Digital Commons Network^™

Lactic Acid Bacteria Alleviate Neuronal Excitotoxicity And Extend Caenorhabditis Elegans Lifespan, Bao Le, Thi Nhat Hong Nguyen, Seung-Hwan Yang

Turkish Journal of Biology

Aim: Neuronal cell death plays a critical role in the development of neurological disorders associated with aging. This study aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects of heat-killed lactic acid bacteria (hkLAB) on neuroblastoma cells and Caenorhabditis elegans.

Materials and methods: We pretreated heat-killed Lactobacillus fermentum CNU384 (hkCNU384), L. brevis CNU386 (hkCNU386), L. helveticus CNU395 (hkCNU395), and L. paracasei CNU396 (hkCNU396) at a concentration of 10⁹ CFU/mL to investigate their neuroprotective effects on glutamate-induced SH-SY5Y cells and their impact on the lifespan of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced C. elegans.

Results: Our findings indicate that hkCNU395 and hkCNU396 protected against glutamate-induced cell death …

Lysosomes As Gatekeepers: How Lic1-Mediated Trafficking Regulates Angiogenesis And Vascular Morphogenesis, Dymonn Johnson

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Dynein cytoplasmic 1 light intermediate chain 1 (LIC1, DYNC1LI1) is a core subunit of the dynein motor complex that plays a critical role in cytoplasmic cargo trafficking, including Rab-mediated endosomal recycling and lysosomal degradation. LIC1 interacts with various cargo adaptors, such as RILPL1 and RILPL2, to regulate these processes, and defects in this gene are predicted to impair dynein motor function, Rab binding, and lysosomal trafficking. Here, we identified a dync1li1 zebrafish mutant with a premature stop codon at the exon 12/13 splice acceptor site, that exhibits increased angiogenesis. In vitro, LIC1-deficient human endothelial cells show elevated cell surface levels …

Transcription Fidelity In The Face Of Oxidative Damage, Eastilan Gyiwah Appiah

Theses and Dissertations

It is very important that the process of transcription is correctly carried out in the cell for the faithful expression of the genetic code. However, should mistakes happen, they can result in transcription errors which interfere with the protein-making machinery of the cell. This will result in accumulation of proteins and dysfunctional proteins that have the potential of causing diseases like Alzheimer’s. Oxidative damage caused by hydrogen peroxide is known to cause transcription errors in organisms like yeast. It is therefore important to investigate the extent to which hydrogen peroxide can damage cells.

Radioactive Contamination And Climate Warming Affect Physiological Performance Of Chornobyl Barn Swallows, Zbyszek Boratyríski, Timothy Mousseau, Anders Pape Møller

Faculty Publications

Global warming and degradation of natural habitats are the two main factors causing ecophysiological stress on individuals and risk for biodiversity. Hyperthermia is a common response to stress in homeothermic animals, in particular to heat, pathogens and environmental contamination. Resilience of biological systems to global warming may be deteriorated in polluted habitats. Here we investigated how body temperature of a wild bird, the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), responded to global warming while simultaneously exposed to radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl accident. Our results showed that both high air temperatures (t = 15.55, df = 335, p <  0.0001) and elevated environmental radioactive contamination (t = 5.18, df = 8.09, p = 0.0008) increased internal body temperature of individuals. The additive effect suggests that birds might suffer hyperthermia in locally contaminated habitat (1.47% body temperature increase) while simultaneously exposed to globally rising temperatures (1.95% body temperature increase), potentially reducing the fitness of individual and the maintenance of breeding colonies. The cumulative and interactive negative effects of multiple stressors, such as those emerging from increasing habitat degradation and climate change, will likely contribute to biodiversity losses globally.

Antifungal Peptides From Casein Milk Of Etawa Crossbreed (Capra Hircus) As Biopreservation Agent For Bread And Molecular Docking Studies, Dian Riana Ningsih, Winarto Haryadi, Rachma Wikandari, Tri Joko Raharjo

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Bread without peptide fraction treatment started to grow mold on the fourth day with a total of 24x10⁷ fungi colonies/ml. Meanwhile, the addition of peptide fractions GMC5, GMC6, GMC7, and GMC8 effectively preserved bread for up to 4 days, indicated by no mold growth. The best treatment was the GMC6 peptide fraction on day 8 which grew the least amount of fungus at 7x10⁷ spores/ml. Peptide interaction with the CaATPase receptor Aspergillus sp. was carried out using HADDOCK 2.4. The 3D CaATPase structure prediction resulted in a model with good structural quality. This was supported by residues in …

Dopaminergic Neurons In The Zebrafish Subpallium Belong To The Extended Medial Amygdala, Daniel Armbruster, Thomas Mueller, Wolfgang Driever

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The amygdala is a heterogeneous, multinuclear telencephalic structure critical for motivated and emotion-related behaviors in vertebrates. In ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) like the teleost zebrafish, a telencephalic outward-growing process called eversion makes defining amygdaloid territories particularly challenging. Teleosts are also peculiar in that they develop numerous dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the subpallium, while in tetrapods, such populations are less prominent or appear only transiently. To shed light on the organization of the amygdala in teleosts, we pursued an evolutionary developmental approach focusing on the topological origin of subpallial DA neurons. Specifically, we analyzed the distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) in conjunction …

Silicon Is The Next Frontier In Plant Synthetic Biology, Aniruddha Acharya, Kaitlin Hopkins, Tatum Simms

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Silicon has a striking similarity to carbon and is found in plant cells. However, there is no specific role that has been assigned to silicon in the life cycle of plants. The amount of silicon in plant cells is species specific and can reach levels comparable to macronutrients. Silicon is used extensively in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and the digital revolution, and thus can serve as an informational molecule such as nucleic acids. The diverse potential of silicon to bond with different chemical species is analogous to carbon; thus, it can serve as a structural candidate similar to proteins. The discovery …

Sex, Stress And Hormones : The Role Of Modifiable Risk Factors In The Kinetics Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Hannah Marie Edwards

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease hallmarked by the presence of amyloid- plaques and tau tangles in the brain. The process of the disease begins decades prior to the onset of symptoms and is thought to be driven first by a buildup of amyloid- peptide in the extracellular space, triggering a cascade of pathology and symptomology culminating in loss of cerebral volume and cognitive impairment. Women are diagnosed with AD at a rate 2/3 higher than their male counterparts, even when controlling for age. While most driving factors of the disease are thought to be genetic, roughly 40% of …

Applying Transcriptomics For Technology Development And Conservation In North American Marine Organisms, Cory Von Eiff

Dissertations

RNA biology is a rapidly expanding field, with many avenues of discovery among marine organisms. In this study, we analyze both mollusks and sawfish. First, we perform an evaluation of sRNA biogenesis pathways throughout Mollusca, with emphasis on the easter oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Understanding these molecules prescribes RNAi-based gene silencing approaches, benefiting genetic investigation and biotechnology. Similar to other animal groups, mollusks have conserved microRNAs (miRNAs), with some shared with ecdysozoans and deuterostomes; however, there is no evidence of an endogenous small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway. These results suggest that long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-based RNAi is not appropriate for gene …

Using Published Undergraduate Biomechanics Research On Hydra Mouth Opening To Train Undergraduates, Stephen Hackler, T. Goel, Jonah Pacis , '25, Eva-Maria S. Collins

Biology Faculty Works

Biophysics research is exciting because physical approaches to biology can provide novel insights, and it is challenging because it requires knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines. We have developed an undergraduate biophysics laboratory module that teaches fundamental skills such as time-lapse microscopy, image analysis, programming, critical reading of scientific literature, and basics of scientific writing and peer review. The module is accessible to students who are familiar with introductory statistics, cell biology, and differential calculus. We used published research on the biomechanics of Hydra mouth opening as a framework because it describes a stunning biological phenomenon: Hydra, a freshwater …

Mosquitoes: The 5 C’S Of Developing Disease- Commensals Changing To Consequential Pathogens, Alan L. Gillen, Caleb Mast, Robert Braden Somerville

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hotter, longer summers and changing weather patterns in the United States are bringing more than just sweat and discomfort. In May 2025, a summer heat wave of 107⁰F hit Austin, Texas, and in humid Houston and San Antonio, Texas, temperatures felt over 100⁰ for several days. Normally, these temperatures don’t come until July and August. With temperatures reaching these marks early and heavy rains coming, mosquito activity and ranges expand. Many state and federal health officials report a rise in mosquito-borne illnesses across the US and globe in the last five years.

The Molecular And Behavioral Characterization Of The Murine Cre – Loxp Skeletal Muscle Synthesized Bdnf Knockout Model, Asha E. Rustad

All NMU Master's Theses

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin essential for supporting the growth, differentiation, and health of neurons within the central and peripheral nervous systems. BDNF is also a member of the myokine family, where muscle synthesized-BDNF (msBDNF) is thought to facilitate the crucial bi-directional communication between the motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates. Since 2008, the Ottem Laboratory has investigated the role of msBDNF by employing Cre/LoxP recombinase technology to selectively delete the BDNF coding region within skeletal muscle of mice. This approach generates animals with either heterozygous or homozygous deletions of msBDNF, as well as BDNF …

Raptors As Secondary Dispersers Of Mycorrhizal Fungal Spores, Joseph Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Animals aid fungal dispersal by consuming fruiting bodies (e.g., truffles) and depositing spores elsewhere. Predators can act as secondary dispersers by preying on small mammals that eat truffles, although it is unclear how this dispersal may vary among species of raptors (hawks and owls) and fungal taxa. We experimentally fed four truffle taxa (with spores varying in size and wall thickness) to six raptor species (with differing gut morphology and acidity) to assess how spore viability and retention time may change between raptor casts and feces. Viability in smaller spores was more negatively affected by acidity compared to larger spores …

Small Stream Restoration In The Piedmont Of South Carolina: Comparison Of Evaluation Tools And Water Quality’S Effects On Salamanders, Camryn Lachica

All Theses

For many years, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) used the Guidelines for Preparing a Compensatory Mitigation Plan worksheets to guide pre-restoration evaluation and determine post-restoration mitigation credits in South Carolina. Recently, the USACE in South Carolina transitioned to the Stream Quantification Tool (SQT), which provides a more comprehensive assessment framework. Our first objective was to compare these assessment methodologies across different landscape types to determine what the SQT adds to mitigation calculations that were not considered in prior worksheets. We evaluated 16 streams in the Piedmont of South Carolina, with four replicates each of forested, suburban, urban, …

Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina, Ara L. Mcclanahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sand tigers Carcharias taurus are mackerel sharks with a disjunct global distribution in tropical and temperate seas. In the northwest Atlantic, sand tigers migrate along the coast of the eastern United States from the Gulf of Maine to Florida and occupy structurally complex benthic habitats. The long-term, underwater camera installation, SharkCam, at Frying Pan Tower, off Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA, sits atop an expanse of hard bottom reef frequented by sand tigers. The citizen-science platform Spot A Shark USA (SAS USA) uses images of sand tigers to identify and track individuals. This study utilized image encounters from SAS USA …

3,5-Dihydroxy-4-Isopropylstilbene (Tapinarof) Is A Partial Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Agonist In Fish, Conner A. Dicks

All Theses

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand activated transcription factor that is essential in regulating development, immune homeostasis, and drug and xenobiotic metabolism. Activation of the AHR by specific ligands results in its translocation to the nucleus where it induces a myriad of gene products, including cytochrome P450 (CYP) drug metabolizing enzymes (e.g., CYP1A1) and other components of the chemical defensome, as well as inflammatory control. Interestingly, the AHR can bind a wide variety of endogenous and xenobiotic ligands which are able to induce unique downstream effects dependent on cell type, inflammatory context, and ligand stability. The AHR is …

Spatial And Thermal Aspects Of The Ecology Of Three Sympatric Rattlesnakes In The Montane Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Joshua James Mead

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To understand how animals coexist on the landscape, the individual aspects of a species life history must first be understood. Animals need to find locations that provide the resources they need to survive. Movement, microhabitats, and temperature can alter such areas where animals occur. Understanding animal movements provide important information on space use and microhabitats on the landscape. Ectothermic animals must acquiesce to ambient temperatures or use behavioral modifications to alter their body temperature. The ability to maintain suitable body temperature is essential for physiological function, reproduction, and ability to avoid predation. Research on the variation in a species ecology …

Trophic Roles And Climate-Driven Vulnerability For Benthic Invertebrates At Artificial Reefs In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Amanda Kirkland

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Artificial reefs are deployed to enhance marine habitats and fisheries, yet their role in supporting secondary production and their vulnerability to climate stressors remain understudied. This dissertation investigates the trophic ecology and climate sensitivity of benthic invertebrates at artificial reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Chapter 1 assessed reef food webs using stable isotopes from fishes, invertebrates, and primary producers across six reefs and two seasons. Mixing models showed that most fishes rely on benthic reef carbon, while suspension feeders consume plankton and sediment microphytobenthos. Isotopic niche analysis revealed functional diversity and seasonal shifts in δ¹³C and δ³⁴S, though …

Identification Of Anti-Inflammatory Pathways Induced By Enterotoxin B Subunits For Use As Therapeutics In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Hannah Juel Hedelius

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Vibrio cholerae’s AB5 enterotoxin, cholera toxin (CT), has a homopentameric, non-toxic B subunit (CTB). CTB is a well-known vaccine adjuvant used for its ability to create a strong immune response, however more recent studies have shown its ability to also behave in an anti-inflammatory manner, performing as a protective agent in a variety of different inflammatory diseases. Escherichia coli (E. coli) produces a heat-labile AB5 enterotoxin (LT) that is very homologous to CT, with its B subunit (LTB) being used in a similar manner as a vaccine adjuvant. There have been many studies comparing LTB to CTB due …

Effects Of Elevation, Fire Age, Burn Severity, And Pre-Fire Vegetation On Post-Fire Sagebrush Songbird Communities, William D. Harrod

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Sagebrush Biome of western North America has been threatened by a combination of interconnected threats. In the Great and Columbian Basins, a large portion of sagebrush loss has been due to an increase in higher-severity wildfires, caused by invasive annual grasses. As sagebrush declines, numerous wildlife species that rely on the biome have experienced similar trends. Sagebrush-adapted songbirds such as sage thrasher, Brewer's sparrow, and sagebrush sparrow as well as steppe-songbirds, have all experienced population declines. Currently, limited information exists as to how fire severity or recovery affect these songbirds or what resource managers can do to improve their …

Microbial Guardians Of The Savannah: Unraveling The Gut Microbiome For African Carnivore Conservation, Laura E. Peirson

All NMU Master's Theses

Non-invasive fecal sampling is essential for wildlife gut microbiome (GMB) research, yet field conditions often limit preservation options. I compared gut bacterial communities in paired fecal samples preserved in stabilization tubes and air-dried in paper bags collected from anesthetized African lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Additional opportunistic samples from carnivore kill sites were also analyzed. No significant differences in alpha or beta diversity were detected between preserved and dried samples, although bacterial beta diversity differed between preserved and opportunistic samples (PERMANOVA). Core bacterial communities remained consistent across sample …

Human Salivary Gland Stem/Progenitor Cells For Tissue Engineering, Sars-Cov-2 Susceptibility, And Neurointegration, Caitlynn Barrows

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Salivary glands and the saliva they secrete are important for digestion, chewing, and maintaining oral health. Reduced saliva production leads to a decreased quality of life for patients experiencing hyposalivation as a result of disease or injury, thus a large effort has been dedicated to developing materials and medium to recapitulate the structure of the gland for regenerative medicine. In doing so, we have come closer to developing a more complex model to study disease. These models, however, do not yet fully recapitulate the gland. In this dissertation, we describe a new cell source that can be used to develop …

Saliva & Circadian Rhythm In Medical Profiling For Early Disease Prevention, Joseph Lewis

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Circadian rhythms affect almost every biological process from hormone secretion, gene expression, immune regulation, and metabolism. Studies show that disruption to these internal rhythms through irregular sleep, artificial sleep, and irregular sleep can significantly increase risk for chronic disease such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Saliva presents a viable alternative for capturing biomarkers found through blood or cerebrospinal fluid, offering substantial utility for diagnostic and chronobiological profiling. Saliva contains hormones such as cortisol and melatonin while containing inflammatory markers that fluctuate rhythmically throughout the day. Due to its ease of collection, saliva is well suited for longitudinal monitoring, …

Fluoride Toxicity And Benefit: An Integrated Review Of Mechanisms, Risks, And Public Health Impact, Sophia Chavarria

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Fluoride has long been praised for its role in preventing dental caries, primarily through its effects on enamel remineralization and antibacterial effects. However, growing evidence from molecular and cellular studies suggests that excessive fluoride exposure, especially during tooth development, can lead to dental fluorosis and systemic toxicity. This paper examines the biological mechanisms underlying fluoride-induced dental fluorosis, with a focus on stress responses in ameloblasts, oxidative damage, impaired autophagy, and disrupted protein processing. It integrates data from in vitro, in vivo, and human studies to evaluate the cellular thresholds at which fluoride shifts from therapeutic to toxic. Systemic risks, including …

Assessment Of Floral Resources From Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Communities Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Gracie Makenna Granados

Theses and Dissertations

The Tamaulipan thornscrub is a transition zone between the neotropics and the temperate regions, harboring high biodiversity. This habitat supports a diverse insect community, including many pollinators of native and cultivated plants in Texas and northeastern Mexico. This ecosystem has been extensively degraded and lost; only 5% of its original cover remains north of the Rio Grande. Restoration of the Tamaulipan thornscrub has been ongoing for over three decades, but the important roles of pollinators in the success of such efforts and the functioning of the restored ecosystem have rarely been considered in restoration efforts. The purpose of this study …

Investigating The Multiple Enzyme Complex In The Carotenoid Biosynthesis Pathway, Mercy Mormor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In nature, plant carotenoids are 40-carbon isoprenoids with polyene chains that may have double bonds. They are vital components of all photosynthetic organisms, playing several roles in the plant cell, including photosynthesis, pigmentation, phytohormone synthesis, signaling and photoprotection. In this study, we investigated protein-protein interactions among key enzymes involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway using the Bimolecular Fluorescent Complementation (BiFC) assay. Our results revealed several interactions that suggest a coordinated regulation of enzymatic activity within this pathway, highlighting potential regulatory complexes that influence carotenoid production. The study also highlights the pivotal role of Zeta-Carotene Isomerase (Z-ISO) as a key regulatory …

Gut Passage Time In Small Mammals: Influences Of Small Mammal Traits, Digesta Phase, And Particle Morphology, Noah G. Hale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dispersal is crucial in maintaining healthy ecosystems, but little is known about mechanisms influencing fungal spore dispersal by animals. We aimed to develop a more mechanistic understanding of the influence of fungal spore traits and small mammal traits on gut retention time. We fed three species of small mammals (shrew, mouse, vole), which differ in gut morphologies, digestive strategies, and activity a combination of markers including: liquid digesta phase (CrEDTA), small particle (fungal spores with diverse morphologies), and large particles (glitter and beads, representing plant cells and seeds, respectively). We found that hindgut fermenters selectively retained the liquid markers, spores …

The Effects Of Temperature And Cardiotonic Steroids On Cardiac Function And Metabolism In Snakes, Hannah Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The function of the heart provides a window into the physiology of vertebrates and a means of evaluating their response to the stresses imposed by diverse activities. I developed a miniaturized instrument to record electrocardiograms (ECGs), using open-source Arduino technology, that a snake can wear as a backpack. The backpack can also be used when the snake is in a metabolic chamber, to record the metabolic rate and ECG simultaneously. I first used the ECG backpack to record the physiology of snakes under different temperature conditions, to verify that the system worked as expected. the backpack was then used on …

Mixture Effects On Metal Accumulation In The Asian Clam, Corbicula Fluminea, Mark A. Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Field collected Corbicula fluminea were exposed to trace level copper, lead, and zinc with the aim of examining the preferential accumulation between the soft tissue and shell. Metal levels were based on those in a permitted industrial effluent. At 1X effluent and 2X effluent exposure levels, copper was found to preferentially accumulate in the clam soft tissue, lead was found to preferentially accumulate in the clam shell, and zinc was found to excrete back into the diluent after preferentially accumulating in the clam soft tissue. When exposed as a mixture at 1X effluent levels, copper and lead were found to …

Isolation And Characterization Of Siderophore(S) From Pseudomonas Mosselii, Casey J. Stophel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is essential for growth of most microorganisms. It functions as an important cofactor in many important biological processes. However, iron found in soil is rendered insoluble and unavailable to microorganisms for use. To overcome this, many bacterial species produce siderophores, a small organic molecule that has high affinity for iron. Siderophores allow for bacterial cells to obtain otherwise insoluble iron. Pseudomonas mosselii, a Gram negative bacterium, was isolated from a local soil sample. P. mosselii was found to produce siderophore(s) under iron restricted environment, however, they have not been characterized. Therefore, it was of interest to isolate, purify and …