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Characterization Of The Domain-Domain Interactions And Dna Binding In The Saccharomyces Cervisiae Hmcb Protein, Hmo1, Kevin Thomas Bauerle

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Heavy Metals On The Cyanobacterium, Anacystis Nidulans, Suzen Sameer Awad

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Anacystis nidulans is a rod-shaped, freshwater cyanobacterium. Like other cyanobacteria, it is an obligate photoautotroph that is similar to gram-negative bacteria in cell wall structure, replication and ability to harbor plasmids. Anacystis nidulans is often used as an indicator of the presence and level of pollutants in the environment. Mercury, iron, cadmium, and zinc are among the heavy metal contaminants found in the environment and in bodies of freshwater through industrial discharges, agricultural runoff and sewage treatments. In very low concentrations, they do not pose any threat to the environment, but high concentrations can be lethal. Different microorganisms vary in …

Effects Of Density On Timing Of Emergence And Its Consequences For Survival And Growth In Two Communities Of Annual Plants, Roy Turkington, Deborah E. Goldberg, Linda Olsvig-Whittaker, Andrew R. Dyer

Faculty Publications

We tested whether increasing seed density results in a change in the timing of emergence in two communities of sand dune annual plants in Israel. Specifically we tested (i) if emergence is accelerated or delayed due to high seed density. We also tested two predictions about the consequences of changes in the timing of emergence; (ii) seedlings emerging earlier will have higher survival and growth; (iii) the advantage of earlier emergence increases as seed density increases. We examined these predictions for both monocots and dicots growing under different irrigation regimes and using species from a desert and a semi-arid community …

Cell Wall Functions Required For Mating In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Stephen Dougherty

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In order for two haploid yeast cells to undergo normal fusion during mating, adhesive contacts are formed by a general class of fungal proteins termed “adhesins”. Within this family there is a subgroup of cell wall proteins termed “agglutinins” which are known to mediate aggregation, thereby increasing mating efficiency in liquid medium (Aga1p, Aga2p, Aga1p). In the absence of sufficient mating adhesive contacts we observed that cells undergo defective morphogenesis, apparently continuing to grow at their tips after fusing at the expense of laterally expanding their conjugation bridge. Based on these qualitative observations, I utilized differential interference microscopy to capture …

The Role Of Dosage Sensitive Sex Reversal Adrenal Hyperplasia Congenita 1 (Dax-1) In Mouse Oogenesis, Krystal Wilson

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Although critically important to fertility and reproduction, the mechanisms controlling development of mammalian primordial germ cells into functional oocytes are poorly understood. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate oocyte development will ultimately reveal significant insights into female infertility problems in mammals, including humans. In order to decipher what mediates the formation of a functional oocyte, we are studying oogenesis in the mammalian model Mus musculus. During mouse embryonic development the oocytes develop as interconnected clusters of cells called germline cysts. Evidence suggests that in humans, oocytes are also organized into cysts. Eventually the cysts undergo programmed cell breakdown, each giving …

Water Uptake And Transport In Lianas And Co-Occurring Trees Of A Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest, Jose Luis Andrade, Frederick C. Meinzer, Stefan A. Schnitzer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Water uptake and transport were studied in eight liana species in a seasonally dry tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Stable hydrogen isotope composition (δD) of xylem and soil water, soil volumetric water content (θ_v), and basal sap flow were measured during the 1997 and 1998 dry seasons. Sap flow of several neighboring trees was measured to assess differences between lianas and trees in magnitudes and patterns of daily sap flow. Little seasonal change in θ_v was observed at 90–120 cm depth in both years. Mean soil water δD during the dry season was −19‰ at …

Essential Kinase-Independent Role Of A Fer-Like Non-Receptor Tyrosine Kinase In Caenorhabditis Elegans Morphogenesis, Aaron P. Putzke

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Morphogenesis requires coordination of cell surface activity and cytoskeletal architecture. During the initial stage of morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans, the concerted movement of surface epithelial cells results in enclosure of the embryo by the epidermis. We report that Fer-related kinase-1 (FRK-1), an ortholog of the mammalian non-receptor tyrosine kinase Fer, is necessary for embryonic enclosure and morphogenesis in C. elegans. Expression of FRK-1 in epidermal cells is sufficient to rescue a chromosomal deficiency that removes the frk-1 locus, demonstrating its autonomous requirement in the epidermis. The essential function of FRK-1 is independent of its kinase domain, suggesting a …

Developing A Constitutively Active Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor In The Mouse Heart, Bruno Decaria

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Abstract not Included

A Dimensionless Invariant For Relative Size At Sex Change In Animals: Explanation And Implications, Andy Gardner, David Allsop, Eric Charnov, Stuart West

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Recent comparative studies across sex-changing animals have found that the relative size and age at sex change are strikingly invariant. In particular, 91%-97% of the variation in size at sex change across species can be explained by the simple rule that individuals change sex when they reach 72% of their maximum body size. However, this degree of invariance is surprising and has proved controversial. In particular, it is not clear why this result should hold, given that there is considerable biological variation across species in factors that can influence the evolutionarily stable timing of sex change. Our overall aim here …

Cardiac Protein Rgs2: Structural And Functional Determinants, Stephanie Jan Chambers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In this study, I explored the structure-function relationships of a cardiac RGS (regulator of G-protein signaling) protein, RGS2.

Contractions of the heart are triggered by calcium ions (Ca) entering heart cells through L-type Ca channels (1a). The activity of L-type channels (and thereby Ca influx) is modulated by cell surface receptors that couple to intracellular G proteins. G proteins in turn, are regulated by a newly-discovered family of proteins called RGS. RGS proteins speed the hydrolysis of GTP by G proteins, and thereby control the strength and duration of G protein-mediated signals. Stimulation of G proteins, which are coupled to …

Modulation Of L-Type (Cav1.3) Calcium Channels, Brian Thomas

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

L-type Ca_V1.3 calcium channels perform critical functions in auditory hair cells, cardiac pacemaker cells, and pancreatic β-cells, but little is currently known about how these channels are modulated by cell signaling mechanisms. To begin to address this issue, we have tested the ability of various G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate Ca_V1.3 expressed in a mammalian cell line. Expression plasmids encoding Ca_V1.3 and auxiliary calcium channel subunits α2-δb and β3 were transiently coexpressed in HEK293 cells along with plasmids encoding a single type of GPCR. As a control for functional expression of the GPCR, …

Diaspora, A Large Family Of Ty3-Gypsy Retrotransposons In Glycine Max, Is An Envelope-Less Member Of An Endogenous Plant Retrovirus Lineage, Sho T. Yano, Bahman Panbehi, Arpita Das, Howard M. Laten

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Background

The chromosomes of higher plants are littered with retrotransposons that, in many cases, constitute as much as 80% of plant genomes. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons have been especially successful colonizers of the chromosomes of higher plants and examinations of their function, evolution, and dispersal are essential to understanding the evolution of eukaryotic genomes. In soybean, several families of retrotransposons have been identified, including at least two that, by virtue of the presence of an envelope-like gene, may constitute endogenous retroviruses. However, most elements are highly degenerate and are often sequestered in regions of the genome that sequencing projects initially …

Phosphotyrosine Phosphatases Of The Att-20 Murine Corticotroph Cell Line, Kari A. Belin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Somatostatin (somatotropin release inhibitory factor; SRIF) is a peptide-signaling molecule that activates a family of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding protein (G­ protein) coupled receptors (sst.-sst-). SRIF receptors control essential intracellular signaling events and, by reducing cyclic nucleotide levels, ion concentrations and protein phosphorylation, ultimately controlling cell proliferation and secretion. In the current study, we investigated the intracellular phosphatase activity present in the AtT-20 cell, as well as whether these enzymes were under direct SRIF receptor control. AtT-20 cells retain many of the properties of anterior pituitary corticotrophs, yet are an established cell line that expresses at least two SRIF receptor …

Methods For Non-Invasive Body Temperature Measurement And Partitioning Heat Loss To Air And Water From Swimming Mallard Ducklings (Anas Platyrhynchos), Matthew J. Van Sant

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water birds whose young begin swimming while downy are interesting because hypothermia and mortality are associated with wetting. Wetting is known to increase heat loss, but little is known about the amount of heat lost to air vs. water during swimming. Accurate measurements of body temperature are required in studies investigating heat loss. I used 2-d to 3-d-old mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) to test whether remote thermographic measurement of scalp temperature could be used to estimate core temperature from a distance. For wind speeds of up to 2.5 mis, I found cloaca} temperature could be estimated to within 1 °C …

Glucose Oxidase (God)-Coupled Amperometric Microsensor With Integrated Electrochemical Actuation System, Jongwon Park, Chang-Soo Kim, Minsu Choi, Shanrui Zhang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recent developments for biosensors have been mainly focused on miniaturization and exploratory use of new materials. It should be emphasized that the absence of a novel "in-situ self-calibration/diagnosis technique" that is not connected to an external apparatus is a key obstacle to the realization of a biosensor for continuous use with minimum attendance. In order to address this issue, a novel solid-state glucose oxidase-coupled amperometric biosensor with integrated electrochemical actuation system has been designed and validated. There are two key components of the proposed glucose biosensor: solid-state GOD-coupled thin-lm amperometric sensing element and O₂ depleting/saturating built-in electrochemical actuator. The …

Collection, Isolation And Evaluation Of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria In The Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Thomas M. Eubanks

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Isolation from local soil samples with Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) produced 20 samples from which pure cultures were obtained. A commercial strain of Rhizobium #132 was obtained from Becker Underwood and included as a standard in the experiment. The results demonstrated that a variety of infective and effective of strains of Rhizobium nodulating Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) exist in the native soils of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. A cluster of effective bacteria was identified and can serve as a basis for recommendations to inoculant industry in the Valley. An isolate collection has been established to serve as a source of …

Digestibility, Nitrogen Balance, And Blood Metabolites In Llama And Alpaca Fed Barley And Barley Alfalfa Forages., Heather Loree Davies

Theses and Dissertations

These projects were conducted to determine the digestibility of forage diets with differing CP levels in llamas and alpacas. The Utah study was designed to compare llama and alpaca nutritional parameters to determine if nutritional recommendations for llamas can be directly extrapolated to alpacas. The first study evaluated the effects of forage quality on blood metabolites and nitrogen balance in mature, intact male llamas (n = 4, 36 ± 4.4 months, 87 ± 17 kg) at high altitude in Letanias, Bolivia (4,267 m = aprox.14,000 ft above sea level). A second experiment was conducted with eight adult gelded camelids (n …

Are Nutrients Assimilated By Juveniles Of The Brittle Star Amphipholis Squamata (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)?, Elizabeth A.G. Whitehill '05

Honors Projects

Over 50 species of brittle stars (Echinodennata: Ophiuroidea) are known to brood their developmental stages (embryos and larvae) through metamorphosis in internal structures called bursae (Hyman, 1955). In some of these brooding ophiuroids, the source of the organic material necessary to support the growth and development of the embryos is somewhat obscure because the amount of material required is not maternally supplied in the egg. A species that follows this example is Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje). Previous studies (Fontaine and Chia 1968) have shown that the larvae of A. squamata are able to acquire the organic material needed to sustain …

The Effect Of Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus Linearis) On The Survival And Transformation Of C3h-Bt1 Mouse Fibroblasts, Krista M. Beach, Paul J. Smith

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Species Composition And Visitation Frequency Of Birds And Mammals At A Bait Station In Northern Minnesota, Adam Roiko

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors program.

The Biology Of Canadian Weeds. 131. Polygonum Aviculare L., Mihai Costea, François J. Tardif

Biology Faculty Publications

A review and assessment of biological information as well as personal data are provided for Polygonum aviculare in Canada. The species has been revised taxonomically and the six subspecies that occur in Canada are presented. Three of the subspecies, P. aviculare subsp. aviculare, P. aviculare subsp. neglectum and P. aviculare subsp. depressum are weeds introduced to Canada from Europe. A fourth subspecies, P. aviculare subsp. buxiforme is apparently native to North America. The geographical distribution of the latter four subspecies is very wide. Plants exhibit a high phenotypic plasticity and genetic variability, and they easily adapt to a multitude …

The Metalloprotease Of Listeria Monocytogenes Controls Cell Wall Translocation Of The Broad-Range Phospholipase C, P.S. Marie Yeung, Nicholas Zagorski, Helene Marquis

Biological Sciences

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive bacterial pathogenthat multiplies in the cytosol of host cells and spreads directlyfrom cell to cell. During cell-to-cell spread, bacteria becometemporarily confined to secondary vacuoles. The broad-rangephospholipase C (PC-PLC) of L. monocytogenes contributes tobacterial escape from secondary vacuoles. PC-PLC requires cleavageof an N-terminal propeptide for activation, and Mpl, a metalloproteaseof Listeria, is involved in the proteolytic activation of PC-PLC.Previously, we showed that cell wall translocation of PC-PLCis inefficient, resulting in accumulation of PC-PLC at the membrane-cellwall interface. In infected cells, rapid cell wall translocationof PC-PLC is triggered by a decrease in pH and correlates withcleavage …

Hunters Ring Dinner Bell For Ravens: Experimental Evidence Of A Unique Foraging Strategy, Crow White

Biological Sciences

We have long known that corvids are adaptively flexible in behavior, but have rarely tested their flexibility and creativity in solving problems outside the laboratory. Through a carefully controlled experiment conducted in the wild, I have found that Common Ravens (Corvus corax) fly toward gunshot sounds, presumably in order to locate animal gut piles left by hunters. This is the first conclusive evidence of any scavenger species pursuing gunshots. Furthermore, ravens exhibited this behavior only when gunshots were fired from within forested habitat, when the shots may be most valuable to them for locating gut piles. Interestingly, raven behaviors suggest …

A New Species Of Ceraclea (Trichopterma:Leptoceridae) Preying On Snails, John C. Morse, David R. Lenat

Publications

Ceraclea joannae, new species, feeds on the freshwater snail Somatogyrus virginicus Walker (Hydrobiidae). Our study is the first report of prey other than sponges for a Ceraclea species and the first report of snail predation by Trichoptera larvae in North America. Ceraclea joannae larvae and adults resemble those of C. diluta (Hagen); however, the larva of the new species has a dark head, sickle-shaped mandibles, and a dark pronotum except for a pair of unique, conspicuous, oblique, white bands; the male differs in the slightly longer superior appendages, more nearly straight ventral margins of tergum X, slightly stouter inferior …

The Α1 Chain Of Collagen Xi, Posttranslational Modifications, And The Pericellular Matrix, Katey Irwin

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Collagen type XI is a quantitatively minor but developmentally essential component of the extracellular matrix and as a secreted protein is subject to a variety of posttranslational modifications. These modifications have been shown to influence the affinity of endogenous binding between collagen XI and various extracellular matrix components. The three dimensional structure of the amino terminal domain (Npp) of this molecule has been determined through homology modeling. As a result a putative heparan sulfate binding site has been predicted. Heparan sulfate is an abundant sugar found on the surface of most cells and on proteoglycan molecules of the pericellular matrix. …

Role Of A Conserved Glutamate Residue In The Escherichia Coli Seca Atpase Mechanism, Christopher R. Zito, Edwin Antony, John F. Hunt, Donald B. Oliver, Manju M. Hingorani

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Escherichia coli SecA uses ATP to drive the transport of proteins across cell membranes. Glutamate 210 in the “DEVD” Walker B motif of the SecA ATP-binding site has been proposed as the catalytic base for ATP hydrolysis (Hunt, J. F., Weinkauf, S., Henry, L., Fak, J. J., McNicholas, P., Oliver, D. B., and Deisenhofer, J. (2002) Science 297, 2018–2026). Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that mutation of glutamate 210 to aspartate results in a 90-fold reduction of the ATP hydrolysis rate compared with wild type SecA, 0.3 s^–1versus 27 s^–1, respectively. SecA-E210D also releases ADP …

Bufadienolides In The Chemical Defenses Of The Toads, Bufo Americanus And Bufo Fowleri, Catherine E. Merovich

Dissertations

I investigated the steroidal chemical defenses (bufadienolides) of Bufo americanus and Bufo fowleri. By the nature of their complex, biphasic life cycles, toads, like other amphibians are important components of aquatic and terrestrial habitats and are prey to numerous invertebrates and vertebrates. Bufadienolides are presumed to be important anti-predatory compounds although much of their chemical ecology is poorly understood. I investigated (1) ontogenetic variation in bufadienolides, (2) bufadienolides from adult parotoid secretion, (3) effectiveness of bufadienolides against a terrestrial predator, and (4) effectiveness of bufadienolides against an aquatic predator. I hypothesized that B. americanuswould have a more extensive …

Changes In Glial Cell Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor And Nerve Growth Factor Expression With Development, Age, Exercise And Hypertension, Bertha C. Rebimbas-Cohen

Dissertations

Neurotrophic factors are important for neuronal growth, survival, and maintenance of cell phenotype. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) affects sensory, autonomic and somatic motor neurons and nerve growth factor (NGF) affects sensory and sympathetic neurons. NGF and GDNF are produced by cardiac muscle and have potent effects on sensory and autonomic neuronal innervation of blood vessels. Neural innervation plays a key role in blood vessel function. Since neural innervation of blood vessels may be regulated by growth factors, we wanted to determine what changes would occur to NGF and GDNF levels with maturity, exercise and hypertension.

Changes in GDNF …

Function And Role Of Synaptotagmin Proteins In Yeast, Aaron J. Yang

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In the genome of the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a family of proteins is encoded that resembles the Ca2+ sensing synaptotagmins present in neuronal cells of higher eukaryotes. The synaptotagmins couple a rise in cytosolic Ca2+ with synaptic vesicle formation and release during the process of vesicular trafficking and exocytosis. This process is important in higher organisms for neurotransmitter release and signal transmission. At least a dozen synaptotagmin isoforms exist, some that are expressed outside the nervous system, suggesting that the synaptotagmin proteins might regulate membrane trafficking in a variety of different cell types. The synaptotagmin proteins in higher …

Increased Action Potential Firing Rates Of Layer 2/3 Pyramidal Cells In The Prefrontal Cortex Are Significantly Related To Cognitive Performance In Aged Monkeys, Yu Ming Chang, Douglas L. Rosene, Ronald J. Killiany, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Jennifer I. Luebke

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The neurobiological substrates of significant age-related deficits in higher cognitive abilities mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are unknown. To address this issue, whole-cell current-clamp recordings were used to compare the intrinsic membrane and action potential (AP) firing properties of layer 2/3 pyramidal cells in PFC slices from young and aged behaviorally characterized rhesus monkeys. Most aged subjects demonstrated impaired performance in Delayed Non-Match to Sample (DNMS) task acquisition, DNMS 2 min delay and the Delayed Recognition Span task. Resting membrane potential and membrane time constant did not differ in aged relative to young cells, but input resistance was significantly …