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Sex-Specific Fungal Communities Of The Dioicous Moss Ceratodon Purpureus, Mehmet Ali Balkan

Dissertations and Theses

Mosses display a number of hallmark life history traits that influence their ecology at the population and community level. The long lived separation of sexes observed in the haploid gametophyte (dioicy) is one such feature of particular importance, as it is observed in the majority of bryophytes and creates intraspecific specialization of male and female individuals.

The prevalence of sexually dimorphic mosses raises the possibility of sex-specific interactions with fungi as observed in some vascular plants. Here I investigated how moss sex shapes fungal communities associated with gametophytic tissues of the ubiquitous moss, Ceratodon purpureus. Using greenhouse populations of …

Alteration Of Tobacco Alkaloid Content Through Modification Of Specific Cytochrome P450 Genes, Ralph E. Dewey, Balazs Siminszky, Steven W. Bowen, Lily Gavilano

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

Compositions and methods for reducing the level of nornicotine and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in Nicotiana plants and plant parts thereof are provided. The compositions comprise isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides for cytochrome P450s that are involved in the metabolic conversion of nicotine to nornicotine in these plants. Expression cassettes, vectors, plants, and plant parts thereof comprising inhibitory sequences that target expression or function of the disclosed cytochrome P450 polypeptides are also provided. Methods for the use of these novel sequences to inhibit expression or function of cytochrome P450 polypeptides involved in this metabolic conversion are also provided. The methods find use in …

Alteration Of Tobacco Alkaloid Content Through Modification Of Specific Cytochrome P450 Genes, Ralph E. Dewey, Balazs Siminszky, Steven W. Bowen, Lily Gavilano

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

Compositions and methods for reducing the level of nornicotine and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in Nicotiana plants and plant parts thereof are provided. The compositions comprise isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides for cytochrome P450s that are involved in the metabolic conversion of nicotine to nornicotine in these plants. Expression cassettes, vectors, plants, and plant parts thereof comprising inhibitory sequences that target expression or function of the disclosed cytochrome P450 polypeptides are also provided. Methods for the use of these novel sequences to inhibit expression or function of cytochrome P450 polypeptides involved in this metabolic conversion are also provided. The methods find use in …

Microbial Biofilm Community Variation In Flowing Habitats: Potential Utility As Bioindicators Of Postmortem Submersion Intervals, Jennifer M. Lang, Racheal Erb, Jennifer L. Pechal, John R. Wallace, Ryan W. Mcewan, Mark Eric Benbow

Biology Faculty Publications

Biofilms are a ubiquitous formation of microbial communities found on surfaces in aqueous environments. These structures have been investigated as biomonitoring indicators for stream heath, and here were used for the potential use in forensic sciences. Biofilm successional development has been proposed as a method to determine the postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) of remains because there are no standard methods for estimating the PMSI and biofilms are ubiquitous in aquatic habitats. We sought to compare the development of epinecrotic (biofilms on Sus scrofa domesticus carcasses) and epilithic (biofilms on unglazed ceramic tiles) communities in two small streams using bacterial automated …

Dry Edible Bean Disease Diagnostic Series, Samuel G. Markell, Robert M. Harveson, Julie Pasche

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Root Diseases

Fusarium root rot...................................PP1820-1

Pythium diseases..................................PP1820-2

Rhizoctonia root rot...............................PP1820-3

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN).............PP1820-4

Soybean cyst nematode sampling.........PP1820-5

Stem and Wilt Diseases

Bacterial wilt..........................................PP1820-6

Fusarium yellows (wilt)..........................PP1820-7

Stem rot.................................................PP1820-8

White mold.............................................PP1820-9

Foliar Diseases

Anthracnose........................................PP1820-10

Bacterial brown spot............................PP1820-11

Bean common mosaic virus................PP1820-12

Common bean rust..............................PP1820-13

Common bacterial blight .....................PP1820-14

Halo blight............................................PP1820-15

Response Of Sweet Sorghum Lines To Stalk Pathogens Fusarium Thapsinum And Nacrophomina Phaseolina, Deanna L. Funnell-Harris, Patrick M. O'Neill, Scott E. Sattler, Melinda K. Yerka

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] has potential for bioenergy. Itis adapted to a variety of U.S. locations and the extracted juice can be directly fermented into ethanol. However, little research on fungal stalk rots, diseases that pose serious constraints for yield and quality of juice and biomass, has been reported. A greenhouse bioassay was designed to assess charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) and Fusarium stalk rot (Fusarium thapsinum) in plants at maturity, the developmental stage at which these diseases are manifested. Multiple plantings of a susceptible grain line, RTx430, were used as a control for variation …

Virus–Host Interactions: Insights From The Replication Cycle Of The Large Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus, Elad Milrot, Yael Mutsafi, Yael Fridmann-Sirkis, Eyal Shimoni, Katya Rechav, James Gurnon, James L. Van Etten, Abraham Minsky

James Van Etten Publications

The increasing interest in cytoplasmic factories generated by eukaryotic-infecting viruses stems from the realization that these highly ordered assemblies may contribute fundamental novel insights to the functional significance of order in cellular biology. Here, we report the formation process and structural features of the cytoplasmic factories of the large dsDNA virus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1). By combining diverse imaging techniques, including scanning transmission electron microscopy tomography and focused ion beam technologies, we show that the architecture and mode of formation of PBCV-1 factories are significantly different from those generated by their evolutionary relatives Vaccinia and Mimivirus. Specifically, PBCV-1 …

Chapter 17 - Rodents, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Volume 2: Bryological Interaction

Explore the contents of Bryophyte Ecology, Volume 2, Chapter 17 - Rodents by clicking the links above. For the Contents section of this ebook, as well as Volumes 1 through 5, please visit the Bryophyte Ecology Main Page.

Use CTRL+F to easily search within PDF files.

Ebook sponsored by Michigan Technological University and the International Association of Bryologists.

Chromosome-End Knockoff Strategy To Reshape Alkaloid Profiles Of A Fungal Endophyte, Simona Florea, Timothy D. Phillips, Daniel G. Panaccione, Mark L. Farman, Christopher L. Schardl

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Molecular genetic techniques to precisely eliminate genes in asexual filamentous fungi require the introduction of a marker gene into the target genome. We developed a novel strategy to eliminate genes or gene clusters located in subterminal regions of chromosomes, and then eliminate the marker gene and vector backbone used in the transformation procedure. Because many toxin gene clusters are subterminal, this method is particularly suited to generating nontoxic fungal strains. We tested this technique on Epichloë coenophiala, a seed-transmissible symbiotic fungus (endophyte) of the important forage grass, tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). The endophyte is necessary for maximal productivity and sustainability …

Effects Of Sublethal Fungicides On Mutation Rates And Genomic Variation In Fungal Plant Pathogen, Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum, B. Sajeewa Amaradasa, Sydney E. Everhart

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Pathogen exposure to sublethal doses of fungicides may result in mutations that may represent an important and largely overlooked mechanism of introducing new genetic variation into strictly clonal populations, including acquisition of fungicide resistance. We tested this hypothesis using the clonal plant pathogen, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Nine susceptible isolates were exposed independently to five commercial fungicides with different modes of action: boscalid (respiration inhibitor), iprodione (unclear mode of action), thiophanate methyl (inhibition of microtubulin synthesis) and azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin (quinone outside inhibitors). Mycelium of each isolate was inoculated onto a fungicide gradient and sub-cultured from the 50±100% inhibition zone for 12 …

Towards An Open Grapevine Information System, A-F Adam-Blondon, M. Alaux, C. Pommier, D. Cantu, Z-M Cheng, Gr Cramer, C. Davies, S. Delrot, L. Deluc, G. Di Gaspero, J. Grimplet, A. Fennell Dr, Et. Al

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Viticulture, like other fields of agriculture, is currently facing important challenges that will be addressed only through sustained, dedicated and coordinated research. Although the methods used in biology have evolved tremendously in recent years and now involve the routine production of large data sets of varied nature, in many domains of study, including grapevine research, there is a need to improve the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability (FAIR-ness) of these data. Considering the heterogeneous nature of the data produced, the transnational nature of the scientific community and the experience gained elsewhere, we have formed an open working group, in the …

Chapter 5 - Ecophysiology Of Development, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Volume 1: Physiological Ecology

Explore the contents of Bryophyte Ecology, Volume 1, Chapter 5 - Ecophysiology of Development by clicking the links above. For the Contents section of this ebook, as well as Volumes 1 through 5, please visit the Bryophyte Ecology Main Page.

Use CTRL+F to easily search within PDF files.

Ebook sponsored by Michigan Technological University and the International Association of Bryologists.

A Comparative Study Of The Flora And Soils Of Great Duck And Little Duck Islands, Maine, Usa, Luka Negoita, Matthew Dickinson, Glen Mittelhauser, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Strong environmental gradients and varied land-use practices have generated a mosaic of habitats harboring distinct plant communities on islands on the coast of Maine. Botanical studies of Maine's islands, however, are generally limited in number and scope. Baseline studies of Maine's islands are necessary for assessing vegetation dynamics and changes in habitat conditions in relation to environmental impacts imposed by climate change, rising sea levels, invasive species, pests and pathogens, introduced herbivores, and human disturbance. We conducted a survey of the vascular plants and soils of forest, field, and ocean-side communities of Great Duck and Little Duck Islands, ME. These …

Limestone Flora Of The Simonton Corner Quarry Preserve, Rockport, Maine, Usa, Margaret Stern, Ian Medeiros, Luka Negoita, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Limestone is a distinctive substrate that has significant effects on soils and plants. The present study characterizes the diversity of vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens at the Simonton Corner Quarry Preserve, an abandoned limestone quarry in Rockport, Maine, USA, which was in operation in the late 1800s. We document vascular plant diversity and associated edaphic features (i.e., soil pH and elemental chemistry) using 30 5×5 meter plots spread throughout the site. For vascular plants, 114 species in 96 genera and 50 families were observed; few of these species are known to prefer calcareous environments, and 38% are nonnative. Conversely, the …

Ua24 Mcicsl Newsletter - January 2016, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Information about the upcoming 11th Research Symposium

New Stonefly species

Winter Bat Monitoring

as well as research highlights and education highlights

The Ecology And Evolution Of Rare, Soil Specialist Astragalus Plants In The Arid Western U.S., Joseph M. Statwick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organisms that specialize in uncommon habitats are, by their very nature, inherently uncommon. Specialization has its advantages, namely reduced competition and predation, but it also incurs costs. Specialists often have small population sizes, narrow ranges, and fragmented habitat, all of which engender negative consequences on an evolutionary timescale. Herein, I examine benefits and costs of specialization in selenium-hyperaccumulating plants in the genus Astragalus (Fabaceae). These plants are disproportionately likely to be rare and of conservation concern. Thus, I optimized germination pretreatments for Astragalus species such that seed loss can be minimized during ex situ cultivation, and found that physical scarification …

15. The Conservation Significance Of Prairie Remnants In Missouri, Bruce Schuette

North American Prairie Conference Proceedings

How to conserve the great biodiversity of the prairie resource is a question of continuous debate. In Missouri the estimated 6,070,284 ha (15 million acres) of prairie at the time of Euro-American settlement has been reduced to an estimated 20,234–24,281 ha (50,000–60,000 acres) today, with 8,093 ha (20,000 acres) in conservation ownership. This valuable resource is rare now and is continuing to disappear. The Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF), a nongovernmental organization celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016, has acquired and protects 22 tracts that cover more than 1,335 ha (3,300 acres), comprised mostly of original unplowed prairie. These parcels, though …

17. Prairie Reverie: What Does The Word Prairie Mean In Postprairie Illinois?, Jack Shouba

North American Prairie Conference Proceedings

The meaning of the word ‘‘prairie’’ seems to have changed in recent years, as the Silicon Prairie replaced the Silphium prairie. There are bewildering uses of prairie that have nothing to do with native grasslands. The word is often used in a generic way, such as calling farmland, a vacant lot, or other open space a prairie. It is frequently used evocatively, as in Lakewood Prairie, a subdivision without a lake, a wood, or a prairie; a shopping center with no prairie for miles around is called Prairie View. Oxymorons like prairie golf or prairie fishing are common. Prairie reverie …

03. Population Demographics Of The Loggerhead Shrike: Insights Into The Species Decline From A Long-Term Study In The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Amy A. Chabot, Fran Harty, James Herkert, William Glass

North American Prairie Conference Proceedings

We monitored a breeding population of loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) in the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie from 2005 to 2016. Demographic data were compiled annually, including information on population size, age structure, and reproductive success. We banded adult shrikes, with some additional effort focused on nestlings (2005–2007) and independent hatch-year birds (2014–2016). We measured return rate as the number of birds that were previously banded. Site reuse rates were quantified as the use of a breeding territory in multiple years. Site fidelity, the use of a site by the same male or female in consecutive years, and dispersal distance of …

Residues Responsible For The Selectivity Of Α-Conotoxins For Ac-Achbp Or Nachrs, Bo Lin, Shi-Hua Xiang, Mengsen Li

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are targets for developing new drugs to treat severe pain, nicotine addiction, Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, etc. α-Conotoxins are biologically and chemically diverse. With 12–19 residues and two disulfides, they can be specifically selected for different nAChRs. Acetylcholine-binding proteins from Aplysia californica (Ac-AChBP) are homologous to the ligand-binding domains of nAChRs and pharmacologically similar. X-ray structures of the α-conotoxin in complex with Ac-AChBP in addition to computer modeling have helped to determine the binding site of the important residues of α-conotoxin and its affinity for nAChR subtypes. Here, we present the various α-conotoxin residues that are selective …

Identification Of Homogentisate Dioxygenase As A Target For Vitamin E Biofortification In Oilseeds, Minviluz G. Stacey, Rebecca E. Cahoon, Hanh T. Nguyen, Yaya Cui, Shirley Sato, Cuong T. Nguyen, Nongnat Phoka, Kerry M. Clark, Yan Liang, Joe Forrester, Josef Batek, Phat Tien Do, David A. Sleper, Thomas E. Clemente, Edgar B. Cahoon, Gary Stacey

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Soybean (Glycine max) is a major plant source of protein and oil and produces important secondary metabolites beneficial for human health. As a tool for gene function discovery and improvement of this important crop, a mutant population was generated using fast neutron irradiation. Visual screening of mutagenized seeds identified a mutant line, designated MO12, which produced brown seeds as opposed to the yellow seeds produced by the unmodified Williams 82 parental cultivar. Using forward genetic methods combined with comparative genome hybridization analysis, we were able to establish that deletion of the GmHGO1 gene is the genetic basis of …

Temporal Variability In Aboveground Plant Biomass Decreases As Spatial Variability Increases, Devan Allen Mcgranahan, Torre J. Hovick, R. Dwayne Elmore, David M. Engle, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Stephen L. Winter, James R. Miller, Diane M. Debinski

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Ecological theory predicts that diversity decreases variability in ecosystem function. We predict that, at the landscape scale, spatial variability created by a mosaic of contrasting patches that differ in time since disturbance will decrease temporal variability in aboveground plant biomass. Using data from a multi-year study of seven grazed tallgrass prairie landscapes, each experimentally managed for one to eight patches, we show that increased spatial variability driven by spatially patchy fire and herbivory reduces temporal variability in aboveground plant biomass. This pattern is associated with statistical evidence for the portfolio effect and a positive relationship between temporal variability and functional …

Temporal Variability In Aboveground Plant Biomass Decreases As Spatial Variability Increases, Devan Allen Mcgranahan, Torre J. Hovick, R. Dwayne Elmore, David M. Engle, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Stephen L. Winter, James R. Miller, Diane M. Debinski

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Ecological theory predicts that diversity decreases variability in ecosystem function. We predict that, at the landscape scale, spatial variability created by a mosaic of contrasting patches that differ in time since disturbance will decrease temporal variability in aboveground plant biomass. Using data from a multi-year study of seven grazed tallgrass prairie landscapes, each experimentally managed for one to eight patches, we show that increased spatial variability driven by spatially patchy fire and herbivory reduces temporal variability in aboveground plant biomass. This pattern is associated with statistical evidence for the portfolio effect and a positive relationship between temporal variability and functional …

Riparian Trees And Aridland Streams Of The Southwestern United States: An Assessment Of The Past, Present, And Future, D. Max Smith, Deborah M. Finch

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Riparian ecosystems are vital components of aridlands within the southwestern United States. Historically, surface flows influenced population dynamics of native riparian trees. Many southwestern streams has been altered by regulation, however, and will be further affected by greenhouse warming. Our analysis of stream gage data revealed that decreases in volume of annual discharge and mean peak discharge and a shift to earlier peak discharge will occur in the Southern Rockies region of Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. These changes will likely decrease rates of reproduction and survival of cottonwood (Populus fremontii and Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii), Goodding's willow …

Conditions Inside Fisher Dens During Prescribed Fires; What Is The Risk Posed By Spring Underburns?, Craig M. Thompson, Kathryn L. Purcell

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The use of spring prescribed fires to reduce accumulated fuel loads in western forests and facilitate the return of natural fire regimes is a controversial topic. While spring burns can be effective at reducing fuel loads and restoring heterogeneous landscapes, concerns exist over the potential impacts of unnaturally timed fires to native species. To protect native wildlife from disturbance during critical periods, limited operating periods (LOPs) are often implemented. However when LOPs for multiple species are combined into an integrated management plan, very few time windows for implementing prescribed fires remain. The use of spring burns is often effectively eliminated, …

Transcriptome And Metabolome Analyses Of Glucosinolates In Two Broccoli Cultivars Following Jasmonate Treatment For The Induction Of Glucosinolate Defense To Trichoplusia Ni (Hübner), Kang-Mo Ku, Talon M. Becker, John A. Juvik

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Lepidopteran larvae growth is influenced by host plant glucosinolate (GS) concentrations, which are, in turn, influenced by the phytohormone jasmonate (JA). In order to elucidate insect resistance biomarkers to lepidopteran pests, transcriptome and metabolome analyses following JA treatments were conducted with two broccoli cultivars, Green Magic and VI-158, which have differentially induced indole GSs, neoglucobrassicin and glucobrassicin, respectively. To test these two inducible GSs on growth of cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), eight neonate cabbage looper larvae were placed onto each of three plants per JA treatments (0, 100, 200, 400 M) three days after treatment. After five days of feeding, …

05. Bird Communities Within A Prairie/Wetland Complex: Restoration Of Former Wastewater Treatment Ponds In Southeastern Minnesota, Neal Mundahl, Bruno Borsari

North American Prairie Conference Proceedings

Our 12-mo study examined the bird communities associated with three habitat types at differing stages of restoration within a prairie/wetland complex in southeastern Minnesota. The 25-ha site previously consisted of three municipal wastewater treatment ponds that were taken off-line in 2002. One pond was retained as a shallow wetland; the others were reconfigured and restored by planting with prairie vegetation (one pond in 2003 and the other pond in 2013) to provide habitat for both wetland and grassland birds. Timed walking surveys of birds in each habitat were made monthly from June 2014 through May 2015. We observed 48 bird …

11. Nachusa Grasslands: 30 Years Of Lessons Learned At Nachusa Grasslands, Bill Kleiman

North American Prairie Conference Proceedings

We share 30 years of lessons learned about protecting and restoring Nachusa Grasslands in north-central Illinois. Land protection has required persistence. Volunteer stewardship has not only improved habitat but has also created a supportive human community for the project. Seasonally hired crews have proven to be an export product of our methods. Fire and weed management are carefully attended to. On planting prairie we specifically encourage you to plant a large amount of seed from many species, plant only the amount of land you have abundant seed to plant, try not to plant into areas with invasive weed problems, and …

06. Pilot Study: Limitations To Pollination And Ovary Development In The Small White Lady’S-Slipper (Cypripedium Candidum), Marie Faust, John A. Harrington

North American Prairie Conference Proceedings

The small white lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium candidum) is threatened or endangered in 10 or more of the approximately 20 U.S. states and Canadian provinces in which it is found. Our pilot study revealed a lack of pollination occurring in Wisconsin’s wild populations of this orchid. We also speculate from observations taken during the study that animal browse contributes to the state threatened status of this orchid. The results of this 1-year study are taken from three sites of low prairie in southern Wisconsin. Orchids were counted at each site; a subset of flowering plants was hand pollinated and mapped as to …

07. The Effects Of Seed Mix Diversity On Soil Conditions And Nesting Of Bees In Prairie Restorations, Nicholas Anderson, Alexandrea Harmon-Threatt

North American Prairie Conference Proceedings

With the goal of conserving native bees, current recommendations for improving habitats include increasing available floral resources by planting diverse seed mixes. However, these recommendations only account for the nutritional needs of bees while the availability of equally important nesting resources is often ignored. Here we used a novel system to investigate the effects of seed mix diversity on abiotic factors previously associated with nest sites of ground-nesting bees—available bare ground and soil temperature, moisture, and compaction—and on the occurrence of nests. We used standard bee-collecting techniques and a newer method using soil emergence tents (E-tents) to assess how seed …