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Transcription Initiation Studies With Bacillus Subtilis Promoters Containing Curved Dna., Douglas James Stemke

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Many promoters contain a curved DNA component essential for high levels of transcription activity. The present work approached the study of these unusual DNA structures in a twofold manner. First, promoter binding by RNA polymerase from Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli was examined using a collection of promoters containing DNA curvature. Promoter binding by both RNA polymerases was governed primarily by the nucleotide sequence at the highly conserved $-$10 and $-$35 regions of the promoters. However, the presence of curved DNA, immediately upstream of the $-$35 region of the promoter, predictably increased binding to those promoters which contained curved DNA …

Contributions Of Monoclonal Antibodies With Anti-Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule Like Activity To Peripheral Nerve Regeneration., Laura G. Remsen

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Tubes containing monoclonal antibodies with anti-neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM)-like activity were applied to transected sciatic nerves to attempt to perturb the recovery of muscle function. Physiological recordings were used to estimate the return of function. The decline of implanted antibody over 28 days was estimated. No significant immune responses were detected in response to the implanted material. Electron microscopic and immunohistological analyses evaluated particular cellular disruptions in nerves due to the presence of these antibodies with anti-N-CAM like activity. Histological sections of fixed experimental nerves consistently revealed abnormal gaps between Schwann cells of regenerating nerves. This specific Schwann cell …

The Role Of Flagellar Proteins In Adhesion Of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, And Isolation Of The Corresponding Gene(S)., Ratchanee Hongprayoon

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Polar flagellar core protein was purified from Vibrio parahaemolyticus by differential centrifugation and cesium chloride isopycnic centrifugation. Twelve hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies against flagellar core protein (MAb-flc) were obtained from fusions. By chance, one purified flagellar core preparation retained flagellar sheath and as a consequence, two hybridomas were detected which secreted anti-sheath antibodies (MAb-fls). MAb-flc and MAb-fls reacted specifically with their corresponding antigens as demonstrated by immunogold labelling. Coagglutination reagents prepared with MAb-flc and MAb-fls were tested against 34 strains of V. parahaemolyticus and 34 heterologous Vibrio species. The coagglutination results revealed that the flagellar core was species-specific while the …

Denitrification And Oxygen Consumption In Sediments Of Two South Texas Estuaries, Won Bae Yoon, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

Spatial and temporal variations in rates of denitrification and oxygen consumption were measured in sediments of the Nueces and Guadalupe Estuaries in southern Texas, USA. Denitrification rates varied from 4.0 to 71.1 µmol N₂ m^-2 h^-1 in the Nueces Estuary and from 4.6 to 34.7 µmol N₂ m^-2 h^-1 in the Guadalupe Estuary. Denitrification accounted for 29 to 80% of total benthic N flux in the study areas. Oxygen consumption rates ranged from 176 to 818 µmol O₂ m^-2 h^-1 in Nueces Estuary and from 208 to 550 µmol O_{2 …}

Bacterial Numbers And Activity, Microalgal Biomass And Productivity, And Meiofaunal Distribution In Sediments Naturally Contaminated With Biogenic Bromophenols, Charles C. Steward, James L. Pinckney, Yvette Piceno, Charles R. Lovell

Faculty Publications

Sediment cores were collected inside and outside of a bed of a bromophenol-producing marine polychaete, Notomastus lobatus, and examined for impact of the bromophenols on sediment microflora and meiofauna around N. lobatus burrows. No significant differences were found between microbial parameters measured inside and outside of the N. lobatus bed. Integrated 6 cm cores taken adjacent to N. lobatus burrows contained 1.2 x 10⁹ bacteria ml^-1. Cell numbers were similar at control sites within the bed, but away from burrows, and not significantly different from cell numbers (1.0 X 10⁹ cells ml^-1) at a …

Lecture Vs. Discussion In Teaching Biology For Tenth Grade Students In Saudi Arabia, Sultana Kaseem Ai-Faleh

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there were any significant differences between lecture and discussion methods with regard to students' learning achievement. There were three null hypotheses addressed by this study. Null hypothesis I was: there was no significant difference in the students' learning achievement with respect to either lecture or discussion methods. Null hypothesis II was: there was no significant difference between the students' pre-test scores and post-test scores. Null hypothesis III was: there were no differences in the students satisfaction with respect to the two teaching methods. Three teachers and 151 students in six …

The Wooster Voice (Wooster, Oh), 1992-11-20, Wooster Voice Editors

The Voice: 1991-2000

In this edition of the Voice, Stanley Gault, chair of the Board of Trustees at the College, is named co-chair of Rubbermaid Inc. Recycling Club sponsors an awareness day with speaker Geology professor Fred Cropp and Marilyn Loveless, professors of biology and ecology. The College’s economics department teaches an economics 101 course in a foreign language. The music group “Sound, Wisdom, and Many Musical Powers” or “S.W.A.M.M.P.” plays a show at the Underground. An article discusses the first video-only band “Green Jello.” Additionally, a piece describes the class registration process. Athletic updates for the past week are highlighted on pages …

Dna Diversity Among Clinical Isolates Of Helicobacter Pylori Detected By Pcr-Based Rapd Fingerprinting, Natalia Akopyanz, Nickolai O. Bukanov, T. Ulf Westblom, Stephen Kresovich, Douglas E. Berg

Faculty Publications

The RAPD (or AP-PCR) DNA fingerprinting method was used to distinguish among clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium whose long term carriage is associated with gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric carcinomas. This method uses arbitrarily chosen oligonucleotides to prime DNA sythesis from genomic sites to which they are fortuitously matched, or almost matched. Most 10-nt primers with > 60% G + C yielded strain-specific arrays of up to 15 prominent fragments, as did most longer ( > 17-nt) primers, whereas most 10-nt primers with 50% G +C did not. Each of 64 independent H.pylori isolates, 60 of which were from …

Enhanced Bacterioplankton Production And Respiration At Intermediate Salinities In The Mississippi River Plume, Gerardo Chin-Leo, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

Bacterial abundance and production (thymidine and leucine incorporation) were measured along a salinity gradient from the Mississippi River (0 %₀) to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico (36 %₀) during July-August 1990 and February 1991. Bacterial production in surface waters was maximal at intermediate salinities (15 to 30 %₀). Nutrient enrichment experiments suggested that bacterial growth near the outflow of the river was C limited whereas bacteria in plume waters of intermediate salinities were P and N limited. Rates of plankton community oxygen demand measured during winter were also maximal at intermediate …

Negative Transcriptional Regulatory Elements In The Human Chorionic Gonadotropin A-Subunit Gene., Yongjun Zeng

Student Work

Regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional and translational level is a highly complicated process. The transcriptional regulation can be controlled by positive and negative regulatory sequences; a combination of both is frequently responsible for the observed expression patterns. This control may be achieved through the interaction of trans-acting proteins with cis-acting DNA promoter elements (Baniahmad et al., 1990)

A Brief Introduction To Aims And Methods For Image Processing Of Electron Micrographs Of Biological Specimens, Murray Stewart

Scanning Microscopy

A common problem with electron micrographs of biological objects is that fine details are usually faint and, moreover, tend to be obscured by background noise from stain and support film. Filtering is a useful way to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and is particularly important when trying to detect small changes (conformational or due to labelling) or when examining frozen hydrated objects, where the statistical definition of the image has been reduced because of the low-dose conditions needed to prevent radiation damage. Filtering can also be used to address the superposition effects that result from the large depth of focus of …

Cytosolic Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenase (Ahd-2) In Mice:Cdna Sequence, Molecular Characterization And A Possible Role In Ethanol Sensitivity, Shari Lynne Bond

Digitized Theses

The influence of genetic factors on alcoholism and relative sensitivity to alcohol has been recognized but remains elusive. In mammals, ethanol is primarily oxidized by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to form acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is the toxic metabolite responsible for most alcohol-related adverse effects. Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) irreversibly oxidizes acetaldehyde to acetate. Individuals with a mutant allele for mitochondrial ALDH experience a severe reaction to ethanol, caused by elevated acetaldehyde levels. Also, C57BL/6J, alcohol preferring mice are reported to have increased ALDH enzyme activity after ethanol feeding while BALB/c and 129/ReJ (alcohol avoiding) mice do not. The significance of ALDH in regulating …

The In Vivo Regulation Of Translation Of The Escherichia Coli Rna Polymerase Gene Rpob, Luciano Passador

Digitized Theses

The synthesis of RNA polymerase in E. coli appears to be limited by the synthesis of the {dollar}\beta{dollar} and {dollar}\beta\sp\prime{dollar} subunits the genes for which (rpoB and rpoC respectively), are the distal components of an operon which also includes the genes for four ribosomal proteins. Studies from several laboratories suggest that RNA polymerase is involved in the regulation of its own synthesis via an autogenous feedback mechanism. The RNA polymerase genes cannot be readily manipulated in vivo in order to study their autogenous regulation since many useful regulatory mutations are lethal. To circumvent these problems transcriptional and translational gene fusions …

Mechanisms Controlling Placental Invasion Of The Uterus, Charles H. Graham

Digitized Theses

Trophoblast cells of the placenta have evolved mechanisms to invade the uterus inclusive of its blood vessels. This invasion is strictly controlled and, in humans, usually continues until mid-gestation. This study was primarily designed to determine (a) whether trophoblast cells are pre-programmed to stop invading and if not, (b) the source and nature of the mechanisms which control their invasiveness in situ. To address these questions, pure cultures of human first trimester and term trophoblast cells were established and characterized. Both cell populations were found to be highly invasive in vitro, indicating that their invasiveness in situ must be controlled …

Structural And Functional Analysis Of A Prominent Surface Polypeptide Involved In The Biogenesis And Function Of The Vaccinia Virus Envelope, James D. Gordon

Digitized Theses

A detailed analysis of polypeptides located in the envelope of vaccinia virus (strain IHD-W) was performed with the goal of characterizing the physical properties and function of specific envelope polypeptides. Envelope polypeptides were identified by: (1) detergent extraction of virions followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), (2) reaction of virions with a surface-reactive biotinylating reagent, (3) reaction of immunoblots of viral polypeptides with an antiserum raised against NP-40 solubilized envelope components. The most prominent envelope polypeptide detected using all three procedures migrated with an apparent MW or 35K and was chosen as the subject for more detailed analysis aimed at …

Blood-Nervous Tissue Barriers In The Peripheral Nervous System, Deborah Tristram Allen

Digitized Theses

After years of investigation into blood-nervous tissue barriers controversies remain regarding the permeability of blood vessels to macromolecules in the enteric nervous system, the endoneurium of peripheral nerve, and the spaces between satellite cells and neurons in sensory and sympathetic ganglia.;The permeability of the above areas of the peripheral nervous system was investigated in rats using the following intravenously administered tracers: rhodamine-labelled bovine albumin; horseradish peroxidase; acriflavine and ethidium. The last two, which are fluorescent cationic dyes were shown to bind to serum proteins. In addition immunohistochemical staining for endogenous albumin was performed. One long-term study was done in which …

Intrasexual Competition And Reproductive Success In Female Bushy-Tailed Woodrats, Richard A. Moses

Digitized Theses

Bushy-tailed woodrats (Neotoma cinerea) are nocturnal rodents that are usually confined to discrete rock outcrops. Several females may bred on one outcrop, and are expected to compete for limited resources. I monitored individual reproductive output of female woodrats on 22 outcrops in the Kananaskis Valley in Alberta during the breeding seasons from 1987 to 1989 to investigate the influence of competition among females on reproductive success.;My aims were two-fold. First, I tested the hypothesis that competition among females on outcrops reduces reproductive success in yearling females. I reduced densities of breeding females by approximately 50% on 11 outcrops at the …

Physiological And Biochemical Significance Of Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L) Peroxidases In Growth, Xiaohong Zheng

Digitized Theses

The molecular structures of peanut peroxidases from the cell suspension culture medium have been well characterized. The aim of present work is to investigate some of the physiological roles of these peroxidases, namely the functions in growth.;Specific polyclonal antibodies against both anionic and cationic peroxidases were produced by affinity chromatography. Immunological assays showed virtually no cross-reactivity between these antibodies and other compounds. The peroxidases from peanut cell suspension culture medium had {dollar}>{dollar}80% immunological homologies with those from cultured cells and hypocotyls as determined by Ouchterlony gel diffusion, western blot and competitive ELISA. Based on these homologies both the purified …

The Effect Of Supplemental Food On The Life History Traits And Demography Of A Population Of Peromyscus Mexicanus, Laurel Suzanne Duquette

Digitized Theses

A population of Peromyscus mexicanus, inhabiting a wet tropical forest was provided with a high quality food supplement for one year (Experiment 1). Unfed and fed populations were compared to assess the effect of food addition on the reproductive and developmental characteristics of females and young, and to assess the effect of food addition on population dynamics. In a 6-month post-treatment period (Experiment 2), the response to food cessation was assessed.;Females on fed areas produced their first litter at an earlier age than unfed females in the 8-month rainy season but not in the 4-month dry season. Among pre-reproductive females, …

Myocardial Electrophysiological Alterations In Pacing-Induced Heart Failure And Defibrillation Shock Delivery, Huagui Li

Digitized Theses

Heart failure patients frequently have ventricular arrhythmias and high incidence of sudden death. Current antiarrhythmic drug therapies have failed to improve the survival of these patients as the arrhythmogenesis is poorly understood. The only effective therapy for lethal arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation, is electrical shock (defibrillation). Studies on arrhythmogenesis and potential antiarrhythmic therapies in heart failure are needed.;This thesis investigated: (1) cardiac electrophysiological changes and arrhythmogenesis in a heart failure model; (2) cellular electrophysiological effects of defibrillation shocks.;Heart failure was produced by rapid ventricular pacing (240 beats/min, 4-5 weeks) in 35 dogs. Twenty-one operated, non-paced dogs served as control. Increased impulse …

Visuomotor Mechanisms In The Control Of Human Prehension, Lorna S. Jakobson

Digitized Theses

This thesis was designed to test the validity of several recent claims concerning the nature of the visuomotor mechanisms involved in the control of human prehension. The first goal of this research was to test the theory that the reaching and grasping components of a prehensile act are generated through two independent visuomotor channels: one which extracts object location information to control the reaching limb, and another which computes intrinsic object characteristics to determine appropriate hand shaping and guide object recognition (Jeannerod, 1984; Jeannerod & Decety, 1990). This proposal received little support. Thus, it was found that the control mechanisms …

2: "The Mapping Of Chromosome 16", Norman A. Doggett, Raymond L. Stallings, Carl E. Hildebrand, Robert K. Moyzis

Genomics: Past & Future

Human chromosome 16 is the main focus of the mapping efforts at Los Alamos. The large photomicrograph on these opening pages illustrates the starting point for those mapping efforts, the evaluation of our chromosome-16-specific library of cloned fragments. Among the 23 pairs of human chromosomes, one pair, chromosome 16, is identified by fluorescence in-situ hybridization. Thousands of yellow fluorescent probes derived from the clone library have hybridized to both copies of chromosome 16. The high density and uniform coverage of the fluorescent signals were a strong indication that we could use the library to construct a map of overlapping cloned …

Discards Of Commercial Fish Species In The Gulf Of Maine Groundfish And Shrimp Fisheries, Richard Langan

Doctoral Dissertations

A three part analysis of discarding of commercial fish species in the Gulf of Maine trawl fisheries was conducted from 1983 through 1992. Abstracts for each part of the dissertation are:

Part 1. The objectives of the research were to quantify commercial trawler discards of American plaice, witch flounder, yellowtail flounder, and winter flounder, and to examine variables that potentially influence discard rates. Data were obtained from 135 tows in 6 areas of the Gulf of Maine. Four different types of trawls were used. Mean discard percentages per tow, on a weight basis, were 25, 18, 13, and 5% for …

Horizontal Distribution, Feeding Rates And Prey Selectivity Of The Littoral Predator, Polyphemus Pediculus, Anne Turner Packard

Doctoral Dissertations

Littoral planktonic communities have rarely been included in food web dynamics and predator/prey behavior studies of planktonic communities of fresh water ecosystems. Polyphemus pediculus, a typically littoral predaceous cladoceran, is common in lakes and ponds throughout the northern temperate zone.

The patchy distribution of Polyphemus in littoral surface waters necessitates the use of a stratified random sampling regime to estimate and monitor Polyphemus populations. The population in Mirror Lake, NH, increased exponentially after the first appearance of parthenogenetic juveniles in late April. An abrupt decline in the population coincided with the movement of small Micropterus dolomieui fry into littoral areas …

Techniques For Enumerating Protozoa In Saturated Subsurface Sediments, Amoret L. Bunn

Doctoral Dissertations

Three techniques were investigated for the enumeration of small (2-5 $\mu$m in diameter) flagellates and amoebae in sediments collected within and outside of a wastewater contaminated ground water plume at the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Research site, located on Cape Cod, MA. An epifluorescent direct count technique was developed to enumerate DAPI stained protozoa on polycarbonate membrane filters. These estimates were compared to the those from the Darbyshire liquid media MPN and Singh solid media MPN techniques. In Fall 1991, sediment samples were collected to investigated the variability of the hold time of cores, total and encysted protozoan …

Gene-Encoded Surface Antigens Of Legionella Pneumophila And Their Role In Pathogenicity, Andrea S. High

Doctoral Dissertations

The pneumonial agent, Legionella pneumophila, is the predominant bacterium responsible for Legionnaires' disease. Experimentally, these organisms have demonstrated the ability to adhere to host cells without the presence of a mucopolysaccharide layer.

A recombinant plasmid, pLP 116, resulting from the ligation of a Hae III digest from the L. pneumophila, Nottingham N$\sb7$ genome and Sma I-digested pUC 19 vector was shown to encode for a 25 kilodalton (kDa) major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of L. pneumophila by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS). This protein was detected on the surface of an E. coli clone (LP 116) by immunoassays. …

The Role Of Lipoteichoic Acid And The Leukocyte Integrins In The Binding Of Group B Streptococci To Murine Peritoneal Macrophages, Anne Ragonese Sloan

Doctoral Dissertations

The macrophage has been shown to bind potentially pathogenic bacteria in the absence of serum components, but the mechanism is not well understood. The macrophage is a key component of our non-inducible defenses and this form of innate immunity is of particular importance for individuals in which the immune system may be sub-optimally functional, e.g., neonatal and geriatric individuals, and for sites in the body in which serum enhancement through opsonins is thought to be insufficient, e.g., lungs. To understand the mechanism by which mammalian innate host defenses respond to potential microbial aggression by opportunistic microorganisms, I developed two assays …

Intraspecific Variability And Phylogeny Of Sibling Species Of Simulium Venustum And S Verecundum Complexes (Diptera: Simuliidae) Revealed By The Sequence Of The Mitochondrial Large (16s) Ribosomal Rna Gene, Bai Xiong

Doctoral Dissertations

This study demonstrates that material preserved in Carnoy's solution (1:3 = glacial acetic acid:alcohol) can be amplified by the polymerase chain reaction for determination of DNA sequence. Because only a single salivary gland from the black fly larva is necessary for DNA extraction, both DNA sequence and chromosome banding data can be obtained from the same individual. This technique reduces potential contamination of the sample by foreign DNA in the gut and/or on the cuticle of the larva and eliminates the possibility of misidentified larvae in the sample. Surveys using the mitochondrial large rRNA gene revealed extensive intraspecific variation in …

Genetic And Morphological Variation And Differentiation Of South Korean Natural Populations Of Wild Soybean, Glycine Soja Sieb And Zucc, Hongrun Yu

Doctoral Dissertations

Genetic variation is the basis of crop improvement. As genetic background narrows in the cultivated germplasm, genes need to be introduced from new sources. Glycine soja is a wild relative of the cultivated soybean, glycine max (L.) Merr. It can be used in soybean breeding. Evaluation of wild soybean populations is not only necessary for use in cultivar improvement, will also provide information about origin, migration, evolution and natural selection of this species. Seeds were collected from six natural populations in South Korea to study the genetic variation and differentiation of wild soybean.

The study was divided into two parts: …

Predator-Prey Interactions Between Fish And Insects In Streams, Graham Edward Forrester

Doctoral Dissertations

Some benthic insects in streams disperse by drifting short distances downstream in the water column. While drifting they are at risk from predators, such as trout, that feed in the water column. I examined prey selection by brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis L.) in Stoney Brook, New Hampshire, U.S.A., and effects of trout on drift dispersal and benthic density of five prey taxa (mayflies: Ephemeroptera).

Effects of trout on mayflies were tested by field manipulation of trout density in replicate 35 m long sections of stream. Trout consumed all five mayflies in roughly similar numbers. Feeding rates of trout (by weight) …