Digital Commons Network^™

Spring Migration Behavior And Summer Habitat Associations Of Female Indiana Bats (Myotis Sodalis) In Arkansas, Heather N. Custer

Student Theses and Dissertations

Since 1967, the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) has been federally listed. Range-wide research continues to expand our understanding of the behaviors of the species, but knowledge gaps still remain. Specifically, information regarding spring migration behavior and associated summer habitat of female Indiana bats that overwinter in Arkansas is lacking. Accordingly, objectives of this research included determining direction and distance of migrating female Indiana bats, locating maternity colonies and roosts, estimating maternity colony size, home ranges, and core areas. Migration directions and distances varied among bats, and a maternity colony was located in Arkansas in 2019 that subsequently used artificial roosts …

Helminths Of Thomomys Species (Rodentia: Geomyidae) Of Oregon, Malorri Rene Hughes

Dissertations and Theses

Although often viewed as inconsequential, parasites have significant ecological and evolutionary importance, and studying them can generate knowledge regarding their environments and their hosts. Helminths (intestinal parasites) infecting Western pocket gophers (Thomomys species) in Oregon had been documented based only on morphology prior to this study. Basing parasite identification solely on morphology is problematic because the characteristics used to identify species can be vague or similar, leading to misidentification or obscuring the true biodiversity present. Using molecular markers to verify species present not only is more reliable but also can be informative in terms of the host-parasite association. To …

Understanding The Decline In Successful Cattle Pregnancies, Andre Tu Nguyen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU junior Andre, a local Loganer, studies computer science and biology.He has been working in an animal science lab. Over time, we have seen a decline in successful dairy cattle pregnancies. This is a huge cause for concern for Utah, with milk sales at an estimated value of $405 million in 2020. Andre’s work has been in studying a certain protein in pregnant cattle; now that he has determined there is a decrease in this protein over the course of the pregnancy, he hopes to see whether that might impact its viability. Andre got involved in research in a high …

Using Low-Fix Rate Gps Telemetry To Expand Estimates Of Ungulate Reproductive Success, Nathan D. Hooven, Kathleen E. Williams, John T. Hast, Joseph R. Mcdermott, R. Daniel Crank, Gabe Jenkins, Matthew T. Springer, John J. Cox

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Background

Population parameters such as reproductive success are critical for sustainably managing ungulate populations, however obtaining these data is often difficult, expensive, and invasive. Movement-based methods that leverage Global Positioning System (GPS) relocation data to identify parturition offer an alternative to more invasive techniques such as vaginal implant transmitters, but thus far have only been applied to relocation data with a relatively fine (one fix every  < 8 h) temporal resolution. We employed a machine learning method to classify parturition/calf survival in cow elk in southeastern Kentucky, USA, using 13-h GPS relocation data and three simple movement metrics, training a random forest on cows that successfully reared their calf to a week old.

Results

We developed a decision rule based upon a predicted probability threshold across individual cow time series, accurately classifying 89.5% (51/57) of cows with a known reproductive status. When used to infer status of …

Temperature-Induced Multi-Species Cohort Effects In Sympatric Snakes, Richard B. King

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

In reptiles, reproductive maturity is often determined by size rather than age. Consequently, growth early in life may influence population dynamics through effects on generation time and survival to reproduction. Because reproductive phenology and pre- and post-natal growth are temperature dependent, environmental conditions may induce multi-species cohort effects on body size in sympatric reptiles. I present evidence of this using 10 years of neonatal size data for three sympatric viviparous snakes, Dekay's Brown snakes (Storeria dekayi), Red-bellied Snakes (S. occipitomaculata), and Common Garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). End-of-season neonatal size varied in parallel across species such that snout–vent length was 36%–61% …

Retinal Horizontal Cells Use Different Synaptic Sites For Global Feedforward And Local Feedback Signaling, Christian Behrens, Shubhash Chandra Yadav, Maria M Korympidou, Yue Zhang, Silke Haverkamp, Stephan Irsen, Anna Schaedler, Xiaoyu Lu, Zhuohe Liu, Jan Lause, François St-Pierre, Katrin Franke, Anna Vlasits, Karin Dedek, Robert G Smith, Thomas Euler, Philipp Berens, Timm Schubert

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In the outer plexiform layer (OPL) of the mammalian retina, cone photoreceptors (cones) provide input to more than a dozen types of cone bipolar cells (CBCs). In the mouse, this transmission is modulated by a single horizontal cell (HC) type. HCs perform global signaling within their laterally coupled network but also provide local, cone-specific feedback. However, it is unknown how HCs provide local feedback to cones at the same time as global forward signaling to CBCs and where the underlying synapses are located. To assess how HCs simultaneously perform different modes of signaling, we reconstructed the dendritic trees of five …

Interactions Between Strains Govern The Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics Of Microbial Communities, Akshit Goyal, Leonora S. Bittleston, Gabriel E. Leventhal, Lu Lu, Otto X. Cordero

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Genomic data has revealed that genotypic variants of the same species, that is, strains, coexist and are abundant in natural microbial communities. However, it is not clear if strains are ecologically equivalent, and at what characteristic genetic distance they might exhibit distinct interactions and dynamics. Here, we address this problem by tracking 10 taxonomically diverse microbial communities from the pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea in the laboratory for more than 300 generations. Using metagenomic sequencing, we reconstruct their dynamics over time and across scales, from distant phyla to closely related genotypes. We find that most strains are not ecologically equivalent and …

New Opportunities And Untapped Scientific Potential In The Abyssal Ocean, Jeffrey J. Marlowe, Rika E. Anderson, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Jeffrey S. Seewald, Timothy M. Shank, Andreas P. Teske, V. Dorsey Wanless, S. Adam Soule

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The abyssal ocean covers more than half of the Earth’s surface, yet remains understudied and underappreciated. In this Perspectives article, we mark the occasion of the Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin’s increased depth range (from 4500 to 6500 m) to highlight the scientific potential of the abyssal seafloor. From a geologic perspective, ultra-slow spreading mid-ocean ridges, Petit Spot volcanism, transform faults, and subduction zones put the full life cycle of oceanic crust on display in the abyss, revealing constructive and destructive forces over wide ranges in time and space. Geochemically, the abyssal pressure regime influences the solubility of constituents such as …

Ranking The Biases: The Choice Of Otus Vs. Asvs In 16s Rrna Amplicon Data Analysis Has Stronger Effects On Diversity Measures Than Rarefaction And Otu Identity Threshold, Marlène Chiarello, Mark Mccauley, Sébastien Villéger, Colin R. Jackson

Faculty and Student Publications

Advances in the analysis of amplicon sequence datasets have introduced a methodological shift in how research teams investigate microbial biodiversity, away from sequence identity-based clustering (producing Operational Taxonomic Units, OTUs) to denoising methods (producing amplicon sequence variants, ASVs). While denoising methods have several inherent properties that make them desirable compared to clustering-based methods, questions remain as to the influence that these pipelines have on the ecological patterns being assessed, especially when compared to other methodological choices made when processing data (e.g. rarefaction) and computing diversity indices. We compared the respective influences of two widely used methods, namely DADA2 (a denoising …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, February 2022, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 3, Issue 2

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 Awards & Recognition
Page 3-4 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 5- 6 Local Boy Scouts Earn Their Chemistry Merit Badges
Page 7-8 Mount Vernon Teacher Wins 2022 South Dakota Outstanding Physical Science Teacher Award
Page 9 Middle Schoolers Visit SDSU
Page 10 Microbiology Club Tours POET
Page 11 53rd Geography Convention
Page 12 Open PRAIRIE Data

Mule Deer Do More With Less: Comparing Their Nutritional Requirements And Tolerances With White-Tailed Deer, Anna R. Staudenmaier, Lisa A. Shipley, Meghan J. Camp, Jennifer S. Forbey, Ann E. Hagerman, Abigail E. Brandt, Daniel H. Thornton

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Congeneric species often share ecological niche space resulting in competitive interactions that either limit co-occurrence or lead to niche partitioning. Differences in fundamental nutritional niches mediated through character displacement or isolation during evolution are potential mechanisms that could explain overlapping distribution patterns of congenerics. We directly compared nutritional requirements and tolerances that influence the fundamental niche of mule (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus), which occur in allopatry and sympatry in similar realized ecological niches across their ranges in North America. Digestible energy and protein requirements and tolerances for plant fiber and plant secondary …

Similarities In Virulence And Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Gene Profiles Among Cefotaxime-Resistant Escherichia Coli Wastewater And Clinical Isolates, Elizabeth Liedhegner, Brandon Bojar, Rachelle E. Beattie, Caitlin Cahak, Krassimira R. Hristova, Troy Skwor

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The World Health Organization has identified antibiotic resistance as one of the largest threats to human health and food security. In this study, we compared antibiotic resistance patterns between ESBL-producing Escherichia coli from human clinical diseases and cefotaxime-resistant environmental strains, as well as their potential to be pathogenic. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested amongst clinical isolates (n = 11), hospital wastewater (n = 22), and urban wastewater (n = 36, both influent and treated effluents). Multi-drug resistance predominated (>70%) among hospitalwastewater and urban wastewater influent isolates. Interestingly, isolates from clinical and urban treated effluents showed similar multi-drug …

Novel Strategies For Glutamate Clearance In The Glia-Deprived Synaptic Hub Of C. Elegans, Joyce Chan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, Glutamate (Glu) is critical for normal neuronal physiology. Disruption in Glu clearance results in hyper-stimulation of glutamatergic circuits, potentially leading to excitotoxic neurodegeneration. The canonical model of brain connectivity describes glutamatergic synapses as well insulated and enveloped by glia. These glia express Glu Transporters (GluTs) which work to clear Glu following synaptic activity. However, critical areas of the brain such as the mammalian hippocampus display poor synaptic isolation, which may result in Glu spillover between adjacent synapses and subsequent loss of circuit specificity. How accurate signal transmission is achieved in these …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Microrna-1205 In Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Michelle K. Naidoo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among men in the United States. High mortality rates of PCa are associated with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) due to the maintenance of androgen receptor (AR) signaling despite androgen deprivation therapies (ADTs). Resistance to second generation ADTs leads to the progression of AR-independent treatment related-neuroendocrine PCa (t-NEPC), which is observed in nearly 1 in 5 men with mCRPC and is associated with very poor outcomes. The 8q24 chromosomal locus is a region of very high PCa susceptibility that carries genetic variants associated with PCa aggressiveness. Located at this …

Examining The Relationship Between The Testate Amoeba Hyalosphenia Papilio (Arcellinida, Amoebozoa) And Its Associated Intracellular Microalgae Using Molecular And Microscopic Methods, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Billie Cullison, Shailesh V. Date, Tomáš Tyml, Jean Marie Volland, Tanja Woyke, Laura A. Katz, Robin S. Sleith

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Symbiotic relationships between heterotrophic and phototrophic partners are common in microbial eukaryotes. Among Arcellinida (Amoebozoa) several species are associated with microalgae of the genus Chlorella (Archaeplastida). So far, these symbioses were assumed to be stable and mutualistic, yet details of the interactions are limited. Here, we analyzed 22 single-cell transcriptomes and 36 partially-sequenced genomes of the Arcellinida morphospecies Hyalosphenia papilio, which contains Chlorella algae, to shed light on the amoeba-algae association. By characterizing the genetic diversity of associated Chlorella, we detected two distinct clades that can be linked to host genetic diversity, yet at the same time show a biogeographic …

Sex-Specific Aging In Animals: Perspective And Future Directions, Anne M. Bronikowski, Richard P. Meisel, Peggy R. Biga, James R. Walters, Judith E. Mank, Erica Larschan, Gerald S. Wilkinson, Nicole Valenzuela, Ashley Mae Conard, João Pedro De Magalhães, Jingyue (Ellie) Duan, Amy E. Elias, Tony Gamble, Rita M. Graze, Kristin E. Gribble, Jill A. Kreiling, Nicole C. Riddle

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Sex differences in aging occur in many animal species, and they include sex differences in lifespan, in the onset and progression of age-associated decline, and in physiological and molecular markers of aging. Sex differences in aging vary greatly across the animal kingdom. For example, there are species with longer-lived females, species where males live longer, and species lacking sex differences in lifespan. The underlying causes of sex differences in aging remain mostly unknown. Currently, we do not understand the molecular drivers of sex differences in aging, or whether they are related to the accepted hallmarks or pillars of aging or …

Assessment Of Two Novel Host-Derived Beauveria Bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) Isolates Against The Citrus Pest, Diaphorina Citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae), Jonathan Cisneros, Justin Wendel, Stefan Jaronski, Christopher Vitek, Matthew Ciomperlik, Daniel Flores

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

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), vectors ‘Candidatus Liberibacter spp.’, the causative agent of Citrus Greening Disease (CGD) or Huanglongbing (HLB). Managing populations of psyllids in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), TX, United States is imperative given a continuous increase in HLB-positive trees. A component of integrated pest management (IPM) program is the use of strains of entomopathogenic fungi for the biological control of D. citri. In an attempt to find endemic strains of entomopathogenic fungi that grow favorably under LRGV environmental conditions and naturally infect D. citri, psyllids were collected from …

Review Of The Invasive Forage Grass, Guinea Grass (Megathyrsus Maximus): Ecology And Potential Impacts In Arid And Semi-Arid Regions, Pushpa Soti, Vanessa Thomas

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

Several introduced African grasses are known to present recurring patterns of invasiveness and cause a severe impact on the diversity and functioning of ecosystems worldwide. Megathyrsus maximus (Guinea grass), a forage grass species native to South Africa, is reported to be highly invasive and pose a serious threat to native biodiversity in the introduced range. Despite the severe ecological threats posed by M. maximus worldwide, there is a dearth of information on the ecological and agroecological impact of M. maximus when growing in unintended areas. In this review, we present general information on M. maximus, its distribution and ecological …

Tracking Cryptic Sars-Cov-2 Lineages Detected In Nyc Wastewater, Davida S. Smyth, Monica Trujillo, Devon A. Gregory, Marc C. Johnson, John J. Dennehy, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications (Archived)

Tracking SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity is strongly indicated because diversifying selection may lead to the emergence of novel variants resistant to naturally acquired or vaccine-induced immunity. To monitor New York City (NYC) for the presence of novel variants, we deep sequence most of the receptor binding domain coding sequence of the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from the New York City wastewater. Here we report detecting increasing frequencies of novel cryptic SARS-CoV-2 lineages not recognized in GISAID’s EpiCoV database. These lineages contain mutations that had been rarely observed in clinical samples, including Q493K, Q498Y, E484A, and T572N and share many mutations …

Extensive Identification Of Genes Involved In Congenital And Structural Heart Disorders And Cardiomyopathy, Nadine Spielmann, Gregor Miller, Tudor I Oprea, Chih-Wei Hsu, Gisela Fobo, Goar Frishman, Corinna Montrone, Hamed Haseli Mashhadi, Jeremy Mason, Violeta Munoz Fuentes, Stefanie Leuchtenberger, Andreas Ruepp, Matias Wagner, Dominik S Westphal, Cordula Wolf, Agnes Görlach, Adrián Sanz-Moreno, Yi-Li Cho, Raffaele Teperino, Stefan Brandmaier, Sapna Sharma, Isabella Rikarda Galter, Manuela A Östereicher, Lilly Zapf, Philipp Mayer-Kuckuk, Jan Rozman, Lydia Teboul, Rosie K A Bunton-Stasyshyn, Heather Cater, Michelle Stewart, Skevoulla Christou, Henrik Westerberg, Amelia M Willett, Janine M Wotton, Willson B Roper, Audrey E Christiansen, Christopher S Ward, Jason D Heaney, Corey L Reynolds, Jan Prochazka, Lynette Bower, David Clary, Mohammed Selloum, Ghina Bou About, Olivia Wendling, Hugues Jacobs, Sophie Leblanc, Hamid Meziane, Tania Sorg, Enrique Audain, Arthur Gilly, Nigel W Rayner, Impc Consortium, Genomics England Research Consortium;, Marc-Phillip Hitz, Eleftheria Zeggini, Eckhard Wolf, Radislav Sedlacek, Steven A Murray, Karen L Svenson, Robert E Braun, Jaqueline K White, Lois Kelsey, Xiang Gao, Toshihiko Shiroishi, Ying Xu, Je Kyung Seong, Fabio Mammano, Glauco P Tocchini-Valentini, Arthur L Beaudet, Terrence F Meehan, Helen Parkinson, Damian Smedley, Ann-Marie Mallon, Sara E Wells, Harald Grallert, Wolfgang Wurst, Susan Marschall, Helmut Fuchs, Steve D M Brown, Ann M Flenniken, Lauryl M J Nutter, Colin Mckerlie, Yann Herault, K C Kent Lloyd, Mary E Dickinson, Valerie Gailus-Durner, Martin Hrabe De Angelis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Clinical presentation of congenital heart disease is heterogeneous, making identification of the disease-causing genes and their genetic pathways and mechanisms of action challenging. By using in vivo electrocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography and microcomputed tomography imaging to screen 3,894 single-gene-null mouse lines for structural and functional cardiac abnormalities, here we identify 705 lines with cardiac arrhythmia, myocardial hypertrophy and/or ventricular dilation. Among these 705 genes, 486 have not been previously associated with cardiac dysfunction in humans, and some of them represent variants of unknown relevance (VUR). Mice with mutations in Casz1, Dnajc18, Pde4dip, Rnf38 or Tmem161b genes show developmental cardiac structural abnormalities, …

Imidazole Derivative Improves Antioxidant Status And Causes Differential Alteration Of Redox-Status In Drosophila Melanogaster, Elizabeth Temidayo Oluwayemi, Oluwakemi Josephine Awakan, Abiodun Omokehinde Eseola, Winfried Plass, Oluyomi Stephen Adeyemi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

This study investigated the toxicity of a new imidazole compound, 1-(1,4,5-triphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-naphthalen-2-ol, through the evaluation of selected oxidative stress markers and antioxidants. Both male and female D. melanogaster (3–5 days old) were fed a diet containing the imidazole derivative (20, 50, and 100 mg IMZ/kg diet) for five days. After cessation of imidazole treatment, half the population of the imidazole-exposed flies was homogenized for biochemical assays, while the other half of the flies was allowed to have a normal diet for an additional five days to see if any induced effect would be resolved. Imidazole derivatives did not significantly …

Zoonotic Pathogens From Illegally Traded Wildlife Justify Adopting The One Health Perspective In Disease Response, Marianne Allison G. Lee, Vinyl Joseph S. Valeza, Jonathan Patrick H. Yan, Ronald Allan L. Cruz

Biology Faculty Publications

Recent studies have described a direct relationship between the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in human populations. In the Philippines, the Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (PIDSR) framework outlines the monitoring, response, and management of disease outbreaks, but needs to be updated in the wake of zoonoses from IWT. Here, we identified zoonotic pathogens that may be introduced to human populations through the IWT, pinpointed potential outbreak hotspots, and provided recommendations on how to improve the Philippines’ public health response while considering One Health. Using seizure data from the Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) covering …

Three Complete Mitochondrial Genomes Of Shortfin Mako Sharks, Isurus Oxyrinchus, From The Atlantic And Pacific Oceans, Marissa Mehlrose, Andrea Bernard, Kimberly A. Finnegan, Lauren E. Krausfeldt, Jose V. Lopez, Mahmood Shivji

Biology Faculty Articles

We present complete mitogenome sequences of three shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) sampled from the western Pacific, and eastern and western Atlantic oceans. Mitogenome sequence lengths ranged between 16,699 bp and 16,702 bp, and all three mitogenomes contained one non-coding control region, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 13 protein-coding genes. Comparative assessment of five mitogenomes from globally distributed shortfin makos (the current three and two previously published mitogenomes) yielded 98.4% identity, with the protein-coding genes ATP8, ATP6, and ND5 as the most variable regions (sequence identities of 96.4%, 96.5%, and 97.6%, respectively). These mitogenome sequences contribute resources …

Maternal Choline Supplementation And High-Fat Feeding Interact To Influence Dna Methylation In Offspring In A Time-Specific Manner, Hunter W. Korsmo, Bhoomi Dave, Steven E. Trasino, Anjana Saxena, Jia Liu, Jorge Matias Caviglia, Kaydine Edwards, Moshe Dembitzer, Shameera Sheeraz, Sarah Khaldi, Xinyin Jiang

Advanced Science Research Center

Maternal methyl donor supplementation during pregnancy has demonstrated lasting influence on offspring DNA methylation. However, it is unknown whether an adverse postnatal environment, such as high-fat (HF) feeding, overrides the influence of prenatal methyl donor supplementation on offspring epigenome. In this study, we examined whether maternal supplementation of choline (CS), a methyl donor, interacts with prenatal and postnatal HF feeding to alter global and site-specific DNA methylation in offspring. We fed wild-type C57BL/6J mouse dams a HF diet with or without CS throughout gestation. After weaning, the offspring were exposed to HF feeding for 6 weeks resembling a continued obesogenic …

A Crispr Toolbox For Generating Intersectional Genetic Mouse Models For Functional, Molecular, And Anatomical Circuit Mapping, Savannah J Lusk, Andrew Mckinney, Patrick J Hunt, Paul G Fahey, Jay Patel, Andersen Chang, Jenny J Sun, Vena K Martinez, Ping Jun Zhu, Jeremy R Egbert, Genevera Allen, Xiaolong Jiang, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Andreas S Tolias, Mauro Costa-Mattioli, Russell S Ray

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The functional understanding of genetic interaction networks and cellular mechanisms governing health and disease requires the dissection, and multifaceted study, of discrete cell subtypes in developing and adult animal models. Recombinase-driven expression of transgenic effector alleles represents a significant and powerful approach to delineate cell populations for functional, molecular, and anatomical studies. In addition to single recombinase systems, the expression of two recombinases in distinct, but partially overlapping, populations allows for more defined target expression. Although the application of this method is becoming increasingly popular, its experimental implementation has been broadly restricted to manipulations of a limited set of …

Variation In American Bison (Bison Bison) Ecological Functionality Across Management Sectors: Implications For Conducting Conservation Assessments, Luke Rollie Rogers

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

The American bison (Bison bison subspp.), once on the verge of extinction, now number in the hundreds of thousands. Despite an understanding of their numerical recovery, a comprehensive survey of bison herds and how their management varies between sectors has never been completed, and neither has a critical evaluation of the level of ecological recovery of the species. I surveyed bison managers from all major sectors, collecting extensive information about each bison situation. I identified significant proportional differences between management sectors among my survey questions using Freeman-Halton-Fisher exact tests of independence. I visualized and grouped individual herds based on their …

Transcriptional Coactivators: Driving Force Of Plant Immunity, Muhammad Saad Shoaib Khan, Faisal Islam, Huan Chen, Ming Chang, Daowen Wang, Fengquan Liu, Zhengqing Fu, Jian Chen

Faculty Publications

Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant defense signal that mediates local and systemic immune responses against pathogen invasion. However, the underlying mechanism of SA-mediated defense is very complex due to the involvement of various positive and negative regulators to fine-tune its signaling in diverse pathosystems. Upon pathogen infections, elevated level of SA promotes massive transcriptional reprogramming in which Non-expresser of PR genes 1 (NPR1) acts as a central hub and transcriptional coactivator in defense responses. Recent findings show that Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1 (EDS1) also functions as a transcriptional coactivator and stimulates the expression of PR1 in the presence of …

Characterizing The Impact Of Postharvest Temperature Stress On Polyphenol Profiles Of Red And White-Fruited Strawberry Cultivars, Alyssa N. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

All living organisms have developed mechanisms that help them prevent internal stress and survive under harsh conditions. For fruits, specifically strawberries, stress is fought against primarily by increasing the synthesis of polyphenols, which are secondary plant metabolites with bioactive activity. Characterizing these bioactive compounds and the differences between strawberry cultivars can be vital for strawberry breeders. Furthermore, understanding the mechanisms that trigger the synthesis of polyphenols and their levels within different strawberry cultivars will provide breeders with tools to successfully identify cultivars with higher resistance to pre- and postharvest stressors. To gain that understanding, this study aimed to characterize the …

Cold Shock Induces A Terminal Investment Reproductive Response In C. Elegans, Leah Gulyas, Jennifer R. Powell

Biology Faculty Publications

Challenges from environmental stressors have a profound impact on many life-history traits of an organism, including reproductive strategy. Examples across multiple taxa have demonstrated that maternal reproductive investment resulting from stress can improve offspring survival; a form of matricidal provisioning when death appears imminent is known as terminal investment. Here we report a reproductive response in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans upon exposure to acute cold shock at 2 °C, whereby vitellogenic lipid movement from the soma to the germline appears to be massively upregulated at the expense of parental survival. This response is dependent on functional TAX-2; TAX-4 cGMP-gated channels …

Self-Conscious Emotions And The Right Fronto-Temporal And Right Temporal Parietal Junction, Adriana Lavarco, Nathira Ahmad, Qiana Archer, Matthew Pardillo, Ray Nunez Castaneda, Anthony Minervini, Julian Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

For more than two decades, research focusing on both clinical and non-clinical populations has suggested a key role for specific regions in the regulation of self-conscious emotions. It is speculated that both the expression and the interpretation of self-conscious emotions are critical in humans for action planning and response, communication, learning, parenting, and most social encounters. Empathy, Guilt, Jealousy, Shame, and Pride are all categorized as self-conscious emotions, all of which are crucial components to one’s sense of self. There has been an abundance of evidence pointing to the right Fronto-Temporal involvement in the integration of cognitive processes underlying the …