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No Detected Signal Of The 2022 Epizootic From Multiannual Diadema Antillarum Settlement Data In The Florida Keys, Jason Albrecht Jan 2025

No Detected Signal Of The 2022 Epizootic From Multiannual Diadema Antillarum Settlement Data In The Florida Keys, Jason Albrecht

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The sea urchin Diadema antillarum is a key coral reef grazer that remains functionally extinct on many Caribbean reefs following a mass mortality event in 1983–84. In 2022, another widespread mortality event, likely caused by a scuticociliate parasite, again decimated D. antillarum at reefs across the Caribbean. Understanding the population-level impacts of this recent epizootic will be important for coral reef conservation efforts. This study examines multi-year larval settlement data from the Florida Keys to determine if the 2022 mortality event reduced larval settlement. Larval settlement was assessed monthly at three long-term monitoring sites (Delta Shoal, Tennessee Reef, and Pickles …


Tissue Kallikrein 1 Cleaves Complement Factor C3 And Activates The Alternative Complement Pathway, Sarah E. Sartain, Andrew Yee, Paula Jacobi Jan 2025

Tissue Kallikrein 1 Cleaves Complement Factor C3 And Activates The Alternative Complement Pathway, Sarah E. Sartain, Andrew Yee, Paula Jacobi

Research Data

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (HSCT-TMA), characterized by microvascular endothelial damage and severe renal injury, negatively affects HSCT survivorship with high mortality and long-term renal morbidity. After HSCT, innate immunity and inflammation are often dysregulated. The alternative complement pathway (AP) of the innate immune system is overactivated in HSCT-TMA, but the mechanisms of its initiation are poorly described. Complement component C3 of the AP can be cleaved by proteases outside of the AP. Because mRNA expression of tissue kallikrein 1 (KLK1), an inflammatory serine protease that produces kinins, has been found to be markedly elevated in the renal endothelium …


Journal Of Earth And Life Science, Academic Year 2024-2025, Megan Boche, Nathan D. Pyburn, Ben Hoover, Jayden R. Alsleben, Hector Montoya, Jr, Reed Cumberland, Rose Kuhlmann, Ray Anderson, Ellie Isakson, Seth Sisneros-Martinez, Zanden Mellen, Quady Bernu, Cian Verbridge, Benjamin D. Strei, Madelaine Adamich, Arian Garcia, Tegwen Romportl, Sandra J. Marcu, Bemidji State University Jan 2025

Journal Of Earth And Life Science, Academic Year 2024-2025, Megan Boche, Nathan D. Pyburn, Ben Hoover, Jayden R. Alsleben, Hector Montoya, Jr, Reed Cumberland, Rose Kuhlmann, Ray Anderson, Ellie Isakson, Seth Sisneros-Martinez, Zanden Mellen, Quady Bernu, Cian Verbridge, Benjamin D. Strei, Madelaine Adamich, Arian Garcia, Tegwen Romportl, Sandra J. Marcu, Bemidji State University

Journal of Earth and Life Science

No abstract provided.


Size Structure Of Black Crappie And Bluegill In Northern, Eastern, Western, And Southern Minnesota, Ray Anderson Jan 2025

Size Structure Of Black Crappie And Bluegill In Northern, Eastern, Western, And Southern Minnesota, Ray Anderson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Fish size structure is an important factor in a fishery population. Panfish such as black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus play a major role in the health of fisheries. Five lakes from southern, northern, eastern, and western Minnesota were selected for analysis. Data were collected using standard sampling methods, including gill nets, electrofishing, and fyke nets. Length-frequency distributions were created to assess size structure in each region. Relative abundance was measured using catch per unit effort. Data analysis included a one-way ANOVA to compare Proportional Size Distribution (PSD) values and the distribution of fish sizes among regions. Chi-square …


Comparison Of Hoop Nets To Trap Nets In Sampling Panfish, Jayden R, Alsleben Jan 2025

Comparison Of Hoop Nets To Trap Nets In Sampling Panfish, Jayden R, Alsleben

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Panfish including bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus are gamefish species of significance found in Minnesota. Hoop nets and trap nets are two types of gear that can be used to sample these fish. Fisheries managers and anglers alike are interested in the best tactics to capture panfish. The behavior of fish, including bluegill and black crappie, change throughout the sampling season and make it difficult to assume accurate representations. Trap nets have historically been adequate in sampling near shore populations, but questions surrounding the gear have allowed other options to be pursued. The objective of this study …


The Relationship Between Plant Density And Microplastic Concentration In The Water In Lake Bemidji, Mn, Arian Garcia Jan 2025

The Relationship Between Plant Density And Microplastic Concentration In The Water In Lake Bemidji, Mn, Arian Garcia

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, are an increasing environmental threat, particularly due to their widespread distribution and toxicity. While much research has focused on larger freshwater and marine ecosystems, the presence and impacts of microplastics in smaller inland lakes remain less understood. This study investigates the relationship between plant density and microplastic concentrations in Lake Bemidji, a smaller freshwater lake. A total of 30 water samples were collected across varying vegetation conditions, ranging from open water (0%) to 90% plant coverage. Microplastics were identified and categorized into six morphological types: fibers, fragments, films, spheres/beads, and foam. The samples …


A Sample Of Fish Communities In Beaver Ponds Of Northern Minnesota, Reed Cumberland, Rose Kuhlmann Jan 2025

A Sample Of Fish Communities In Beaver Ponds Of Northern Minnesota, Reed Cumberland, Rose Kuhlmann

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The North American beaver Castor canadensis is an ecosystem engineer and a keystone species to the environment. Beaver inhabit ponds and construct dams to build ponds that provide habitat for certain fish. Little information is provided on the species of fish that live in beaver ponds. The objective of this study is to sample the fish communities in beaver ponds while comparing the effectiveness of two styles of minnow traps. Twelve beaver ponds were selected in the Bemidji area to be sampled. The quantity and species caught in each style of trap were recorded to compare effectiveness of each trap …


Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu Jan 2025

Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Many people around the world have used and still currently use Roundup but are unaware of the effects it has on the environment. Roundup is a spray on application weedkiller that is widely used around the world today both residentially and commercially. It enables its user to grow a garden or a field of crops with a no-tilling approach to eliminate weeds. It is a well-known and popular choice for killing weeds that has been around since the mid 1970’s (Oca, 2017). John Franz, a Monsanto scientist discovered that glyphosate (main ingredient in Roundup) was an herbicide or weedkiller, and …


The Effectiveness Of The Minnesota Buffer Law And Its Impacts On People, Ellen P. Isakson Jan 2025

The Effectiveness Of The Minnesota Buffer Law And Its Impacts On People, Ellen P. Isakson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

In January 2015, the then-governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton announced new legislation that would require 50-foot vegetation buffers along all waterways in Minnesota; this legislation would come to be known as the Minnesota buffer law, exact requirements being “perennial vegetative buffers of up to 50 feet along lakes, rivers, and streams and buffers of 16.5 feet along ditches” (Albert, 2017; MN Board of Water and Soil Resources [MN BWSR] 4 ). A buffer in the context of vegetation and natural resource management is a strip of vegetation around a body of water “designed to intercept stormwater runoff and minimize soil …


Does Depth Affect Zebra Mussel Length In Scalp Lake?, Zanden Mellen Jan 2025

Does Depth Affect Zebra Mussel Length In Scalp Lake?, Zanden Mellen

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Since its first sighting in 1996, zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha have been confirmed in hundreds of Minnesota lakes. Not only were they found in lakes, but they are also found in rivers too. With lack of effective treatments to impede their spread, zebra mussels continue to colonize new areas causing ecological as well as economic harm. The objective of this study was to see if there was a relationship between a zebra mussel length and the depth, they are found using shell length (mm) and depth (cm). The comparison of zebra mussel length and depth was done by performing a …


Age Class Is Not Related To Size Or Composition Of Home Ranges Among Suburban White-Tailed Deer During Parturition, Nathan D. Pyburn Jan 2025

Age Class Is Not Related To Size Or Composition Of Home Ranges Among Suburban White-Tailed Deer During Parturition, Nathan D. Pyburn

Journal of Earth and Life Science

How white-tailed deer use the landscape in an urban environment can help us understand the effects of urbanization on deer populations. White-tailed deer form observable matriarchal hierarchies in studied populations. This study examines the matriarchal structure, home range size, and home range composition of 25 collared white-tailed deer within the city limits of Bemidji, MN. The results found no significant difference between age class and home range size or composition. However, movement metrics from yearling and mature age classes were more similar than the juvenile age class females. I propose this is because social acceptance between mature females was higher …


Relationship Of Utricle And Trap Door Size On Common Bladderworts Utricularia Macrorhiza, Tegwen Romportl Jan 2025

Relationship Of Utricle And Trap Door Size On Common Bladderworts Utricularia Macrorhiza, Tegwen Romportl

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza is a carnivorous aquatic plant that captures organisms with its bladders. This study was aimed at setting the stage for future research which might determine if U. macrorhiza could be a biological method of control for invasive species. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between utricle and trap door sizes and to gather data on the size ranges of these two morphological features. A regression analysis was used to obtain results which showed there was enough evidence to suggest that the size of bladderwort trap doors have a significant, positive relationship …


The Influence Of Flower-Microbe Interactions On Bumble Bee Behavior And Gut Microbiome Composition, Success Chiamaka Ekemezie Jan 2025

The Influence Of Flower-Microbe Interactions On Bumble Bee Behavior And Gut Microbiome Composition, Success Chiamaka Ekemezie

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines how microbial interactions in floral nectar and environmental variation influence bumble bee (Bombus spp.) foraging behavior and gut microbiome composition. Pollen germination experiments and behavioral assays in the lab tested whether Metschnikowia reukaufii (yeast) and Acinetobacter nectaris (bacteria) induce pollen germination and bursting in nectar and affect bee behavior subsequently. Both microbes reduced intact pollen, but bees did not alter flower preference. Furthermore, the study also assessed how floral and bee community composition shaped gut microbiome composition across six Missouri prairies. Using amplicon-sequenced fungal ITS and bacterial 16S rRNA genes, I found that fungal microbiome composition varied …


Territorial Behavior Of A Terrestrial Salamander: Effect Of Physical Stress, Residency Status, And Sex, Abigail C. Nagl Jan 2025

Territorial Behavior Of A Terrestrial Salamander: Effect Of Physical Stress, Residency Status, And Sex, Abigail C. Nagl

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Environmentally induced stressors can include threats from predators and competitors. Individuals in territorial species, including the subject of this study, Southern Red-backed Salamanders, Plethodon serratus, face ongoing competitive threats, and loss of contests may be more consequential to territory owners (losing a territory) than to intruders (continuing to be without a territory). Therefore, when the threat of increased predation risk is added, residents may respond differently than intruders. Here, I tested the impact of physical stress, residency status and sex on the territorial behavior of Southern Red-backed salamanders. Territorial behavior was assessed through staged contests with same-sized and same-sexed individuals, …


Inoculating Soybean Plants At Different Growth Stages: Selecting Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Or Both, Matthew R. Knoll Jan 2025

Inoculating Soybean Plants At Different Growth Stages: Selecting Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Or Both, Matthew R. Knoll

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Soybean plants rely on nitrogen for growth, however atmospheric nitrogen (N2) is not a usable form and needs to be converted into different forms that are available to the plant. Nitrogen fixing bacteria such as rhizobia form symbiotic relationships with Soybeans in exchange for shelter and excess plant sugars. As a result, the plant can get the nitrogen it needs. There are four main genera of rhizobia that can form root nodules on Soybean including Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, and Rhizobium. At this point, the effect that age of the host plant has on the selection of …


The Role Of Host Factor Sptbn1 In Hiv-1 Capsid Uncoating In Human Microglial Cells, Callie Marie Fry Jan 2025

The Role Of Host Factor Sptbn1 In Hiv-1 Capsid Uncoating In Human Microglial Cells, Callie Marie Fry

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

HIV-1 is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and currently, there is no cure once an individual is infected. The development of new drugs targeting HIV-1 replication steps is essential for keeping viral loads low or undetectable to prevent further transmission. An attractive replication step for new drug targets is viral capsid uncoating, where the virus loses the protein structure encapsulating the genome. The exact mechanism of capsid uncoating is unknown; however, several host-factors may be involved including protein SPTBN1. Recent studies have shown a significant decrease in viral infectivity when SPTBN1 is knocked down, yet its role …


Restoration Of Giant River Cane (Arundinaria Gigantea) In Southwest Missouri, Lyndsey D. Rightnowar Jan 2025

Restoration Of Giant River Cane (Arundinaria Gigantea) In Southwest Missouri, Lyndsey D. Rightnowar

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Giant river cane (Arundinaria gigantea), a native bamboo species, once dominated riparian landscapes across the southeastern United States but has declined to approximately 2% of its historic range. This study evaluated restoration techniques for giant cane in southwest Missouri by examining the influence of rhizome source (putative genotype), planting type, and restoration site on restoration success. I compared two planting types: greenhouse-to-field (G2F) transplanting, where rhizomes were first propagated in the greenhouse before planting, and field-to-field (F2F) transplanting, where rhizomes were directly transplanted from source canebrakes to restoration sites. Rhizomes were collected from four existing canebrakes in Taney …


Testing The Life-History Dependence Of Dietary Restriction Effects On Oxidative Molecular Damage In Hornworms, Fahime Taheri Jan 2025

Testing The Life-History Dependence Of Dietary Restriction Effects On Oxidative Molecular Damage In Hornworms, Fahime Taheri

Masters Theses

DR and ambient temperature are two environmental factors widely implicated in shaping organismal maintenance and longevity through effects on metabolic rate and oxidative damage. This study tests whether DR and reduced body temperature independently or interactively reduce oxidative protein damage in the gut of tobacco hornworm larvae, a short-lived ectotherm whose life history may constrain typical DR responses. Larvae hatched from eggs were allocated to two feeding regimes (AL and DR) and to 20 °C and 30 °C. At a defined endpoint, guts dissected and homogenized, and analyzed for protein carbonyl content and total protein. Protein damage was expressed as …


Using Lateral Flow Assay To Assess The Prevalence Of Trachemys Hybridization, Lillian Groves Jan 2025

Using Lateral Flow Assay To Assess The Prevalence Of Trachemys Hybridization, Lillian Groves

Honors Program Theses

The current study focuses on Trachemys species, which is a group of freshwater turtles found throughout the Greater Antilles. The role of studying an isolated island, such as the Dominican Republic, is significant because it serves as a way to better understand how the combined effects of species migration, mass tourism, and climate change can greatly impact isolated species. Of particular significance is how these forces interact in complex ways to reshape habitats and threaten biodiversity. Additionally, the introduction of a highly invasive species, Trachemys scripta elegans (T. scripta), in this environment pressures native species by acting as a source …


Editorial: The Development And Evolution Of Larval Nervous Systems, Oliver Vöcking, Allan Carrillo-Baltodano, Néva Meyer Jan 2025

Editorial: The Development And Evolution Of Larval Nervous Systems, Oliver Vöcking, Allan Carrillo-Baltodano, Néva Meyer

Biology

Throughout their development, animals of various taxa go through different larval stages, which have evolved adaptations to interact with specific environments. Larval nervous systems in particular experience strong selection pressures since they control crucial physiological and behavioral processes, especially in taxa with planktotrophic larvae that need to acquire food. Selection pressures also can vary across life history stages if there are differences in factors such as habitat, predation avoidance, and diet. There is evidence for this in the relationship of the larval nervous system to the adult nervous system, which can vary widely between species. Understanding the specific adaptations of …


Phylogenetic Proximity Is A Key Driver Of Temporal Succession Of Marine Giant Viruses In A Five-Year Metagenomic Time-Series, Sarah M. Laperriere, Benjamin Minch, J.L. Weissman, Shangwei Hou, Yi-Chun Yeh, Nathan Ahlgren, Mohammad Moniruzzaman Jan 2025

Phylogenetic Proximity Is A Key Driver Of Temporal Succession Of Marine Giant Viruses In A Five-Year Metagenomic Time-Series, Sarah M. Laperriere, Benjamin Minch, J.L. Weissman, Shangwei Hou, Yi-Chun Yeh, Nathan Ahlgren, Mohammad Moniruzzaman

Biology

Nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs), also called giant viruses, are widespread in marine systems and infect a broad range of microbial eukaryotes (protists). Recent biogeographic work has provided global snapshots of NCLDV diversity and community composition across the world’s oceans, yet little information exists about the guiding “rules” underpinning their community dynamics over time. We leveraged a five-year monthly coupled metagenomic-viromic time-series to quantify the community composition of NCLDVs off the coast of Southern California and characterize their temporal population dynamics. NCLDVs were dominated by Algavirales (Phycodnaviruses, 59%) and Imitervirales (Mimiviruses, 36%). We identified clusters of NCLDVs with distinct classes …


Characterization Of Fungal Carbonyl Sulfide Hydrolase Belonging To Clade D Β-Carbonic Anhydrase, Ryuka Iizuka, Takahiro Ogawa, Rikako Tsukida, Keiichi Noguchi, David Hibbett, Yoko Katayama, Makoto Yoshida Jan 2025

Characterization Of Fungal Carbonyl Sulfide Hydrolase Belonging To Clade D Β-Carbonic Anhydrase, Ryuka Iizuka, Takahiro Ogawa, Rikako Tsukida, Keiichi Noguchi, David Hibbett, Yoko Katayama, Makoto Yoshida

Biology

Carbonyl sulfide hydrolase (COSase) is a unique enzyme that exhibits high activity towards carbonyl sulfide (COS) but low carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity, despite belonging to the CA family. COSase was initially identified in a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium and later discovered in the ascomycete Trichoderma harzianum strain THIF08. The COSase from T. harzianum has been recognized as a key enzyme in the assimilation of gaseous COS, and homologous genes are widely present not only in Ascomycota but also in Basidiomycota. Here, we characterized the COSases from the basidiomycete Gloeophyllum trabeum NBRC 6430 and T. harzianum to obtain detailed characteristics of fungal COSase. …


Two Coacting Shadow Enhancers Regulate Twin Of Eyeless Expression During Early Drosophila Development, Jacqueline Dresch, Luke L. Nourie, Regan D. Conrad, Lindsay T. Carlson, Elizabeth I. Tchantouridze, Biruck Tesfaye, Eleanor Verhagen, Mahima Gupta, Diego Borges-Rivera, Rob Drewell Jan 2025

Two Coacting Shadow Enhancers Regulate Twin Of Eyeless Expression During Early Drosophila Development, Jacqueline Dresch, Luke L. Nourie, Regan D. Conrad, Lindsay T. Carlson, Elizabeth I. Tchantouridze, Biruck Tesfaye, Eleanor Verhagen, Mahima Gupta, Diego Borges-Rivera, Rob Drewell

Biology

The Drosophila PAX6 homolog twin of eyeless (toy) sits at the pinnacle of the genetic pathway controlling eye development, the retinal determination network. Expression of toy in the embryo is first detectable at cellular blastoderm stage 5 in an anterior–dorsal band in the presumptive procephalic neuroectoderm, which gives rise to the primordia of the visual system and brain. Although several maternal and gap transcription factors that generate positional information in the embryo have been implicated in controlling toy, the regulation of toy expression in the early embryo is currently not well characterized. In this study, we adopt an integrated experimental …


Genomic Differences And Parentage In West Virginia's Reintroduced Elk (Cervus Canadensis), Adam A.V. Cook Jan 2025

Genomic Differences And Parentage In West Virginia's Reintroduced Elk (Cervus Canadensis), Adam A.V. Cook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Elk (Cervus canadensis) reintroductions have been common in the 20th and 21st centuries, yet 40% have failed to establish self-sustaining elk populations due to a lack of post-reintroduction demographic monitoring. Elk were reintroduced to West Virginia in 2016 following more than a century of absence after the species was extirpated in 1875. Elk were translocated to West Virginia from Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL) in eastern Kentucky and from Arizona. The two groups of elk differ in their subspecies, physiology, reintroduction history, connectivity, and habitat. Reintroductions create genetic risks such as the founder effect and …


Factors Influencing The Discovery And Use Of Carrion By Vertebrate Scavengers From Human-Induced Mass-Mortality Events, Samantha J. Leivers, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Tyler A. Campbell, John M. Tomeček Jan 2025

Factors Influencing The Discovery And Use Of Carrion By Vertebrate Scavengers From Human-Induced Mass-Mortality Events, Samantha J. Leivers, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Tyler A. Campbell, John M. Tomeček

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Scavengers play critical roles in ecosystem health and stability, and both biotic and abiotic factors can influence scavenger guild dynamics. Carrion is often limited both temporally and spatially on the landscape, but mass mortality events (MMEs)—in which there is an influx of carrion biomass on the landscape—may result in different scavenger community dynamics compared to when carrion is scarcely distributed. In this study, we investigated factors affecting the discovery and use of carrion by a natural, unharrassed scavenger guild during wild pig (Sus scrofa) MMEs conducted at East Foundation’s San Antonio Viejo Ranch in South Texas, USA. We …


Making Dew In The Atacama Desert: A Paradigmatic Case Of Plant Water Uptake From An Unsaturated Atmosphere Fails A Test, Jess T. Gersony, Anju Manandhar, Uri Hochberg, Nora Abdellaoui, Paula Llanos, Jacques Dumais, N. Michele Holbrook, Fulton E. Rockwell Jan 2025

Making Dew In The Atacama Desert: A Paradigmatic Case Of Plant Water Uptake From An Unsaturated Atmosphere Fails A Test, Jess T. Gersony, Anju Manandhar, Uri Hochberg, Nora Abdellaoui, Paula Llanos, Jacques Dumais, N. Michele Holbrook, Fulton E. Rockwell

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Physiological And Genetic Studies Of Hydrotropism In The Maize Primary Root, Muyu Gu Jan 2025

Physiological And Genetic Studies Of Hydrotropism In The Maize Primary Root, Muyu Gu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Biotransformation Of Camelina Meal Via Pretreatment And Fermentation For Functional And Nutritional Upgrading, Ram Kumar Bhattarai Jan 2025

Biotransformation Of Camelina Meal Via Pretreatment And Fermentation For Functional And Nutritional Upgrading, Ram Kumar Bhattarai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Camelina sativa, an oilseed crop of the Brassicaceae family, has seen increased cultivation in North America in response to the rising demand for biofuels over the past two decades. With this growth, camelina meal, a byproduct of oil extraction, has emerged as a promising yet underutilized resource, particularly for applications in animal nutrition. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of camelina meal as a substrate for submerged fungal fermentation and to examine how this bioconversion affects its physicochemical and nutritional properties. The influence of mild pretreatments (unwashed, washed only, and washed/dried and ground) on fermentation outcomes was also assessed. …


The Complex Development Of Psoralen-Interstrand Crosslink Resistance In Escherichia Coli Requires Acrr Inactivation, Retention Of A MarboxSequence, And One 3 Of Three Mara, Soxs, Or Rob Global Regulators, Travis K. Worley, Ayah H. Asal, Lo Cooper, Charmain T. Courcelle, Justin C. Courcelle Jan 2025

The Complex Development Of Psoralen-Interstrand Crosslink Resistance In Escherichia Coli Requires Acrr Inactivation, Retention Of A MarboxSequence, And One 3 Of Three Mara, Soxs, Or Rob Global Regulators, Travis K. Worley, Ayah H. Asal, Lo Cooper, Charmain T. Courcelle, Justin C. Courcelle

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Crosslinking agents, such as psoralen and UVA radiation, can be effectively used as antimicrobials and for treating several dysplastic conditions in humans, including some cancers. Yet, both cancer cells and bacteria can become resistant to these compounds, making it important to understand how resistance develops. Recently, several mutants were isolated that developed high-levels of resistance to these compounds through upregulation of components of the AcrAB-TolC-efflux pump. Here, we characterized these mutants and found that resistance specifically requires inactivating mutations of the acrR transcriptional repressor which also retain the marbox sequence found within this coding region. In addition, the …


Heterospecific Coprophagy In The White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780) In Costa Rica, Mora Manuel Jose, Juan De Dios Astorga-Acuña Jan 2025

Heterospecific Coprophagy In The White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780) In Costa Rica, Mora Manuel Jose, Juan De Dios Astorga-Acuña

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Animals may engage in coprophagy, including heterospecific coprophagy, where they consume the feces of other species. The white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, primarily feeds on plant material, such as tender forbs and shrub shoots. This report documents a case of heterospecific coprophagy by the white-tailed deer in Costa Rica, where two individuals were observed consuming domestic horse feces. The reasons for heterospecific coprophagy in ruminants like the white-tailed deer are unclear. Nutritional supplementation, microbial transfer, or other ecological factors may play a role in this behavior. However, such a behavior also poses risks, including the transmission of diseases and parasites from …