Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Temperature, Epinephrine And Ca2+ On The Hearts Of Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus Albacares), Jason M. Blank, Jeffery M. Morrissette, Peter S. Davie, Barbara A. Block

Biological Sciences

Tuna are endothermic fish with high metabolic rates, cardiac outputs and aerobic capacities. While tuna warm their skeletal muscle, viscera, brain and eyes, their hearts remain near ambient temperature, raising the possibility that cardiac performance may limit their thermal niches. We used an in situ perfused heart preparation to investigate the effects of acute temperature change and the effects of epinephrine and extracellular Ca²⁺ on cardiac function in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). Heart rate showed a strong temperature-dependence, ranging from 20 beats min^-1 at 10 °C to 109 beats min^-1 at 25 °C. Maximal stroke …

Litr, A New Transcriptional Activator In Vibrio Fischeri, Regulates Luminescence And Symbiotic Light Organ Colonization, Pat Fidopiastis, Carol M. Miyamoto, Michael G. Jobling, Edward A. Meighen, Edward G. Ruby

Biological Sciences

Vibrio fischeri is the bacterial symbiont within the light-emitting organ of the sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes . Upon colonizing juvenile squids, bacterial symbionts grow on host-supplied nutrients, while providing a bioluminescence that the host uses during its nocturnal activities. Mutant bacterial strains that are unable to emit light have been shown to be defective in normal colonization. A 606 bp open reading frame was cloned from V. fischeri that encoded a protein, which we named LitR, that had about 60% identity to four related regulator proteins: Vibrio cholerae HapR, Vibrio harveyi LuxR, Vibrio parahaemolyticus OpaR and Vibrio vulnificus SmcR. When …

The Neisseria Lipooligosaccharide-Specific Alpha-2,3-Sialyltransferase Is A Surface-Exposed Outer Membrane Protein, Dawn M. Shell, Lisa Chiles, Ralph C. Judd, Samar Seal, Richard F. Rest

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis express an similar to43-kDa alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase (Lst) that sialylates the surface lipooligosaccharide (LOS) by using exogenous (in all N. gonorrhoeae strains and some N. meningitidis serogroups) or endogenous (in other N. meningitidis serogroups) sources of 5'-cytidinemonophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-NANA). Sialylation of LOS can protect N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis from complement-mediated serum killing and from phagocytic killing by neutrophils. The precise subcellular location of Lst has not been determined. We confirm and extend previous studies by demonstrating that Lst is located in the outer membrane and is surface exposed in both N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis. Western …

Genetic Evidence That Interhelical Packing Interactions In The Gp41 Core Are Critical For Transition Of The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Glycoprotein To The Fusion-Active State, Kathryn E. Follis, Scott J. Larson, Min Lu, Jack H. Nunberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The envelope glycoprotein complex (gp120-gp41) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) promotes the fusion of viral and cellular membranes through formation of the fusion-active six-helix bundle in the gp41 ectodomain. This gp41 core structure consists of three C-terminal helices packed in an antiparallel manner into hydrophobic grooves on the surface of the N-terminal trimeric coiled coil. Alanine mutations that destabilize the N- and C-terminal interhelical packing interactions also reduce viral infectivity. Here we show that viruses bearing these mutations exhibit a marked potentiation of inhibition by peptides that make up the gp41 core. By contrast, these viruses are unchanged …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 2 - Scientific Workshop On The Margaret River Marron, Brett Molony

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Purpose of the Workshop

To gather together and review the scientific evidence around genetic and sustainability issues necessary for the management of Margaret River Marron (MRM)

The outcomes of the day will be to provide scientific advice, options and priorities to the relevant Programs within the Department of Fisheries to promote the sustainability of marron within MR.

* Introduction to, and comparison of, genetic techniques available to researchers. Presenter - Phil Vercoe

* What do we know about the genetic diversity of marron and other Cherax? Presenter - Chris Austin

* Morphology and Hybrids Presenter - Craig Lawrence

* The …

Preservacão De Micélio De Batkoa Sp. E. Furia Sp. (Entomophthorales) Em Combinaçao Com Dessecantes E Rudutores De Oxigênio, Luis G. Leite, Sérgio B. Alves, Antonio Batista Filho, J. E. M. Almeida, Donald W. Roberts

Biology Faculty Publications

PRESERVATION OF BATKOA SP. AND FURIA SP. (ENTOMOPHTHORALES )DRY MYCELIUM WITH COMBINATIONS OF DESICCANTS AND OXYGEN REDUCERS. Formulation is the most difficult part of Entomophthorales development as biopesticides and bioacaricides, and has caused difficulty in evaluating the Batkoa sp. and Furia sp. for the control of the cercopids Mahanarva fimbriolata and Deois schach, pests of sugar-cane and pastures. A technique for producing dry mycelium of Entomophthorales was previously developed to allow for field use of these fungi, but pathogen preservation (shelf life) was not satisfactory. Due to these difficulties, the research reported here aimed to evaluate the effect of combinations …

Unilateral Lower Limb Suspension Does Not Mimic Bed Rest Or Spaceflight Effects On Human Muscle Fiber Function, Jeffrey J. Widrick, S. W. Trappe, Janell Romatowski, Danny A. Riley, David Costill, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

We used Ca²⁺-activated skinned muscle fibers to test the hypothesis that unilateral lower leg suspension (ULLS) alters cross-bridge mechanisms of muscle contraction. Soleus and gastrocnemius biopsies were obtained from eight subjects before ULLS, immediately after 12 days of ULLS (post-0 h), and after 6 h of reambulation (post-6 h). Post-0 h soleus fibers expressing type I myosin heavy chain (MHC) showed significant reductions in diameter, absolute and specific peak Ca²⁺-activated force, unloaded shortening velocity, and absolute and normalized peak power. Fibers obtained from the gastrocnemius were less affected by ULLS, particularly fibers expressing fast MHC isoforms. …

A Vascular Flora Of Choccolocco Creek: Calhoun, Cleburne, And Talladega Counties, Alabama, Loretta Richardson Weninegar

Theses

A study of the vascular flora of the wetland species of Choccolocco Creek, its floodplain, and other sensitive areas within the Choccolocco Creek watershed was conducted from March 1994 to May 2002. The creek, which originates in the Talladega National Forest in Cleburne County, is located in northeast Alabama. It flows in a south/southwest direction along the eastern border of Calhoun County and across northern Talladega County to its confluence with Logan Martin Lake near Talladega, Alabama. The floodplain occupies 6,514.67 hectares of the watershed that consists of 97,128 hectares of land in the three county study area.

The bulk …

Predicting Plant Invasion With Modeling, Scott J. Steinmaus

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Herbivore And Pathogen Damage On Grassland And Woodland Plants: A Test Of The Herbivore Uncertainty Principle, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Peter B. Reich, Belle Bergner, Walter P. Carson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Researchers can alter the behaviour and ecology of their study organisms by conducting such seemingly benign activities as non‐destructive measurements and observations. In plant communities, researcher visitation and measurement of plants may increase herbivore damage in some plant species while decreasing it in others. Simply measuring plants could change their competitive ability by altering the amount of herbivore damage that they suffer. Currently, however, there is only limited empirical evidence to support this `herbivore uncertainty principle' (HUP). We tested the HUP by quantifying the amount of herbivore and pathogen damage in 13 plant species (> 1400 individuals) at four different …

Occurrence Of Entomophthorales On Spittlebugs Pests Of Pasture In Eastern São Paulo State, Brazil, Luis G. Leite, Sérgio B. Alves, H. M. Takada, Antonio Batista Filho, Donald W. Roberts

Biology Faculty Publications

Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) are the most important pests of pasture in Brazil. Nymphal behavior, i.e. residing in the soil, makes their control with insecticides difficult. Although Entomophthorales fungi occasionally have been found at epizootic levels in spittlebug populations, they have not been cultured, had their incidence levels determined, nor evaluated for pest control potential. The research reported here aimed to evaluate the occurrence of Entomophthorales species on spittlebug pests of pasture in Pindamonhangaba County, São Paulo State, Brazil. Evaluations were carried out in 2 adjacent fields with Brachiaria decumbens and Pennisetum purpureum grasses, respectively, of 5 ha each. Evaluations were …

Parallel Characterization Of Anaerobic Toluene-And Ethylbenzene-Degrading Microbial Consortia By Pcr-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, Rna-Dna Membrane Hybridization, And Dna Microarray Technology, Yoshikazu Koizumi, John J. Kelly, Tatsunori Nakagawa, Hidetoshi Urakawa, Said El Fantroussi, Saleh Al-Muzaini, Manubu Fukui, Yoshikuni Urushigawa, David A. Stahl

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A mesophilic toluene-degrading consortium (TDC) and an ethylbenzene-degrading consortium (EDC) were established under sulfate-reducing conditions. These consortia were first characterized by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments, followed by sequencing. The sequences of the major bands (T-1 and E-2) belonging to TDC and EDC, respectively, were affiliated with the family Desulfobacteriaceae. Another major band from EDC (E-1) was related to an uncultured non-sulfate-reducing soil bacterium. Oligonucleotide probes specific for the 16S rRNAs of target organisms corresponding to T-1, E-1, and E-2 were designed, and hybridization conditions were optimized for two analytical formats, membrane and …

A Long Way From Home: Transatlantic Sea Star Migration, William Jaeckle, Paul Kehle

Scholarship

For a marine biologist strolling along the eastern coast of South America, finding some sea stars (popularly called starfish, and technically members of the class Asteroidea of the phylum Echinodermata) is not all that unusual. However, when closer inspection reveals the sea stars to be ones that are also found on the shores of the western coast of Africa, the marine biologist now faces an interesting question: How did these sea stars come to be so far from home?

Originally published in Consortiumand used with permission.

Chaperones As Buffering Agents?, Thomas Mitchell-Olds, Charles A. Knight

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Generation Of Sequence Diversity On Plasmids, Qingbei Zhang

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Qingbei Zhang on June 19, 2002.

Strength, Drag, And Dislodgment Of Two Competing Intertidal Algae From Two Wave Exposures And Four Seasons, Marney C. Pratt, Amy S. Johnson

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Intertidal macroalgae often experience greater risk of dislodgment with increasing size because of underscaling of breaking force of their stipes relative to drag on their thalli. This ratio (breaking force/drag) indicates safety from breakage at a given flow speed, with values greater than one indicating safety from breakage and values lower than one indicating danger of breakage. We examined this force ratio for the largest thalli of two species of co-dominant, red algae, Chondrus crispus Stackhouse and Mastocarpus stellatus Stack. In With. (Guiry), in four seasons at two wave exposures. During fall and winter, the largest thalli in both populations …

Relationships Between Blueberry Flower Age, Pollination, And Conidial Infection By Monilinia Vaccinii-Corymbosi, Jeffrey Lehman

Biology and Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi infects open blueberry flowers via the gynoecial pathway, leading to mummification of the developing fruit. To determine the effect of flower age on infection, stigmata were inoculated with conidia of M. vaccinii-corymbosi between 0 and 5 days after anthesis, fungal growth rates through the stylar canal were measured in detached flowers in the laboratory, and fruit disease incidence was determined in plants grown in the greenhouse. Hyphal growth rates were greatest in flowers inoculated on the day of anthesis, declined linearly with increasing flower age at inoculation (r = 0.921; P < 0.0001; n = 12), and were unaffected by the presence or absence of pollen applied at the time of inoculation. In greenhouse-grown plants, the percentage of infected fruit decreased exponentially with increasing flower age at inoculation (R = 0.878; P = 0.0057; n = 10), with disease incidence ranging from 76.4% for flowers inoculated on the day of anthesis to 15.5% for those inoculated 4 days later. Fruit disease incidence in the greenhouse was linearly correlated with hyphal growth rates in detached flowers (r = 0.985; P < 0.0001; n = 9), justifying the use of detached flowers when investigating gynoecial infection by M. vaccinii-corymbosi. In separate experiments, the effects of timing and sequence of pollination and inoculation on hyphal growth rates through the stylar canal and on disease incidence were investigated. Application of pollen to detached flowers 1 or 2 days before inoculation reduced hyphal growth rates by between 14.0 and 42.9% compared with flowers that received pollen and conidia simultaneously. Similarly, reductions in fruit disease incidence by between 9.5 and 18.3% were observed on greenhouse-grown plants for pollination-to-inoculation intervals ranging from 1 to 4 days. These results document that newly opened flowers are most susceptible to infection by M. vaccinii-corymbosi and that fruit disease incidence is reduced if pollination occurs at least 1 day before inoculation. Strategies that lead to early pollination of newly opened flowers may be useful for managing mummy berry disease in the field.

Low Concentration Microenvironments Enhance The Migration Of Neonatal Cells Of Glial Lineage, Richard A. Able, Jr., Celestin Ngnabeuye, Cade Beck, Eric C. Holland, Maribel Vazquez

Publications and Research

Glial tumors have demonstrated abilities to sustain growth via recruitment of glial progenitor cells (GPCs), which is believed to be driven by chemotactic cues. Previous studies have illustrated that mouse GPCs of different genetic backgrounds are able to replicate the dispersion pattern seen in the human disease. How GPCs with genetic backgrounds transformed by tumor paracrine signaling respond to extracellular cues via migration is largely unexplored, and remains a limiting factor in utilizing GPCs as therapeutic targets. In this study, we utilized a microfluidic device to examine the chemotaxis of three genetically-altered mouse GPC populations towards tumor conditioned media, as …

Comparative Phenotypic, Molecular, And Virulence Characterization Of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus O3:K6 Isolates, P.S. Marie Yeung, Micaela C. Hayes, Angelo Depaola, Charles A. Kaysner, Laura Kornstein

Biological Sciences

Historically, Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections have been characterizedby sporadic cases caused by multiple, diverse serotypes. However,since 1996, V. parahaemolyticus serotype O3:K6 strains havebeen associated with several large-scale outbreaks of illness,suggesting the emergence of a "new" group of organisms withenhanced virulence. We have applied three different molecularsubtyping techniques to identify an appropriate method for differentiatingO3:K6 isolates from other serotypes. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) following NotI digestion differentiated seven closelyrelated subtypes among O3:K6 and related strains, which weredistinct from PFGE patterns for non-O3:K6 isolates. Ribotypingand tdh sequencing were less discriminatory than PFGE, but furtherconfirmed close genetic relationships among recent O3:K6 isolates.In vitro adherence …

The Production Of Communication Signals At The Air–Water And Water–Substrate Boundaries, Sean C. Lema, John T. Kelly

Biological Sciences

The 2 interfaces of the aquatic environment, the boundary between air–water and water–substrate, have distinctive physical characteristics that facilitate the production of communication signals. Recent evidence suggests that animals living on or near these boundaries use the interface to generate signals in 2 ways: (a) by producing a signal that propagates along the interface or (b) by producing a signal at the interface that is transmitted and detected within 1 of the component media. By examining the diversity of behaviors used to produce signals at these boundaries, the authors illustrate how human perception of these environments may cause researchers to …

Caudal Spotting In The Beacon Fish (Hemigrammus Ocellifer Characidae), Jack Frankel

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

The beacon fish (Hemigrammus ocellifer) exhibits two phenotypes associated with spotting at the base of the caudal fin, with fish either possessing (H. o. ocellifer) or lacking (H. o. falsus) a prominent red spot in this region. Segregation patterns observed from the progenies of 15 different crosses support a hypothesis that caudal spotting in this species is controlled by a single gene with two alleles, for which the caudal spotting allele is completely dominant.

Role Of A Heterotrimeric G Protein In Regulation Of Arabidopsis Seed Germination, Hemayet Ullah, Jin-Gui Chen, Shucai Wang, Alan Jones

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Seed germination is regulated by many signals. We investigated the possible involvement of a heterotrimeric G protein complex in this signal regulation. Seeds that carry a protein null mutation in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the G protein in Arabidopsis (GPA1) are 100-fold less responsive to gibberellic acid (GA), have increased sensitivity to high levels of Glc, and have a near-wild-type germination response to abscisic acid and ethylene, indicating that GPA1 does not directly couple these signals in germination control. Seeds ectopically expressing GPA1 are at least a million-fold more responsive to GA, yet still require GA for …

Computational Simulation Of The Docking Of Prochlorothrix Hollandica Plastocyanin To Photosystem I: Modeling The Electron Transfer Complex, George S. Bullerjahn, Neocles B. Leontis, Eugene Myshkin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We have used several docking algorithms (GRAMM, FTDOCK, DOT, AUTODOCK) to examine protein-protein interactions between plastocyanin (Pc)/photosystem I (PSI) in the electron transfer reaction. Because of the large size and complexity of this system, it is faster and easier to use computer simulations than conduct x-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. The main criterion for complex selection was the distance between the copper ion of Pc and the P700 chlorophyll special pair. Additionally, the unique tyrosine residue (Tyr(12)) of the hydrophobic docking surface of Prochlorothrix hollandica Pc yields a specific interaction with the lumenal surface of PSI, thus providing …

A Novel Family Of Mobile Genetic Elements Is Limited To The Germline Genome In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Jeffrey D. Wuitschick, Jill A. Gershan, Andrew J. Lochowicz, Shuqiang Li, Kathleen M. Karrer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

In the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, extensive DNA elimination is associated with differentiation of the somatic macronucleus from the germline micronucleus. This study describes the isolation and complete characterization of Tlr elements, a family of approximately 30 micronuclear DNA sequences that are efficiently eliminated from the developing macronucleus. The data indicate that Tlr elements are comprised of an ~22 kb internal region flanked by complex and variable termini. The Tlr internal region is highly conserved among family members and contains 15 open reading frames, some of which resemble genes encoded by transposons and viruses. The Tlr termini appear to …

Chimerism In A Marine Protochordate, Anna Dorothea Sommerfeldt

Doctoral

Many marine invertebrates bud vegetatively to produce a modular colony of individuals derived from a single zygote. Fusion of different colonies to produce a genetically composite entity (a chimera) is known from experiements on sponges, hydroids, corals, bryozoans and ascidians-groups which together dominate sessile faunas on marine hard substrates. In this study the fusion behaviour of the colonial ascidian Diplosoma literianum (Milne Edwards) has been investigate. Laboratory experiments were undertaken to assess the influence of relatedness on fusion behaviour in young and adult colonies. The degree of relatedness had a slight effect on the fusion behaviour; nevertheless unrelated colonies fused …

The Effect Of Butyrate Feeding On Skeletal Muscle And Adipose Tissue Glucose Uptake, Sean Eric Thatcher

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Sean Eric Thatcher on May 31, 2002.

The Diversity And Abundance Of Parasites In Age Groups Of Yellow Perch In Lake Bemidji, Mn Applied To A Whittaker Curve, Kelly J. Main

Honors Capstones

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

An Experimental Approach To Teaching The Concept Of Functional Diversity., Cory Mckelvey Stanley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study tested an experimental approach to use in teaching the concept of functional diversity. The project culminated in a laboratory exercise for use in high schools.

Experimental design consisted of representatives of three functional groups of plants, (legumes, grasses, and forbs), planted singly, and in two, or three species combinations. Legumes were represented by Trifolium repens and Medicago lupulina, grasses were represented by Cynodon dactylon and Festuca rubra, and forbs were represented by Helianthus annus and Raphanus sativa.

Plants were grown inside a controlled growth chamber. During the growth phase, measurements were taken to highlight temporal …

Mannose And Lipopolysaccharide Receptors On The Surface Of Granular Hemocytes From The Crayfish Procambarus Clarkii., Gelu Dobrescu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Procambarus clarkii hemocytes have been shown to bind to both LPS and a mannose containing neoglycoprotein conjugated to fluorescent probes. A decrease in the observed number of fluorescent hemocytes indirectly indicated that the binding of FITC-LPS to these cells is impaired by initial incubation with LPS. Prior treatment of hemocytes with horseradish peroxidase, a mannose rich glycoprotein, decreased their capacity to bind mannose. Mannan had no inhibitory effect on the binding of either ligand. Mixed hemocytes and hemocyte subpopulations separated by buoyant density were incubated with both ligands and revealed that a subpopulation of granular hemocytes bound both LPS and …

Seasonal Niche Strategy Of The Bloom-Forming Dinoflagellate Heterocapsa Triquetra, R. W. Litaker, P. A. Tester, C. S. Duke, B. E. Kenney, James L. Pinckney, J. Ramus

Faculty Publications

Heterocapsa triquetra is one of the most common bloom-forming dinoflagellates found in estuaries and near shore regions around the world. This work examined the environmental factors associated with 3 separate wintertime H. triquetra blooms in the shallow tidally mixed Newport River estuary, North Carolina, USA. During 2 of the blooms in 1982 and 1983, the estuary was sampled from a fixed, single location every hour for 14 d. During the third study, the estuary was sampled at 9 fixed locations over its entire length each week from late December 1997 through March 1998. This time period included the formation and …