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Social Aggregation In Pea Aphids: Experiment And Random Walk Modeling, Christa Nilsen, John Paige, Olivia Warner, Benjamin Mayhew, Ryan Sutley, Matthew Lam '15, Andrew J. Bernoff, Chad M. Topaz

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

From bird flocks to fish schools and ungulate herds to insect swarms, social biological aggregations are found across the natural world. An ongoing challenge in the mathematical modeling of aggregations is to strengthen the connection between models and biological data by quantifying the rules that individuals follow. We model aggregation of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Specifically, we conduct experiments to track the motion of aphids walking in a featureless circular arena in order to deduce individual-level rules. We observe that each aphid transitions stochastically between a moving and a stationary state. Moving aphids follow a correlated random walk. …

Potential And Realized Nutrient Resorption In Serpentine And Non-Serpentine Chaparral Shrubs And Trees, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Catherine E. Koehler, Kathryn Skelly, James H. Richards

Biology

Low-nutrient adapted species have numerous mechanisms that aid in nutrient conservation. Hypothetically, species adapted to nutrient-poor soils should have tighter internal nutrient recycling, as evidenced by greater resorption. However, literature results are mixed. We suggest methodological factors may limit our understanding of this process. We hypothesized that plants adapted to serpentine soils would be more proficient in resorbing N and P than plants adapted to non-serpentine soils, although there would be differences among functional groups within each soil type. For six growing seasons, we sampled senescent leaf tissue from the dominant and co-dominant shrubs and trees found in serpentine and …

Lifelines Winter 2013, Southern Adventist University

Lifelines - Biology Department Newsletter

The Winter 2013 issue of Lifelines features updates on research being conducted in the Biology Department, updates to the Biology Trail, student missions to Familia Feliz in Bolivia, and a pictorial directory of the 2013 biology and allied health graduates.

Trophic Ecology Of A Freshwater Sponge (Spongilla Lacustris) Revealed By Stable Isotope Analysis, J Skelton, Mac Strand

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Identification Of New Genes Involved In Meiosis By A Genetic Screen, Sneharthi Banerjee

ETD Archive

Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains a group of proteins named ZMM that constitutes a link between recombination and Synaptonemal Complex (SC) assembly. Yeast mutants that lack ZMM proteins have defects in recombination, SC formation and nuclear division progression. Meiotic cell cycle progression in zmm mutants is modulated by temperature. This conditional behavior is different at high and low temperatures. In my work so far, I have tried to identify new zmm-like genes involved in meiosis. To that end, I have carried out a genome-wide screen in the budding yeast S. cerevisiae. I have identified sporulation temperature sensitive zmm-like truncation mutants …

Protein-Protein Interactions In The Neocortex: Emx2 And Its Binding Partners, Cierra Miller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The mammalian neocortex is divided into discrete functional areas that are marked by distinct boundaries and whose positions are assigned through a process called neocortical arealization. One of the proteins involved in this process is Emx2, a transcription factor (protein that turns genes on and off) that is expressed, or made, in a gradient along the axis of the neocortex and determines the positions of these areal boundaries. In order to determine how Emx2 carries out this function of assigning areas, we have identified the proteins QKl-7 and Cnot61 as binding partners of Emx2.

Current research involves confirming the interactions …

Biology And Ecology Of Glyphosate-Resistant Giant Ragweed, Kabelo Segobye

Open Access Theses

Giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) is a competitive annual plant found in disturbed landscapes and is the most troublesome weed in Indiana and the US Corn Belt. It is one of the most common and problematic weeds in corn and soybean production. The introduction of herbicide glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine in early 1970's provided farmers with a better and low-cost tool to control weeds. The use of glyphosate drastically increased after the development of glyphosate resistant agronomic crops in 1996 and was use as a post-emergence selective herbicide. This led to overreliance and repeated use of glyphosate for weed control especially …

Tnt1 Retrotransposon Mutagenesis: A Tool For Soybean Functional Genomics, Yaya Cui, Shyam Barampuram, Minviluz G. Stacey, C. Nathan Hancock, Seth Findley, Melanie Mathieu, Zhanyuan Zhang, Wayne A. Parrott, Gary Stacey

Faculty Publications

Insertional mutagenesis is a powerful tool for determining gene function in both model and crop plant species. Tnt1, the transposable element of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cell type 1, is a retrotransposon that replicates via an RNA copy that is reverse transcribed and integrated elsewhere in the plant genome. Based on studies in a variety of plants, Tnt1 appears to be inactive in normal plant tissue but can be reactivated by tissue culture. Our goal was to evaluate the utility of the Tnt1 retrotransposon as a mutagenesis strategy in soybean (Glycine max). Experiments showed that the …

Prenatal Choline Supplementation And Mk-801 Toxicity: Protecting Memory And Preventing Neurodegeneration, Chelsea Nickerson

Honors Theses

Choline is essential to the development and function of the central nervous system. Supplemental choline is neuroprotective against a variety of insults, including neurotoxins like dizocilpine (MK-801). MK-801 is an NMDA receptor antagonist that is frequently used in rodent models of psychological disorders. At low doses, it causes cognitive impairments, and at higher doses it induces motor deficits, anhedonia, and neuronal degeneration. The primary goals of the present study were to investigate whether prenatal choline supplementation protects against the cognitive impairments, motor deficits, and neuropathologies that are precipitated by MK-801 administration in adulthood. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were fed …

Investigating The Role Of Epibiotic Bacteria In Defense Against Chytridiomycosis In The Green Frog, Lithobates Clamitans, Sarah Nalven

Honors Theses

Amphibian populations have been declining for several decades, in part due to the emerging fungal skin disease, chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Chytridiomycosis has caused extinctions and extirpations in many parts of the world, but its influence varies across species, populations, and individuals. The Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans), which inhabits the eastern half of the United States, seems capable of sustaining Bd infections without experiencing die-offs. It is possible that the Green Frog's epibiotic bacteria are contributing to its defense against Bd as the epibiotic bacteria of several amphibian species are known to play …

Salicylic Acid Delays Leaf Rolling By Inducing Antioxidant Enzymes And Modulating Osmoprotectant Content In Ctenanthe Setosa Under Osmotic Stress, Mehmet Demi̇ralay, Aykut Sağlam, Asi̇m Kadioğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of salicylic acid (SA) on leaf rolling under osmotic stress in Ctenanthe setosa (Roscoe) Eichler were evaluated. The leaves were pretreated with SA, paclobutrazol (PAC), and antioxidant enzyme inhibitors for 15 h and then kept in polyethylene glycol (PEG) for 4 h to promote osmotic stress. The degree of leaf rolling was measured every hour during the 4-h PEG treatment. Antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase) and NADPH oxidase (NOX) activities, endogenous SA contents, hydrogen peroxide, proline, and soluble sugar were determined immediately after PEG treatment. SA treatment retarded leaf rolling and induced antioxidant …

Antioxidant Activity Of In Vitro Propagated Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni Plants Of Different Origins, Ely Zayova, Ira Stancheva, Maria Geneva, Maria Petrova, Lyudmila Dimitrova

Turkish Journal of Biology

An efficient in vitro protocol for propagation of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is described. Multiple shoots were induced in vitro from shoot tip and nodal segments on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 6-benzylaminopurine, zeatin, or thidiazuron alone and in combination with naphthalene acetic acid or indole-3-acetic acid. A high frequency of shoot induction as well as maximum number of shoots per shoot tip explant was observed on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (1.0 mg L^{-1}) alone and combined with indole-3-acetic acid (0.1 mg L^{-1}). For root induction, in vitro shoots were transferred to rooting media containing naphthalene acetic acid, …

Fatty Acid Composition Of Root And Shoot Samples Of Some Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) Taxa Growing In The East And Southeast Of Turkey, Cumali̇ Keski̇n, Semra Kaçar

Turkish Journal of Biology

The fatty acid compositions of root and shoot samples of some Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) taxa [A. gossypinus Fisch., A. amblolepis Fisch., A. edmondi (Kuntze) Sheld., A. tigridis Boiss., A. aleppicus Boiss., A. suberosus Banks & Sol. subsp. suberosus Banks & Sol., A. gummifer Labill., A. diphtherites Fenzl var. diphtherites Fenzl, and A. gymnalopecias Rech.f.] growing in the east and southeast of Turkey were determined by gas chromatography. Astragalus species contained palmitic (C 16:0) (20.13%-53.8%), linoleic (C 18:2\omega-6) (13.25%-41.06%), oleic (C 18:1\omega-9) (5.78%-25.7%), linolenic (C 18:3\omega-3) (6.1%-22.89%), and stearic acid (C 18:0) (5.16%-13.1%) in the roots and linolenic (8.9%-51.42%), palmitic (20.16%-44.88%), …

Investigation Of The Genotoxic And Antigenotoxic Properties Of Essential Oils Obtained From Two Origanum Species By Drosophila Wing Smart Assay, Eşref Demi̇r, Bülent Kaya, Ricard Marcos, Serap Kocaoğlu Cenkci̇, Hüseyi̇n Çeti̇n

Turkish Journal of Biology

In this study, essential oils extracted from 2 species of oregano, Origanum onites L. and Origanum minutiflorum O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis, were assayed for genotoxicity using the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) in Drosophila melanogaster. Results indicated that there is no significant genotoxic effect of the 2 oils tested. In addition, the antigenotoxic activities of these oils against potassium dichromate (K_{2}Cr_{2}O_{7}) and cobalt chloride (CoCl_{2}) were tested. Results indicated that essential oil cotreatments were able to abolish the genotoxic effects induced by the 2 metal compounds. It is suggested that the observed effects can be linked to the antioxidant properties …

The Effects Of Zinc Chloride During Early Embryonic Development In Zebrafish (Brachydanio Rerio), Melek Küçükoğlu, Uğur Seçi̇l Bi̇nokay, Ayper Boğa Pekmezekmek

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study investigated the developmental toxicity of zinc chloride (ZnCl_{2}) in zebrafish embryos (Brachydanio rerio, Cyprinidae, Cypriniformes). Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 5 different concentrations of ZnCl_{2}, from the blastula stage, for 15 days under static renewal test conditions. As a result, the corresponding median lethal concentration (LC_{50}) value determined for ZnCl_2 exposure was 1.36 mg/L (0.65 mg/L as a lone Zn^{2+} ion). At 1.0 mg/L ZnCl_{2}, the exposed group's hatching began at 7 days instead of at 4 days, and most of the embryos died in the chorion without hatching at 11 and 12 days. Developmental deformities such as …

Effect Of Nitrogen Supply On The C/N Balance In The Lichen Evernia Prunastri (L.) Ach., Silvana Munzi, Tommaso Pisani, Luca Paoli, Monia Renzi, Stefano Loppi

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study investigated the relationship between nitrogen and carbon in the thalli of the lichen Evernia prunastri, with an emphasis on the role of the C/N balance in the response of this species to N excess. For this purpose, thalli collected at a remote site were sprayed for 5 weeks with NH_{4}NO_{3} (0.05 and 1 M) and (NH_{4})_{2}SO_4 (0.025 and 0.5 M) solutions, and later analyzed for their C and N content. The results showed that the total N content of thalli increased and the total C content decreased along with increasing N concentration in the treatment solutions. Consequently, the …

Histology And Scanning Electron Microscopy Observations Of Cryopreserved Protocorm-Like Bodies Of Dendrobium Sonia-28, Ranjetta Poobathy, Uma Rani Sinniah, Xavier Rathinam, Sreeramanan Subramaniam

Turkish Journal of Biology

The genus Dendrobium possesses horticultural importance. Dendrobium sonia-28 is an important ornamental orchid in the flower industry. Cryopreservation is a favoured long-term storage method for orchids with propagation problems. Protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Dendrobium sonia-28 were cryopreserved using the vitrification technique. Histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations were conducted on stock, non-cryopreserved (control), and cryopreserved PLBs of Dendrobium sonia-28 to detect cryoinjuries resulting from the vitrification protocol. Histological observations of control PLBs indicated that the preculture, osmoprotection, and dehydration steps were not physically damaging to the PLBs. Histological and SEM analyses of cryopreserved PLBs indicated that the freezing and …

An Ethnobotanical Survey In Selected Towns Of The Mediterranean Subregion (Turkey), Gali̇p Akaydin, Işil Şi̇mşek, Zeki̇ye Ceren Arituluk, Erdem Yeşi̇lada

Turkish Journal of Biology

This survey was carried out by face-to-face oral interviews with 379 inhabitants who agreed to be interviewed in selected localities of the Mediterranean region: Hatay (İskenderun and Narlıca), İçel (Erdemli, Tarsus, and Silifke), and Isparta (Sav). The current study was conducted to document the ethnobotanical uses of plants. In the first step of the study, demographic profiles of the informants were evaluated. Subsequently, they were asked to state whether the plants were used for therapeutic or other purposes; then detailed information, i.e. local names, parts used, methods of preparation (decoction, infusion, poultice, ointment, etc.) was recorded; and finally the plant …

Biopolymer Generation From Sweet Sorghum Juice: Screening, Isolation, Identification, And Fermentative Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production By Bacillus Aryabhattai, Varavut Tanamool, Tsuyoshi Imai, Paiboon Danvirutai, Pakawadee Kaewkannetra

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study aims to use sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) to produce an environmentally friendly biopolymer of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by bacteria isolated from soil. Among 18 isolates, only 3 isolates, coded as S4, S6, and S11, were chosen to produce PHA via batch fermentation compared to 3 strains of Alcaligenes eutrophus, A. latus, and Hydrogenophaga sp., respectively, under controlled conditions at pH 7, 35 °C, and 20 g/L of initial total sugar in the SSJ. The results clearly showed that the isolate S4 can produce maximum PHAs of 1.74 g/L with 57.62% dry cell weight and yield maximum hourly productivity at …

Evaluation Of E330-Induced Developmental Toxicity Using Fetax, Ayper Boğa Pekmezekmek, Uğur Seçi̇l Bi̇nokay, Kübra Akillioğlu, Yaşar Sertdemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

The present study evaluates the teratogenic and toxicological effects of citric acid (E330), a food additive, on Xenopus laevis embryos. The embryos were exposed to a range of E330 concentrations, from stage 8 to 11 of development, for 96 h under static renewal test conditions. The median lethal concentrations, no-observed adverse effect concentration (NOAEC), lowest observed adverse effect concentration (LOAEC), and minimum concentration to inhibit growth (MCIG) values were calculated. The lethal concentration (LC) values LC_{10}, LC_{20}, LC_{30}, LC_{40}, and LC_{50} determined for E330 exposure were 0.0113, 0.0117, 0.0119, 0.0122, and 0.0124 g/L, respectively. NOAEC and LOAEC values were calculated …

Bioaccumulation Of Tributyltin And Its Impact On Spermatogenesis In Mud Crab Scylla Serrata (Forskal), Revathi Peranandam, Iyapparaj Palanisamy, Munuswamy Natesan, Arockia Vasanthi Lourduraj, Krishnan Muthukalingan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of tributyltin (TBT) on the spermatogenesis of mud crab Scylla serrata were studied. TBT-exposed crabs exhibited a decrease in the gonadosomatic Index and the hepatosomatic Index compared to the crabs in the control group. Bioaccumulation of the TBT levels also varied in different tissues. The treated crabs showed variation in the weight of the testes with respect to TBT concentrations. Histological results clearly indicated that the control crabs showed spermatophores and granular substances were seen filling up the lumen of the seminiferous tubules. The testes of the experimental crabs illustrated that disruption in the seminiferous tubule membrane architecture, …

A Cellulase-Free, Thermoactive, And Alkali Xylanase Production By Terrestrial Streptomyces Sp. Ca24, İlknur Porsuk, Süleyman Özakin, Bülent Bali̇, Ebru İnce Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Biology

Microbial xylanases have attracted much attention because of their applications in industrial processes during the past few decades. Sixty-five terrestrial actinomycetes previously isolated from rhizospheric soils of endemic plants were tested for their ability in production of xylanase. The results revealed that 33 isolates could degrade xylan on both solid and liquid media. Extracellular xylanase production by these isolates was characterized during their growth in liquid medium. Streptomyces sp. CA24, one of the most active strains, was selected for optimization of xylanase production. The enzyme secretion was enhanced when the medium was supplemented with oat spelt xylan (0.5%) and yeast …

Proteomic Evidence For The Plasticity Of Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells, Ahmet Tarik Baykal, Betül Baykal, Müge Serhatli, Zelal Adigüzel, Mehmet Altuğ Tunçer, Ömer Kaçar, Kemal Baysal, Ceyda Açilan Ayhan

Turkish Journal of Biology

Morphological, functional, and gene expression studies have established the phenotypic plasticity of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). These cells have been shown to respond to environmental stimulants such as extracellular matrix and growth factors. Cellular changes can vary between extremes defined as the contractile and synthetic states. Various growth factors have been shown to have profound effects on the phenotype of these cells. In this study, we intended to investigate the effects of growth factor-rich medium on the protein expression of vascular SMCs in culture. Interestingly, transiently changing the type of medium did not result in any apparent morphological differences, yet …

Production Of Herbicide-Resistant Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata L.) Transformed With The Bar Gene, Muhammad Aasim, Khalid Mahmood Khawar, Sebahatti̇n Özcan

Turkish Journal of Biology

Plant genetic engineering has opened new avenues to modify crops and has provided a powerful tool for crop improvement. The present study reports the development of regeneration and genetic transformation protocol for the Turkish cowpea cultivar Akkiz. The immature cotyledons were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.25-0.75 mg L^{-1} 6-benzylaminopurine with or without 0.25 mg L^{-1} \alpha-naphthalene acetic acid. Shoot regeneration varied 44.4%-83.3% with 2.1-5.0 shoots per explant. Regenerated shoots were rooted in MS medium containing 0.50 mg L^{-1} indole-3-butyric acid and acclimatized in the greenhouse, where they flowered and set seeds. Immature cotyledons were transformed with …

Purification And Biochemical Characterization Of An Extracellular Lipase From Psychrotolerant Pseudomonas Fluorescens Ke38, Aysun Adan Gökbulut, Alper Arslanoğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

An extracellular lipase producing bacterium was isolated from a soil sample, and identified as a strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. It was named Pseudomonas fluorescens KE38. KE38 showed psychrotolerant properties with an optimum growth temperature of 25 °C. The lipase enzyme secreted by KE38 was purified 41.13-fold with an overall yield of 54.99%, and a specific activity of 337.3 U/mg. The molecular mass of purified lipase was estimated to be approximately 43 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Although the lipase was active at a temperature range of 15–65 °C, it exhibited maximum activity at 45 °C, at pH …

Activity Of Brassica Napus And Perilla Frutescens Microsomal \Omega-3 Desaturases Expressed In Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae), Mohammed Abdelreheem, David Hildebrand

Turkish Journal of Biology

Yeast transformations with Brassica napus and Perilla frutescens \omega-3 desaturases were carried out. Feeding experiments on exogenous 18:2 at 10 mg/L and 100 mg/L for both genes under this investigation showed the same activity levels over the 3 days of the incubation, producing almost the same amount of 18:3. To further investigate the characteristics of B. napus and P. frutescens \omega -3 desaturases, a time-course in vivo activity study was conducted. Both enzymes showed the same behavior over the time course, desaturating 18:2 into 18:3. Moreover, the use of 2 different temperatures for incubation (30 °C and 20 °C) did …

Establishment And Optimization Of Cell Growth In Suspension Culture Of Papaver Bracteatum: A Biotechnology Approach For Thebaine Production, Reza Farjaminezhad, Nasser Zare, Rasool Asghari Zakaria, Manoochehr Farjaminezhad

Turkish Journal of Biology

Iranian poppy (Papaver bracteatum) is an important medicinal plant that is the main source of the opium alkaloids codeine, morphine, and thebaine. To establish an efficient protocol for cell suspension culture and growth, the effects of different plant growth regulators (2,4-D, NAA, BAP, and kinetin) on callus induction and cell suspension culture of Iranian poppy were evaluated. The maximum percentage of callus induction (86.67%) and fresh weight of callus were obtained in MS medium supplemented with 1 or 2 mg/L 2,4-D, 0.1 or 0.2 mg/L kinetin and 15 mg/L ascorbic acid. The addition of 15 mg/L ascorbic acid to the …

In Vitro Mutagenesis Of Etlingera Elatior (Jack) And Early Detection Of Mutation Using Rapd Markers, Muhamad Fahmi Yunus, Maheran Abd Aziz, Mihdzar Abdul Kadir, Siti Khalijah Daud, Azmi Abdul Rashid

Turkish Journal of Biology

Mutation breeding techniques in combination with tissue culture and molecular marker methods provide a powerful tool for improvement of vegetatively propagated plants. The aim of this study was to develop a protocol for shoot regeneration and mutation induction of Etlingera elatior. The results of irradiation on in vitro buds of E. elatior showed LD_{50} to be 10 Gy, with the survival of explants being sharply reduced at this dosage. All 8 selected gamma irradiated regenerants were differentiated from the untreated control based on the banding patterns obtained using 9 primers, which generated 59 reproducible bands, whereby 35 (55.31%) were found …

Cystic Fibrosis, Monica Rahman

A with Honors Projects

Presentation describes Cystic Fibrosis with special attention to nutrition.

Plant-Pathogen Interactions Associated With Wasting Disease In The Tropical Seagrass Thalassia Testudinum., Kyle Loucks

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was shown to serve as a strong elicitor of the early defense response in the subtropical seagrass Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König and was capable of inducing an oxidative burst identified at the single cell level. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) included a diphenylene iodonium sensitive response, suggesting the involvement of an NADPH oxidase. A 900 bp fragment of this enzyme was sequenced and found to encode a NAD binding pocket domain with extensive homology to the Arabidopsis thaliana rbohF (respiratory burst oxidase homolog) gene. Pharmacological dissection of the early events preceding ROS emission revealed that …