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Fuzzy Clustering Of Cpp Family In Plants With Evolution And Interaction Analyses, Tao Lu, Yongchao Dou, Chi Zhang

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Background: Transcription factors have been studied intensively because they play an important role in gene expression regulation. However, the transcription factors in the CPP family (cystein-rich polycomb-like protein), compared with other transcription factor families, have not received sufficient attention, despite their wide prevalence in a broad spectrum of species, from plants to animals. The total number of known CPP transcription factors in plants is 111 from 16 plants, but only 2 of them have been studied so far, namely TSO1 and CPP1 in Arabidopsis thaliana and soybean, respectively.
Methods: In this work, to study their functions, we applied …

Acyl-Lipid Metabolism, Younghua Li-Beisson, Basil Shorrosh, Fred Beisson, Mats X. Andersson, Vincent Arondel, Philip D. Bates, Sébastien Baud, David Bird, Allan Debono, Timothy P. Durrett, Rochus B. Franke, Ian A. Graham, Kenta Katayama, Amélie A. Kelly, Tony Larson, Jonathan E. Markham, Martine Miquel, Isabel Molina, Ikuo Nishida, Owen Rowland, Lacey Samuels, Katherine M. Schmid, Hajime Wada, Ruth Welti, Changcheng Xu, Rémi Zallot, John Ohlrogge

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Acyl lipids in Arabidopsis and all other plants have a myriad of diverse functions. These include providing the core diffusion barrier of the membranes that separates cells and subcellular organelles. This function alone involves more than 10 membrane lipid classes, including the phospholipids, galactolipids, and sphingolipids, and within each class the variations in acyl chain composition expand the number of structures to several hundred possible molecular species. Acyl lipids in the form of triacylglycerol account for 35% of the weight of Arabidopsis seeds and represent their major form of carbon and energy storage. A layer of cutin and cuticular waxes …

Direct And Indirect Selection On Floral Pigmentation By Pollinators And Seed Predators In A Color Polymorphic South African Shrub, Jane E. Carlson, Kent E. Holsinger

EEB Articles

The coexistence of different color morphs is often attributed to variable selection pressures across space, time, morph frequencies or selection agents, but the routes by which each morph is favored are rarely identified. In this study we untangle the interactions and trait pleiotropisms that influence floral color polymorphisms on a local scale in Protea, within which ~40% of species are polymorphic. Previous work shows that seed predators and reproductive differences likely influence polymorphism maintenance in four Protea species. Here, we explore whether selection acts on floral color directly or indirectly in Protea aurea, using path analysis of pollinator …

Live Weight Parameters In Dorper, Damara And Australian Merino Lambs Subjected To Restricted Feeding, Tim Scanlon, Andre M. Almeida, Andrew Van Burgel, Tanya Kilminster, John Milton, Johan C. Greeff, Chris Oldham

Journal articles

Seasonal weight loss (SWL) is a serious constraint to ruminant production in tropical and Mediterranean climates. SWL is controlled using supplementation, costly and difficult to implement in extensive production systems; or alternatively, using breeds with a natural adaptation to tropical climates, namely hair and fat tailed sheep. Albeit a 15-year presence in Australia, little is known on how Dorper and Damara sheep compared to the most widely used sheep breed in Australia, the Australian Merino. In this trial, the responses of the Damara, Dorper and Merino breeds to nutritional stress were compared during a 42-day trial. Seventy-two ram lambs, 24 …

Forage News [2013-01], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Dr. Jimmy Henning to Open AFGC Conference
• Forages at KCA
• Heart of America Grazing Conference
• 2012 U.K. Forage Variety Results
• Missouri Farmers Fright Rise in Hay Thefts
• "Beef: The Real Health Food"
• More VALUE from Pastures in 2013
• Renovation: More Important in 2013
• Perennial Forages Benefit Soils, Other Crops, and Water Quality in Important Way
• JBS to Beef up Production from Grass-fed Brazil Herd

Alternative Methods Of Control For Phytophthora Nicotianae Of Tobacco, Anna M. Holdcroft

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Kentucky is the nation’s leading producer of burley tobacco and the crop’s most economically important disease is black shank, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae (Pn). Current management is effective, however, problems with expense and pathogen persistence are issues. Two alternative methods for control of Pn were examined: biofumigation and soil application of an organic, yeast fermentation‐derived product (Soil‐Set). Field studies in 2009 and 2010 found no effect on populations of fungi, disease severity of Pn, and yield between mustard‐ and wheat‐amended plots. Experiments in the greenhouse suggested that survival of Pn was impacted by biomass rather than biofumigation. Biofumigation is not …

Uses Of Phage Display In Agriculture: Sequence Analysis And Comparative Modeling Of Late Embryogenesis Abundant Client Proteins Suggest Protein-Nucleic Acid Binding Functionality, Rekha Kushwaha, A. Bruce Downie, Christina M. Payne

Horticulture Faculty Publications

A group of intrinsically disordered, hydrophilic proteins-Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins-has been linked to survival in plants and animals in periods of stress, putatively through safeguarding enzymatic function and prevention of aggregation in times of dehydration/heat. Yet despite decades of effort, the molecular-level mechanisms defining this protective function remain unknown. A recent effort to understand LEA functionality began with the unique application of phage display, wherein phage display and biopanning over recombinant Seed Maturation Protein homologs from Arabidopsis thaliana and Glycine max were used to retrieve client proteins at two different temperatures, with one intended to represent heat stress. From …

Critical Research Needs For Successful Food Systems Adaptation To Climate Change, Michelle Miller, Molly Anderson, Charles A. Francis, Chad Kruger, Carol Barford, Jacob Park, Brent H. Mccown

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

There is a growing sense of the fragility of agricultural production in the Global North and South and of increasing risks to food security, as scientific observations confirm significant changes in the Gulf Stream, polar ice, atmospheric CO₂, methane release, and other measures of climate change. This sense is heightened as each of us experiences extreme weather, such as the increasing frequency of droughts, floods, unseasonal temperatures, and erratic seasonality. The central research challenge before us is how global, national, regional, and local food systems may adapt to accelerating climate change stresses and uncertainties to ensure the availability, …

Distribución De La Herpetofauna En Cuatro Tipos De Vegetación Del Estado De Hidalgo, México, Uriel Hernández-Salinas, Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista

Estudios científicos en el estado de Hidalgo y zonas aledañas

Este estudio se realizó en un periodo de un año (2007-2008), con el propósito de elaborar una lista de especies de anfibios y reptiles que habitan en cuatro tipos de vegetación: bosque mesófilo de montaña (BMM), bosque de pino-encino (BPE), matorral xerófilo (MX) y bosque tropical perennifolio (BTP) del estado de Hidalgo, y comparar la riqueza de especies entre éstos. Se encontró que el MX fue el tipo de vegetación con la menor riqueza de especies (H = 2.942), mientras que el BMM presentó la mayor de riqueza (H = 3.267). El BTP y el BPE fue la combinación vegetal …

Wolf Creek Ranch Aspen Monitoring Report, Paul C. Rogers, Allison Jones, James Catlin, James Shuler, Arthur Morris, Michael Kuhns

Aspen Bibliography

In the summer of 2012 we undertook a landscape assessment of aspen forest conditions at Wolf Creek Ranch (WCR) near Kamas, Utah. Using a geographic information system (GIS) coverage of predicted aspen coverage, fifty systematically selected field "plots" were located and mapped with aspen stands around WCR. Seven plots were eventually discarded from our survey due to lack of aspen cover. Volunteer field crews, mostly WCR homeowners, collected aspen data documenting tree sizes, height/age groups, diameters, reproduction, mortality, browse levels, and browse animal use levels.

Impacts Of Spring-Interseeded Cover Crops On Late-Emerging Weed Suppression And Ground Cover In Corn (Zea Mays L.) Production Systems, Alex D. Bich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Any alternative crop management strategy will only be adopted by growers if yield is not negatively impacted, fits within a current management practice, is easily implementable with minimal cost, or provides other beneficial features such as weed control or suppression. Corn production that incorporates a cover crop as an alternative weed control strategy and ground cover may support a sustainable system that is less dependent on herbicidal weed control. In addition, the cover crop may be used as a fall forage, act as a slow release fertilizer source the following year, and provide ground cover to reduce soil erosion. In …

Impacts Of Drought On Disease Development And Management, Stephen Wegulo, Loren Giesler, Robert Harveson, Tamra A. Jackson-Ziems, Bo Liu, Kevin Korus

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Drought conditions such as those that occurred in Nebraska in 2012 can impact the development of plant diseases. In general drought slows down or prevents the development of plant diseases caused by pathogens that thrive under moist conditions. However, some diseases are favored by drought. This is because when plants are stressed due to lack of moisture or excessive heat, they become more susceptible to these diseases. This article presents examples of diseases of agronomic crops favored by drought and how to manage them. Data are provided on the effect of dry or wet conditions on the profitability of applying …

Potassium Ion Channels: Could They Have Evolved From Viruses?1[W], Gerhard Thiel, Anna Moroni, Guillaume Blanc, James L. Van Etten

James Van Etten Publications

Cells communicate among themselves by electrical activity. Sophisticated membrane-embedded proteins, called ion channels, catalyze rapid, selective, and regulated ion fluxes across membranes (Hille, 2001). The resulting membrane currents are responsible for neuronal activity and the systemic propagation of electrical signals in animals. The activity of some channels is important for muscle movement in animals or growth in plants; other channels sense the concentration of physiological signals and modulate key processes in all kinds of eukaryotic cells. Among the many diverse ion channels in higher organisms, K+ channels are among the most important. One feature of K+ channels is that they …

Evaluating The Sustainability Of Four Organic Vegetable Production Systems, Delia W. Scott

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

A field study evaluating the sustainability of four organic vegetable production systems was conducted in Lexington, Kentucky in 2006 and 2007. The four systems included no-till, raised beds covered with biodegradable black mulch, bare ground with shallow cultivation, and bare ground with shallow cultivation and wood chip mulch. The two-year study compared yield, weed control, labor, and costs associated with each system, as well as physical, chemical, and microbiological soil characteristics. In 2006, tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were grown in the four systems, with no significant difference in yield. Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) was grown in the …

Aspen Status Report And Recommendation For The Book Cliffs, Paul C. Rogers, Cody M. Mittanck, Ronald J. Ryel

Aspen Bibliography

Regionally quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forests are experiencing numerous impediments to resilience. In the West, recent drought, fire suppression, insects, diseases, climate trends, inappropriate management, and ungulate herbivory are impacting these high biodiversity forests. We conducted a landscape assessment of aspen communities in the Book Cliffs region, Vernal Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, for the purposes of determining landscape-level status of aspen and making recommendations for future management of these forests. The study area consists of 268 distinct aspen polygons totaling approximately 70 ha (174 acres) of aspen forest surrounded by much larger tracts of …

Book Cliffs Roadless Area Aspen Study 2013 : Grand & Uintah Counties, Utah, Cody M. Mittanck

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Threshold Responses Of Forest Birds To Landscape Changes Around Exurban Development, Todd R. Lookingbill, Marcela Suarez-Rubio, Scott Wilson, Peter Leimgruber

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Low-density residential development (i.e., exurban development) is often embedded within a matrix of protected areas and natural amenities, raising concern about its ecological consequences. Forest-dependent species are particularly susceptible to human settlement even at low housing densities typical of exurban areas. However, few studies have examined the response of forest birds to this increasingly common form of land conversion. The aim of this study was to assess whether, how, and at what scale forest birds respond to changes in habitat due to exurban growth. We evaluated changes in habitat composition (amount) and configuration (arrangement) for forest and forest-edge species around …

Slurry Seeding Cover Crops, Edwin Alexander Suarez

Open Access Theses

Cover crops improve soil quality through increased organic matter, biological activity, aggregate stability, water infiltration, and nutrient cycling. Slurry seeding, the co-application of cover crop seed and swine (Sus domesticus) manure, is a new practice that saves fuel, time and labor. High salinity and/or ammonia, among other components in swine manure, may reduce cover crop seed germination and limit the use of slurry seeding. Ten cover crop species were evaluated to compare the effects of swine manure components on cover crop seed germination. Seed germination percentages and rates were affected by swine manure but not by equivalent salinity levels established …

Developing White Ash With Resistance To The Emerald Ash Borer, Kaitlin Joy Palla

Open Access Theses

Hypocotyls isolated from mature embryos germinated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 22.2 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 0.5 µM thidiazuron (TDZ) were transformed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 harboring the pBI121-8D2 vector containing the neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) gene and a full length, codon-optimized Bacillus thuringiensis Cry8Da protoxin gene (cry8D2). Explants were transformed in a bacterial suspension with 100 µM acetosyringone using 90 s sonication and 10 min vacuum-infiltration. Four independent lines of transformed shoots were selectively regenerated on MS medium with 22.2 µM BA, 0.5 µM TDZ, 50 mg L^-1 adenine sulfate, 10% …

Fate Of 17Α-Estradiol, 17Β-Estradiol, And Estrone In Agricultural Soils And Sediments, Michael L. Mashtare Jr

Open Access Dissertations

The shift to concentrated animal production facilities and increasing rural-urban migration has increased the localized land application of nearly 1 billion tons of manure and biosolids annually. Although these applications provide nutrients and contribute to soil tilth, they also serve as a source for an estimated 49 tons of the natural manure-borne estrogens, 17α-estradiol (17α-E2), 17β-estradiol (17β-E2), and estrone (E1). While these estrogens are critical to endocrine systems, the low concentrations observed in the environment can disrupt endocrine function in non-target organisms, e.g., altering secondary sex characteristics which can lead to changes in wildlife communities.

Research presented here focuses on …

Biology Department Newsletter, No. 3, Sacred Heart University

Biology Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Spatial Pattern Analysis Of Peganum Harmala On The Salted Lower Chelif Plain, Algeria, Adda Ababou, Mohammed Chouieb, Abdelkader Bouthiba, Djamel Saidi, Mahfoud M'Hamedi Bouzina, Khalladi Mederbal

Turkish Journal of Botany

Peganum harmala L. (Zygophyllaceae), native to arid and semiarid rangeland, has been widely studied biochemically, pharmaceutically, and medicinally, but is largely unknown ecologically. In the lower Chelif, Algeria, this plant is largely present and shows a clear clumped pattern, which indicates the strong effects of environmental conditions. Our redundancy analysis showed that the geographic distribution of this species was positively correlated with sand and pH and negatively correlated with conductivity, Na^+, and clay. The Gaussian model suggested that 9.4 mmhos/cm conductivity and sand contents greater than 40% are optimum for this plant. The spatial distribution map obtained through the kriging …

Physiological And Ultrastructural Studies On Calcium Oxalate Crystal Formation In Some Plants, Fayza Faheed, Ahmed Mazen, Shereen Abd Elmohsen

Turkish Journal of Botany

Results from light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopic examination of CaOx crystal formation in 2 plant species, namely Corchorus olitorius L. and Malva parviflora L., revealed the presence of crystalline deposits. These deposits were of prismatic type in the case of C. olitorius and of druse type in the case of M. parviflora. Ultrastructurally, some differences were observed between crystal idioblast and noncrystal cells. Moreover, the effect of heavy metals and different calcium concentrations on the growth of calcium oxalate crystals in leaves of the 2 plants was investigated. Different analytical techniques were used to determine the influence of exogenous …

Anther Development And Cytochemistry In Asphodelus Aestivus (Asphodelaceae), Fi̇li̇z Vardar, Işil İsmai̇loğlu, Meral Ünal

Turkish Journal of Botany

Asphodelus aestivus Brot. (Asphodelaceae) anthers were analysed to provide a detailed understanding of the events that lead to pollen grain development, accompanied by cytochemical observations at different ontogenic stages. An anther locule of A. aestivus was bordered by 4 different layers: the tapetum, the middle layer, the endothecium, and the epidermis. At the tetrad stage, secretory tapetal cells enlarged maximally, while they showed degeneration at the young microspore stage. During the course of the degeneration, vacuolisation and reduction in the volume were conspicuous. Cytochemical analysis revealed that tapetal cells presented an intense reaction with regard to protein, insoluble polysaccharides, and …

Seasonal Variation Of Litter Accumulation And Putrefaction With Reference To Decomposers In A Mangrove Forest In Karachi, Pakistan, Kanwal Nazim, Moinuddin Ahmed, Syed Shahid Shaukat, Muhammad Uzair Khan

Turkish Journal of Botany

Litter production and its decomposition is a major source of nutrients for mangrove ecosystems. This study was conducted on a naturally growing mangrove population in the Sandspit area in Karachi, Pakistan, during 2007 and 2008. Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. forms an almost pure population in Sandspit mangrove swamps. To examine the details of temporal fluctuation in litter accumulation and its decomposition, observations were taken at monthly intervals. Results showed that the maximum litter accumulation occurred during the monsoon and post-monsoon season with the maximum accumulation in August (68.76 ± 8.72 g/m^2), while minimum litter accretion occurred in January (13.61 ± …

Inula Tuzgoluensis (Asteraceae), A New Species From Central Anatolia, Turkey, Meryem Şeker, Özlem Çeti̇n

Turkish Journal of Botany

The new species Inula tuzgoluensis M.Öztürk & O.Çetin (Asteraceae) is described from Central Turkey. The species grows on salty marshes, in the Cihanbeyli District of Konya Province. Inula tuzgoluensis, an endemic confined to Central Anatolia, is related to I. aucheriana DC. The new species is distinct from the closely allied I. aucheriana by habitus, indumentums, leaves, flowers, pollen grains, and achenes. Photos of the new species are provided. Special attention is also given to its ecology and conservation status. In addition, pollen characteristics and achene surface features are examined by scanning electron microscopy. Phylogenetic relationships between closely related Inula species …

Floristic Diversity And Vegetation Analysis Of Wadi Al-Noman, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Kadry Abdel Khalik, Mohamed El-Sheikh, Abeer El-Aidarous

Turkish Journal of Botany

Wadi Al-Noman in Mecca is one of the most important wadis. It was included among the most important water sources where the springs and wells of Zobida run and it provides drinking water for the holy places in Mecca and visitors to the Kaaba and Arafat regions. The present study provides an analysis of floristic composition, vegetation types, and structure and species distribution at 20 sites, emphasising the environmental factors that affect species distribution. A total of 126 species representing 39 families of vascular plants are recorded. Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Boraginaceae are the largest families, and therophytes and chamaephytes are …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring For Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, 2012 Annual Report, Isabel W. Ashton, Stephen K. Wilson, Daniel J. Swanson, Michael Prowatzke, Phil Graeve

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) plays a vital role in protecting and managing some of the last remnants of native mixed-grass prairie in the region. The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (NGPN) and Fire Ecology Program (FireEP) surveyed 12 long-term monitoring plots in Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in 2012 as part of an effort to better understand the condition of plant communities in the park. We measured plant diversity and cover, looked for the presence of exotic species that may be newly invading the park, and evaluated the amount of human and natural disturbance …

Heifer Calving Date Positively Influences Calf Weaning Weights Through Six Parturitions, R. A. Cushman, L. H. Kill, Richard N. Funston, E. M. Mousel, G. A. Perry

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Longevity and lifetime productivity are important factors influencing profitability for the cowcalf producer. Heifers that conceive earlier in the breeding season will calve earlier in the calving season and have a longer interval to rebreeding. Calves born earlier in the calving season will also be older and heavier at weaning. Longevity data were collected on 2,195 heifers from producers in South Dakota Integrated Resource Management groups. Longevity and weaning weight data were collected on 16,549 individual heifers at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC). Data were limited to heifers that conceived during their first breeding season. Heifers were grouped …

Short-Term Denitrification In The Metalimnion Of A Eutrophic Reservoir, Aki Kogo, Erin M. Grantz, Thad Scott

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Denitrification in metalimnetic water was examined under different conditions to determine how addition of nitrate (NO3 -) and particulate carbon (PC), aeration, and concentrations of nitrate affect denitrification. In the first experiment, water samples from a metalimnion were treated with different combinations of NO3 - and PC. Changes in excess N2 -N concentration for 10 days were measured using membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS). The second experiment used the same treatments as the first experiment after aeration of water. Besides excess N2 -N concentrations, O2 concentrations were measured for 16 days. The third experiment examined how different initial concentrations of …