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Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Detected In Amphibians From National Forests In Eastern Texas, Usa, Daniel Saenz, Brendan T. Kavanagh, Matthew Kwiatkowski

Faculty Publications

The amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd, Longcore et al. 1999), is well known as a major threat to amphibians resulting in mass die-offs and population declines throughout the world (Berger et al. 1998; Blaustein and Keisecker 2002; Daszak et al. 2003; McCallum 2005; Rachowicz et al. 2006). Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been detected on amphibians from sites across North America (Ouellet et al. 2005; Woodhams et al. 2008) and appears to be most prevalent in the western and the northeastern United States (Longcore et al. 2007; Schlaepfer et al. 2007). Whereas infected anurans also have …

Mathematical Biology At An Undergraduate Liberal Arts College, Stephen C. Adolph, Lisette G. De Pillis

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Since 2002 we have offered an undergraduate major in Mathematical Biology at Harvey Mudd College. The major was developed and is administered jointly by the mathematics and biology faculty. In this paper we describe the major, courses, and faculty and student research and discuss some of the challenges and opportunities we have experienced.

Probable Causes Of Increasing Brucellosis In Free-Ranging Elk Of The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, P. C. Cross, E. K. Cole, A. P. Dobson, W. H. Edwards, K. L. Hamlin, Gordon Luikart, A. D. Middleton, B. M. Scurlock, P. J. White

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

While many wildlife species are threatened, some populations have recovered from previous Overexploitation, and data linking these population increases with disease dynamics are limited. We present data suggesting that free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) are a maintenance host for Brucella abortus in new areas of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Brucellosis seroprevalence in free-ranging elk increased from 0-7% in 1991-1992 to 8 20% in 2006-2007 in four of six herd units around the GYE. These levels of brucellosis are comparable to some herd units where elk are artificially aggregated on supplemental feeding grounds. There are several possible mechanisms for this increase …

Full Issue: Volume 3, Number 1

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Evolution Of The Sequence Composition Of Flaviviruses, Alyxandria M. Schubert, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

The adaption of pathogens to their host(s) is a major factor in the emergence of infectious disease and the persistent survival of many of the infectious diseases within the population. Since many of the smaller viral pathogens are entirely dependent upon host machinery, it has been postulated that they are under selection for a composition similar to that of their host. Analyses of sequence composition have been conducted for numerous small viral species including the Flavivirus genus. Examination of the species within this particular genus that infect vertebrate hosts revealed that sequence composition proclivities do not correspond with vector transmission …

Gv-1 Chemical Derivatives As Potential New Antibiotics, Julie Wesselink, Roderick Morgan

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Despite advancements in many areas of human medicine, infectious disease continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Improper and excessive use of antibacterial compounds has led to the rise of resistant species of bacteria like Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), and Extreme Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB). We have found a possible alternative that would replace the current ineffective treatment methods – a potentially new class of antibiotics that inhibits Gram-positive bacteria growth. These chemical compounds have shown inhibition against S. aureus and E. faecalis, so MRSA and VRE strains were then …

Purification And Characterization Of A Leishmania Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase : A Potentially New Anti-Parasitic Drug Target, Sailaja Sankabathula

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Synthetic inhibitors of the human mitogen activated protein kinase, p38 MAPK may represent a new class of anti-parasitic agents. p38 MAPK inhibitors have been shown to inhibit replication of Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii), the causative agent of taxoplasmosis, in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of parasite replication was due to the inhibition of a T.gondii p38 MAPK homolog called tgmapk-1. Other parasites have MAPKs homologous to tgmapk-1 and these MAPKs may represent novel drug targets for new therapeutics in treating parasitic diseases. We have focused on a MAPK from, Leishmania mexicana (L.mexicana), the causative agent for one form of leishmaniasis. The …

The Impact And Shortfall Of Conservation On The Status Of The World's Vertebrates , M Hoffmann, C Hilton-Taylor, A Angulo, Monica Bohm Phd, Shm Bbutchart, K E. Carpenter, J Chanson, B Collen, N A. Cox, Neil Cumberlidge

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Molecular Fingerprinting Of Some Clinically Significant Nocardia And Related Strains By Restriction Polymorphism Ribosomal Rna Analyses, Kami̇l Işik, Michael Goodfellow

Turkish Journal of Biology

Fifty-three Nocardia strains were the subject of a restriction polymorphic ribosomal RNA analysis (ribotyping) designed to distinguish between representatives of clinically significant species and related strains. The organisms were assigned to 19 groups using a combination of EcoRV gene restriction endonuclease patterns and a digoxigenin-labelled Streptomyces violaceoruber TK21 rDNA probe. Each ribotype group contained 4 to 13 restriction fragments that ranged in size from 20.7 to 0.9 kb. The N. brasiliensis, N. crassostreae, N. farcinica, N. otitidiscaviarum, and N. seriolea strains showed distinct ribotype patterns. Unique banding patterns were also seen for the type strains of N. brevicatena, N. carnea, …

How Our Health Depends On Biodiversity, Eric Chivian M.D., Aaron Bernstein M.D., M.P.H.

Ecosystem Disruption & Climate Change

The eminent Harvard biology Professor Edward O.Wilson once said about ants, “We need them to survive, but they don’t need us at all.” The same, in fact, could be said about countless other insects, bacteria, fungi, plankton, plants, and other organisms. This fundamental truth, however, is largely lost to many of us. Rather, we humans often act as if we are totally independent of Nature, as if our driving thousands of other species to extinction and disrupting the life-giving services they provide will have no effect on us whatsoever.

This summary, using concrete examples from our award-winning Oxford University Press …

Attenuated Response Of Aged Mice To Respiratory Francisella Novicida Is Characterized By Reduced Cell Death And Absence Of Subsequent Hypercytokinemia, Chris A. Mares, J. Sharma, S. S. Ojeda, Q. Li, J. A. Campos, E. G. Morris, J. J. Coalson, J. M. Teale

Biology Faculty Publications (Archived)

Background: Pneumonia and pulmonary infections are major causes of mortality among the growing elderly population. Age associated attenuations of various immune parameters, involved with both innate and adaptive responses are collectively known as immune senescence. These changes are likely to be involved with differences in host susceptibility to disease between young and aged individuals. Methodology/Principal Findings: The objective of this study was to assess potential age related differences in the pulmonary host response in mice to the Gram-negative respiratory pathogen, Francisella novicida. We intranasally infected mice with F. novicida and compared various immune and pathological parameters of the pulmonary host …

Trapping Mammals In A Cautious World: The Effect Of Disinfectants On Trap Success, James Wilson, K. E. Mabry

Biology Faculty Publications

Disinfecting traps that have captured small mammals is one recommendation for preventing occurrence of hantavirus infection; however, the potential effects of disinfection on small mammal trappability have not been investigated thoroughly. We conducted an experiment to compare the effects of 2 disinfectants (Lysol® and household bleach) on the trappability of 4 small mammal species (Peromyscus maniculatus, Neotamias spp., and Spermophilus lateralis). We established triplicate trap grids in 2 forest types (red fir and mixed conifer), each consisting of a 6 × 6 array of Sherman live-traps placed at 10-m intervals. Traps were given 1 of 3 treatments: control (water), Lysol, …

Biology News, Winter 2010, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

-- Greetings from the Department of Biology
-- Focus on UNI Biology Alumni
-- Let us hear from you...
-- Faculty and Staff News
-- Trip to Chicago for Darwin Bicentennial
-- Botanical Center Wins Second Place
-- Focus on UNI Biology Students
-- Student Nature Society
-- Retirements
-- You Make a Difference! Messages from our donors....
-- New Advisor for Biology
-- Biology Video
-- You Can Make a Difference!
-- Scholarships and Funding
-- Support for students or department

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Climate Change On Amphibian Populations, Andrew R. Blaustein, Susan C. Walls, Betsy A. Bancroft, Joshua J. Lawler, Catherine L. Searle, Stephanie S. Gervasi

Biology Faculty Scholarship

As part of an overall decline in biodiversity, populations of many organisms are declining and species are being lost at unprecedented rates around the world. This includes many populations and species of amphibians. Although numerous factors are affecting amphibian populations, we show potential direct and indirect effects of climate change on amphibians at the individual, population and community level. Shifts in amphibian ranges are predicted. Changes in climate may affect survival, growth, reproduction and dispersal capabilities. Moreover, climate change can alter amphibian habitats including vegetation, soil, and hydrology. Climate change can influence food availability, predator-prey relationships and competitive interactions which …

An Assessment Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Dynamics, Management, And Impacts In Highly Fragmented Landscapes, Bambi Shafer

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Habitat and forage selection by deer can cause local extinction of plant species. In my research, I asked: 1) How do deer population growth rates in urban parks change through time? 2) Are culling rates and deer densities correlated? 3) Are browse rates on Trillium spp. and deer densities correlated? I used FLIR deer census data from Davis Aviation and culling data from Five Rivers MetroParks (Montgomery County, Ohio). I found that deer population growth rates generally declined from 2003 to 2008. The number of deer culled was positively correlated to the deer densities. The browse rates of Trillium spp. …

New Species In The Genus Monoecocesuts (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) From Neotropical Rodents (Caviidae And Sigmodontidae), Terry R. Haverkost, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Anoplocephalid cestodes have a worldwide distribution, but relatively few species are known from South American rodents. By examining the collections of the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology and the United States National Parasite Collection, 6 new species of Monoecocestus Beddard, 1914, are described, along with a redescription of Monoecocestus mackiewiczi Schmidt and Martin, 1978, based on the type specimens. The discussion includes commentary about uterine development, an important taxonomic character of the family, the vaginal dilation in immature segments (a character of potential taxonomic importance), and the implication of host usage to the evolutionary history and biogeography of species …

Nm23-H1 Can Induce Cell Cycle Arrest And Apoptosis In B Cells, Tathagata Choudhuri, Masanao Murakami, Rajeev Kaul, Sushil K. Sahu, Suchitra Mohanty, Subhash C. Verma, Pankaj Kumar, Erle S. Robertson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Nm23-H1 is a well-known tumor metastasis suppressor, which functions as a nucleoside-diphosphate kinase converting nucleoside diphosphates to nucleoside triphosphates with an expense of ATP. It regulates a variety of cellular activities, including proliferation, development, migration and differentiation known to be modulated by a series of complex signaling pathway. Few studies have addressed the mechanistic action of Nm23-H1 in the context of these cellular processes. To determine the downstream pathways modulated by Nm23-H1, we expressed Nm23-H1 in a Burkitt lymphoma derived B-cell line BJAB and performed pathway specific microarray analysis. The genes with significant changes in expression patterns were clustered in …

Temporal And Biochemical Aspects Of Sindbis Virus Dissemination In The Mosquito Host, Kristen A. Ciano

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The prototype Alphavirus, Sindbis virus (SIN), relies on cyclic transmission between the mosquito and vertebrate hosts in order to be maintained in nature. This broad host range suggests that alphaviruses use a universally expressed molecule for attachment. Heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), a ubiquitous SIN receptor present on the cell surface of most eukaryotic cells, has been reported in the salivary glands and midguts of mosquitoes. These organs are essential for virus transmission from this hematophageous invertebrate. Variable host cell response in the mosquito following intrathoracic inoculation with SIN has been documented. In this study, per os infection of Aedine …

Stream Invertebrate Responses To A Catastrophic Decline In Consumer Diversity, Jose Checo Colón-Gaud, Matt R. Whiles, Karen R. Lips, Catherine M. Pringle, Susan Kilham, Roberto Brenes, Scot D. Peterson

Biology: Faculty Publications

Tadpoles are often abundant and diverse consumers in headwater streams in the Neotropics. However, their populations are declining catastrophically in many regions, in part because of a chytrid fungal pathogen. These declines are occurring along a moving disease front in Central America and offer the rare opportunity to quantify the consequences of a sudden, dramatic decline in consumer diversity in a natural system. As part of the Tropical Amphibian Declines in Streams (TADS) project, we examined stream macroinvertebrate assemblage structure and production for 2 y in 4 stream reaches at 2 sites in Panama. One site initially had healthy amphibians …

The Role Of The Feral Pig (Sus Scrofa) As A Disturbance Agent And Seed Disperser In Central Florida's Natural Lands, Camille Rose Brescacin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are considered to be among the world’s worst invasive species due to their successful invasion and ecological and economic impact to native and agricultural plants and animals around the world. Feral pigs are significant disturbance agents that destroy plant communities, change soil characteristics, alter nutrient cycling, and create open sites for colonization of both native and non-native plant species through their foraging behavior called rooting. In contrast to native animal disturbances, rooting is a striking feature in the landscape that varies in space, seasonal timing, frequency (number of times rooted), and intensity (depth of rooting). During …

Fabrication Of Miniature Drug Screening Platform Using Low Cost Bioprinting Technology, Jorge Ivan Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the pharmaceutical industry, new chemicals and substances are being tested to find appropriate compounds or mix for treating a specific disease. The demand for screening large compound collections against and increasing number of therapeutic targets has stimulated technology development in the areas of assay automation and miniaturization. Current methods for evaluating the reactions of cells use a volume in the range of microliters. We have developed a new and low-cost deposition method to fabricate miniature drug screening platform that can realistically and inexpensively evaluate biochemical reactions up to 4 substances per trial in a picoliter-scale volume. This paper describes …

Identification Of A Novel Cytokine Inducible Stat5 Phosphoserine Site (Ps193) That Positively Regulates Its Transcriptional Activity And Is Found Constitutively Activated In Certain Hematopoietic Cancers, Abhisek Mitra

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Hematological malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma, can develop from aberrant changes in the cell signaling molecules to drive their uncontrolled cellular proliferation and differentiation. Activation, maturation, expansion and differentiation of T cells are critically regulated by the dynamics of various transcription factors activated by a variety of cytokines. Additionally, multiple effector molecules that mediate these T cells dependent signals include the JAK (Janus Kinase)-STAT (Signal transducer and activator of transcription) cascade. These signaling proteins are activated in response to a broad array of cytokines. Constitutively activated JAKs and STATs have been described in several T cell malignancies. A growing …

Systematics Of The Genus Ptychadena Boulenger, 1917 (Anura: Ptychadenidae) From Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Katrina Marie Weber

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis increases the scope of previous phylogenetic analyses that revealed high levels of genetic differentiation within the anuran genus Ptychadena. Herein, I increase sampling of Central African populations of Ptychadena by over six times to examine their relationships to other African populations and to search for cryptic species. This study represents the most comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Ptychadena to date. A total of three mitochondrial (12S, 16S, and cyt b) and two nuclear (RAG1 and rhodopsin) genes were sequenced for 67 specimens of Ptychadena. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses were conducted. These analyses revealed …

Improved Detection Of Bartonella Dna In Mammalian Hosts And Arthropod Vectors By Real-Time Pcr Using The Nadh Dehydrogenase Gamma Subunit (Nuog), James M. Colborn, Michael Y. Kosoy, Vladimir L. Motin, Maxim V. Telepnev, Gustavo Valbuena, Khin S. Myint, Yuri Fofanov, Catherine Putonti, Chen Feng, Leonard Peruski

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

We used a whole-genome scanning technique to identify the NADH dehydrogenase gamma subunit (nuoG) primer set that is sensitive and specific enough to detect a diverse number of Bartonella species in a wide range of environmental samples yet maintains minimal cross-reactivity to mammalian host and arthropod vector organisms.

Examining The Effects Of Penning On Juvenile Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene Carolina Carolina), Nicolas Frederick

Theses and Dissertations

Box turtle (Terrapene carolina) populations have been declining over the last several decades, and one major cause is increasing urbanization. As a result of habitat fragmentation, wildlife managers are frequently turning to new and alternative management strategies. Traditional box turtle management has included relocation, which has been met with limited success. This study aims to combine these strategies with another less-studied one: forcing turtles to overwinter on site by penning them in an outdoor enclosure. Two sets of juvenile box turtles were released at the Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Center: one penned on site in a pen for one year, …

Genome 10k: A Proposal To Obtain Whole-Genome Sequence For 10 000 Vertebrate Species, Tony Gamble, Genome 10k Community Of Scientists

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The human genome project has been recently complemented by whole-genome assessment sequence of 32 mammals and 24 nonmammalian vertebrate species suitable for comparative genomic analyses. Here we anticipate a precipitous drop in costs and increase in sequencing efficiency, with concomitant development of improved annotation technology and, therefore, propose to create a collection of tissue and DNA specimens for 10 000 vertebrate species specifically designated for whole-genome sequencing in the very near future. For this purpose, we, the Genome 10K Community of Scientists (G₁₀KCOS), will assemble and allocate a biospecimen collection of some 16 203 representative vertebrate species spanning …

Cross-Sectional Dating Of Novel Haplotypes Of Herv-K 113 And Herv-K 115 Indicate These Proviruses Originated In Africa Before Homo Sapiens, Aashish Jha, Satish Pillai, Vanessa York, Elizabeth Sharp, Emily Storm, Douglas Wachter, Jeffrey Martin, Steven Deeks, Michael Rosenberg, Douglas Nixon, Keith Garrison

School of Science Faculty Works

The human genome, human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), of which HERV-K113 and HERV-K115 are the only known full-length proviruses that are insertionally polymorphic. Although a handful of previously published papers have documented their prevalence in the global population; to date, there has been no report on their prevalence in the United States population. Here, we studied the geographic distribution of K113 and K115 among 156 HIV-1+ subjects from the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasians. In the individuals studied, we found higher insertion frequencies of K113 (21%) and K115 (35%) in African Americans compared with Caucasians (K113 9% and …

Group I Introns And Inteins: Disparate Origins But Convergent Parasitic Strategies, Rahul Raghavan, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Heritable Factors Play A Major Role In Determining Host Responses To Wuchereria Bancrofti Infection In An Isolated South Pacific Island Population, Karen T. Cuenco, Eric A. Ottesen, Steven A. Williams, Thomas B. Nutman, Cathy Steel

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background. It is increasingly recognized that host genetic factors may play an important role in determining the outcome of filarial infections. To test this hypothesis in bancroftian lymphatic filariasis, pedigree data were collected twice during an 18-year period from an isolated Polynesian population living on a Pacific island where lymphatic filariasis is endemic. Methods. Using variance-component analysis, we examined the contribution of shared genetic and environmental effects on host clinical and immune responses to filarial infection, along with potential confounding determinants. Results. Sex was found to have a negligible influence on heritability estimates, but shared-household effects accounted for up to …

Ectopic T-Bet Expression Licenses Dendritic Cells For Il-12-Independent Priming Of Type 1 T Cells In Vitro, Michael Lipscomb

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

T-bet (TBX21) is a transcription factor required for the optimal development of type 1 immune responses. Although initially characterized for its intrinsic role in T cell functional polarization, endogenous T-bet may also be critical to the licensing of type 1-biasing APCs. Here, we investigated whether human dendritic cells (DC) genetically engineered to express high levels of T-bet (i.e., DC.Tbet) promote superior type 1 T cell responses in vitro. We observed that DC.Tbet were selective activators of type 1 effector T cells developed from the naive pool of responder cells, whereas DC.Tbet and control DC promoted type 1 responses equitably from …