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Partial Sequencing Of A Balbiani Ring Gene And Development Of A Molecular Probe, Kerri Ann Kurzeja

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently developing sediment quality criteria in order to protect the nation's water sources. In order to assist in the development of standards for the disposal of heavy metals, our laboratory is undergoing sediment toxicity studies on Chironomus riparius. It is an EPA approved test organism that spends most of its life in the sediment. Following a previous study (Cochrane et al., 1994), the organism's response to heavy metals will be monitored on the genetic level. Several genes, including a Balbiani ring (BR) gene, which was the focus of this thesis, will be studied to determine …

A Case Study Of Four Fifth Grade Teachers And Their Perceptions Of How And Why They Teach Science, Ana K. Houseal

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of four 5th grade teachers and their perceptions of the influences on how and why they taught science in their classrooms. The four participating teachers who were from three school districts in Iowa were observed teaching science lessons and interviewed following the observations. The results of the study showed that the data obtained during the observations and interviews focused on three major themes. The first theme centered on the teachers' perceptions of changes in teaching elementary science. These included a move away from text-based learning with a subsequent move …

Use Of Rapds To Develop Specific Primers For The Identification Of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Cynthia A. Boyd

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The restoration of damaged ecosystems, particularly at superfund sites is a complex issue. These sites present problems with revegetation attempts due to their unique chemical, physical, and biological properties. Revegetation of damaged ecosystems may be enhanced by mycorrhizal associations. The establishment of a facultative mycotroph, Festuca arundinacea Screb. (tall fescue) treated with a commercial fungal inoculum, was studied at a Galena, Kansas mining site. The evaluation of this revegetation project required the identification of endomycorrhizal fungi, Glomus c/arum and G/omus etunicatum in the inoculum. Traditional identification of these fungi based on spore morphology and other physical characteristics is not suitable …

Spiroplasma Diversity In Two Tabanid Flies And In Vivo Interactions Of Spiroplasma And Entomoplasma, Latonya T. Brown-Derrick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Chrysops vittatus, a small deer fly, and Tabanus atratus, a horse fly, were captured concurrently in Bulloch County, Georgia during June through September of 1989-1997 Cultures were made from adult females, and the frequency and diversity of spiroplasma carriage were determined by deformation and endpoint testing.

Of the 90 Chrysops vittatus processed, 23 (25 .6%) carried spiroplasmas. The most prevalent spiroplasmas were representatives of group Vlll (20/23): strain B1357 (7/23); Spiroplasma syrphidicola (5/23); S. chrysopicola (4/23); strain TAAS-1 (4/23). Groups XVIII and XXXV were represented by S. Htorale (2/23) and strain B2649 (1/23), respectively.

Of the …

Crystal Structure Of The Adenylyl Cyclase Activator G(Sα), Roger K. Sunahara, John J.G. Tesmer, Alfred G. Gilman, Stephen R. Sprang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The crystal structure of G(sα), the heterotrimeric G protein α subunit that stimulates adenylyl cyclase, was determined at 2.5 Å in a complex with guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio-triphosphate) (GTPγS). G(sα) is the prototypic member of a of GTP-binding proteins that regulate the activities of effectors in a hormone-dependent manner. Comparison of the structure of G(sα)·GTPγS with that of G(iα)·GTPγS suggest that their effector specificity is primarily dictated by the shape of the binding surface formed by the switch II helix and the α3-β5 loop, despite the high sequence homology of these elements. In contrast, sequence divergence explains the inability of regulators of …

Crystal Structure Of The Catalytic Domains Of Adenylyl Cyclase In A Complex With G(Sα)·Gtpγς, John J.G. Tesmer, Roger K. Sunahara, Alfred G. Gilman, Stephen R. Sprang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The crystal structure of a soluble, catalytically active form of adenylyl cyclase in a complex with its stimulatory heterotrimeric G protein α subunit (G(sα)) and forskolin was determined to a resolution of 2.3 angstroms. When P-site inhibitors were soaked into native crystals of the complex, the active site of adenylyl cyclase was located and structural elements important for substrate recognition and catalysis were identified. On the basis of these and other structures, a molecular mechanism is proposed for the activation of adenylyl cyclase by G(sα).

Ets-Core Binding Factor: A Common Composite Motif In Antigen Receptor Gene Enhancers, Batu Erman, Marta Cortes, Barbara S. Nikolajczyk, Nancy A. Speck, Ranjan Sen

Dartmouth Scholarship

A tripartite domain of the murine immunoglobulin μ heavy-chain enhancer contains the μA and μB elements that bind ETS proteins and the μE3 element that binds leucine zipper-containing basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH-zip) factors. Analysis of the corresponding region of the human μ enhancer revealed high conservation of the μA and μB motifs but a striking absence of the μE3 element. Instead of bHLH-zip proteins, we found that the human enhancer bound core binding factor (CBF) between the μA and μB elements; CBF binding was shown to be a common feature of both murine and human enhancers. Furthermore, mutant enhancers that bound …

Phylogenetic Placement Of African Cornus: Evidence Of Nuclear Rdna, Scott Myers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The genus Comus (the dogwoods) contains 50 species that have been divided into nine subgenera. One of these species, C. volkensii, has been segregated into the subgenus Ajrocrania. Previous studies combined morphological, anatomical, and chemical data to produce a hypothesis of evolutionary relationships that placed the subg. Afrocrania as a segregate lineage sister to the subg. Comus, and placed the Ajrocrania/Comus lineage sister to the big-bracted dogwoods (Murrell 1997). The subgenus Afrocrania has been examined morphologically, anatomically, and palynologically; however, it was not sequenced in Xiang's (1993) analysis of rbcL (chloroplast) sequence data, or in her analysis of the matK …

Review Of Sexual Selection: Mate Choice And Courtship In Nature By James L. Gould And Carol Grant Gould, Marlene Zuk, Gita R. Kolluru, Kurt A. Mckean

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Draft: Plan For The Management Of The Houtman Abrolhos Islands Fish Habitat Protection Area (Schedule 1), Abrolhos Islands Management Advisory Council, Fisheries Department Of Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

This document is a separate draft plan which has been prepared to meet the requirements of Section 117 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. It contains a description of the area; outlines the purposes for which the area is to be set aside; and lists the recommendations contained in Fisheries Management Paper No. 104, Management of the Houtman Abrolhos System, which relate to the management of the proposed Fish Habitat Protection Area.

Management Of The Houtman Abrolhos System, Abrolhos Islands Management Advisory Council, Fisheries Department Of Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

In November 1995 Cabinet resolved that the Minister for Fisheries would establish the Abrolhos Islands Management Advisory Committee (AIMAC) pursuant to Section 42 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. The role of AIMAC is to advise the Minister for Fisheries about the management of the Abrolhos Islands and the adjoining State Territorial Waters, as detailed in Section 2.2.3.1 of this report. The AIMAC has overseen the preparation of this report on behalf of the Minister for Fisheries. This draft report contains a brief description of the Abrolhos System and its special values. It also states goals and objectives for …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Life Of Alexander G. Gurwitsch And His Relevant Contribution To The Theory Of Morphogenetic Fields, L. V. Beloussov, J. M. Opitz, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Insulin And Vanadate On Sre-Mediated C-Fos Expression And Jnk Activation, Francisco J. Berguido

Masters Theses

Insulin mimetics are compounds that mimic the action of insulin in the body and are currently being studied as possible therapeutic agents against diabetes. Vanadium has been identified as an element with insulin-like properties with regard to metabolic processes such as lowering blood glucose levels. Few studies have implicated vanadium in mitogenic actions such as cell growth and differentiation. We studied the action of vanadate on the expression of the insulin-induced SRE, a cis-element of the well-characterized mitogenic gene c-fos. We measured this expression by means of a plasmid containing the reporter gene luciferase linked to the sequences from c-fos …

The Brood-Rearing Habitat, Brood Home Range, And Fecundity Of The Snowy Plover (Charadrius Alexandrinus) In Coastal Southern Texas, Jeffery R. Rupert

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Habitat fragmentation has been shown to have negative effects on avian communities. I looked at the effects of corridor width and vegetation characteristics on nesting densities and breeding success of birds in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. There were definite trends in this study of increasing species richness and nesting densities with increasing corridor widths. Multiple regression revealed little correlation between tree density, diameter at breast height, tree height, canopy cover and ground cover with nesting density or nesting success. However, factors such as parasitism by the Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) and predation were much greater in narrower corridors. This …

Coupled Er To Golgi Transport Reconstituted With Purified Cytosolic Proteins, Charles Barlowe

Dartmouth Scholarship

A cell-free vesicle fusion assay that reproduces a subreaction in transport of pro-alpha-factor from the ER to the Golgi complex has been used to fractionate yeast cytosol. Purified Sec18p, Uso1p, and LMA1 in the presence of ATP and GTP satisfies the requirement for cytosol in fusion of ER-derived vesicles with Golgi membranes. Although these purified factors are sufficient for vesicle docking and fusion, overall ER to Golgi transport in yeast semi-intact cells depends on COPII proteins (components of a membrane coat that drive vesicle budding from the ER). Thus, membrane fusion is coupled to vesicle formation in ER to Golgi …

Activation Of Signal Proteins By Insulin And Selenate In Primary Rat Hepatocytes, Ginny Lynn Garlock

Masters Theses

Insulin has a wide range of metabolic and mitogenic effects in cells. The mechanism of insulin action in controlling these events is not well understood, but involves, at least in part, a complex phosphorylation cascade. Selenate has been shown to mimic insulin on several metabolic processes, including the regulation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) gene expression. Its mechanism of action, however, is not known. To investigate the mechanisms of insulin and selenate action on the regulation of G6PDH, signal proteins from primary rat hepatocytes were first studied. Insulin and sodium selenate similarly increased tyrosyl phosphorylation of the β-subunit of the insulin …

Isolation And Characterization Of Cadmium Hypertolerant Mutants Of Arabidopsis Thaliana, Santiago Xavier Navarro

Masters Theses

Cadmium is an environmental pollutant which accumulates by deposition from anthropogenic activities. Plants readily take-up cadmium from soil and is concentrated in shoot tissues. Plant and animal systems are affected detrimentally by the exposure to cadmium and are known to produce metal binding peptides as part of detoxification mechanisms. In an attempt to find alternative methods of soil cleanup, efforts are being undertaken to isolate heavy metal accumulating plants. Alternatively, to reduce the accumulation of cadmium in food, plants that exclude heavy metals are also being sought. The objective of this project was to isolate mutants which can be used …

Age Related Changes In The Activity And The Responsiveness Of The Renin-Angiotensin System In The 15 Month Old Rat, Michele Mckee Thompson

Dissertations and Theses

Progressive deterioration of renal function is one consequence of aging. Glomerular maladaptation is one aspect of this and includes increased glomerular capillary hypertension and a reduced ultrafiltration coefficient, which can lead to glomerular sclerosis and proteinuria. In the aging rat, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (CEI) lower proteinuria (U_protV) and decrease glomerular sclerosis (2, 18, 24, 45). Accordingly, alterations in the circulating and renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) are hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of renal disease in the aging rat. Previous studies using rat models have demonstrated a lower responsiveness to converting enzyme inhibitor treatment in …

Sources Of Variability In The Column Photosynthetic Cross Section For Antarctic Coastal Waters, Mark A. Moline, Herve Claustre, Barbara B. Prezelin

Biological Sciences

Using a highly resolved Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) database collected near Palmer Station, Antarctica, from 1991 to 1994, the variability in the column photosynthetic cross section (ψ*, m² g Chl a ^-1) was analyzed. The relationship between the daily integrated primary production rates versus the product of surface irradiance (Q_PAR(0*)) and the integrated chlorophyll content (down to 0.1% Q_PAR(0*)) gave a ψ* value of 0.0695 m ² g Chl a^-1 (r² = 0.85, p 2 g Chl a^-1) with extreme values extending over a fiftyfold range (0.009-0.488 m ^{2 …}

Egg Removal By Brown-Headed Cowbirds: A Field Test Of The Host Incubation Efficiency Hypothesis, Douglas Wood, Eric Bollinger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) often remove host eggs, usually to the detriment of the host's reproductive success. We tested the hypothesis that host egg size and number influence the incubation efficiency of a parasitic egg. A single House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) or Brown-headed Cowbird egg was placed in each host nest (addition), and in some nests a host egg was removed as well (addition/removal). Hatching success and incubation length were measured to determine whether host-egg removal conferred an advantage in incubation efficiency compared to simple addition of a parasitic egg. Redwinged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) served …

Egg Removal By Brown-Headed Cowbirds: A Field Test Of The Host Incubation Efficiency Hypothesis, Douglas R. Wood, Eric K. Bollinger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) often remove host eggs, usually to the detriment of the host's reproductive success. We tested the hypothesis that host egg size and number influence the incubation efficiency of a parasitic egg. A single House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) or Brown-headed Cowbird egg was placed in each host nest (addition), and in some nests a host egg was removed as well (addition/removal). Hatching success and incubation length were measured to determine whether host-egg removal conferred an advantage in incubation efficiency compared to simple addition of a parasitic egg. Redwinged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) served …

Tree Root Response To Circling Root Barriers, Laurence R. Costello, Clyde L. Elmore, Scott J. Steinmaus

Biological Sciences

Root system size and distribution were measured for Raywood ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa 'Raywood') and Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra 'Italica') planted with and without circling root barriers. Trees with circling barriers had fewer numbers of roots than controls (no barriers), but mean root diameters were similar. Root depth 30 cm outside barriers was greater for trees with barriers, but at 90 and 150 cm away, depth was equivalent to controls. Roots tended to grow toward the soil surface after growing under the barriers. No consistent differences in root response to any of the four types of barriers tested were …

Recovery Of Rna Polymerase Ii Synthesis Following Dna Damage In Mutants Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Defective In Nucleotide Excision Repair, Michael S. Reagan, Errol C. Friedberg

Biology Faculty Publications

We have measured the kinetics of the recovery of mRNA synthesis in the inducible GAL10 and RNR3 genes after exposure of yeast cells to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Such recovery is abolished in mutant strains defective in nucleotide excision repair (NER) of DNA, including a rad23 mutant. Mutants defective in the RAD7 or RAD16 genes, which are required for the repair of the non-transcribed strand but not the transcribed strand of transcriptionally active genes, show slightly faster recovery of RNA synthesis than wild-type strains. A strain deleted of the RAD26 gene, which is known to be required for strand-specific NER in …

Ecophysiological Responses Of Three Riparian Graminoids To Changes In The Soil Water Table, Anna Sala, Robert S. Nowak

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We examined the effect of changes in soil water table on the water relations, leaf gas exchange, and aboveground biomass of three riparian graminoids native to the semiarid western United States: Carex lanuginosa, Juncus balticus, and Carex nebrascensis. All three species co-occur at the wettest microhabitats within riparian corridors, but J. balticus and C. nebrascensis extend into drier areas. Lowering the water table to 1 m had little effect on the leaf gas exchange characteristics of the three graminoids. In the greenhouse, experimental reductions of the water table when plants had three fully mature leaves did not affect gas exchange …

Effect Of 17 Days Of Bed Rest On Peak Isometric Force And Unloaded Shortening Velocity Of Human Soleus Fibers, Jeffrey J. Widrick, Janell Romatowski, James L. W. Bain, Scott W. Trappe, Todd A. Trappe, Joyce L. Thompson, David L. Costill, Danny A. Riley, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of prolonged bed rest (BR) on the peak isometric force (P_o) and unloaded shortening velocity (V_o) of single Ca²⁺-activated muscle fibers. Soleus muscle biopsies were obtained from eight adult males before and after 17 days of 6° head-down BR. Chemically permeabilized single fiber segments were mounted between a force transducer and position motor, activated with saturating levels of Ca²⁺, and subjected to slack length steps. V_o was determined by plotting the time for force redevelopment vs. the slack step distance. …

Expression Of The Thyroid Hormone Receptor Gene, Erbaα, In B Lymphocytes: Alternative Mrna Processing Is Independent Of Differentiation But Correlates With Antisense Rna Levels, Michelle Laura Hastings, Christine Milcarek, Kathlee Martincic, Martha L. Peterson, Stephen H. Munroe

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The erbAα gene encodes two α-thyroid hormone receptor isoforms, TRα1 and TRα2, which arise from alternatively processed mRNAs, erbAα1 (α1) and erb α2 (α2). The splicing and alternative polyadenylation patterns of these mRNAs resemble that of mRNAs encoding different forms of immunoglobulin heavy chains, which are regulated at the level of alternative processing during B cell differentiation. This study examines the levels of erbAα mRNA in eight B cell lines representing four stages of differentiation in order to determine whether regulation of the alternatively processed α1 and α2 mRNAs parallels the processing of immunoglobulin heavy chain mRNAs. Results show that …

Whole Body I=In Vivo Vascular Compliance In Two Amphibians, Bufo Marinus And Rana Cate, Todd Micheal Hoagland

Dissertations and Theses

The mean circulatory filling pressure (MCFP), vascular compliance (C) and unstressed volume (USV) were measured in Bufo marinus and Rana catesbeiana, using an in vivo preparation. Capacitance curves were constructed by varying total vascular volume and then measuring MCFP. These capacitance curves enable the extrapolation of USV and the measurement of vascular compliance. The MCFP, C, and USV were 8.6 ± 0.2 (mmHg), 3.7 (ml· mmHg-1 · kg- 1 ) and 2.5 (ml), respectively, in B. marinus. The MCFP, C, and USV were 9.5 ± 0.1 (mmHg), 2.2 (ml· mmHg-1 · kg- 1 ) and 14.2 (ml), respectively, …

The Interaction Between Cytoplasmic Dynein And Dynactin Is Required For Fast Axonal Transport, Clare M. Waterman-Storer, Sher B. Karki, Sergei A. Kunetsov, Joel S. Tabb, Dieter G. Weiss, George M. Langford, Erika L.F. Holzbaur

Biology - All Scholarship

Fast axonal transport is characterized by the bidirectional, microtubule-based movement of membranous organelles. Cytoplasmic dynein is necessary but not sufficient for retrograde transport directed from the synapse to the cell body. Dynactin is a heteromultimeric protein complex, enriched in neurons, that binds to both microtubules and cytoplasmic dynein. To determine whether dynactin is required for retrograde axonal transport, we examined the effects of anti-dynactin antibodies on organelle transport in extruded axoplasm. Treatment of axoplasm with antibodies to the p150(Glued) subunit of dynactin resulted in a significant decrease in the velocity of microtubule-based organelle transport, with many organelles bound along microtubules. …

Competition And Facilitation: A Synthetic Approach To Interactions In Plant Communities, Ragan M. Callaway, Lawrence R. Walker

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Interactions among organisms take place within a complex milieu of abiotic and biotic processes, but we generally study them as solitary phenomena. Complex combinations of negative and positive interactions have been identified in a number of plant communities. The importance of these two processes in structuring plant communities can best be understood by comparing them along gradients of abiotic stress, consumer pressure, and among different life stages, sizes, and densities of the interacting species. Here, we discuss the roles of life stage, physiology, indirect interactions, and the physical environment on the balance of competition and facilitation in plant communities.