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Multi-Locus Phylogeographic And Population Genetic Analysis Of Anolis Carolinensis: Historical Demography Of A Genomic Model Species, Marc Tollis, Gavriel Ausubel, Dhruba Ghimire, Stéphane Boissinot

Publications and Research

The green anole (Anolis carolinensis) has been widely used as an animal model in physiology and neurobiology but has recently emerged as an important genomic model. The recent sequencing of its genome has shed new light on the evolution of vertebrate genomes and on the process that govern species diversification. Surprisingly, the patterns of genetic diversity within natural populations of this widespread and abundant North American lizard remain relatively unknown. In the present study, we use 10 novel nuclear DNA sequence loci (N = 62 to 152) and one mitochondrial locus (N = 226) to delimit green anole populations and …

Sesquiterpene Synthase Gene And Protein, Joe Chappell, Bryan Greenhagen

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

The invention relates to sesquiterpene synthases and methods for their production and use. Particularly, the invention provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence of citrus valencene synthase (CVS) which codes for at least one CVS. The invention further provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence coding for amino acid residues forming the tier 1 and tier 2 domains of CVS. The invention also provides for methods of making and using the nucleic acids and amino acids of the current invention.

Med5(Nut1) And Med17(Srb4) Are Direct Targets Of Mediator Histone H4 Tail Interactions, Zhongle Liu, Lawrence C. Myers

Dartmouth Scholarship

The Mediator complex transmits activation signals from DNA bound transcription factors to the core transcription machinery. In addition to its canonical role in transcriptional activation, recent studies have demonstrated that S. cerevisiae Mediator can interact directly with nucleosomes, and their histone tails. Mutations in Mediator subunits have shown that Mediator and certain chromatin structures mutually impact each other structurally and functionally in vivo. We have taken a UV photo cross-linking approach to further delineate the molecular basis of Mediator chromatin interactions and help determine whether the impact of certain Mediator mutants on chromatin is direct. Specifically, by using histone …

Fundamental Limits On Wavelength, Efficiency And Yield Of The Charge Separation Triad, Alexander Punnoose, Liza Mcconnell, Wei Liu, Andrew C. Mutter, Ronald Koder

Publications and Research

In an attempt to optimize a high yield, high efficiency artificial photosynthetic protein we have discovered unique energy and spatial architecture limits which apply to all light-activated photosynthetic systems. We have generated an analytical solution for the time behavior of the core three cofactor charge separation element in photosynthesis, the photosynthetic cofactor triad, and explored the functional consequences of its makeup including its architecture, the reduction potentials of its components, and the absorption energy of the light absorbing primary-donor cofactor. Our primary findings are two: First, that a high efficiency, high yield triad will have an absorption frequency more than …

Minor Fibrillar Collagens, Variable Regions Alternative Splicing, Intrinsic Disorder, And Tyrosine Sulfation, Ming Fang, Reed B. Jacob, Owen Mcdougal, Julia Oxford

Biomedical Research Institute Publications and Presentations

Minor fibrillar collagen types V and XI, are those less abundant than the fibrillar collagens types I, II and III. The alpha chains share a high degree of similarity with respect to protein sequence in all domains except the variable region. Genomic variation and, in some cases, extensive alternative splicing contribute to the unique sequence characteristics of the variable region. While unique expression patterns in tissues exist, the functions and biological relevance of the variable regions have not been elucidated. In this review, we summarize the existing knowledge about expression patterns and biological functions of the collagen types V and …

Isoform-Specific Roles Of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases In Pain, Benedict Alter

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Isoform-specific roles of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases in pain by Benedict Joseph Alter Doctor of Philosophy in Biology and Biomedical Sciences Neurosciences Washington University in St. Louis, 2012 Professor Robert Gereau, Chairperson The extracellular signal-regulated kinase: ERK) isoforms, ERK1 and ERK2, are believed to be key signaling molecules in nociception and nociceptive sensitization. Studies utilizing inhibitors targeting the shared ERK1/2 upstream activator, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase: MEK), and transgenic mice expressing a dominant negative form of MEK have established the importance of ERK1/2 signaling. However, these techniques do not discriminate between ERK1 and ERK2. To dissect the …

Inoculation Of Bats With European Geomyces Destructans Supports The Novel Pathogen Hypothesis For The Origin Of White-Nose Syndrome, Lisa L. Warnecke, James M. Turner, Trent K. Bollinger

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

What Is Life And How Do We Know It? Theological Possibilities In Michael Polanyi's Epistemology, Vincent M. Smiles

Theology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Electrical Advantages Of Dendritic Spines, Allan T. Gulledge, Nicholas T. Carnevale, Greg J. Stuart

Dartmouth Scholarship

Many neurons receive excitatory glutamatergic input almost exclusively onto dendritic spines. In the absence of spines, the amplitudes and kinetics of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) at the site of synaptic input are highly variable and depend on dendritic location. We hypothesized that dendritic spines standardize the local geometry at the site of synaptic input, thereby reducing location-dependent variability of local EPSP properties. We tested this hypothesis using computational models of simplified and morphologically realistic spiny neurons that allow direct comparison of EPSPs generated on spine heads with EPSPs generated on dendritic shafts at the same dendritic locations. In all morphologies …

Cosm News, Georgia Southern University

College of Science & Mathematics: News & Publications (2012-2022)

• Biology Students Win the Averitt Award for Research Excellence

Zooplankton Biomass Changes In Response To Arctic Warming, Jacob N. Bilbo ^, Vanessa Lougheed *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Cloning And Characterization Of The Cell Wall Acting Enzyme Cd1034 From The Pathogen Clostridium Difficile, Zachary Suter

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

The manifestation of multidrug resistance in bacteria over the past several decades has resulted in one of the foremost challenges in the management of infectious diseases. The question arises, “How do we address this growing problem?” One solution to stem the growing rise in antimicrobial resistance is to investigate new targets, while another approach is to re-examine classical antibacterial targets with a fresh perspective. The aim of this paper is to begin the process of antibacterial development for the pathogen Clostridium difficile by characterizing the cell wall acting glucosaminidase CD1034. It is inunderstanding how CD1034 functions biochemically that it can …

From The Desk Of Super Food Sleuth, Dan Barclay

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Dependent Infants On The Social Behavior Of Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta Palliate), Keziah Katz

Honors Theses and Capstones

Six weeks of observation on eight groups of wild mantled howler monkeys revealed that the presence of a dependent infant alters the frequency of social interactions between a female with an infant and other adult monkeys. Males preferred to spend time with females without infants but still spent more time with females with infants than with males. Females without infants spent significantly less time with females with infants than with males or other females without infants and females with infants decreased their frequency of social interaction overall without preference for males, females or other females with infants.

Genome Stability Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes: Comparative Genomics Of Borrelia Burgdorferi Plasmids, Sherwood R. Casjens, Emmanuel F. Mongodin, Wei-Gang Qiu, Benjamin J. Luft, Steven E. Schutzer, Eddie B. Gilcrease, Wai Mun Huang, Marija Vujadinovic, John K. Aron, Levy C. Vargas, Sam Freeman, Diana Radune, Janice F. Weidman, George I. Dimitrov, Hoda M. Khouri, Julia E. Sosa, Rebecca A. Halpin, John J. Dunn, Claire M. Fraser

Publications and Research

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne human illness in North America. In order to understand the molecular pathogenesis, natural diversity, population structure and epizootic spread of the North American Lyme agent, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, a much better understanding of the natural diversity of its genome will be required. Towards this end we present a comparative analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the numerous plasmids of B. burgdorferi isolates B31, N40, JD1 and 297. These strains were chosen because they include the three most commonly studied laboratory strains, and because they represent different major genetic lineages and so are …

Library Impact Statement For Nrs/Bio 417 Herpetology, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for NRU/BIO 417 Herpetology new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Nancy E. Karraker.

Library Impact Statement For Nrs/Bio 517 Herpetology, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for NRS/BIO 517 Herpetology. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Micael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Nancy E. Karraker.

Reducing False-Positive Prediction Of Minimotifs With A Genetic Interaction Filter, Jerlin Camilus Merlin, Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Tian Mi, Martin Schiller

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Background

Minimotifs are short contiguous peptide sequences in proteins that have known functions. At its simplest level, the minimotif sequence is present in a source protein and has an activity relationship with a target, most of which are proteins. While many scientists routinely investigate new minimotif functions in proteins, the major web-based discovery tools have a high rate of false-positive prediction. Any new approach that reduces false-positives will be of great help to biologists.

Methods and Findings

We have built three filters that use genetic interactions to reduce false-positive minimotif predictions. The basic filter identifies those minimotifs where the source/target …

Independent Recruitment Of A Flavin-Dependent Monooxygenase For Safe Accumulation Of Sequestered Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids In Grasshoppers And Moths, Linzhu Wang, Till Beuerle, James Timbilla, Dietrich Ober

Publications and Research

Several insect lineages have developed diverse strategies to sequester toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids from food-plants for their own defense. Here, we show that in two highly divergent insect taxa, the hemimetabolous grasshoppers and the holometabolous butterflies, an almost identical strategy evolved independently for safe accumulation of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. This strategy involves a pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxygenase that transfers the pyrrolizidine alkaloids to their respective N-oxide, enabling the insects to avoid high concentrations of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the hemolymph. We have identified a pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxygenase, which is a flavin-dependent monooxygenase, of the grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus. After heterologous expression in E. coli, …

Library Impact Statement For Bio 501 Advanced Scientific Ethics, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 501 Advanced Scientific Ethics new course proposal. No new resources are required to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Chris Lane.

Library Impact Statement For Bio 502 Advanced Scientific Communication, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 502 Advanced Scientific Communication new course proposal. No new resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Chris Lane.

Library Impact Statement For Bio 553 Regulatory Processes In Eucaryotic Cells, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 553 Regulatory Processes in Eucaryotic Cells new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Joanna Norris.

Biology And Pathogenesis Of Acanthamoeba., Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Naveed Ahmed Khan

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Acanthamoeba is a free-living protist pathogen, capable of causing a blinding keratitis and fatal granulomatous encephalitis. The factors that contribute to Acanthamoeba infections include parasite biology, genetic diversity, environmental spread and host susceptibility, and are highlighted together with potential therapeutic and preventative measures. The use of Acanthamoeba in the study of cellular differentiation mechanisms, motility and phagocytosis, bacterial pathogenesis and evolutionary processes makes it an attractive model organism. There is a significant emphasis on Acanthamoeba as a Trojan horse of other microbes including viral, bacterial, protists and yeast pathogens.

Library Impact Statement For Bio 485x Salt Marsh Ecology, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 485X Salt Marsh Ecology new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Serena Moseman-Valtierra.

Library Impact Statement For Bio 585x Salt Marsh Ecology, Michael A. Cerbo Ii

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for BIO 585X Salt Marsh Ecology new course proposal. No new library resources are needed to support this course. Responding library faculty member: Michael A. Cerbo II. Requesting faculty member: Serena Moseman-Valtierra.

It’S My Body: The Biomedical Ethics Of Cell And Organ Harvest, Christina Perri

Common Reading Essay Contest Winners

First Place

Status Of Reintroduced American Marten In The Manistee National Forest Within Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Julie M. Watkins

McNair Scholars Journal

American martens (Martes americana) were extirpated from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan as a result of overharvest for fur and habitat loss in the early 1900s. More sustainable logging practices, forest regeneration, and improved understanding of wildlife habitat requirements, subsequently led to suitable marten habitat restoration within the Lower Peninsula. In the mid- 1980s in an attempt to re-establish a viable population in the Northern Lower Peninsula, 36 martens were reintroduced into the Manistee National Forest (MNF). In the 2011 summer field season we conducted a pilot study investigating the genetic structure of populations in Ward Hills and Caberfae in …

The Effects Of Water Stress On Datura Wrightii, Tony Festa, Kristin Lapointe, Sara Tandon

Featured Research

The Santa Monica Mountains are home to a unique Mediterranean type ecosystem. Due to the effects of global warming and human disruption, the native species are beginning to decrease in population. It is imperative to observe and study the native species in order to preserve the local plant and animal life. This project focuses on the native flower Datura wrightii, specifically the causes of the opening and closing of its flowers. For Datura wrightii to be pollinated, it must be open. The results of this project will help to educate the public on how to sustain an environment in which …

Manipulation Of Angiogenesis By Cyclosporine-A And Extracellular Matrix Molecules, Raghav Pandey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Angiogenesis is the formation of new capillaries from pre-existing capillaries. Angiogenesis plays an important role in the blood vessel formation required during embryonic development, tissue injury, wound healing, and menstruation. It also plays a major role in tumor progression. We propose a mechanism that links the developmental pathways to a therapeutic pathway. Moreover, we show anti-angiogenic nature of an FDA approved immunosuppressant. Extra cellular matrix (ECM) has an important role in maintaining the shape and structure of organisms and in signaling mechanisms. Two major components of ECM are lumican and Magp2. Investigating their role might help us further link angiogenesis …

Stem Mechanical Strength In Thinned Versus Non-Thinned Ceanothus Spinosus, Ksp, David J. Kang, Hannah Y. Choe, Melinda L. Marchiano

Featured Research

What effect does the thinning of chaparral around building structures have on plant health? More specifically, does the thinning of Ceanothus spinosus influence mechanical strength? The ability of our native chaparral to withstand environmental factors, such as the Santa Ana winds, and overall health is directly related to plant strength. Seeking to answer these questions, we hypothesized that a difference in water potential between thinned and non-thinned chaparral affects the stem mechanical strength of the plants.We believed that thinned C. spinosus due to greater hydration will be mechanically stronger than non-thinned chaparral.The knowledge of what helps chaparral to be stronger …