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Synaptic Plasticity In The Rodent Hippocampus Involvement Of Trpv1 In Plasticity Of Area Ca1, Jared Weed, Dr. Jeffrey Edwards Apr 2014

Synaptic Plasticity In The Rodent Hippocampus Involvement Of Trpv1 In Plasticity Of Area Ca1, Jared Weed, Dr. Jeffrey Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The hippocampus is the area of the brain where long-term declarative memories are formed. Synaptic plasticity, the long-term strengthening or weakening of the synapse (the connection between two neurons), is the proposed cellular mechanism for the process of memory formation. The two types of synaptic plasticity are long-term potentiation (LTP), in which a synapse becomes strengthened; and long-term depression (LTD), in which a synapse becomes weakened.

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Mechanisms In Learning And Memory, Michael Mcneil, Dr. Jeffrey Edwards Apr 2014

Mechanisms In Learning And Memory, Michael Mcneil, Dr. Jeffrey Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Endocannabinoids are molecules that play an important role in neuromodulation and are also known to be a factor in many peripheral nervous system functions such as appetite and pain sensation. Recent discoveries have also shown that endocannabinoids and their cell-signaling mechanisms are found within the central nervous system, specifically within the hippocampus, an active component of declarative or explicit memory, yet their role in the CNS is largely unknown. Within the hippocampus there are two main categories of neurons, the pyramidal cells and the interneurons, and both are critical for hippocampal function. However, the interneurons appear to be involved in …

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Alzheimer’S Disease And Mitochondrial Genome Copy Number, Miles Mckee, Dr. John Kauwe Apr 2014

Alzheimer’S Disease And Mitochondrial Genome Copy Number, Miles Mckee, Dr. John Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this research project was to identify genetic variation, or more specifically variation in the average number of mitochondria per cell, and determine how these variations relate to risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The project started off with a measurement of the ratio of mitochondrial genome copies to nuclear genome copies by using Q-PCR. We checked this because mitochondrial concentration is necessary for normal energy metabolism and cell growth. This heritable trait may be regulated by genetic variation in the mitochondrial genome. We are currently attempting to determine if there is an association that exists between the measured …

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Validation Of Genetic Association Between Variants In Ppp3r1 And Mapt And Rate Of Progression Of Alzheimer’S Disease, David Peterson, Dr. John S. K. Kauwe Apr 2014

Validation Of Genetic Association Between Variants In Ppp3r1 And Mapt And Rate Of Progression Of Alzheimer’S Disease, David Peterson, Dr. John S. K. Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting more than 4.5 million people in the US. Genetic studies of AD have previously identified mutations in three genes (APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2) and polymorphism in APOE as risk factors. These findings have led to a better understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms. However, half of all AD cases have no known genetic risk factors for disease. Most studies are designed to identify variants associated with risk or age at onset, but rarely cover other important facets of AD, such as disease progression or duration. Previously, Cruchaga et al. identified …

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Phenotypic Divergence Of Boldness In Brachyrhaphis Fishes, Joseph Nelson, Jerald B. Johnson Apr 2014

Phenotypic Divergence Of Boldness In Brachyrhaphis Fishes, Joseph Nelson, Jerald B. Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The general public has a fairly good understanding of evolution and how physical characteristics of a species can change to adapt to environmental inconsistencies. In times of drought, flood, or other natural stress that commonly occur in nature, animals must adapt to their surroundings, or die. The example of the Galapagos finches is one of the most popular used illustrations of this concept. The size, shape and usefulness of a finch’s beak were some few of the things that the great scientist Charles Darwin first noticed on his trip to the Galapagos Islands over 170 years ago. As Darwin determined …

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Researching The Effects Of Osteoarthritis As A Systemic Immune Response, Danielle Peterson, Dr. David Kooyman Apr 2014

Researching The Effects Of Osteoarthritis As A Systemic Immune Response, Danielle Peterson, Dr. David Kooyman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Our bodies are dynamic structures that do not operate as individual compartments, but as a whole. When something goes awry in one specific tissue or organ, specific signals from that diseased area are released affect other tissues. I received an ORCA grant last year to study my hypothesis that degradation of Osteoarthritis (OA) is primarily associated with a systemic immune response to trauma of articular cartilage. In order to verify this hypothesis, a treatment that creates OA in one localized area while other tissues remained undamaged was needed. The OA genetic mutant mice that researchers normally turn to couldn’t be …

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Localizing Endocannabinoid Receptors Gpr55 And Gpr119 To Subtypes Of Neurons In The Hippocampus, Ryan Williamson, Dr. Jeff Edwards Apr 2014

Localizing Endocannabinoid Receptors Gpr55 And Gpr119 To Subtypes Of Neurons In The Hippocampus, Ryan Williamson, Dr. Jeff Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that mediates learning and memory by altering the function of synapses within its circuitry via intracellular signaling molecules. The ability of synapses to change is called synaptic plasticity. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity can be mediated by endogenous lipid-based signaling molecules called endocannabinoids (eCBs) [3]. Two of the best studied eCBs are anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG). Physiology data suggests that AEA may mediate synaptic plasticity in neurons of the stratum radiatum region of the hippocampus by binding to an unclassified G protein-coupled receptor called GPR55 [2,3,4,5]. Additionally, another unclassified G-protein coupled receptor, …

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Osteoarthritis And Cartilage, David Holt, Dr. L. C. Bridgewater, Dr. R. E. Seegmiller Apr 2014

Osteoarthritis And Cartilage, David Holt, Dr. L. C. Bridgewater, Dr. R. E. Seegmiller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the spondyloepiphesial dysplasia congenita (sedc) heterozygous (sedc/þ) mouse, a COL2A1 mutant, is a model for the study of osteoarthritis (OA) in the absence of dwarfism and to investigate the presence of HtrA1, Ddr2, and Mmp-13 and their possible involvement in a universal mechanism leading to OA.

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Search For Genomic Factors That Influence Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels Of Ykl40, A Novel Biomarker For Alzheimer’S Disease, Mo Lee, Dr. John S. K. Kauwe Apr 2014

Search For Genomic Factors That Influence Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels Of Ykl40, A Novel Biomarker For Alzheimer’S Disease, Mo Lee, Dr. John S. K. Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in the United States. It is a complex neurodegenerative disorder featured by gradual onset and progression of memory loss combined with deficits in executive functioning, language, visuospatial abilities, personality, behavior and self-care. There are basically two types of Alzheimer’s Disease, familial Alzheimer’s disease and late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease respectively.

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Orca Project By Danny Catts And Dr. Johnson, Danny Catts, Dr. Johnson Apr 2014

Orca Project By Danny Catts And Dr. Johnson, Danny Catts, Dr. Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

After we successfully characterized our virus, we proceeded to investigate the variant’s viral behavior in hopes of finding a difference in comparison to that of the standard. After preliminary steps showed little variation, we took a different direction with the project.

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The Role Of The Apical Ectodermal Ridge, David Barnes, Dr. Jeffery Barrow Apr 2014

The Role Of The Apical Ectodermal Ridge, David Barnes, Dr. Jeffery Barrow

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Limb formation in tetra pods, animals with four legs, starts with the outgrowth of lateral plate mesoderm at the level of both forelimb and hind limb. A ridge of ectodermal tissue located at the distal margin, named the apical ectodermal ridge (AER), plays an essential role for the outgrowth and patterning of limbs. Patterning is defined as molecular or morphological differences that are established along an axis. The limb is patterned along each of its three axes: along the proximal to distal (PD) axis, the nature of the limb changes from humerus/femur (stylopod) to radius, ulna/tibia, fibula (zeugopod), to hand/foot …

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The Nectin-Zyxin Interaction’S Role In Emt, Bradley Scott Colton, Dr. Marc Hansen Apr 2014

The Nectin-Zyxin Interaction’S Role In Emt, Bradley Scott Colton, Dr. Marc Hansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of our experiment was to prove the interactions between three different proteins named nectin, zyxin, and VASP. It is thought that these proteins are involved in forming interactions with the actin cytoskeleton between neighboring cells and add to the cell adhesion between cells in an epithelial layer of cells. Normally cells need to stick together to function together as a layer of cells. One of the characteristics of cancer is when cells break these cell-to-cell adhesions in order to migrate to different areas of the body and set up new tumor sites. This process is known as epithelialmesenchymal …

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The Evolution Of Color Vision In Dragonflies And Damselflies (Odonata), Kelsy Johnson, Dr. Michael F. Whiting Apr 2014

The Evolution Of Color Vision In Dragonflies And Damselflies (Odonata), Kelsy Johnson, Dr. Michael F. Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Opsins are the genes present in the eye that are responsible for color vision in all animals (Briscoe et al., 2001). Insect vision is particularly interesting because they are able to see different wavelengths of light due to the number and types of opsins present in the eye. Odonata have very large and complex visual systems. However, the only visual system data that has been gathered on Odonates is physiological data, and no molecular data has been recovered yet to support the physiological data. A previous study by Yang and Osorio (1991) identified 5 opsin copies present in odonates. My …

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Characterization Of 10 Polymorphic Microsatellite Loci In The South American Lizard Liolaemus Fitzingerii With Cross-Amplification In L. Chehuachekenk, Nathan Hanna, Dr. Jack Sites Apr 2014

Characterization Of 10 Polymorphic Microsatellite Loci In The South American Lizard Liolaemus Fitzingerii With Cross-Amplification In L. Chehuachekenk, Nathan Hanna, Dr. Jack Sites

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Liolaemus is a genus of lizards that is very common in South America, particularly the southern regions. Distinguishing differences between separate species within the Liolaemus genus has been an ongoing pursuit, one in which Jack Sites and his lab have been extensively engaged. Liolaemus chehuachekenk is a species that is very similar to Liolaemus fitzingerii. Both are found throughout central regions of Patagonia. The purpose of this project has been to provide data to help in distinguishing boundaries, gene flow, historical divergence, and population structure between the two species.

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Perfect Pets And Delicious Delicacies: Resolving The Phylogenetic Relationships Within Anomura (Decapoda), Maren Ettinger, Dr. Keith Crandall Apr 2014

Perfect Pets And Delicious Delicacies: Resolving The Phylogenetic Relationships Within Anomura (Decapoda), Maren Ettinger, Dr. Keith Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of phylogenetics is to understand how organisms are related and how they have evolved. My project focused on understanding the relationships within the Anomura infraorder of the Decapoda. Anomurans encompass a variety of economically important and morphologically diverse crustaceans. They include hermit crabs, mole crabs, king crabs, squat lobsters, porcelain crabs, hairy crabs, and yeti crabs. The anomurans are economically important, especially the king and hermit crabs. King crabs provide monetary revenue in fisheries and are a popular menu item at seafood restaurants. Hermit crabs are commonly found in aquaria trade. Other anomurans are kept as pets or …

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Proteomics Approach To Solving Alzheimer’S Disease, Ryan Egbert, Dr. John Kauwe Apr 2014

Proteomics Approach To Solving Alzheimer’S Disease, Ryan Egbert, Dr. John Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Our project has gone according to plan, with a few small modifications along the way. Initially, we had proposed to incorporate gender profiling in attempt to understand the differences in serum proteomics profiles in men and women. Due to the difficulties in carrying out this aspect of the project, we simplified our project to analyze serum differences between Alzheimer’s and non-Alzheimer’s individuals only. Utilizing the novel capillary liquid chromatography method outlined in my proposal we were able to analyze our serum samples. By comparing the resulting mass spectra using specialized statistical methods we have been able to identify several biomarkers. …

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Finding Novel Variants In App, Ps1 And Ps2, That Alter Gene Functionality And Lead To Familial Alzheimer’S Disease, Matthew Cable-Fabiszak, Dr. John Kauwe Apr 2014

Finding Novel Variants In App, Ps1 And Ps2, That Alter Gene Functionality And Lead To Familial Alzheimer’S Disease, Matthew Cable-Fabiszak, Dr. John Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The planned objective of this mentored research opportunity was to identify families in the Cache County Aging Study that harbored mutations in three specific genes known to cause familial Alzheimer’s disease: APP, PS1, and PS2. This knowledge would have been beneficial because it would have provided important information concerning novel variation that causes disease as well as identify specific families who could be important resources for future studies of Alzheimer’s disease.

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Discovering Protein Interactions Of Hr120gcryab, Kent Jarvis, Dr. Julianne Grose Apr 2014

Discovering Protein Interactions Of Hr120gcryab, Kent Jarvis, Dr. Julianne Grose

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The original goal of my project was to find substrates of hR120GCryAB using a yeast two-hybrid model. Over the past few months I was able to achieve this goal. I was able to find over 11 novel substrates that bind with hR120GCryAB. This is new knowledge that had not ever been known before and will hopefully help aid in future treatments of cardiomyopathy.

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Novel Nanoinjection Of Yeast Artificial Chromosomes In Mouse Zygotes, Jordan Kitchen, Dr. Sandra Burnett Apr 2014

Novel Nanoinjection Of Yeast Artificial Chromosomes In Mouse Zygotes, Jordan Kitchen, Dr. Sandra Burnett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Transgenic mice are used to create animal models and are typically generated by the addition of transgenes (4-14 Kb pairs) or artificial chromosomes (150-300 Kb) to the pronucleus of a fertilized mouse egg [1][2]. Because of the size of chromosomes, using them to produce transgenic mice can be very problematic. Current methods for inserting transgenes include delivery through a microinjection device into the pronucleus. Transgenic mice are then created by transplantation of injected eggs into a surrogate female [3]. Larger DNA or yeast artificial chromosomes (YAC) due to the increased amount of genetic material could be used to express an …

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Identification Of A Consensus Dna Binding Sequence For Nuclear Gdf5, Michael Baldwin, Dr. Laura Bridgewater Apr 2014

Identification Of A Consensus Dna Binding Sequence For Nuclear Gdf5, Michael Baldwin, Dr. Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Nuclear Gdf5 (nGdf5) and nuclear Bmp2 (nBmp2) are newly discovered proteins (1); however, their function has not been determined. They were first found while studying enhancer elements of the Col11a2 gene, and a yeast-one hybrid screen suggested that they could bind to the D/E enhancer of this gene. Further experiments confirmed the presence of these proteins in the nuclei of cells and determined the specific mechanism by which they were translocated to the nucleus (1). This work led to the hypotheses that they function as transcription factors, binding to regulatory regions of target genes to modulate transcription. Two years ago, …

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The Unfolded Protein Response Is It The Real Culprit In Osteoarthritis?, Benjamin Fisher, Dr. Laura Bridgewater Apr 2014

The Unfolded Protein Response Is It The Real Culprit In Osteoarthritis?, Benjamin Fisher, Dr. Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease that affects 26 million of Americans, yet its cause it not understood.1 It is a degenerative disease that affects cartilage at joints, and there are several risk factors that give people a higher probability of developing OA; these risk factors include acute joint injury, obesity, and family history of OA. Scientists are still trying to discover the genetic cause of OA, but no one has been successful at finding the link. In our research, we attempted to use 2 mouse models with genetic mutations to study the proteins involved in OA. Dmm (Disproportionate Micromelia) and …

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Humanized Mouse Model For The Study Of Human Herpesvirus 6 Infections, Stephanie Carlson, Dr. Bradford Berges Apr 2014

Humanized Mouse Model For The Study Of Human Herpesvirus 6 Infections, Stephanie Carlson, Dr. Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While working on this project, we had several unforeseen setbacks. Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV- 6) proved much more difficult to work with than we had supposed. It was tricky to propagate (make it replicate) and hard to quantify. It does not behave like other viruses we have worked with and had a few tricks up its sleeve. We were expecting a dormant virus but were surprised to see a lytic strain. The cells we used to propagate HHV-6 kept dying, so we spent time looking for protocols and reading up on what others have done to maintain the virus. I …

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Rage Expression In Inflammatory Lung Diseases Triggered By Air Pollutants, Tyler Earley, Dr. Paul Reynolds Apr 2014

Rage Expression In Inflammatory Lung Diseases Triggered By Air Pollutants, Tyler Earley, Dr. Paul Reynolds

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I was given a research grant of $1,500. My project was centered around discovery of cellsignaling pathways linked to inflammation specific to the lung. We studied a receptor that may be shown to integrally participate in inflammation in such diseases as COPD and Asthma. My studies followed Receptors for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) which have been implicated in mechanisms of sustained pulmonary inflammation associated with several pathological conditions. This project sought to investigate the direct interaction of particulate matter and RAGE as well as RAGE’s role in perpetuating an inflammatory response in epithelial cells resident to the respiratory tract. This …

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Regulation Of P450scc Expression: Ampk And Cortisol Release, Kimberly Dalton, Dr. Allan Judd Apr 2014

Regulation Of P450scc Expression: Ampk And Cortisol Release, Kimberly Dalton, Dr. Allan Judd

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The amount of cortisol within the human body must remain at just the right level to adequately mediate the physiological stress response. With elevated cortisol levels, the immune system is suppressed, and the organism becomes vulnerable to infection. With reduced cortisol levels, the immune system is hyperactive, and the organism becomes vulnerable to autoimmune disorders. Too much or too little cortisol is lethal: clearly, cortisol levels have a great effect on human pathophysiology. The project I did provided one step in the mission to characterize the mechanism behind cortisol release. Once this is done, we will have a more thorough …

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Determining Nucleosome Positioning In Varying Developmental Stages Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Kellie Bollenbach, Dr. Steve Johnson Apr 2014

Determining Nucleosome Positioning In Varying Developmental Stages Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Kellie Bollenbach, Dr. Steve Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project consisted of four main parts. The first was to isolate mononucleosome cores from C. elegans that had been pelleted and flash frozen in liquid nitrogen using micrococcal nuclease. The second part was to use an antibody specific to GFP, which was expressed in the germline of the strain of C. elegans we are using and selectively pull out the nucleosomes bound to the GFP using immunoprecipitation, namely those germline cells. From there, we were to sequence the DNA wrapped around those nucleosomes in order to determine where on the DNA those nucleosomes lie and compare it to the …

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Phylogeny Of Ensifera (Orthoptera) And The Evolution Of Acoustic Communication, Jessica Jensen, Dr. Michael Whiting Apr 2014

Phylogeny Of Ensifera (Orthoptera) And The Evolution Of Acoustic Communication, Jessica Jensen, Dr. Michael Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ensifera is an insect suborder within the order Orthoptera that includes insects such as katydids and crickets. The evolutionary history of Ensifera is largely unknown, and there is no consensus on the phylogenetic relationships among families within Ensiera. A large part of this is due to inadequate character sampling (insufficient number of families or number of DNA loci used) in previous studies. This study was the most character-rich phylogenetic analysis of Ensifera to date, and we proposed a new hypothesis of relationships between ensiferan families.

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Mechanism Of Inhibition Of Influenza A Virus, Douglas Bretzing, David Busath Apr 2014

Mechanism Of Inhibition Of Influenza A Virus, Douglas Bretzing, David Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The ability of influenza A virus to unpack its genome, replicate, and infect its host is contingent upon acidification of the viral interior. This is achieved by proton conductance via M2, an integral membrane protein that forms proton channels in the viral lipid envelope of influenza A virus (1). The drugs amantadine and rimantadine have previously been successful in blocking proton flux into the virus, however viral resistance to these drugs has recently reached over 90% (2). The goal of this project is to provide direct evidence as to the actual site of interaction between rimantadine and M2, thereby aiding …

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Phylogeography Of Patagonian Lizards Of The (Liolaemus Lineomaculatus Complex) Since The Last Glacial Maximum, Rachel Arendt, Dr. Jack Sites Apr 2014

Phylogeography Of Patagonian Lizards Of The (Liolaemus Lineomaculatus Complex) Since The Last Glacial Maximum, Rachel Arendt, Dr. Jack Sites

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Patagonia is an area noted for its breathtaking natural beauty. In addition to famous mountains, waterfalls, and coastlines, it harbors a diverse array of lizards. As you walk through the deserts of Patagonia you can observe several of these lizards scampering about, and you immediately notice that many of the lizards are dissimilar. Obviously their differences have arisen due to the forces of natural selection and evolution.

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Using Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotopes In Manure, Hair And Blood To Predict Recovery From Gastrointestinal Colic In Horses, Jesse Caitlin Alexis Ford, Beverly Roeder Apr 2014

Using Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotopes In Manure, Hair And Blood To Predict Recovery From Gastrointestinal Colic In Horses, Jesse Caitlin Alexis Ford, Beverly Roeder

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Colic, or abdominal pain, is one of the most prominent clinical signs present in many equine diseases. Gastrointestinal (GIT) colic is one of the leading causes of death in horses. The research initiated here at BYU, as a result of earning an ORCA grant, aims to study this issue. This research has the potential to develop an economic diagnostic tool that uses the values of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in manure, hair, and blood to determine if a horse will respond to medical or surgical treatment of GIT colic. This capability would help veterinarians and/or owners choose the best …

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Phylogenetic Relationships Among North American Heterodontine Snakes, Douglas Brown, Dr. Jack W. Sites Jr. Apr 2014

Phylogenetic Relationships Among North American Heterodontine Snakes, Douglas Brown, Dr. Jack W. Sites Jr.

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Among extant snakes (~3150 species), Caenophidia or “advanced” snakes are a monophyletic group comprising the great majority of species (~2620) of species (Vidal et al. 2010). The American caenophidian snake fauna comprises five families: the Viperidae and Elapidae – both displaying a front fanged venom system- and the colubroidean families Natricidae, Colubridae and Dipsadidae. The latter is one of the largest families of snakes (>700 species), with all living representatives restricted to the New World. Previous higher level studies generally agree on the delineation of three major clades of Dipsadidae broadly consistent in their distribution, a South American clade …

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