to inhibit cell proliferation and secretion in a variety of animal tissues. Over the past l S years, pre-clinical and clinical studies implicate that SRIF and SRIF analog therapy improve symptoms in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we investigate SRIF's effects on intracellular signaling in the synovium, the cellular layer that lines synovial joints, using in vitro …

Rapid Assimilation Of Yolk Enhances Growth And Development Of Lizard Embryos From A Cold Environment, Melissa Ann Blake

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Selection for rapid growth in cold environments results in a geographic pattern known as countergradient variation. The eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, exhibits countergradient variation in growth rate across latitudinal clines. In a common-garden experiment, S. undulatus embryos from cold environments grew more efficiently than embryos warm environments, even when the energetic contents of eggs were equalized. To examine the physiological mechanisms of higher growth efficiency, I measured the energetics of embryos during the first 49 days of incubation. Specifically, I recorded body mass, residual yolk, total respiration, and developmental stage for embyos from two populations (Virginia and South Carolina). …

Dolomedes Scriptus (Water Spider): Male Response To Females’ Putative Pheromones On Perches., Katherine Hunt

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Sexual signals are commonly used among animals to enhance reproductive success. Chemical signals such as pheromones are commonly used to attract mates. Little is known, though, about how these signals are received or interpreted by the target. I studied the water spider, Dolomedes scriptus in the pisaurid family. Most Dolomedes species only make webs as a nursery for their young. However, females often create silk drag lines, potentially serving for species recognition. In some Dolomedes species, females who are previously mated are known to cannibalize most approaching males. Males might avoid cannibalism by avoiding mated females, particularly if they can …

2nd Annual Undergraduate Research Conference Abstract Book, University Of Missouri--Rolla

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

No abstract provided.

Exogenous Expression Of Human Na, K-Atpase Isoforms In Insect Cells, Christal Renee' Carpenter

McCabe Thesis Collection

The Na-K-ATPase or Na pump is a membrane bound enzyme that maintains a high concentration of K+ and low concentration of Na+ in most animal cells. Three subunits constitute the Na pump, named alpha (ex), beta (~). and gamma (y). The ex subunit is responsible for the catalytic and transport of the enzyme, the ~ subunit is important for bringing the ex to the plasma membrane of the cell, and y is a regulatory subunit of the Na pump. In addition, there are several molecular variants or isoforms of the ex and ~ subunits. At present four different ex (ex …

Effectiveness Of Cane Toad Eradication Methods: Arakwal National Park, Matthew Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The cane toad (Bufo marinus) is a pest throughout Australia. Not only is it poisonous to native predators, it also consumes or out competes native fauna. It has only recently entered into Northern New South Wales where the site for this study is located, at Arakwal National Park. This study aims to discover the most effective method of cane toad eradication in the National Park.

Over the course of 18 days, three traps were set and rotated between 9 different sites. Traps were set at sunset and cleared at sunrise. The three traps used were; (1) Pitfall style trap by …

The Effects Of Carotenoid And Food Intake On Caudal Fin Regeneration In Male Guppies, Gita R. Kolluru, N. C. Ruiz, N. Del Cid, Eric Dunlop, Gregory F. Grether

Biological Sciences

The trade‐offs involved in allocating carotenoid pigments and food to healing and regrowing damaged caudal fin tissue v. other functions were examined in guppies Poecilia reticulata, a species in which females prefer males that display larger amounts of carotenoids in their skin. The guppies were derived from four natural populations in Trinidad that differed in resource availability but not predation intensity. Carotenoids, food and site of origin did not affect either absolute or relative fin regrowth, which suggested that fin regeneration in guppies was not constrained by carotenoid availability. It is possible that carotenoid intake influences fin regeneration in …

The Origin Of Bubonic Plague, Alan L. Gillen, Frank Sherwin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although some forms of the bacterium Yersinia are harmless, other forms have devastated human populations, causing a plague of biblical proportions (Psalm 91:3-7, Psalm 91:9-10,). Bubonic plague, also known as the ‘Black Death’ that killed one fourth of Europe’s population in the 1300s, appeared as a great pestilence several times in the Old Testament, including in Psalm 91 and in 2 Samuel 24:14-25. Perhaps the clearest example of such a plague is recorded in 1 Samuel 6:4-19, where there is a specific reference to the tumors on people (bubos = the tumors of lymph glands) …

The Contradictory Definitions Of Heterochromatin: Transcription And Silencing, Kathryn Huisinga, Brent Brower-Toland, Sarah C.R. Elgin

Biology Faculty Research

Eukaryotic genomes are packaged in two general varieties of chromatin: gene-rich euchromatin and gene-poor heterochromatin. Each type of chromatin has been defined by the presence of distinct chromosomal proteins and posttranslational histone modifications. This review addresses recent findings that appear to blur the definitions of euchromatin and heterochromatin by pointing to the presence of typically heterochromatic modifications (including H3K9me) in euchromatin and typically euchromatic enzymes (including RNA polymerases) in heterochromatin. We discuss the implications of these new findings for the current definition of heterochromatin.