Digital Commons Network^™

Transmembrane Domain Length Of Viral K+ Channels Is A Signal For Mitochondria Targeting, Jorg Balss, Panagiotis Papatheodorou, Mario Mehmel, Dirk Baumeister, Brigitte Hertel, Nicolas Delaroque, Frank C. Chatelain, Daniel L. Minor Jr., James L. Van Etten, Joachim Rassow, Anna Moroni, Gerhard Thiel

James Van Etten Publications

K⁺ channels operate in the plasma membrane and in membranes of organelles including mitochondria. The mechanisms and topogenic information for their differential synthesis and targeting is unknown. This article describes 2 similar viral K⁺ channels that are differentially sorted; one protein (Kesv) is imported by the Tom complex into the mitochondria, the other (Kcv) to the plasma membrane. By creating chimeras we discovered that mitochondrial sorting of Kesv depends on a hierarchical combination of N- and C-terminal signals. Crucial is the length of the second transmembrane domain; extending its C terminus by >2 hydrophobic amino acids redirects Kesv …

Nebline, June 2008

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Local Dairy Entrepreneurs Are Filling Market Niches
Effect of Fuel Price Increase on Production Costs
Calibrating Hand-Held Sprayers
Practice Water Conservation to Lengthen Septic System Life
Don’t Mistake Blossom End Rot for Mold on Tomatoes
Control of Biting Flies
Add “Star” Appeal to Fruit Dishes
Fresh Food, Fun, Friendly People: Farmers’ Markets
$tretch Your Food Dollar by Using Dry Milk
Frozen Fudge Bars Recipe
Presidents’ Notes—Bonnie’s Bits
Household Hints: Go Green—Clean with Vinegar
FCE News & Events
June is Home Safety Month— Tips for creating a safer home
Youth Can Explore Career Options at Big Red Camps
Emerging Pest: Emerald …

Index

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

No abstract provided.

The Vascular Flora Of The Owens Peak Eastern Watershed, Southern Sierra Nevada, California, Naomi S. Fraga

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Owens Peak lies at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada within the Bureau of Land Management’s Owens Peak Wilderness Area in Kern County, California. The study site, ca. 50 square miles, encompasses Owens Peak’s eastern watershed, and ranges in elevation from 800–2600 m (2600–8400 ft). Granite rocks of the Sierra Nevada batholith underlie the study area. The eastern watershed of Owens Peak is botanically diverse, with 64 families, 230 genera, and 440 taxa currently documented. Floristic elements within the study area include the southern Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert. The flora previously was poorly documented, as discovered …

Cantua Dendritica (Polemoniaceae), A New Species From Peru, And Two New Cantua Names, J. Mark Porter, L. Alan Prather

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Cantua dendritica is described as new. This species is apparently restricted to the region around Paucartambo, Department of Cusco, Peru. Related to, and frequently identified as, Cantua flexuosa, this new species differs in its glandular calyx, highly branched trichomes on the margin of the corolla lobes, and its softly herbaceous, glandular pilose leaves. In addition, two new names are proposed in Cantua for the two species of Huthia that have been transferred to Cantua, C. volcanica (formerly Huthia caerulea), and C. mediamnis (formerly H. longiflora).

Cloning And Characterization Of A Caesalpinoid (Chamaecrista Fasciculate) Hemoglobin: The Structural Transition From A Nonsymbiotic Hemoglobin To A Leghemoglobin, Sabarinathan K. Gopalasubramaniam, Frank A. Kovacs, Fernando Violante-Mota, Paul Twigg, Raul Arrendondo-Peter, Gautam Sarath

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Nonsymbiotic hemoglobins (nsHbs) and leghemoglobins (Lbs) are plant proteins that can reversibly bind O₂ and other ligands. The nsHbs are hexacoordinate and appear to modulate cellular concentrations of NO and maintain energy levels under hypoxic conditions. The Lbs are pentacoordinate and facilitate the diffusion of O₂ to symbiotic bacteroids within legume root nodules. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that all plant Hbs evolved from a common ancestor and that Lbs originated from nsHbs. However, little is known about the structural intermediates that occurred during the evolution of pentacoordinate Lbs from hexacoordinate nsHbs. We have cloned and characterized a …

Evaluating Vascular Plant Composition And Species Richness On Horn Island, Mississippi, Using Passive And Active Remote Sensing In Conjunction With Ground Based Measurements, Kelly Lynn Lucas

Dissertations

Barrier island vegetation is subjected to chronic abiotic stressors combined with periodic storm events that favor species adapted to harsh environments. These islands are the first landforms to be affected by changes in coastal subsidence and sea-level rise. Evaluating changes in vegetation is important for understanding the impact of global climate change on coastal environments.

This study assesses vegetation composition and plant species richness on Horn Island, Mississippi using ground data in conjunction with remotely sensed spectral and LIDAR data. The goals of this research are to: 1) classify and map vegetation composition on Horn Island using hyperspectral and LIDAR …

Foraging Preference By Wild Deer On Toyon (Heteromeles Arbutifolia) From Santa Catalina Island Versus Malibu, Amelia I. Clark, Brett Smith, Courtney Smith, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

Our group collected samples of Heteromeles Arbutifolia from both Santa Catalina Island and Pepperdine University’s campus in Malibu, CA in order to compare the morphological differences and deer preference between them. In our experiment, we planted the H. Arbutifolia from both locations side by side on a hillside overlooked by the Thorton Administration Center building on Pepperdine’s campus. In the first trial the deer did not consume either of the samples; we believe this was due to the length of time from when the branches were collected from the island to when they were introduced to the deer on campus. …

Soil Moisture Adjacent The Roots Of Post-Fire Ceanothus Megacarpus And Malosma Laurina, Kristi Holly, Kelly Sayre, Anson Snow

Featured Research

Hydraulic lift is a passive process in which a plant will bring water from subsoil to topsoil levels through its roots. In this experiment, we compared the soil moisture levels in the area surrounding two different chaparral species C. megacarpus, a shallow rooted nonsprouter, and M. laurina, a deep-rooted obligate sprouter, in order to determine the hydraulic lift patterns of chaparral as they regrow after fire. Furthermore, the C. Megacarpus had died due to the Malibu fire, while the M. Laurina was resprouting. Therefore, using a Hydrosense Soil Water Measurement System, we measured soil moisture percentages, and the results showed …

Stomatal Conductance Of Malosma Laurina In Frequently Burned And Non-Frequently Burned Sites, Kamron A. King, Matthew T. Bender, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

In the months following the Malibu fires, the fire zones have experienced and abundance of new growth. Among this new growth, there are differences that can be observed when comparing the top of the Malibu hill (frequent fire zone) to the base of the hill (nonfrequent fire zone). As the chaparral resprouted we noticed the behavior of the Malosma laurina in both frequent and non-frequent fire zones and stomatal conductance, height, and water potential were tested for plants in the two varying zones, with plants in the non-frequent fire zone outperforming their counterparts.

The Effect Of Fire Frequency On The Presence Of Native And Nonnative Species In The Santa Monica Mountains, Bobby Boss, Simone Ross, Taryn Thompson

Featured Research

We surveyed two sites in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California that experienced both high and low fire frequency (Figure 1). Our objective was to find out if increased fire frequency allowed for the invasion of non-native species. We collected data on herbaceous coverage and point to plant distance of woody chaparral species. A series of random points were used, and each area was divided up into four equal quadrants using two meter sticks. The individual nearest to the center in each quadrant was then identified and measured. To measure herbaceous coverage, percentages were took of cover of each …

Effects Of Shading On Post-Fire Seedlings Of Laurel Sumac (Malosma Laurina) In The Santa Monica Mountains, Anastasia N. Fry, Jennifer A. Sledge, Drew A. Almodovar

Featured Research

The interactions between post-fire plants is crucial directly after fire. A recent fire on Pepperdine campus allowed for a study to be performed on these interactions. The dominant chapparal plant, Malosma lauraina, laural sumac, both re-sprouts and grows from seeds after fire. Marah Macrocarpus, wild cucumber, grows rapidly after rain following a fire. Some M. lauraina seedlings end up under the M. Macrocarpus yet survive. This study aimed to find differences between those seedlings interacting with M. Macrocarpus and those that are not. Three groups of specimen were used. One control group grew in the sun, one control group in …

Comparison Of Post-Fire Growth Rates Between Elymus Condensatus And Yucca Whipplei In Coastal Chaparral, Jae K. Chung, Andrew J. Ishibashi, Francisco B. Sapigao

Featured Research

The two monocot species, Yucca whippelei and Elymus condensata chosen for this study are two co-occurring species on the Pepperdine campus. We chose 6 samples of each species and looked at parameters that would allow us to compare their post fire growth rates. These parameters included leaf area index, internal CO2 levels, transpiration rate, and photosynthetic rate. We used the Students T-test on the means of each parameter and found significant differences in leaf area index, internal CO2 levels, and transpiration rate. All of these were greater in the Yucca except for the leaf area index. We concluded that, because …

Growth Sequence Of Post-Fire Chaparral Resprouts In California’S Santa Monica Mountains, Iolana N. Kaneakua, Kelly L. Reynolds, Luke S. Walsh

Featured Research

The post-fire resprout succession of California Chaparral was surveyed in Corral Canyon of the Santa Monica Mountains. The primary objective of this investigation was to determine the sequence of Chaparral post-fire resprouts and possible correlations to the life histories of those species. Over a three month period, four designated study sites were visited every two weeks, surveying the number of adults, the number of resprouts and the height of the resprouts. It was found that both the facultative and the obligate typed species were successful in post-fire resprout. Facultative species were the first to resprout and obligate species displayed the …

Physiological Performance In Full-Sun Vs. Shaded Post-Fire Malosma Laurina Seedlings, Lindsey A. Murphy, David C. Valencia, Catherine D. Drummond

Featured Research

Post-fire Malosma laurina regenerates both by resprouting and by disseminating seeds. The objective of this study is to assess seedling performance either in full-sunlight or in artificially shaded treatments. By identifying under which conditions Malosma laurina seedlings grow more effectively, one can predict where post-fire M. laurina seedling communities will thrive. The methodology employed throughout this experiment began by covering existing seedlings with shade cloth held by wooden stakes. These treatments were adjacent to full-sun environments; each of which contained at least two Malosma laurina seedlings. Six experimental sites were set up, and the seedlings in question were monitored for …

The Complete Plastid Genome Sequence Of Welwitschia Mirabilis: An Unusually Compact Plastome With Accelerated Divergence Rates, Skip R. Mccoy, Jennifer V. Kuehl, Jeffrey L. Boore, Linda A. Raubeson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Background

Welwitschia mirabilis is the only extant member of the family Welwitschiaceae, one of three lineages of gnetophytes, an enigmatic group of gymnosperms variously allied with flowering plants or conifers. Limited sequence data and rapid divergence rates have precluded consensus on the evolutionary placement of gnetophytes based on molecular characters. Here we report on the first complete gnetophyte chloroplast genome sequence, from Welwitschia mirabilis, as well as analyses on divergence rates of protein-coding genes, comparisons of gene content and order, and phylogenetic implications.

Results

The chloroplast genome of Welwitschia mirabilis [GenBank: EU342371] is comprised of 119,726 base pairs and exhibits …

Marketing Of Forest Reproductive Material: The Use Of Microsatellites For Identification Of Registered Tree Clones In Finland, Leena Koviuranta, Kari Leinonen, Pertti Pulkkinen

Aspen Bibliography

According to the current legislation on the marketing of forest reproductive material, tree clones marketed in the EU must have certain traits which make them identifiable, and these traits must have been accepted and registered by an official body. Due to this obligation, there is a need for reliable, functional and practicable methods for specifying these distinctive characters. We have developed a clone identification method for European and hybrid aspens and curly birch, based on nuclear microsatellites, which can be used for determining the distinctive characters mentioned in the directive. For aspens, we have used 18 loci, of which nine …

Expression Analysis Of Plant Defense Responses During The Establishment Of Biotrophy And Role Of Abiotic Stress In The Infection Of Dyer’S Woad (Isatis Tinctoria) By Puccinia Thlaspeos, Elizabeth Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The kinetics and amplitude of the salicylic acid-responsive pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and the cytochrome P450 gene ItCYP79B2 in the compatible interaction between Puccinia thlaspeos and dyer’s woad (Isatis tinctoria) during the first 72 hours of inoculation were examined. Immediately following penetration of the host by the rust pathogen, there was a modest up-regulation of PR genes but a significant down-regulation of ItCYP79B2 expression. During haustoria formation, a significant pathogen-mediated suppression of PR genes was observed with a corresponding up-regulation of ItCYP79B2. This potentially facilitates haustoria formation by P. thlaspeos. After haustoria formation, a more …

In Vitro And In Vivo Techniques For Screening New Natural Product-Based Fungicides For Control Of Strawberry Anthracnose, Maritza Abril

Dissertations

Seven plant pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae, C. gloeosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Phomopsis obscurans, and P. viticola) valuable in screening fungicide efficacy were tested. Optimal and reproducible conditions for germination of these selected fungi were established by incorporating Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1640 (RPMI) as a medium of known composition and washing conidia to remove innate germination inhibitors. This step reduced average fungal germination times between 3.5 h and 21.2 h. The natural product-based fungicide, sampangine, seven sampangine analogs (4-bromo-sampangine, 4-methoxysampangine, benzo[4,5]sampangine, liriodenine Mel AMC-XIII-103, onychine, cryptolepine, and liriodenine CDH-II-37), plus seven conventional fungicides (benomyl, captan, cyprodinil, fenbuconazole, …

Root Disease Under Intensive Cereal Production Systems, Bill Macleod, Vivien Vanstone, Ravjit Khangura, Ciara Beard

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin describes symptoms and control methods for the most commonly encountered cereal root diseases in Western Australia:

• rhizoctonia bare patch

• root lesion nematode

• take-all

• fusarium crown rot

• cereal cyst nematode

• common root rot

• pythium root rot

Diseases caused by pathogenic micro-organisms can significantly reduce the yield of cereals. Some of these diseases are uncommon while others occur over a large area of the Western Australian wheatbelt every year. The most prevalent root diseases of cereals in Western Australia are rhizoctonia bare patch, root lesion nematode and take-all. Less widespread are fusarium crown rot, cereal cyst nematode, common root rot …

Leaf Area Index Simulation In Soybean Grown Under Near-Optimal Conditions, T. D. Setiyono, Albert Weiss, James E. Specht, Kenneth G. Cassman, A. Dobermann

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Different approaches have been used to simulate leaf area index (LAI) in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr). Many of these approaches require genotype-specific calibration procedures. Studies modeling LAI dynamics under optimal growth conditions with yields close to the yield potential of soybean have remained scarce. A sink-driven approach was developed and evaluated for LAI simulation in soybean under near-optimal environments. The rate of change in expanding leaf area was simulated using the first derivative of a logistic function accounting for plant population density, air temperature, and water deficit. The rate of change in senescing leaf area was also simulated …

The Mut9p Kinase Phosphorylates Histone H3 Threonine 3 And Is Necessary For Heritable Epigenetic Silencing In Chlamydomonas, Juan Casas-Mollano, Byeong-Ryool Jeong, Jianping Xu, Hideaki Moriyama, Heriberto D. Cerutti

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Changes in chromatin organization are emerging as key regulators in nearly every aspect of DNA-templated metabolism in eukaryotes. Histones undergo many, largely reversible, posttranslational modifications that affect chromatin structure. Some modifications, such as trimethylation of histone H3 on Lys 4 (H3K4me3), correlate with transcriptional activation, whereas others, such as methylation of histone H3 on Lys 27 (H3K27me), are associated with silent chromatin. Posttranslational histone modifications may also be involved in the inheritance of chromatin states. Histone phosphorylation has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes but, because of the dynamic nature of this modification, its potential role in long-term …

Recombinant Stokesia Epoxygenase Gene, David Hildebrand, Tomoko Hatanaka

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

A chimeric gene comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a delta 12-fatty acid epoxygenase enzyme and transgenic plants containing the chimeric gene are described. Expression of the chimeric delta 12-epoxygenase gene leads to altered levels of fatty acids in transformed cells.

Nitrogen Uptake, Fixation And Response To Fertilizer N In Soybeans: A Review, F. Salvagiotti, Kenneth G. Cassman, James E. Specht, Daniel T. Walters, Albert Weiss, Achim R. Dobermann

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Although relationships among soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr) seed yield, nitrogen (N) uptake, biological N₂ fixation (BNF), and response to N fertilization have received considerable coverage in the scientific literature, a comprehensive summary and interpretation of these interactions with specific emphasis on high yield environments is lacking. Six hundred and thirty-seven data sets (site–year–treatment combinations) were analyzed from field studies that had examined these variables and had been published in refereed journals from 1966 to 2006. A mean linear increase of 0.013 Mg soybean seed yield per kg increase in N accumulation in above-ground biomass was evident in …

An Overview Of The Vegetation Research Program: Knowledge Services For Land Management, Scott R. Abella

Fire Science Presentations

• Provide knowledge services about the ecology and management of southwestern dryland ecosystems
• Specialize in working with resource managers to conduct applied research
• Conduct and provide research, monitoring, scientific literature synthesis, and technical assistance

Duplicate Gene Expression In Allopolyploid Gossypium Reveals Two Temporally Distinct Phases Of Expression Evolution, Joshua Udall, Lex E. Flagel, Dan Nettleton, Jonathan F. Wendel

Faculty Publications

Polyploidy has played a prominent role in shaping the genomic architecture of the angiosperms. Through allopolyploidization, several modern Gossypium (cotton) species contain two divergent, although largely redundant genomes. Owing to this redundancy, these genomes can play host to an array of evolutionary processes that act on duplicate genes. Results- We compared homoeolog (genes duplicated by polyploidy) contributions to the transcriptome of a natural allopolyploid and a synthetic interspecific F1 hybrid, both derived from a merger between diploid species from the Gossypium A-genome and D-genome groups. Relative levels of A- and D-genome contributions to the petal transcriptome were determined for 1,383 …

Plant Functional Types Do Not Predict Biomass Responses To Removal And Fertilization In Alaskan Tussock Tundra, M. Syndonia Bret-Harte, Michelle C. Mack, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Daniel B. Sloan, Jennie Demarco, Gaius R. Shaver, Peter M. Ray, Zy Biesinger, F. Stuart Chapin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

1. Plant communities in natural ecosystems are changing and species are being lost due to anthropogenic impacts including global warming and increasing nitrogen (N) deposition. We removed dominant species, combinations of species and entire functional types from Alaskan tussock tundra, in the presence and absence of fertilization, to examine the effects of non-random species loss on plant interactions and ecosystem functioning.

2. After 6 years, growth of remaining species had compensated for biomass loss due to removal in all treatments except the combined removal of moss, Betula nana and Ledum palustre (MBL), which removed the most biomass. Total vascular plant …

Complete Nucleotide Sequence Of A Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus Isolate From Nebraska, Drake Stenger, Roy C. French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The complete genome of a maize chlorotic mottle virus isolate from Nebraska (MCMV-NE) was cloned and sequenced. The MCMV-NE genome consists of 4,436 nucleotides and shares 99.5 nucleotide sequence identity with an MCMV isolate from Kansas (MCMV-KS). Of 22 polymorphic sites, most resulted from transition with a clear bias for U to C and C to U substitutions. The MCMV-NE genome was assembled into a single plasmid insert and used as a template to transcribe RNA in vitro. As RNA transcribed from the cloned MCMV-NE genome was infectious to maize plants, sequence differences between MCMV-NE and MCMV-KS are most likely …

No-Till Corn After Bromegrass: Effect On Soil Carbon And Soil Aggregates, Ronald F. Follett, Gary E. Varvel, John M. Kimble, Kenneth P. Vogel

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the USA may be converted to grain crops for bioenergy. The effect of no-till conversion of a smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss) grassland to no-till corn (Zea mays L.) production on soil organic carbon (SOC) in the western Corn Belt was monitored for over 6 yr. A different ¹³C/¹²C isotope signature is imparted to SOC by C4 plants including corn versus C3 plants such as bromegrass. Changes in C isotope ratios in SOC in three soil depths (0- to 5-, 5–10, and 10–30 cm) by particle size …

Edge Influence On Reproductive Success Of Symphoricarpos Orbiculatus, Breanne M. Nott

Student Honors Theses

With continued forest fragmentation, edge effects play an important role in shaping the structure and composition of plant communities. Some forest plant species exhibit increased abundance at forest edges, while other species have a negative edge response. Despite welldocumented edge effects, there are few studies that document the underlying effects on population dynamics of individual species that result in edge responses. Two mechanisms may generate differential distribution of a species across an edge. Edges may 1) alter population demographics by influencing the plant’s uptake and allocation of resources, or may 2) influence the spatial pattern of seed dispersal. Coral berry …