Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Potential Of Nitric Oxide And Hydrogen Sulfide (Nosh)-Releasing Synthetic Compounds As Novel Priming Agents Against Drought Stress In Medicago Sativa Plants, Chrystalla Antoniou, Rafaella Xenofontos, Giannis Chatzimichail, Anastasis Christou, Khosrow Kashfi, Vasileios Fotopoulos

Publications and Research

Land plants are continuously exposed to multiple abiotic stress factors like drought, heat, and salinity. Nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are two well-examined signaling molecules that act as priming agents, regulating the response of plants to stressful conditions. Several chemical donors exist that provide plants with NO and H2S separately. NOSH is a remarkable novel donor as it can donate NO and H2S simultaneously to plants, while NOSH-aspirin additionally provides the pharmaceutical molecule acetylsalicylic acid. The current study aimed to investigate the potential synergistic effect of these molecules in drought-stressed Medicago sativa L. plants by following a pharmacological …

The Role Of Demographic History And Selection In Shaping Genetic Diversity Of The Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus Mendiculus), Gabriella Arauco-Shapiro, Katelyn I. Schumacher, Dee Boersma, Juan L. Bouzat

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Although many studies have documented the effects of demographic bottlenecks on the genetic diversity of natural populations, there is conflicting evidence of the roles that genetic drift and selection may play in driving changes in genetic variation at adaptive loci. We analyzed genetic variation at microsatellite and mitochondrial loci in conjunction with an adaptive MHC class II locus in the Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), a species that has undergone serial demographic bottlenecks associated with El Niño events through its evolutionary history. We compared levels of variation in the Galápagos penguin to those of its congener, the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus), …

Tanaidacea– Forty Years Of Scholarship, Version 3.0, Gary Anderson

Tanaidacea - Recent Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Patterns And Mechanisms Of Alternative Splicing Of Cav1.3 In The Mouse., Samuel Sabzanov

Theses and Dissertations

AL-type voltage-gated calcium channel Cav1.3 contains a pore-forming α-1 subunit that is encoded by Cacna1d, a gene which has been shown to undergo alternative splicing (AS). Mutations in CACNA1D have been associated with neurological diseases such as spontaneous seizure disorder and epilepsy. Previous studies have shown that AS of the C-terminus of Cav1.3 results in a truncated variant of exon 42 (E42) that, when compared to the full-length exon, lowers the voltage threshold needed to activate the calcium channel. Therefore, AS of the a1-subunit can modulate the physiological properties of Cav1.3. As a lower voltage threshold of calcium channels increases …

The Undergraduate Student’S Guide To Geometric Morphometrics, Erika Crispo

Open Educational Resources

Embarking on a new research endeavor can be a daunting task. User guides, books, and published articles are written for an audience that already has some background experience in the field. Undergraduate students like you, who are at the very beginning of their research careers, often struggle to make sense of these documents. Furthermore, students like you often attempt to do so while balancing heavy course loads. Thus, I have written this document to help ease the burden so that you have more time to ponder the interesting scientific questions instead of digging through pages upon pages of documentation. I …

A Mafg-Lncrna Axis Links Systemic Nutrient Abundance To Hepatic Glucose Metabolism, Jenny Link, Martha Pradas-Juni, Nils R. Hansmeier, Elena Schmidt, Bjørk Ditlev Larsen, Paul Klemm, Nicola Meola, Hande Topel, Rute Loureiro, Ines Dhaouadi, Christoph A. Kiefer, Robin Schwarzer, Sajjad Khani, Matteo Oliverio, Motoharu Awazawa, Peter Frommolt, Joerg Heeren, Ludger Scheja, Markus Heine, Christoph Dieterich, Hildegard Büning, Ling Yang, Haiming Cao, Dario F. De Jesus, Rohit Kulkarni, Branko Zevnik, Simon E. Tröder, Uwe Knippschild, Peter A. Edwards, Richard G. Lee, Masayuki Yamamoto, Igor Ulitsky, Eduardo Fernandez-Rebollo, Thomas Q. De Aguiar Vallim, Jan-Wilhelm Kornfeld

Biology

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus are global emergencies and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are regulatory transcripts with elusive functions in metabolism. Here we show that a high fraction of lncRNAs, but not protein-coding mRNAs, are repressed during diet-induced obesity (DIO) and refeeding, whilst nutrient deprivation induced lncRNAs in mouse liver. Similarly, lncRNAs are lost in diabetic humans. LncRNA promoter analyses, global cistrome and gain-of-function analyses confirm that increased MAFG signaling during DIO curbs lncRNA expression. Silencing Mafg in mouse hepatocytes and obese mice elicits a fasting-like gene expression profile, improves glucose metabolism, de-represses lncRNAs and impairs mammalian target of …

Feeding Behavior Fundamentally Affects Micro-Particle Intake In Mangrove Crabs, Rola Alsharif

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Human Vs. Bear: Who Needs Salmon More?, Brittany N. Savercool

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Battle For The Top: Killer Whales Vs. White Sharks, Michael P. Mcdonough

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Can Ocean Modeling Help Predict Where Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles Wash Up?, Mikayla L. Twiss

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Machine Learning Provides A Much-Needed Solution For Marine Mammal Protection, Shaman Patel

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Ghost Fishing In Coral Reef Ecosystems, Katherine E. Meurer

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Flamboyant Cuttlefish: Camouflage Tactics And Colorful Behavior, Shaquilla M. Hamlett

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Size Scaling In The Skull Of North American Felids As Adaptations For Prey Acquisition, Ashley Destin, Judd A. Case

2020 McNair Scholar Collection

This comparative study explores the relationship between skull morphology and general body size among felids (house cat, lynx, puma), mustelids (minks, weasels, badgers), and canids (foxes, coyotes, wolves); with a focus on North American felids, as it relates to prey acquisition. Previous studies have focused on the evolution of the carnivore skull shape, which include the species examined in this study. Using measurement methods laid out by Radinsky (1981a; 1984), the size of skull components are compared to overall body size to determine the rate of scaling of skull features with body size.

Statistical evaluations of skull measurements within and …

Epigenetic Modifications Due To Maternal Diet, Amanda Thaler

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

Obesity is a growing exponentially to be a health issue globally. Worldwide the rate of obesity has nearly doubled since 1980, with approximately 200 million adult men and 300 million adult women now being considered obese. We are also seeing growing percentages of woman of reproductive age being considered obese (BMI>30). Maternal obesity is known to increase the likelihood of developing complications during the pregnancy such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. These conditions create the environment for the growing fetus that are more difficult than that of a healthy pregnancy. The Developmental programming hypotheses links the environment of development …

E-Cadherin Might Be A Stage-Dependent Modulator In Aggressiveness In Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Esra Aydemi̇r Çoban, Di̇dem Teci̇mel, Ezgi̇ Kaşikci, Ömer Faruk Bayrak, Fi̇kretti̇n Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Biology

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) pathology is known for its uncontrollable progress due to highly invasive characteristics and refractory behavior against existing chemotherapies. The aberrant expression of CDH1 (expresses the protein E-cadherin) is associated with increased overall survival in various cancers, however, E-cadherin expression in PDAC progression has remained elusive. We investigated the impact of exogenously elevated E-cadherin levels on the tumorigenicity of transduced low grade and metastatic PDAC cell lines, Panc-1 and AsPC-1, respectively. Constitutive expression of E-cadherin promoted a more hybrid E/M state in AsPC-1 cells, while it was associated with the acquisition of a more epithelial-like state in …

Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Induces Apoptosis In Colorectal Cancer Cells Via Inhibition Of Survivin, Ceren Sari, Ceren Sümer, Fi̇gen Celep Eyüpoğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Drug resistance and drug-induced damage of healthy tissues are major obstacles in cancer treatment. Therefore, to develop efficient anticancer therapy, it is necessary to find compounds that affect tumor cells, but do not exhibit toxicity to healthy cells. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) has been demonstrated to have anticancer properties in many types of cancer. In this study, the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of CAPE on the RKO colorectal cancer cell line and CCD 841-CoN normal colorectal cell line was investigated. In addition, changes in the survivin expression were …

Anxiolytic, Antioxidant, And Neuroprotective Effects Of Goji Berry Polysaccharides In Ovariectomized Rats: Experimental Evidence From Behavioral, Biochemical, And Immunohistochemical Analyses, Fatma Pehli̇van Karakaş, Hami̇t Coşkun, Hayri̇ye Soytürk, Bi̇hter Gökçe Bozat

Turkish Journal of Biology

Recent studies have indicated that polysaccharides, the main component of the Lycium barbarum L. fruit, have beneficial effects (e.g., anxiolytic, antioxidant, and neuroprotective) on humans and rodents. However, the effects of different dosages of such polysaccharides on ovariectomized rats and their underlying mechanisms in the brain have not been evaluated in the literature. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of the high and low doses of polysaccharides obtained from Lycium barbarum fruits (HD-LBP and LD-LBP, respectively) on anxious behaviors via behavioral (using the OFT and EPM), biochemical (using ELISA), and immunohistochemical (using immunohistochemical staining) measures in detail. Two weeks …

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Micrornas Action As Biomarkers For Breast Cancer, Thanh Thi Ngoc Nguyen, Minh Thi Hong Tran, Vy Thi Lan Nguyen, Uyen Doan Phuong Nguyen, Giang Dien Thanh Nguyen, Luan Huu Huynh, Hue Thi Nguyen

Turkish Journal of Biology

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recently described as small noncoding RNAs that are involved in numerous crucial physiological processes, such as cell cycles, differentiation, development, and metabolism. Thus, dysregulation of these molecules could lead to several severe disorders, including breast cancer (BC). Ongoing investigations in malignant growth diagnostics have distinguished miRNAs as promising disease biomarkers. As with any other mRNAs, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA sequence encoding for miRNA (miR-SNPs) indeed lead to potential changes in the function of miRNA. In this study, miR-SNPs located in different miRNA sequence regions, which have been associated with BC in different ways, and …

Regulation Of E2f1 Activity Via Pka-Mediated Phosphorylations, Mustafa Gökhan Ertosun, Sayra Di̇lmaç, Fatma Zehra Hapi̇l Zevkli̇ler, Gamze Tanriöver, Sadi̇ Köksoy, Osman Ni̇dai̇ Özeş

Turkish Journal of Biology

No abstract provided.

Adjuvant Potency Of Astragaloside Vii Embedded Cholesterol Nanoparticles For H3n2 Influenza Vaccine, Rükan Genç, Ni̇lgün Yakuboğullari, Ayşe Nalbantsoy, Fethi̇ye Çöven, Erdal Bedi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

Adjuvants are substances that increase the immune response to a given antigen. In the development of novel vaccine adjuvants/ systems, saponins are one of the most attractive molecules due to their altered immunomodulatory activities. In this study, we tried to develop PEG (polyethylene glycol)/cholesterol-based lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver the Astragaloside VII (AST-VII) and potentiate adjuvant properties of AST-VII for the influenza vaccine. In the formation of PEG/cholesterol/AST-VII-based LNPs (PEG300: Chol-AST-VII LNPs), 3 different primary solvents (acetone, ethanol, and chloroform) were evaluated, employing their effects on hydrodynamic particle size, distribution, surface chemistry, and colloidal stability. Prepared nanoparticles were simply admixtured …

Proximity Mapping Of The Microtubule Plus-End Tracking Protein Slain2 Using The Bioid Approach, Eli̇f Nur Firat Karalar

Turkish Journal of Biology

No abstract provided.

Msap Analysis Reveals Diverse Epigenetic Statuses In Opium Poppy Varieties With Different Benzyisoquinoline Alkaloid Content, Betül Bulut, Zehra Aydinli, Mi̇ne Türktaş

Turkish Journal of Biology

DNA methylation is one of the major epigenetic modifications influencing the regulation of gene expression. The opium poppy is an important medicinal plant. Its latex contains opium, which is a rich source of pharmaceutical benzyisoquinoline alkaloids (BIA). Here, the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) profiling technique using 21 MSAP molecular markers was applied in order to compare levels of DNA methylation between 6 opium poppy varieties. MSAP profiling reflected the different methylation statuses among opium poppy varieties having divergent BIA content. Moreover, different organ-specific epigenetic profiles were observed between the samples. Differential epigenetic profiles of capsules and shoots from the leaves …

Bioethical Issues In Genome Editing By Crispr-Cas9 Technology, Fatma Betül Ayanoğlu, Ayşe Eser Elçi̇n, Yaşar Murat Elçi̇n

Turkish Journal of Biology

Genome editing technologies have led to fundamental changes in genetic science. Among them, CRISPR-Cas9 technology particularly stands out due to its advantages such as easy handling, high accuracy, and low cost. It has made a quick introduction in fields related to humans, animals, and the environment, while raising difficult questions, applications, concerns, and bioethical issues to be discussed. Most concerns stem from the use of CRISPR-Cas9 to genetically alter human germline cells and embryos (called germline genome editing). Germline genome editing leads to serial bioethical issues, such as the occurrence of undesirable changes in the genome, from whom and how …

An Updated Analysis Of Variations In Sars-Cov-2 Genome, Osman Mutluhan Uğurel, Oğuz Ata, Di̇lek Balik

Turkish Journal of Biology

A novel pathogen, named SARS-CoV-2, has caused an unprecedented worldwide pandemic in the first half of 2020. As the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences have become available, one of the important focus of scientists has become tracking variations in the viral genome. In this study, 30366 SARS-CoV-2 isolate genomes were aligned using the software developed by our group (ODOTool) and 11 variations in SARS-CoV-2 genome over 10% of whole isolates were discussed. Results indicated that, frequency rates of these 11 variations change between 3.56%-88.44 % and these rates differ greatly depending on the continents they have been reported. Despite some variations being …

Integration Of Transcriptomic Profile Of Sars-Cov-2 Infected Normal Human Bronchial Epi-Thelial Cells With Metabolic And Protein-Protein Interaction Networks, Hamza Umut Karakurt, Pinar Pi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, formerly known as nCoV-2019) that causes an acute respiratory disease has emerged in Wuhan, China and spread globally in early 2020. On January the 30th, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared spread of this virus as an epidemic and a public health emergency. With its highly contagious characteristic and long incubation time, confinement of SARS-CoV-2 requires drastic lock-down measures to be taken and therefore early diagnosis is crucial. We analysed transcriptome of SARS-CoV-2 infected human lung epithelial cells, compared it with mock-infected cells, used network-based reporter metabolite approach and integrated the transcriptome data with protein-protein interaction …

Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Antibody Development Strategies, Bertan Koray Balcioğlu, Meli̇s Deni̇zci̇ Öncü, Hasan Ümi̇t Öztürk, Fatima Yücel, Fi̇li̇z Kaya, Müge Serhatli, Hi̇vda Ülbeği̇ Polat, Şaban Teki̇n, Ayli̇n Özdemi̇r Bahadir

Turkish Journal of Biology

In December 2019 a novel coronavirus was detected in Wuhan City of Hubei Province-China. Owing to a high rate of transmission from human to human, the new virus called SARS-CoV-2 differed from others by its unexpectedly rapid spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) described the most recent coronavirus epidemic as a global pandemic in March 2020. The virus spread triggered a health crisis (the COVID-19 disease) within three months, with socioeconomic implications. No approved targeted-therapies are available for COVID-19, yet. However, it is foreseen that antibody-based treatments may provide an immediate cure for patients. Current neutralizing antibody development studies primarily …

Covid-19: Current Knowledge, Disease Potential, Prevention And Clinical Advances, Aftab Alam, Mohd Faizan Siddiqui, Nikhat Imam, Rafat Ali, Mushtaque Mushtaque, Romana Ishrat

Turkish Journal of Biology

The top priority of any nation is to lead the nation towards prosperity, progress, and economic growth, confronting several challenges and concerns arisen from global situations. The sudden outbreak of any disease defies the health care systems and economy of nations. COVID-19 is one of the viral diseases which broke out in Wuhan city of China in 2019. COVID-19 outbreak intermittently prevailed all over the world. It exposes the fragility of the established health care systems across the world in spite of comprising modern science and technology. Unfortunately, there is no chemotherapeutic agent in the regimen of antiviral drugs or …

Sars-Cov-2 Isolation And Propagation From Turkish Covid-19 Patients, Ci̇han Taştan, Bulut Yurtsever, Gözde Karakuş, Derya Di̇lek Kançaği, Sevda Demi̇r, Selen Abanuz, Utku Seyi̇s, Mülazi̇m Yildirim, Recai̇ Kuzay, Ömer Eli̇bol, Serap Arbak, Merve Açikel Elmas, Selçuk Bi̇rdoğan, Osman Uğur Sezerman, Ayşe Sesi̇n Kocagöz

Turkish Journal of Biology

The novel coronavirus pneumonia, which was named later as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, namely SARS-CoV-2. It is a positive-strand RNA virus that is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans. The COVID-19 outbreak presents enormous challenges for global health behind the pandemic outbreak. The first diagnosed patient in Turkey has been reported by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health on March 11, 2020. In May, over 150,000 cases in Turkey, and 5.5 million cases around the world have been declared. Due to the urgent need for a vaccine and …

Gut-Lung Axis And Dysbiosis In Covid-19, Büşra Aktaş, Belma Aslim

Turkish Journal of Biology

COVID-19, a novel infectious disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2, affected millions of people around the world with a high mortality rate. Although SARS-CoV-2 mainly causes lung infection, gastrointestinal symptoms described in COVID-19 patients and detection of the viral RNA in feces of infected patients drove attentions to a possible fecal-oral transmission route of SARS-CoV-2. However, not only the viral RNA but also the infectious viral particles are required for the viral infection and no proof has been demonstrated the transmission of the infectious virus particles via the fecal-oral route yet. Growing evidence indicates the crosstalk between gut microbiota and lung, that …