Digital Commons Network^™

Caspase Activity During Cell Stasis: Avoidance Of Apoptosis In An Invertebrate Extremophile, Artemia Franciscana, Michael A. Menze, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Publications

Evaluation of apoptotic processes downstream of the mitochondrion reveals caspase-9- and low levels of caspase-3-like activities in partly purified extracts of Artemia franciscana embryos. However, in contrast to experiments with extracts of human hepatoma cells, cytochrome c fails to activate caspase-3 or -9 in extracts from A. franciscana. Furthermore, caspase-9 activity is sensitive to exogenous calcium. The addition of 5 mM calcium leads to a 4.86 ± 0.19 fold (SD) (n = 3) increase in activity, which is fully prevented with 150 mM KCl. As with mammalian systems, high ATP (>1.25 mM) suppresses caspase activity in A. franciscana extracts. …

Relationships Among Ecologically Important Dimensions Of Plant Trait Variation In Seven Neotropical Forests, Ian J. Wright, David D. Ackerly, Frans Bongers, Kyle E. Harms, Guillermo Ibarra-Manriquez, Miguel Martinez-Ramos, Susan J. Mazer, Helene C. Muller-Landau, Horacio Paz, Nigel C.A. Pitman, Lourens Poorter, Miles R. Silman, Corine F. Vriesendorp, Cam O. Webb, Mark Westoby, S. Joseph Wright

Faculty Publications

• Background and Aims: When ecologically important plant traits are correlated they may be said to constitute an ecological 'strategy' dimension. Through identifying these dimensions and understanding their inter-relationships we gain insight into why particular trait combinations are favoured over others and into the implications of trait differences among species. Here we investigated relationships among several traits, and thus the strategy dimensions they represented, across 2134 woody species from seven Neotropical forests. • Methods: Six traits were studied: specific leaf area (SLA), the average size of leaves, seed and fruit, typical maximum plant height, and wood density (WD). Trait relationships …

Bionic Architectural Design: Assembly, Symbiosis, & Repetition, Henry Louth

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Genome-Wide Scan Of Loci Linked To Serum Adiponectin In Two Populations Of African Descent, Chindo Hicks, Xiaofeng Zhu, Amy Luke, Donghui Kan, Adebowale Adeyemo, Xiaodong Wu, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

Objective: The objectives were to identify quantitative trait loci linked to serum adiponectin concentration and to estimate heritability in two populations of African descent. Research Methods and Procedures: We conducted a genome scan for serum adiponectin concentration in two populations of African descent. Genome-wide microsatelitte markers were typed in an African-American population consisting of 203 families from the Chicago area and in a Nigerian Yoruba population consisting of 146 families. Linkage analysis was performed to identify loci. Variance component model was used to estimate heritability. Results: Estimates of heritability adjusted for age, gender, and BMI were 0.45 and 0.70 for …

Association Studies Of Bmi And Type 2 Diabetes In The Neuropeptide Y Pathway: A Possible Role For Npy2r As A Candidate Gene For Type 2 Diabetes In Men, Catarina D. Campbell, Helen N. Lyon, James Nemesh, Jared A. Drake, Tiinamaija Tuomi, Daniel Gaudet, Xiaofeng Zhu, Richard S. Cooper, Kristin G. Ardlie, Leif C. Groop, Joel N. Hirschhorn

Faculty Publications

The neuropeptide Y (NPY) family of peptides and receptors regulate food intake. Inherited variation in this pathway could influence susceptibility to obesity and its complications, including type 2 diabetes. We genotyped a set of 71 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that capture the most common variation in NPY, PPY, PYY, NPY1R, NPY2R, and NPY5R in 2,800 individuals of recent European ancestry drawn from the near extremes of BMI distribution. Five SNPs located upstream of NPY2R were nominally associated with BMI in men (P values = 0.001-0.009, odds ratios [ORs] 1.27-1.34). No association with BMI was observed in women, and no consistent …

Mobile Dna In Old World Monkeys: A Glimpse Through The Rhesus Macaque Genome, Kyudong Han, Miriam K. Konkel, Jinchuan Xing, Hui Wang, Jungnam Lee, Thomas J. Meyer, Charles T. Huang, Erin Sandifer, Kristi Hebert, Erin W. Barnes, Robert Hubley, Webb Miller, Arian F.A. Smit, Brygg Ullmer, Mark A. Batzer

Faculty Publications

The completion of the draft sequence of the rhesus macaque genome allowed us to study the genomic composition and evolution of transposable elements in this representative of the Old World monkey lineage, a group of diverse primates closely related to humans. The L1 family of long interspersed elements appears to have evolved as a single lineage, and Alu elements have evolved into four currently active lineages. We also found evidence of elevated horizontal transmissions of retroviruses and the absence of DNA transposon activity in the Old World monkey lineage. In addition, ∼100 precursors of composite SVA (short interspersed element, variable …

Evolutionary And Biomedical Insights From The Rhesus Macaque Genome, Richard A. Gibbs, Jeffrey Rogers, Michael G. Katze, Roger Bumgarner, George M. Weinstock, Elaine R. Mardis, Karin A. Remington, Robert L. Strausberg, J. Craig Venter, Richard K. Wilson, Mark A. Batzer, Carlos D. Bustamante, Evan E. Eichler, Matthew W. Hahn, Ross C. Hardison, Kateryna D. Makova, Webb Miller, Aleksandar Milosavljevic, Robert E. Palermo, Adam Siepel, James M. Sikela, Tony Attaway, Stephanie Bell, Kelly E. Bernard, Christian J. Buhay, Mimi N. Chandrabose, Marvin Dao, Clay Davis, Kimberly D. Delehaunty, Yan Ding, Huyen H. Dinh, Shannon Dugan-Rocha, Lucinda A. Fulton, Ramatu Ayiesha Gabisi

Faculty Publications

The rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is an abundant primate species that diverged from the ancestors of Homo sapiens about 25 million years ago. Because they are genetically and physiologically similar to humans, rhesus monkeys are the most widely used nonhuman primate in basic and applied biomedical research. We determined the genome sequence of an Indian-origin Macaca mulatta female and compared the data with chimpanzees and humans to reveal the structure of ancestral primate genomes and to identify evidence for positive selection and lineage-specific expansions and contractions of gene families. A comparison of sequences from individual animals was used to investigate …

Validation Of Commercial Dna Tests For Quantitative Beef Quality Traits, A. L. Van Eenennaam, J. Li, R. M. Thallman, R. L. Quaas, M. E. Dikeman, C. A. Gill, D. E. Franke, M. G. Thomas

Faculty Publications

Associations between 3 commercially available genetic marker panels (GeneSTAR Quality Grade, GeneSTAR Tenderness, and Igenity Tender-GENE) and quantitative beef traits were validated by the US National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium. Validation was interpreted to be the independent confirmation of the associations between genetic tests and phenotypes, as claimed by the commercial genotyping companies. Validation of the quality grade test (GeneSTAR Quality Grade) was carried out on 400 Charolais x Angus crossbred cattle, and validation of the tenderness tests (GeneSTAR Tenderness and Igenity Tender-GENE) was carried out on over 1,000 Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle. The GeneSTAR Quality Grade marker …

The Purification Of Helicobacter Pylori Urease Β Subunit Protein And Dna For Vaccine Production, Alyson Moll

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Introduction To A Poetics Of Diversity: English Translation Of Édouard Glissant’S Introduction À Une Poétique Du Divers, Julee Rebecca Laporte

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Understanding Louisiana Patent Production And The Role Of Knowledge Stocks On Economic Growth, Cynthia Ann Dubois

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Louisiana Agriculture Spring, 2007, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Interspecific Spawning Between A Recent Immigrant And An Endemic Damselfish (Pisces: Pomacentridae) In The Hawaiian Islands, Karen P. Maruska, Kimberly A. Peyton

Faculty Publications

The Indo-Pacific damselfish Abudefduf vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) was first observed in the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1990s and is now clearly established as a breeding population in the Islands. Sightings of fish with color patterns intermediate between those of A. vaigiensis and the very similar endemic Hawaiian sergeant, Abudefduf abdominalis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825), suggest that hybridization of the two has occurred naturally. This study provides direct evidence of crossbreeding from observations and video footage of two separate spawnings in nearshore waters of O'ahu and a third spawning in a public aquarium display tank. Reproductive behaviors were …

Induction Of Host Chemotactic Response By Encephalitozoon Spp., Jeffrey Fischer, Jeffrey West, Nnenaya Agochukwu, Colby Suire, Hollie Hale-Donze

Faculty Publications

Microsporidians are a group of emerging pathogens typically associated with chronic diarrhea in immunocompromised individuals. The number of reports of infections with these organisms and the disseminated pathology is growing as diagnostic tools become more readily available. However, little is known about the innate immune response induced by and generated against these parasites. Using a coculture chemotaxis system, primary human macrophages were infected with Encephalitozoon cuniculi or Encephalitozoon intestinalis, and the recruitment of naïve monocytes was monitored. Encephalitozoon spp. induced an average threefold increase in migration of naïve cells 48 h postinfection, which corresponded to optimal infection of monocyte-derived- macrophages. …

The Association Of A Snp Upstream Of Insig2 With Body Mass Index Is Reproduced In Several But Not All Cohorts, Helen N. Lyon, Valur Emilsson, Anke Hinney, Iris M. Heid, Jessica Lasky-Su, Xiaofeng Zhu, Gudmar Thorleifsson, Steinunn Gunnarsdottir, G. Bragi Walters, Unnur Thorsteinsdottir, Augustine Kong, Jeffrey Gulcher, Thuy Trang Nguyen, André Scherag, Arne Pfeufer, Thomas Meitinger, Günter Brönner, Winfried Rief, Manuel E. Soto-Quiros, Lydiana Avila, Barbara Klanderman, Benjamin A. Raby, Edwin K. Silverman, Scott T. Weiss, Nan Laird, Xiao Ding, Leif Groop, Tiinamaija Tuomi, Bo Isomaa, Kristina Bengtsson, Johannah L. Butler, Richard S. Cooper, Caroline S. Fox

Faculty Publications

A SNP upstream of the INSIG2 gene, rs7566605, was recently found to be associated with obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) by Herbert and colleagues. The association between increased BMI and homozygosity for the minor allele was first observed in data from a genome-wide association scan of 86,604 SNPs in 923 related individuals from the Framingham Heart Study offspring cohort. The association was reproduced in four additional cohorts, but was not seen in a fifth cohort. To further assess the general reproducibility of this association, we genotyped rs7566605 in nine large cohorts from eight populations across multiple ethnicities …

Corin I555(P568) Allele Is Associated With Enhanced Cardiac Hypertrophic Response To Increased Systemic Afterload, J. Eduardo Rame, Mark H. Drazner, Wendy Post, Ronald Peshock, Joao Lima, Richard S. Cooper, Daniel L. Dries

Faculty Publications

Corin activates pro-A-type naturetic peptide and pro-B-type naturetic peptide into biologically active molecules. We recently identified a minor allele in the corin gene defined by 2 highly linked single nucleotide polymorphisms (T555I and Q568P), which was associated with hypertension in blacks. Because of the direct antihypertrophic effects of the natriuretic peptide system, we hypothesized that the minor corin I555(P568) allele would be associated with an enhanced hypertrophic response to pressure overload. The relationship between systolic blood pressure and indexed left ventricular mass, derived from cardiac MRI, was analyzed in the Dallas Heart Study as a function of corin allele status. …

A Sine-Based Dichotomous Key For Primate Identification, Jacquelyn W. Zimmerman

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Paired Ig-Like Receptors Bind To Bacteria And Shape Tlr-Mediated Cytokine Production, Masafumi Nakayama, David M. Underhill, Timothy W. Petersen, Bin Li, Toshio Kitamura, Toshiyuki Takai, Alan Aderem

Faculty Publications

The innate immune system uses a wide variety of pattern recognition receptors including TLRs, scavenger receptors, and lectins to identify potential pathogens. A carefully regulated balance between activation and inhibition must be kept to avoid detrimental and inappropriate inflammatory responses. In this study, we identify murine-paired Ig-like receptor (PIR)-B, and its human orthologs Ig-like transcript 2 and Ig-like transcript 5 as novel receptors for Staphylococcus aureus. PIR-B contains four ITIM motifs and is thought to be an inhibitory receptor. Expression of these receptors enables NIH3T3 cells to bind S. aureus. In mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages, masking of PIR-B by anti-PIR …

A Sine-Based Dichotomous Key For Primate Identification, Scott W. Herke, Jinchuan Xing, David A. Ray, Jacquelyn W. Zimmerman, Richard Cordaux, Mark A. Batzer

Faculty Publications

For DNA samples or 'divorced' tissues, identifying the organism from which they were taken generally requires some type of analytical method. The ideal approach would be robust even in the hands of a novice, requiring minimal equipment, time, and effort. Genotyping SINEs (Short INterspersed Elements) is such an approach as it requires only PCR-related equipment, and the analysis consists solely of interpreting fragment sizes in agarose gels. Modern primate genomes are known to contain lineage-specific insertions of Alu elements (a primate-specific SINE); thus, to demonstrate the utility of this approach, we used members of the Alu family to identify DNA …

Response Of A Native Bamboo [Arundinaria Gigantea (Walt.) Muhl.] In A Wind-Disturbed Forest, Paul R. Gagnon, William J. Platt, E. Barry Moser

Faculty Publications

Numerous bamboos are known to form extensive single-species stands, including species in the United States. Formerly prominent in the southeastern US, canebrakes are dense stands of the bamboos collectively called "cane" [Arundinaria (Michx)]. Canebrakes are now a critically endangered component of the bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem. Cane still occurs in its historic range, primarily in small remnant patches. A poor understanding of the ecological processes that generated large canebrakes limits their restoration and management. We hypothesize that cane's spreading clonal structure enables these bamboos to persist beneath a forest canopy and then respond rapidly to large-scale wind disturbances. We quantified …

Landscape Context Outweighs Local Habitat Quality In Its Effects On Herbivore Dispersal And Distribution, Kyle J. Haynes, Forrest P. Dillemuth, Bryan J. Anderson, Alyssa S. Hakes, Heather B. Jackson, S. Elizabeth Jackson, James T. Cronin

Faculty Publications

Past studies with spatially structured herbivore populations have emphasized the primacy of intrinsic factors (e.g., patch quality), patch geometry (e.g., patch size and isolation), and more recently landscape context (e.g., matrix composition) in affecting local population abundance and dispersal rate. However, few studies have examined the relative importance of each factor, or how they might interact to affect herbivore abundance or dispersal. Here, we performed a factorial field experiment to examine the independent and interactive effects of patch quality (plant biomass, leaf protein, leaf phenolics) and matrix composition [mudflat or non-host grass (Bromus inermis)] on planthopper (Prokelisia crocea) emigration from …

A Genetic Screen Supports A Broad Role For The Drosophila Insulator Proteins Beaf-32a And Beaf-32b In Maintaining Patterns Of Gene Expression, Swarnava Roy, Yian Yee Tan, Craig M. Hart

Faculty Publications

Chromatin domain insulators are thought to insulate adjacent genes, including their regulatory elements, from each other by organizing chromatin into functionally independent domains. Thus insulators should play a global role in gene regulation by keeping regulatory domains separated. However, this has never been demonstrated. We previously designed and characterized a transgene that is under GAL4 UAS control and encodes a dominant-negative form of the Boundary Element-Associated Factors BEAF-32A and BEAF-32B. The BID transgene encodes the BEAF self-interaction domain but lacks a DNA binding domain. Expression of BID in eye imaginal discs leads to a rough eye phenotype. Here we screen …

Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech That Nobody Knows, Frank J. Williams

Civil War Book Review

Lincoln's Words

Studying the Gettysburg Address

We cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men....

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Human Genomic Dna Quantitation System, H-Quant: Development And Validation For Use In Forensic Casework, Jaiprakash G. Shewale, Elaine Schneida, Jonathan Wilson, Jerilyn A. Walker, Mark A. Batzer, Sudhir K. Sinha

Faculty Publications

The human DNA quantification (H-Quant) system, developed for use in human identification, enables quantitation of human genomic DNA in biological samples. The assay is based on real-time amplification of AluYb8 insertions in hominoid primates. The relatively high copy number of subfamily-specific Alu repeats in the human genome enables quantification of very small amounts of human DNA. The oligonucleotide primers present in H-Quant are specific for human DNA and closely related great apes. During the real-time PCR, the SYBR® Green I dye binds to the DNA that is synthesized by the human-specific AluYb8 oligonucleotide primers. The fluorescence of the bound SYBR® …

Applying A Hybrid Methodology For Measuring The Economic Contribution Of The Food And Fiber System To The Louisiana Economy (Bulletin #886), J. Matthew Fannin, James E. Henderson

LSU AgCenter Bulletins

This publication provides a new approach to identifying the economic contribution of agriculture to Louisiana. Both state- and parish-level contributions from food and fiber are included.

Mobile Element-Based Forensic Genomics, David A. Ray, Jerilyn A. Walker, Mark A. Batzer

Faculty Publications

Mobile elements are commonly referred to as selfish repetitive DNA sequences. However, mobile elements represent a unique and underutilized group of molecular markers. Several of their characteristics make them ideally suited for use as tools in forensic genomic applications. These include their nature as essentially homoplasy-free characters, they are identical by descent, the ancestral state of any insertion is known to be the absence of the element, and many mobile element insertions are lineage specific. In this review, we provide an overview of mobile element biology and describe the application of certain mobile elements, especially the SINEs and other retrotransposons, …

Production Of F1 Interspecies Hybrid Offspring With Cryopreserved Sperm From A Live-Bearing Fish, The Swordtail Xiphophorus Helleri, Huiping Yang, Leona Hazlewood, Sheila J. Heater, Paula A. Guerrero, Ronald B. Walter, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Despite study of sperm cryopreservation in more than 200 fish species, production of broods from cryopreserved sperm in live-bearing fish has not been demonstrated. This has not been due to a lack of effort, but instead is a result of the unique morphology, biology, and biochemistry of reproduction in viviparous fishes. For example, sperm of Xiphophorus helleri have a cylindrical nucleus, can swim for days after being activated, have glycolytic capabilities, and can reside in the female reproduction tract for months before fertilization. These traits are not found in fishes with external fertilization. The long-standing research use of the genus …

Physiological, Ecological, And Phylogenetic Characterization Of Stappia, A Marine Co-Oxidizing Bacterial Genus, Carolyn F. Weber, Gary M. King

Faculty Publications

Bacteria play a major role in marine CO cycling, yet very little is known about the microbes involved. Thirteen CO-oxidizing Stappia isolates obtained from existing cultures, macroalgae, or surf samples representing geographically and ecologically diverse habitats were characterized using biochemical, physiological, and phylogenetic approaches. All isolates were aerobic chemoorganotrophs that oxidized CO at elevated (1,000 ppm) and ambient-to-subambient concentrations (<0.3 ppm). All contained the form I (OMP) coxL gene for aerobic CO dehydrogenase and also the form II (BMS) putative coxL gene. In addition, some strains possessed cbbL, the large subunit gene for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, suggesting the possibility of lithotrophic or mixotrophic metabolism. All isolates used a wide range of sugars, organic acids, amino acids, and aromatics for growth and grew at salinities from 5 to 45 ppt. All but one isolate denitrified or respired nitrate. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that several isolates could not be distinguished from Stappia aggregata and contributed to a widely distributed species complex. Four isolates (of strains GA15, HI, MIO, and M4) were phylogenetically distinct from validly described Stappia species and closely related genera (e.g., Ahrensia, Pannonibacter, Pseudovibrio, and Roseibium). Substrate utilization profiles, enzymatic activity, and membrane lipid composition further distinguished these isolates and supported their designations as new Stappia species. The observed metabolic versatility of Stappia likely accounts for its cosmopolitan distribution and its ability to contribute to CO cycling as well as other important biogeochemical cycles. Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Assessing Among-Locus Variation In The Inference Of Seed Plant Phylogeny, J. Gordon Burleigh, Sarah Mathews

Faculty Publications

Large multilocus analyses can greatly reduce sampling error in phylogenetic estimates and help resolve difficult phylogenetic questions. Yet conventional multilocus analyses may be confounded by variation in the phylogenetic signal or processes of evolution among loci. We used nonparametric bootstrapping methods to examine locus-specific variation within a 12-locus seed plant data set and to examine the effects of this variation on estimates of seed plant phylogeny. The observed maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony bootstrap support from phylogenetic analyses of sites within single loci often notably differs from the bootstrap support obtained by sampling an equal number of sites from the …

Generation And Characterization Of Rabbit Embryonic Stem Cells, Shufen Wang, Xianghui Tang, Yuyu Niu, Hongwei Chen, Bin Li, Tianqing Li, Xiuzhen Zhang, Zhixin Hu, Qi Zhou, Weizhi Ji

Faculty Publications

We described the derivation of four stable pluripotent rabbit embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines, one (RF) from blastocysts fertilized in vivo and cultured in vitro and three (RP01, RP02, and RP03) from parthenogenetic blastocysts. These ESC lines have been cultivated for extended periods (RF >1 year, RP01 >8 months, RP02 >8 months, and RP03 >6 months) in vitro while maintaining expression of pluripotent ESC markers and a normal XY or XX karyotype. The ESCs from all lines expressed alkaline phosphatase, transcription factor Oct-4, stage-specific embryonic antigens (SSEA-1, SSEA-3, and SSEA-4), and the tumor-related antigens (TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81). Similar to human …