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Fishes Of The Columbia And Snake River Basins In Eastern Washington, Allan T. Scholz, Holly J. Mclellan, Fisheries Research Center, Eastern Washington University

Biology Faculty Publications

"This book was prepared through a grant from the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)."

Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Checklist of Fishes Found in Eastern Washington, Chapter 3 Fish Identification and Classification Aids to Identification of Fishes, Chapter 4 Key to Families of Eastern Washington Fishes, Chapter 5 Family Petromyzontidae: Lampreys, Chapter 6 Family Acipenseridae: Sturgeon, Chapter 7 Family Clupeidae: Herrings, Chapter 8 Family Cyprinidae: Carps and Minnows, Chapter 9 Family Catostomidae: Suckers, Chapter 10 Family Ictaluridae: Bullhead Catfishes, Chapter 11 Family Esocidae: Pikes, Chapter 12 Family Salmonidae: Salmon, Trout, Whitefish, Grayling, Chapter 13 …

Development Of Ultra-Sensitive Fluorescence Photoamplification Assays For The Detection Of Molecular Recognition Events, Tiffany Priscilla Gustafson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the course of this research a novel method which couples the molecular recognition-triggered photoamplification chain in diaryl ketone adducts of dithiane with a "turn-off" or "turn-on" fluorescence-based assay for the detection of biological targets and ligands, regardless of their nature, through a molecular recognition event has been developed. This research has included several key steps, the most significant being: (1) the design of fluorophore adducts or dyads which recover fluorescence upon photocleavage for a "turn-on" assay and the identification of fluorophores which are quenched upon the photochemical release of a quencher for a "turn off" assay; (2) Optimization of …

"The Status And Distribution Of Freshwater Crabs [Northern Africa]" , Neil Cumberlidge

Book Sections/Chapters

No abstract provided.

Diversity Of Species In Freshwater Systems, E Balian, I Harrison, S Butchart, P Chambers, J Cordeiro, Neil Cumberlidge, F De Moor, C Gascon, H James, V Kalkman, P P. Van Dijk, D Yeo

Book Sections/Chapters

No abstract provided.

Ligand-Induced Conformations Of Extracellular Loop 2 Of At1r, Hamiyet Unal

ETD Archive

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) and an important regulator of blood pressure. It is a target for drug development, because abnormalities in its function are linked to hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. AT1R is composed of seven transmembrane helices connected by three extracellular loops and three intracellular loops. The extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) of AT1R directly interacts with the ligands. This loop is targeted by autoantibodies that activate AT1R in several pathologies such as preeclampsia, malignant hypertension and vascular allograft rejection. Therefore, we proposed that the conformation of ECL2 in AT1R is …

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 …

Merits And Limits Of Ecosystem Protection For Conserving Wild Salmon In A Northern Coastal British Columbia River, Aaron C. Hill, Thomas S. Bansak, Bonnie K. Ellis, Jack Arthur Stanford

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Loss and degradation of freshwater habitat reduces the ability of wild salmon populations to endure other anthropogenic stressors such as climate change, harvest, and interactions with artificially propagated fishes. Preservation of pristine salmon rivers has thus been advocated as a cost-effective way of sustaining wild Pacific salmon populations. We examine the value of freshwater habitat protection in conserving salmon and fostering resilience in the Kitlope watershed in northern coastal British Columbia—a large (3186 km²) and undeveloped temperate rainforest ecosystem with legislated protected status. In comparison with other pristine Pacific Rim salmon rivers we studied, the Kitlope is characterized …

Functional Convergence In Reduced Genomes Of Bacterial Symbionts Spanning 200 My Of Evolution, John P. Mccutcheon, Nancy A. Moran

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The main genomic changes in the evolution of host-restricted microbial symbionts are ongoing inactivation and loss of genes combined with rapid sequence evolution and extreme structural stability; these changes reflect high levels of genetic drift due to small population sizes and strict clonality. This genomic erosion includes irreversible loss of genes in many functional categories and can include genes that underlie the nutritional contributions to hosts that are the basis of the symbiotic association. Candidatus Sulcia muelleri is an ancient symbiont of sap-feeding insects and is typically coresident with another bacterial symbiont that varies among host subclades. Previously sequenced Sulcia …

Are Forested Buffers An Effective Conservation Strategy For Riparian Fauna? An Assessment Using Meta-Analysis, Laurie B. Marczak, Takashi Sakamaki, Shannon L. Turvey, Isabelle Deguise, Sylvia L. R. Wood, John S. Richardson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Historically, forested riparian buffers have been created to provide protection for aquatic organisms and aquatic ecosystem functions. Increasingly, new and existing riparian buffers are being used also to meet terrestrial conservation requirements. To test the effectiveness of riparian buffers for conserving terrestrial fauna, we conducted a meta-analysis using published data from 397 comparisons of species abundance in riparian buffers and unharvested (reference) riparian sites. The response of terrestrial species to riparian buffers was not consistent between taxonomic groups; bird and arthropod abundances were significantly greater in buffers relative to unharvested areas, whereas amphibian abundance decreased. Edge-preferring species were more abundant …

Full Issue: Volume 3, Number 1

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (Tgfβ)-Mediated Post-Transcriptional Regulation Of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transdifferentiation (Emt), Arindam Chaudhury

ETD Archive

TGF├ƒ induces epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation (EMT) accompanied by cellular differentiation and migration, a process fundamental during embryonic development and one that is reactivated in a variety of diseases including fibrosis and cancer. Despite extensive transcriptomic profiling, identification of TGF├ƒ-inducible, EMT-specific genes has met with limited success. Here, we report a novel post-transcriptional pathway by which TGF├ƒ modulates expression of EMT-specific proteins and EMT itself. We show that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein E1 (hnRNP E1) binds a structural, 33 nucleotides (nt) TGF-beta-activated translation (BAT) element in the 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs) of disabled-2 (Dab2) and interleukin-like EMT inducer (ILEI) transcripts, and repress their translation. …

How U.S. Ocean Policy And Market Power Can Reform The Coral Reef Wildlife Trade, Brian N. Tissot, Barbara A. Best, Eric H. Borneman, Andrew W. Bruckner, Cara H. Cooper, Heather D’Agnes, Timothy P. Fitzgerald, Amanda Leland, Susan Lieberman, Amy Mathews Amos, Rashid Sumaila, Teresa M. Telecky, Frazer Mcgilvray, Brian J. Plankis, Andrew L. Rhyne, Glynnis G. Roberts, Benjamin Starkhouse, Todd C. Stevenson

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

As the world’s largest importer of marine ornamental species for the aquaria, curio, home décor, and jewelry industries, the United States has an opportunity to leverage its considerable market power to promote more sustainable trade and reduce the effects of ornamental trade stress on coral reefs worldwide. Evidence indicates that collection of some coral reef animals for these trades has caused virtual elimination of local populations, major changes in age structure, and promotion of collection practices that destroy reef habitats. Management and enforcement of collection activities in major source countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines remain weak. Strengthening US …

Contrasting Patterns Of Phylogeographic Relationships In Sympatric Sister Species Of Ironclad Beetles (Zopheridae: Phloeodes Spp.) In California's Transverse Ranges, Michael S. Caterino, Maxi Polihronakis

Publications

Comparative phylogeography of sympatric sibling species provides an opportunity to isolate the effects of geography and demographics on the evolutionary history of two lineages over the same, known time scale. In the current study, we investigated the phylogeographic structure of two zopherid beetle species, Phloeodes diabolicus and P. plicatus, where their ranges overlap in California's Transverse Ranges.

Treefrog (Hyla Squirella) Responses To Rangeland And Management In Semi-Tropical Florida, Usa, Kathryn Windes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As urban areas expand, agricultural lands become increasingly important habitat for many species. Compared to some types of agricultural land-use, ranchlands provide vast expanses of minimally modified habitat that support many threatened and endangered species. Conservation biologists can promote ecologically sound management approaches by quantifying the effects of agricultural practices on resident species. I examined the effects of pasture management, cattle grazing, and landscape characteristics on both adult and larval treefrogs in a ranchland in south-central Florida. I experimentally determined optimal deployment of artificial treefrog shelters constructed of polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe to efficiently sample adult treefrogs (Chapter 1). Seventy-two shelters …

Latitudinal Variation In Seasonal Activity And Mortality In Ratsnakes (Elaphe Obsoleta), Jinelle H. Sperry, Gabriel Blouin-Demers, Gerardo L.F. Carfagno, Patrick J. Weatherhead

Biology Faculty Publications

The ecology of ectotherms should be particularly affected by latitude because so much of their biology is temperature dependent. Current latitudinal patterns should also be informative about how ectotherms will have to modify their behavior in response to climate change. We used data from a total of 175 adult black ratsnakes (Elaphe obsoleta) radio tracked in Ontario, Illinois, and Texas, a latitudinal distance of > 1500 km, to test predictions about how seasonal patterns of activity and mortality should vary with latitude. Despite pronounced differences in temperatures among study locations, and despite ratsnakes in Texas not hibernating and switching from diurnal …

Nip/Duoxa Is Essential For Drosophila Embryonic Development And Regulates Oxidative Stress Response., Xiaojun Xie, Jack Hu, Xiping Liu, Hanjuan Qin, Anthony Percival-Smith, Yong Rao, Shawn S C Li

Biochemistry Publications

NIP/DuoxA, originally cloned as a protein capable of binding to the cell fate determinant Numb in Drosophila, was recently identified as a modulator of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in mammalian systems. Despite biochemical and cellular studies that link NIP/DuoxA to the generation of ROS through the dual oxidase (Duox) enzyme, the in vivo function of NIP/DuoxA has not been characterized to date. Here we report a genetic and functional characterization of nip in Drosophila melanogaster. We show that nip is essential for Drosophila development as nip null mutants die at the 1(st) larval instar. Expression of UAS-nip, but not …

The Role Of Ceruloplasmin In Colitis, Bakytzhan Bakhautdin

ETD Archive

Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is an acute phase, plasma protein with multiple enzymatic activities consistent with both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions. Our laboratory has recently reported the presence of Cp in intestinal epithelial cells. To determine the potential role of Cp in intestinal inflammation, we induced colitis in Cp-deficient mice by continuous administration of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) ad libitum in the drinking water. The Cp-null mice rapidly lost weight and all were moribund by day 14, while about 90 of the wild-type (WT) mice survived at least 20 days. Higher amounts of TNF-alpha, and neutrophil (KC) and macrophage (MCP-1) chemokines, were …

Genetics And Genomics Of Complex Diseases;Mouse Atherosclerosis Modifier Genes And Human Gene Expression After Bariatric Surgery, Stela Z. Berisha

ETD Archive

The overall goal of our research was to study and identify genes involved in the development of complex diseases in mice and humans through integrative genetic/genomic approaches. Two complex diseases were the focus of research, atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes. Mouse models of atherosclerosis, in which the genetic background and the environment can be controlled for, were used to identify and validate atherosclerosis modifier genes. We studied an atherosclerosis quantitative trait locus (QTL) on the distal end of chromosome 5, called Ath24, and generated interval-specific congenic mice on the atherosclerosis resistant AKR and susceptible DBA/2 apoE-deficient strains. To date we …

The Role Of Sigirr In Innate And Adaptive Immunity, Muhammet Fatih Gulen

ETD Archive

Single immunoglobulin IL-1R-related receptor (SIGIRR) is a transmembrane protein, which belongs to interleukin 1 receptor (IL-1R)/Toll like receptor (TLR) superfamily (Toll-IL-1R superfamily). SIGIRR has been identified as a negative modulator for IL-1R/TLR signaling. Recently, detailed structural and functional analysis of SIGIRR has been published, however physiological function of SIGIRR has not been studied. To asses the physiological function of SIGIRR, the expression of SIGIRR mRNA in different mouse tissues was analyzed. Although SIGIRR is expressed in many tissues, its expression in different cell types was more restricted, with extremely high expression in primary kidney, colon epithelial cells and T cells, …

Characterization Of A Microrna Harboring Intron For Pre-Mrna Splicing And Microrna Processing, Neha Aggarwal

ETD Archive

Nuclear pre-mRNA splicing is an important step in eukaryotic RNA processing and can yield a variety of transcripts. Further, it is known that nuclear pre-mRNA introns are of two types, U2-dependent and U12-dependent. Recently discovered, microRNAs (miRNA) are short, endogenous, 20-22 nucleotide long, non-coding RNA molecules that base pair with target mRNAs to modulate translation. Current evidence suggests that processing of intronic miRNA does not affect the splicing. Since, intronic miRNAs are involved in essential cellular processes, we surmised if splice sites of miRNA coding introns are flexible to support productive precursor and mature miRNA processing. We constructed a minigene …

Targets Of Hsa-Mir-488* In Human Prostate Carcinoma Cells, Jinani E. Slaibi

ETD Archive

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer among men in America and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Recent epidemiological study shows that one in every six men over the age of forty five is at risk of PCa. Androgen receptor (AR) plays a causative role in the development of PCa. Hormonal blockade therapy which inhibits the expression of AR eventually fails and disease progresses to fatal androgen-refractory stage from androgen-dependent stage. Therefore, novel molecular approaches which can target and block the expression of AR are required. …

Characterization And Evolution Of The Serh Immobilization Antigen Genes In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Christopher Thomas Mcginness

ETD Archive

Tetrahymena thermophila express a major cell surface protein known as the immobilization (i-) antigen which coats the entire cell surface including the cilia. T. thermophila has several different i-antigens which are expressed in a mutually exclusive manner under varying environmental conditions. When the genes for these i-antigens were sequenced it was found that they encode proteins consisting of imperfect repeats with cysteine periodicity. The best characterized of these i-antigens are those specified by alleles at the SerH i-antigen locus. The H proteins all contain a section of 8-cysteine containing imperfect repeats. The presence of repeats allows for the possibility that …

Dc Expressing Transgene Foxp3 Are Regulatory Apc, Michael Lipscomb

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Tolerogenic DC and suppressive Foxp3(+) Treg play important roles in preventing autoimmunity and allograft rejection. We report that (adenovirus mediated) ectopic expression of Foxp3 in human DC (i.e. DC.Foxp3) yields an APC that severely limits T-cell proliferation and type-1 immune responses from the naïve, but not memory, pool of responder T cells in vitro. In marked contrast, the frequencies of type-2 and Treg responses were dramatically increased after stimulation of naïve T cells with DC.Foxp3 versus control DC. DC.Foxp3-induced CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells potently suppressed the proliferation of, and IFN-gamma production from, CD4(+) and CD8(+) responder T cells. Notably, the immunosuppressive …

Linking Snake Behavior To Nest Predation In A Midwestern Bird Community, Patrick J. Weatherhead, Gerardo L.F. Carfagno, Jinelle H. Sperry, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Scott K. Robinson

Biology Faculty Publications

Nest predators can adversely affect the viability of songbird populations, and their impact is exacerbated in fragmented habitats. Despite substantial research on this predator-prey interaction, however, almost all of the focus has been on the birds rather than their nest predators, thereby limiting our understanding of the factors that bring predators and nests into contact. We used radiotelemetry to document the activity of two snake species (rat snakes, Elaphe obsoleta; racers, Coluber constrictor) known to prey on nests in Midwestern bird communities and simultaneously monitored 300 songbird nests and tested the hypothesis that predation risk should increase for nests when …

Adaptive Evolution And Inherent Tolerance To Extreme Thermal Environments, Jennifer Cox, Alyxandria Schubert, Michael Travisano, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Background

When introduced to novel environments, the ability for a species to survive and rapidly proliferate corresponds with its adaptive potential. Of the many factors that can yield an environment inhospitable to foreign species, phenotypic response to variation in the thermal climate has been observed within a wide variety of species. Experimental evolution studies using bacteriophage model systems have been able to elucidate mutations, which may correspond with the ability of phage to survive modest increases/decreases in the temperature of their environment.

Results

Phage ΦX174 was subjected to both elevated (50°C) and extreme (70°C+) temperatures for anywhere from a few …

Mechanisms Responsible For A Φx174 Mutant's Ability To Infect Escherichia Coli By Phosphorylation, Jennifer Cox, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

The ability for a virus to expand its host range is dependent upon a successful mode of viral entry. As such, the host range of the well-studied ΦX174 bacteriophage is dictated by the presence of a particular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the bacterial surface. The mutant ΦX174 strain JACS-K, unlike its ancestor, is capable of infecting both its native host Escherichia coli C and E. coli K-12, which does not have the necessary LPS. The conversion of an alanine to a very reactive threonine on its virion surface was found to be responsible for the strain's expanded host range.

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 …

Grassland Root Communities: Species Distributions And How They Are Linked To Aboveground Abundance., Douglas Frank, Alyssa Pontes, Eleanor M. Maine, Julie Caruana, Ramesh Raina, Surahbi Raina, Jason Fridley

Biology - All Scholarship

There is little comprehensive information on the distribution of root systems among coexisting species, despite the expected importance of those distributions in determining the composition and diversity of plant communities. This gap in knowledge is particularly acute for grasslands, which possess large numbers of species with morphologically indistinguishable roots. In this study we adapted a molecular method, fluorescent fragment length polymorphism, to identify root fragments and determine species root distributions in two grasslands in Yellowstone National Park. Aboveground biomass was measured and soil cores (2 cm diam) were collected to 40 cm and 90 cm in an upland, dry grassland …

A Candidate Subspecies Discrimination System Involving A Vomeronasal Receptor Gene With Different Alleles Fixed In M. M. Domesticus And M. M. Musculus, Robert C. Karn, Janet M. Young, Christina M. Laukaitis

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Assortative mating, a potentially efficient prezygotic reproductive barrier, may prevent loss of genetic potential by avoiding the production of unfit hybrids (i.e., because of hybrid infertility or hybrid breakdown) that occur at regions of secondary contact between incipient species. In the case of the mouse hybrid zone, where two subspecies of Mus musculus (M. m. domesticus and M. m. musculus) meet and exchange genes to a limited extent, assortative mating requires a means of subspecies recognition. We based the work reported here on the hypothesis that, if there is a pheromone sufficiently diverged between M. m. domesticus and …

Combined Effects Of A Parasite, Qpx, And The Harmful-Alga, Prorocentrum Minimum On Northern Quahogs, Mercenaria Mercenaria, Hélène Hégaret, Roxanna Smolowitz, Inke Sunila, Sandra E. Shumway, Jennifer Alix, Mark Dixon, Gary H. Wikfors

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Northern quahogs, Mercenaria mercenaria (L.), frequently are infected with the parasite Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX, Labyrintohomorpha, Thraustochytriales), which can cause morbidity and mortality of the quahogs. Possible interactions between this parasitic disease and exposure to the harmful dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum in M. mercenaria were studied experimentally. Quahogs from Massachusetts with variable intensity of QPX infection were exposed, under controlled laboratory conditions, to cultured P. minimum added to the natural plankton at a cell density equivalent to a natural bloom. After 5 days of exposure, individual clams were diagnosed histologically to assess prevalence and intensity of parasitic infection, as well as …