Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Organic Acids On Compositional Characteristic Of Protein And Lipid Recovered During Isoelectric Solubilization/Precipitation Processing Of Silver Carp And The Effectiveness Of These Organic Acids On The Reduction Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Maryam Ronaghi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An effective method to recover protein, called ISP processing, uses extreme pH shifts to solubilize protein and then recover it by precipitation and centrifugation. The objective of this study was to determine the proximate composition of the recovered materials from ISP after processing with different acid concentrations and the bactericidal effectiveness of these acids in comparison with hydrochloric acid (HCl) and acetic acid against Staphylococcus aureus during isoelectric solubilization and precipitation (ISP) processing. Headed and gutted silver carp were homogenized and brought to the protein solubilization pH (2.5, 3.0, 11.5, or 12.5) using the acids (glacial L-lactic acid and formic …

Evaluating The Intra-Variability And Inter-Variability Of Fibers In Cotton T-Shirts Using Microspectrophotometry, Brianne Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the differentiation of cotton fibers by the means of intra-garment and inter-garment comparison while utilizing Microspectrophotometry. Five different colors of cotton fibers were used: gold, kelly green, orange, red and royal. Ten t-shirts of each color were used in this study. Phase I of this study involved using the CRAICRTM QDI QDS II(TM) Stereomicrospectrophotometer to produce a spectrum of the front, back, sleeve and armpit of the t-shirt. These sections were then compared to the color chips in the Munsell Book of Color by observing them with the naked eye. …

Spatial Relationship Between The Trichloroethylene Degrading Bacteria Dehalococcoides Sp., Sulfate Reducers And Archaea During Reductive Dechlorination, Pujya Wagle Gautam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Trichloroethylene (TCE) released to the environment is of great concern due to its toxicity and carcinogencity. The microorganisms involved in bioremediation of TCE such as methanogens (organisms within the domain Archaea), sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) and Dehalococcoides sp. (DHC) are of particular interest in this study. Three different types of bench scale reactors were constructed to model different aquifer types such as sandy, silty and fractured bedrock aquifers (hereafter type 1, 2 or 3 reactors, respectively). This study evaluated the effect of TCE concentration in different types of reactors on the distribution of selected microorganisms with distance from the source …

Geographic Variation Of Song Within And Between Subspecies Of The Mangrove Warbler (Setophaga Petechia Castaneiceps And S. P. Rhizophorae), Taryn Tuncer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bird song characteristics are unique for each species, but songs are not identical among con-specific individuals and variations may occur at different geographic scales throughout a species distribution. Geographic song variation is common in many species, particularly in Passerines due to their song-learning behavior. Among Wood Warblers (Fam. Paruliade), The Yellow Warbler ( Setophaga petechia) is one of the most widespread and geographically diverse species. It is comprised by three groups of several subspecies which represent a great variety on morphological traits, mainly on plumage coloration. Variations on behavioral traits, such as songs, have also been found in this species. …

Rock Climbers In The New River Gorge: Attitudes Toward Management Actions And Trust Of Park Managers, Kathryn M. Mckenney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The New River Gorge National River (NERI), managed by the National Park Service, is a popular destination for whitewater rafters, day hikers, and rock climbers. Located in central West Virginia, about 60 miles east of Charleston, NERI contains over 1700 climbing routes. This thesis is part of a larger study, funded by the National Park Service, which studied geologic, botanical, and recreational components to cliff resources in NERI. This thesis compared the low impact behaviors and management attitudes of hikers and rock climbers, and further segments rock climbers by climbing style, experience level, learning environment, and learning style. This thesis …

Energy Management Control For Multimode Microgrid Renewable Integration, Roopa Ramachandran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The need for storing energy has grown in correlation with the need for renewable and distributed energy resources. Designing a storage unit system which complements the distributed generation is required for increased efficiency and reducing the burden on the utility grid. The energy storage model used in this thesis is the Li-ion battery which is efficient, has high energy density and has applications in field of electronics, transportation and electric power industry. The wind turbine generator, photovoltaic (PV) and the energy storage unit modeled in this work share a symbiotic relationship even though they are completely separate entities which can …

Mayfly Mayday: The West Virginia Legislature Attempts To Redefine Compliance With The Narrative Water Quality Standards Through Senate Bill 562, Aaron S. Heishman, Robert G. Mclusky

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Up, Up & Away: How Siegel & Shuster's Superman Was Contracted Away & Dc Comic Won The Day, Dallas F. Kratzer Iii

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Morgantown Msa Outlook 2014, Brian Lego, Jose Sartarelli, John Deskins

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

Notch1 Is Required For Hypoxia-Induced Proliferation, Invasion And Chemoresistance Of T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells, Jie Zou, Peng Li, Fei Lu, Na Liu, Jianjian Dai, Jingjing Ye, Xun Qu, Xiulian Sun, Daoxin Ma, Jino Park, Chunyan Ji

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Notch1 is a potent regulator known to play an oncogenic role in many malignancies including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Tumor hypoxia and increased hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) activity can act as major stimuli for tumor aggressiveness and progression. Although hypoxia-mediated activation of the Notch1 pathway plays an important role in tumor cell survival and invasiveness, the interaction between HIF-1α and Notch1 has not yet been identified in T-ALL. This study was designed to investigate whether hypoxia activates Notch1 signalling through HIF-1α stabilization and to determine the contribution of hypoxia and HIF-1α to proliferation, invasion and chemoresistance in T-ALL.

Methods …

Serum Perfluorooctanoate (Pfoa) And Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (Pfos) Concentrations And Liver Function Biomarkers In A Population With Elevated Pfoa Exposure, Valentina Gallo, Giovanni Leonard, Bernd Genser, Maria-Jose Lopez-Espinosa, Stephanie J. Frisbee, Lee Karlsson, Alan M. Ducatman, Tony Fletcher

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) persist in the environment and are found in relatively high concentrations in animal livers. Studies in humans have reported inconsistent associations between PFOA and liver enzymes.

Objectives: We examined the cross-sectional association between serum PFOA and PFOS concentrations with markers of liver function in adults.

Methods: The C8 Health Project collected data on 69,030 persons; of these, a total of 47,092 adults were included in the present analysis. Linear regression models were fitted for natural log (ln)-transformed values of alanine transaminase (ALT), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and direct bilirubin on PFOA, PFOS, and potential confounders. …

Currencies Of Mutualisms: Sources Of Alkaloid Genes In Vertically Transmitted Epichloae, Christopher L. Schardl, Carolyn A. Young, Juan Pan, Simona Florea, Johanna E. Takach, Daniel G. Panaccione, Mark L. Farman, Jennifer S. Webb, Jolanta Jaromczyk, Nikki D. Charlton, Padmaja Nagabhyru, Li Chen, Chong Shi, Adrian Leuchtmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The epichloae (Epichloë and Neotyphodium species), a monophyletic group of fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae, are systemic symbionts of cool-season grasses (Poaceae subfamily Poöideae). Most epichloae are vertically transmitted in seeds (endophytes), and most produce alkaloids that attack nervous systems of potential herbivores. These protective metabolites include ergot alkaloids and indole-diterpenes (tremorgens), which are active in vertebrate systems, and lolines and peramine, which are more specific against invertebrates. Several Epichloë species have been described which are sexual and capable of horizontal transmission, and most are vertically transmissible also. Asexual epichloae are mainly or exclusively vertically transmitted, and many are interspecific …

Odor Detection In Manduca Sexta Is Optimized When Odor Stimuli Are Pulsed At A Frequency Matching The Wing Beat During Flight, Kevin C. Daly, Faizan Kalwar, Mandy Hatfield, Erich Staudacher, Samual P. Bradley

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Sensory systems sample the external world actively, within the context of self-motion induced disturbances. Mammals sample olfactory cues within the context of respiratory cycles and have adapted to process olfactory information within the time frame of a single sniff cycle. In plume tracking insects, it remains unknown whether olfactory processing is adapted to wing beating, which causes similar physical effects as sniffing. To explore this we first characterized the physical properties of our odor delivery system using hotwire anemometry and photo ionization detection, which confirmed that odor stimuli were temporally structured. Electroantennograms confirmed that pulse trains were tracked physiologically. Next, …

Identification And Characterization Of Micrornas In White And Brown Alpaca Skin, Xue Tian, Junbing Jiang, Ruiwen Fan, Haidong Wang, Xialong Meng, Xiaoyan He, Junping He, Hongquan Li, Jianjun Geng, Xiuju Yu, Yunfei Song, Danli Zhang, Jianbo Yao, George W. Smith, Changsheng Dong

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding 21–25 nt RNA molecules that play an important role in regulating gene expression. Little is known about the expression profiles and functions of miRNAs in skin and their role in pigmentation. Alpacas have more than 22 natural coat colors, more than any other fiber producing species. To better understand the role of miRNAs in control of coat color we performed a comprehensive analysis of miRNA expression profiles in skin of white versus brown alpacas.

Results

Two small RNA libraries from white alpaca (WA) and brown alpaca (BA) skin were sequenced with the aid of …

Characterization Of The Rainbow Trout Egg Microrna Transcriptome, Hao Ma, Mark Hostuttler, Hairong Wei, Caird E. Rexroad, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate post-transcriptional expression of target genes and play important roles in animal development. The objectives of this study were to characterize the egg miRNA transcriptome and identify novel egg-predominant miRNAs in rainbow trout. Small RNAs isolated from mature unfertilized rainbow trout eggs were subjected to deep sequencing using an Illumina Genome Analyzer. The massive sequencing produced 24,621,741 quality reads, among which, 266 known miRNAs were identified and 230 putatively novel miRNAs were predicted. The most abundantly known miRNAs are let-7 and miR-21, accounting for 24.06% and 18.71% of …

Inhibitory Effect Of Baicalin And Baicalein On Ovarian Cancer Cells, Jianchu Chen, Zhaoliang Li, Allen Y. Chen, Xingqian Ye, Haitao Luo, Gary O. Rankin, Yi C. Chen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Ovarian cancer is one of the primary causes of death for women all through the Western world. Baicalin and baicalein are naturally occurring flavonoids that are found in the roots and leaves of some Chinese medicinal plants and are thought to have antioxidant activity and possible anti-angiogenic, anti-cancer, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. Two kinds of ovarian cancer (OVCAR-3 and CP-70) cell lines and a normal ovarian cell line (IOSE-364) were selected to be investigated in the inhibitory effect of baicalin and baicalein on cancer cells. Largely, baicalin and baicalein inhibited ovarian cancer cell viability in both ovarian cancer cell …

Cloning And Characterization Of A Novel Oocyte-Specific Gene Encoding An F-Box Protein In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Lei Wang, Swamy K. Tripurani, Warapond Wanna, Caird E. Rexroad, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Oocyte-specific genes play critical roles in oogenesis, folliculogenesis and early embryonic development. The objectives of this study were to characterize the expression of a novel oocyte-specific gene encoding an F-box protein during ovarian development in rainbow trout, and identify its potential interacting partners in rainbow trout oocytes.

Methods

Through analysis of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a rainbow trout oocyte cDNA library, a novel transcript represented by ESTs only from the oocyte library was identified. The complete cDNA sequence for the novel gene (named fbxoo) was obtained by assembling sequences from an EST clone and a 5′RACE product. …

Pulmonary Exposure To Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Does Not Affect The Early Immune Response Against Toxoplasma Gondii, Loinda Swedin, Romanico Arrighi, Britta Anderson-Willman, Ashley Murray, Yunying Chen, Mikael C I Karlsson, Susanna K. Georen, Alexey V. Tkach, Anna A. Shvedova, Bengt Fadeel, Antonio Barragan, Annika Scheynius

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) trigger pronounced inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs of mice following administration via pharyngeal aspiration or inhalation. Human exposure to SWCNT in an occupational setting may occur in conjunction with infections and this could yield enhanced or suppressed responses to the offending agent. Here, we studied whether the sequential exposure to SWCNT via pharyngeal aspiration and infection of mice with the ubiquitous intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii would impact on the immune response of the host against the parasite.

Methods

C57BL/6 mice were pre-exposed by pharyngeal administration of SWCNT (80 + 80 μg/mouse) for two consecutive …

Pyrvinium Pamoate Changes Alternative Splicing Of The Serotonin Receptor 2c By Influencing Its Rna Structure, Manli Shen, Stanislav Bellaousov, Michael Hiller, Pierre De La Grange, Trevor P. Creamer, Orit Malina, Ruth Sperling, David H. Mathews, Peter Stoilov, Stefan Stamm

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The serotonin receptor 2C plays a central role in mood and appetite control. It undergoes pre-mRNA editing as well as alternative splicing. The RNA editing suggests that the pre-mRNA forms a stable secondary structure in vivo. To identify substances that promote alternative exons inclusion, we set up a high-throughput screen and identified pyrvinium pamoate as a drug-promoting exon inclusion without editing. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicates that pyrvinium pamoate binds directly to the pre-mRNA and changes its structure. SHAPE (selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analysed by primer extension) assays show that part of the regulated 5′-splice site forms intramolecular base pairs that are …

Predicting Whole Genome Protein Interaction Networks From Primary Sequence Data In Model And Non-Model Organisms Using Ents, Eli Rodgers-Melnick, Mark Culp, Stephen P. Difazio

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The large-scale identification of physical protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is an important step toward understanding how biological networks evolve and generate emergent phenotypes. However, experimental identification of PPIs is a laborious and error-prone process, and current methods of PPI prediction tend to be highly conservative or require large amounts of functional data that may not be available for newly-sequenced organisms.

Results

In this study we demonstrate a random-forest based technique, ENTS, for the computational prediction of protein-protein interactions based only on primary sequence data. Our approach is able to efficiently predict interactions on a whole-genome scale for any eukaryotic organism, …

Identification Of Functionally Distinct Na-Hco3 Co-Transporters In Colon, Christian Barmeyer, Jeff H. Ye, Carol Soroka, Peter Geibel, Lukas M. Hingsammer, Laurence Weitgasser, Danny Atway, John P. Geibel, Henry J. Binder, Vazhaikkurichi M. Rajendran

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Na-HCO3 cotransport (NBC) regulates intracellular pH (pHi) and HCO3 secretion in rat colon. NBC has been characterized as a 5,5′-diisothiocyanato-2-2′-stilbene (DIDS)-sensitive transporter in several tissues, while the colonic NBC is sensitive to both amiloride and DIDS. In addition, the colonic NBC has been identified as critical for pHi regulation as it is activated by intravesicular acid pH. Molecular studies have identified several characteristically distinct NBC isoforms [i.e. electrogenic (NBCe) and electroneutral (NBCn)] that exhibit tissue specific expression. This study was initiated to establish the molecular identity and specific function of NBC isoforms in rat colon. Northern blot and reverse transcriptase …

Develop To Term Rat Oocytes Injected With Heat-Dried Sperm Heads, Kyung-Bon Lee, Ki-Eun Park, In-Kiu Kwon, Swamy K. Tripurani, Keun J. Kim, Ji H. Lee, Koji Niwa, Min K. Kim

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This study investigated the development of rat oocytes in vitro and in vivo following intracytoplasmic injection of heads from spermatozoa heat-dried at 50°C for 8 h and stored at 4°C in different gas phases. Sperm membrane and chromosome are damaged by the process of heat-drying. Oocyte activation and cleavage of oocytes were worse in oocytes injected with spermatozoa heat-dried and stored for 1 week than unheated, fresh spermatozoa, but in heat-dried spermatozoa, there were no differences in these abilities of oocytes between the samples stored in nitrogen gas and in air. The oocytes injected with heat-dried spermatozoa stored for 1 …

Impairment Of Coronary Arteriolar Endothelium-Dependent Dilation After Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Inhalation: A Time-Course Study, Phoebe A. Stapleton, Valerie C. Minarchick, Amy M. Cumpston, Walter Mckinney, Bean T. Chen, Tina M. Sager, David G. Frazer, Robert R. Mercer, James Scabilloni, Michael E. Andrew, Vincent Castranova, Timothy R. Nurkiewicz

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Engineered nanomaterials have been developed for widespread applications due to many highly unique and desirable characteristics. The purpose of this study was to assess pulmonary inflammation and subepicardial arteriolar reactivity in response to multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) inhalation and evaluate the time course of vascular alterations. Rats were exposed to MWCNT aerosols producing pulmonary deposition. Pulmonary inflammation via bronchoalveolar lavage and MWCNT translocation from the lungs to systemic organs was evident 24 h post-inhalation. Coronary arterioles were evaluated 24–168 h post-exposure to determine microvascular response to changes in transmural pressure, endothelium-dependent and -independent reactivity. Myogenic responsiveness, vascular smooth muscle reactivity …

Interlaboratory Evaluation Of In Vitro Cytotoxicity And Inflammatory Responses To Engineered Nanomaterials: The Niehs Nano Go Consortium, Tian Xia, Raymond F. Hamilton, James C. Bonner, Edward D. Crandall, Alison Elder, Farnoosh Fazlollahi, Teri A. Girtsman, Kwang Kim, Somenath Mitra, Susana A. Ntim, Galya Orr, Mani Tagmount, Alexia J. Taylor, Donatello Telesca, Ana Tolic, Christopher D. Vulpe, Andrea J. Walker, Xiang Wang, Frank A. Witzmann, Nianqiang Wu, Yumei Xie, Jeffery I. Zink, Andre Nel, Andrij Holian

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Differences in interlaboratory research protocols contribute to the conflicting data in the literature regarding engineered nanomaterial (ENM) bioactivity.

Objectives: Grantees of a National Institute of Health Sciences (NIEHS)-funded consortium program performed two phases of in vitro testing with selected ENMs in an effort to identify and minimize sources of variability.

Methods: Consortium program participants (CPPs) conducted ENM bioactivity evaluations on zinc oxide (ZnO), three forms of titanium dioxide (TiO2), and three forms of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). In addition, CPPs performed bioassays using three mammalian cell lines (BEAS-2B, RLE-6TN, and THP-1) selected in order to cover two different species …

Effective Treatment With A Tetrandrine/Chloroquine Combination For Chloroquine-Resistant Falciparum Malaria In Aotus Monkeys, Zuguang Ye, Knox V. Dyke, Richard N. Rossan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

In vitro evidence indicates that tetrandrine (TT) can potentiate the action of chloroquine 40-fold against choloquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. The key question emanating from that study is “would tetrandine and chloroquine be highly effective in a live Aotus monkey model with chloroquine-resistant parasites”. This study was designed to closely mimic the pharmacological/anti-malarial activity in man.

Methods

The Vietnam Smith/RE strain of P. falciparum, which is chloroquine-resistant was used in this study. Previous experimental procedures were followed. Panamanian owl monkeys (Aotus) were inoculated with 5×106 erythrocytes parasitized with the CQ-resistant strain of P. falciparum. Oral drug …

Keratinocyte-Targeted Expression Of Human Laminin Γ2 Rescues Skin Blistering And Early Lethality Of Laminin Γ2 Deficient Mice, Tracy L. Adair-Kirk, Gail L. Griffin, Michelle J. Meyer, Diane G. Kelley, Jeffery H. Miner, Douglas R. Keene, M Peter Marinkovich, J Michael Ruppert, Jouni Uitto, Robert M. Senior

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Laminin-332 is a heterotrimeric basement membrane component comprised of the α3, ß3, and γ2 laminin chains. Laminin-332 modulates epithelial cell processes, such as adhesion, migration, and differentiation and is prominent in many embryonic and adult tissues. In skin, laminin-332 is secreted by keratinocytes and is a key component of hemidesmosomes connecting the keratinocytes to the underlying dermis. In mice, lack of expression of any of the three Laminin-332 chains result in impaired anchorage and detachment of the epidermis, similar to that seen in human junctional epidermolysis bullosa, and death occurs within a few days after birth. To bypass the early …

Evaluation Of Gene Association Methods For Coexpression Network Construction And Biological Knowledge Discovery, Sapna Kumari, Jeff Nie, Huann-Sheng Chen, Hao Ma, Ron Stewart, Xiang Li, Meng-Zhu Lu, William M. Taylor, Hairong Wei

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Constructing coexpression networks and performing network analysis using large-scale gene expression data sets is an effective way to uncover new biological knowledge; however, the methods used for gene association in constructing these coexpression networks have not been thoroughly evaluated. Since different methods lead to structurally different coexpression networks and provide different information, selecting the optimal gene association method is critical.

Methods and Results

In this study, we compared eight gene association methods – Spearman rank correlation, Weighted Rank Correlation, Kendall, Hoeffding's D measure, Theil-Sen, Rank Theil-Sen, Distance Covariance, and Pearson – and focused on their true knowledge discovery rates …

A Quantitative Meta-Analysis Of Functional Imaging Studies Of Social Rejection, Stephanie Cacioppo, Chris Frum, Erik Asp, Robin M. Weiss, James W. Lewis, John T. Cacioppo

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Early neuroimaging studies using Cyberball suggested that social rejection activated the pain matrix, as identified in studies of physical pain. However, these early studies were characterized by small sample sizes. Our statistical multi-level kernel density analysis (MKDA) of Cyberball neuroimaging studies with 244 participants fails to support the claim that social rejection operates on the same pain matrix as nociceptive stimuli, questioning whether social pain is more figurative or literal. We also performed an MKDA of the neuroimaging studies of reliving a romantic rejection to test whether the pain matrix was activated if the rejection were more meaningful. Results again …

Vertical Transmission Of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Modulates Pre- And Postnatal Innervation And Reactivity Of Rat Airways, Giovanni Piedimonte, Cheryl Walton, Lennie Samsell

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Environmental exposure to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections in infants, but it remains unknown whether this infection is transmitted transplacentally from the lungs of infected mothers to the offspring. We sought to test the hypothesis that RSV travels from the respiratory tract during pregnancy, crosses the placenta to the fetus, persists in the lung tissues of the offspring, and modulates pre- and postnatal expression of growth factors, thereby predisposing to airway hyperreactivity.

Methodology

Pregnant rats were inoculated intratracheally at midterm using recombinant RSV expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP). Viral RNA was amplified by …

A Characterization Of The Manduca Sexta Serotonin Receptors In The Context Of Olfactory Neuromodulation, Andrew M. Dacks, Vincenzina Reale, Yeli Pi, Wujie Zhang, Joel B. Dacks, Alan J. Nighorn, Peter D. Evans

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Neuromodulation, the alteration of individual neuron response properties, has dramatic consequences for neural network function and is a phenomenon observed across all brain regions and taxa. However, the mechanisms underlying neuromodulation are made complex by the diversity of neuromodulatory receptors expressed within a neural network. In this study we begin to examine the receptor basis for serotonergic neuromodulation in the antennal lobe of Manduca sexta. To this end we cloned all four known insect serotonin receptor types from Manduca (the Ms5HTRs). We used phylogenetic analyses to classify the Ms5HTRs and to establish their relationships to other insect serotonin receptors, other …