Digital Commons Network^™

Multiple Isoforms Of Gaga Factor, A Critical Component Of Chromatin Structure, C Benyajati, L Mueller, N Xu, M Pappano, J Gao, M Mosammaparast, D Conklin, H Granok, C Craig, Sarah C.R. Elgin

Biology Faculty Research

The GAGA transcription factor of Drosophila melanogaster is ubiquitous and plays multiple roles. Characterization of cDNA clones and detection by domain- specific antibodies has revealed that the 70-90 kDa major GAGA species are encoded by two open reading frames producing GAGA factor proteins of 519 amino acids (GAGA-519) and 581 amino acids (GAGA-581), which share a common N-terminal region that is linked to two different glutamine-rich C-termini. Purified recombinant GAGA-519 and GAGA-581 proteins can form homomeric complexes that bind specifically to a single GAGA sequence in vitro. The two GAGA isoforms also function similarly in transient transactivation assays in tissue …

The Effect Of Lymph Sac Pressure On Lymph Heart Pressure Development In The Toad Bufo Marinus, Michael Georgitsis

Dissertations and Theses

Lymph hearts play an important role in blood volume regulation in anurans by controlling the movement of fluid from the lymphatic spaces to the vasculature. The anatomical continuity between lymph sacs and lymph hearts predicts a coupling of pressure between the two structures which may represent a physical basis for lymph heart regulation. The precise relationship between lymph heart pressure and lymph heart output was not examined so that conclusions regarding changes in work performed by the hearts as a result of changing lymph sac pressure could not be made. However, increases in lymph sac pressure led to increases in …

A Pouplation Genetic Study Of Wild Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Matagorda Bay, Texas, Joel Stephen Lenox

Dissertations and Theses

A long-term photoidentification study was initiated in response to an unusually high incidence of bottlenose dolphin mortality between Corpus Christi and Matagorda Bays, Texas. Blood samples from 36 captured and released animals were analyzed using three genetic techniques; mtDNA haplotyping, nuclear DNA fingerprinting and electrophoretic analysis of hemoglobin. Two Hinf I mtDNA haplotypes previously described in bottlenose dolphins from other locations within the Gulf of Mexico were discovered. Similarity Indices (SI) were calculated based on nuclear DNA fingerprinting data. These SI values were used as a relative measure of relatedness between two individuals run on the same gel. Means of …

The Role Of The Hepatic Vagus In The Pathogenesis Of Fever, Christopher Todd Simons

Dissertations and Theses

Recent evidence has suggested a role of vagal afferents in the pathogenesis of fever. Although bilateral truncal subdiaphragmatic vagotomy has been shown to attenuate the febrile response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin-1, no study has yet been able to verify which of the five subdiaphragmatic vagal branches (viz., the anterior and posterior celiac branches, the anterior and posterior gastric branches, and the hepatic branch) is responsible for communicating this signal. The present study tested the hypothesis that the hepatic vagal branch mediates pyrogenic signals from the periphery to the brain. Male Wistar rats underwent one of four selective …

Antisense Expression Of The Peptide Transport Gene Atptr2-B Delays Flowering And Arrests Seed Development In Transgenic Arabidopsis Plants, Wei Song, Serry Koh, Mihály Czakó, László Márton, Eliana Drenkard, Jeffrey M. Becker, Gary Stacey

Faculty Publications

Previously, we identified a peptide transport gene, AtPTRZ-B, from Arabidopsis thaliana that was constitutively expressed in all plant organs, suggesting an important physiological role in plant growth and development. To evaluate the function of this transporter, transgenic Arabidopsis plants were constructed expressing antisense or sense AtPTRZ-B. Genomic Southern analysis indicated that four independent antisense and three independent sense AtPTRZ-B transgenic lines were obtained, which was confirmed by analysis of the segregation of the kanamycin resistance gene carried on the T-DNA. RNA blot data showed that the endogenous AtPJRZ-B mRNA levels were significantly reduced in transgenic leaves and …

Nebraska's Flying Mammals, Patricia W. Freeman, Kenneth N. Geluso, J. Scott Altenbach

Biology Faculty Publications

They flit around at dusk in crazy patterns. They fly around street lights and dive at rocks thrown in the air. They have high-pitched squeaks and turn up in unexpected places. They have strange, little faces and bizarre ears. They have soft fur and a thin rubbery membrane across their long fingers. They are bats, Nebraska's only flying mammals.

Bats are mysterious. Is it because they come out at night and we come out in the daytime? Maybe it is because we associate flying with birds, not mammals. Bats are dark and foreboding, not brightly colored. At first, these mysterious …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

The Aquaculture Of Non-Endemic Species In Western Australia, Tina Thorne

Fisheries Management Papers

This Management Paper has been drafted in liaison with the Department of Environmental Protection in accordance with the principles of risk assessment and taking into account translocation issues of non-endemic species such as redclaw (Cheras quadricarninatus). It is considered that the implementation of this policy will protect the natural environment and native crayfish species. It will also allow for the development of a redclaw industry, and provide the first step towards self regulation of that industry.

Effect Of Intermittent Weight Bearing On Soleus Fiber Force-Velocity-Power And Force-Pca Relationships, J. J. Bangart, Jeffrey J. Widrick, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Rat permeabilized type I soleus fibers displayed a 33% reduction in peak power output and a 36% increase in the free Ca²⁺ concentration required for one-half maximal activation after 14 days of hindlimb non-weight bearing (NWB). We examined the effectiveness of intermittent weight bearing (IWB; consisting of four 10-min periods of weight bearing/day) as a countermeasure to these functional changes. At peak power output, type I fibers from NWB animals produced 54% less force and shortened at a 56% greater velocity than did type I fibers from control weight-bearing animals while type I fibers from the IWB rats produced …

Isolation Of A Cdna Encoding A Kex2-Like Endoprotease With Homology To Furin From The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans, Eduardo Gomez-Saladin, Anne E. Luebke, David L. Wilson, Ian M. Dickerson

Biology Articles and Papers

A cDNA was isolated from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that encodes an endoprotease which is a member of the Kex2 family of serine endoproteases. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers were designed based on conserved regions within the active sites of known Kex2-like endoproteases, and were used for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of poly(A)⁺RNA isolated from C. elegans. A PCR product was isolated that had homology to the active sites of known furin endoproteases, and was used as a probe to screen a C. elegans cDNA library. A Kex2-like endoprotease (CelfurPC) which encoded a 692-amino-acid preproendoprotease, was identified. The …

The Role Of Alfalfa Weevil Larvae As Prey In Adult Maintenance And Reproduction By Two Ladybird Beetle Species, Douglas R. Richards

Biology

Ladybird beetles (Coccinella spp.) are important predators of pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) in alfalfa. Adult ladybird beetles also consume alternative foods such as alfalfa weevil larvae (Hypera postica) and nectar. I compared egg production and ovariole condition of Coccinella septempunctata (an Old World species introduced to North America) and Coccinella transversoguttata (an indigenous North American species) that were maintained on diets of pea aphids, alfalfa weevil larvae, sugar water ("artificial nectar"), or various combinations of these foods. In the first experiment, gravid females of both species continued to lay many eggs and had large ovarioles …

Isolation And Characterization Of Four Linear Plasmids In Ascosphaera Aggregata, Dakun Xu

Biology

Four extrachromosomal DNA plasmids were isolated from the entomopathogenic fungus Ascosphaera aggregata and named as pAaL10, pAaL8, pAaL2.8, and pAaL2.6 based on their host, morphology and size. DNA hybridization results suggested that pAaL10, pAaL8, pAaL2.8, and pAaL2.6 are not homologous with pAaL, a plasmid isolated from Ascosphaera apis. Extraction of DNA from intact mitochondria followed by gel electrophoretic analysis suggests pAaL10, pAaL8, pAaL2.8, and pAaL2.6 are located within the mitochondria. From hybridization results it was concluded that each of pAaL10, pAaL8, pAaL2.8, and pAaL2.6 is not homologous to mitochondrial DNA. This implies that these plasmids are all self-replicating. Restriction …

The Behavior Of Dippers (Family Cinclidae) In Relation To Food Acquisition, Roarke E. Donnelly

Biology

Individuals and populations are likely to optimize methods of food harvest and synchronize reproduction with local peaks in food supply, because animals exhibiting greater efficiency at acquiring energy or energy intensive tasks will often achieve greater survival, growth, and reproduction. Although this statement implies that foraging efficiency is optimized by selection for better foragers and optimal foraging theory owes much of its development and refinement to studies of free-living birds, the positive association of foraging proficiency and fitness has not been documented for free-ranging birds. Furthermore, the synchrony of reproduction and the peak in food resources has been examined within …

Discovery, Identification, And Evaluation Of Antifungal Compounds Produced By Pseudomonas Syringae, Kevin N. Sorensen

Biology

New antifungal agents are needed to combat the increasing incidence of fungal diseases. Strains of Pseudomonas syringae produce cyclic lipodepsinonapeptides (CLPs) such as syringomycin, syringostatin, and syringotoxin, which could be developed as therapeutic antifungal agents. Of these CLPs, syringostatin has been difficult to produce in vitro. Syringostatin production was achieved using syringomycin minimal medium supplemented with arbutin and D-fructose, and a high cell density. Syringostatin A (SS-A) was purified in quantities sufficient to evaluate its antifungal activities. The antifungal activities and erythrocyte toxicities of syringomycin E (SR-E), SS-A, and syringotoxin B (ST-B) were evaluated. All showed fungicidal activities against most …

Management Arrangements For The Western Rock Lobster Fishery For The 1997/98 Season, F. B. Prokop

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper deals with the proposed management strategies for the 1997/98 seasons. The purpose of this paper is to present the views of RLIAC on management arrangements for the 1997/98 rock lobster season and to indicate the strategic directions that long term management of this important fishery might take so as to ensure both its biological sustainability and the optimisation of product value for both the State and the participants in the fishery.

Polar Distribution Of Neurofilaments In A Nonspiking Central Nervous System Neuron, David Dale Cole

Biology

Immunolabelling of phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated neurofilaments in teleost retinal horizontal cells, which are nonspiking neurons, is described. Light microscopy (postembedding immunolabelling) of retinal tissue sections revealed nonphosphorylated neurofilaments localized to regions where horizontal cell axon terminals, dendrites, and somata are located. In contrast, phosphoneurofilaments were localized to regions where axons and axon terminals of various retinal neurons, including horizontal cells, are found, as in typical spiking central nervous system neurons. Electron microscopy (preembedding immunolabelling) demonstrated that phosphoneurofilaments were localized to cone horizontal cell axons and axon terminals. Immunolabelling of primary cell cultures, however, revealed that axon-specific distribution of phosphoneurofilaments in …

Effects Of Plant Architecture On The Foraging Behavior And Prey Capture Success Of Two Generalist Predators Attacking The Russian Wheat Aphid, Teresa L. Clark

Biology

This research investigated the effects of plant architecture on the foraging behavior and prey capture success of two generalist predators of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko). One study examined plant architectural effects on the behavior of a native predator, the common green lacewing, Chrysoperla plorabunda Fitch; a second study examined host plant effects on larvae and adults of the fourteen-spotted ladybird beetle, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L.), which is native to Eurasia and has been released in the United States for potential control of D. noxia. Behavioral observations of each of these predators were conducted on two architecturally diverse …

Hnk-1 Immunoreactivity In In Situ Adult Teleost Retina, Kie Hoon Jung

Biology

To identify HNK-1 bearing molecules, anti-HNK-1 was used to probe adult hybrid bass retina, including mature, central retina and the circumferential germinal margin (CGM), where new cells are constantly added to the neural circuitry. The HNK-1 antigen was heavily distributed in both of the plexiform (synaptic) layers, in tufts of Müller cell microvilli at the outer limiting membrane, throughout the optic fiber layer, and in tubular processes surrounding cone horizontal cells in the inner nuclear layer. A differential fixation scheme suggested that the Müller cell microvillar and tubular process HNK-1 immunoreactivity was due primarily to glycoproteins, with the remainder possibly …

Hybrid Bass Retinal Cells In Situ And In Vitro: Structure And Immunocytochemistry, Kyeongsuk Ki

Biology

The morphologies of intact retina and acutely isolated retinal neurons are described for a relatively newcomer model for studies of visual physiology, the hybrid bass (Morone chrysops x M. saxatilus). These features are indistinguishable from the white bass (M. chrysops) at the light microscopic level. In situ immunolocalization patterns for several glial and neuronal markers also match previous work in the white bass. Carbonic anhydrase is found in retinal layers corresponding to Müller (glial) cells and horizontal cells; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and glutamine synthetase are found in Müller cells only; and the intermediate M, …

Secondary Reproductive Strategies Of The Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus Tyrannus), Assessed By Dna Fingerprinting And Egg Physiognomy, Diane L. Rowe

Biology

Extra-pair fertilization, a secondary breeding strategy, was detected in the eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) using multi-locus DNA fingerprinting. I assessed the genetic parentage of 20 broods in a population of kingbirds in central New York. Two DNA probes were used to test for exclusion of nestlings as true offspring of one or both social parents. Band-sharing coefficients and the number of novel bands were used to discern which parent was not a first-degree relative of the nestling in question. No cases of conspecific brood parasitism or quasi-parasitism were documented. However, extra-pair paternity was found to be very common, …

Plant- Versus Predator-Mediated Interactions Between Cereal Aphids On A Shared Host Plant, Erin Bergeson

Biology

This research investigates plant- and predator-mediated effects of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) on the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko). I combined a suite of population-level experiments with behavioral observations to determine whether the two aphids interacted principally through a common host, crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum [Fisher ex Link] Schultes), or a common predator, larvae of the green lacewing (Chrysoperla plorabunda [Fitch]). The population-level experiments revealed some evidence of host-mediated interspecific competition but only at extremely high aphid densities (>2000 individuals per greenhouse seedling). In addition, some of these experiments suggested that the bird …

Myosin Isoform Heterogeneity In Single Smooth Muscle Cells, Thomas J. Eddinger, Daniel P. Meer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

We review the current understanding of the myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms and show that the mRNA levels of smooth muscle (SM)1 and SM2 mimic the expressed levels of SM1 and SM2 protein. The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique has been shown to be sufficiently sensitive to examine SM-MHC expression at the single cell level. Most single smooth muscle cells isolated from adult rabbit carotid express both SM1 and SM2. However, expression of these SM-MHC isoforms at the cellular level is nonuniform and highly variable. This work provides a foundation for future investigations as to the possible unique functional characteristics …

Homology Among The Autosomal Chromosomes Of Boophilus Annulatus (Say) And B. Microplus (Canestrini), Bonnie S. Gunn

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Autosomes of Boophilus annulatus and B. microplus were compared using C- and G-bands to establish the degree of homology. Karyotypes of both species consisted of 20 autosomes and an XX:XO sex determination system with the X being the largest chromosome. All chromosomes of B. annulatus were acrocentric with heterochromatin limited to centromeric regions. The B. microplus karyotype was acrocentric with one band of noncentromeric heterochromatin occurring in three chromosome pairs. Interspecific comparisons indicated seven pairs of G-band homologous autosomes and three G-band homologous pairs when added interstitial heterochromatin was considered. The number three chromosome of both species showed variation in …

The Role Of Cold Acclimatization On The Biogeography Of The Mountain Chickadee (Parus Gambeli) And The Juniper Titmouse (Parus Ridgwayi), Sheldon J. Cooper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Biogeographic patterns of animals are shaped by biotic interactions, such as competition, and by abiotic factors, such as climate. Mountain Chickadees (Parus gambeli) and Juniper Titmice (Parus ridgway) are permanent residents of regions of western North America and are ecologically similar, but have different northern range limits. l measured several physiological variables, including basal metabolic rate (BMR), peak metabolic rate (PMR = maximal thermogenic capacity), metabolic response to varying environmental temperature (MRT), evaporative water loss (EWL), and daily energy expenditure (DEE) for summer-and winter-acclimatized Mountain Chickadees and Juniper Titmice to determine if seasonal and interspecific variation in cold tolerance and …

Interaction Of The Human Serine Protease Inhibitor Alpha-1-Antitrypsin With Cryptosporidium Parvum, John Russell Forney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The human serine protease inhibitor (serpin) alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) was studied for potential interaction with components of the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. A homogenate prepared from C. parvum oocysts was incubated with purified human AAT, and complexes formed between the serpin and components of the homogenate were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serpin:parasite infections were effectively blocked by preincubating AAT with a cognate target enzyme, porcine pancreatic elastase, prior to performing the ELISA on the homogenate. Incubation of a mixture of C. parvum oocysts and sporozoites with AAT demonstrated preferential fluorescence labeling of the sporozoite surface membrane by indirect …

Evolutionary Genetics Of Canyon Treefrogs (Hyla Arenicolor), Roy A. Murray

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Population genetics is the study of the mechanisms that cause genetic change in populations over time. Genetic changes may lead to both adaptive evolution and speciation. While the former process is fairly well understood, many questions remain unanswered with regard to the process of speciation. How important is population isolation in the process of speciation? How long must populations be isolated before speciation is complete? Are the genetic changes that take place during speciation caused mainly by natural selection or does genetic drift play a substantial role? Can genetic drift alone lead to reproductive isolation? These types of questions have …

The Effect Of Temperature On Reproductive Characteristics Of An Asexually Reproducing Rotifer (Class Bdelloidea), Kurt E. Galbreath '97

Honors Projects

Most organisms exhibit sexual reproduction. Rotifers of the class Bdelloidea, however, seem to be a notable exception to this pattern. No male bdelloid individuals have ever been observed, and females apparently reproduce entirely through parthenogenesis. Sexual reproduction occurs in rotifers of the class Monogononta, and in many cases it is induced by environmental cues (e.g. temperature, diet). In this study, Philodina sp. was examined to determine if variations in temperature could induce a sexual cycle in bdelloid rotifers. Sibling individuals (clones) were raised with equal amounts of food at 20°C and 30°C. Newly hatched offspring produced by these individuals were …

Regulation Of Methyl Farnesoate Production By The Lobster Mandibular Organ In Vitro, Amy Shaub '97

Honors Projects

Methyl farnesoate (MF) is a crustacean compound that is structurally similar to juvenile hormone, a substance that regulates insect growth and reproduction. This similarity has led to the suggestion that MF may have juvenile hormone-like effects in crustaceans. If this is so, regulation of MF levels might be an important mechanism in the control of crustacean molting and reproduction. The understanding of, and ability to manipulate, the regulation of MF production could be a powerful tool in the aquaculture of economically Important crustaceans.

In the lobster Homarus americanus, MF synthesis occurs in the mandibular organ (MO). In vivo studies have …

Social Organization Of Neotoma Micropus, The Southern Plains Woodrat, Sarah A. Conditt, David O. Ribble

Biology Faculty Research

This study described the social organization of Neotoma micropus, the southern plains woodrat, using radiotelemetry. We studied woodrats from September 1994 through April 1995 at the Urban Wilderness Reserve in S Bexar County, Texas. Sixteen individuals (three adult males, 11 adult females, and two subadult males) were radiocollared and located in the evening or early morning during January and February. Seventy-four percent of female radiolocations and 57% of male radiolocations were from their respective nests. No more than one adult individual was observed at any nest at the same time. Males had significantly larger (x = 1899 m^{2 …}

Management Of The South Coast Purse Seine Fishery, J Fowler, K Donohue, R.C. J. Lenanton, M. Moran, D Gaughan

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper has presented a strategy for moving the management of the small pelagics fishery off the south coast to management of the whole fishery, which facilitates a more biologically sound and economically stable fishery.