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Articles 1 - 30 of 35
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Role Of Salinity In Recovery Of White Sturgeon (Acipenser Transmontanus) From Stimulated Angling Stress, Ryan B. Shartau, Jacelyn Shu, Daniel W. Baker
The Role Of Salinity In Recovery Of White Sturgeon (Acipenser Transmontanus) From Stimulated Angling Stress, Ryan B. Shartau, Jacelyn Shu, Daniel W. Baker
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Lower Fraser River are the focus of a catch-and-release angling fishery in British Columbia, Canada. However, the lower region of the catch area includes areas where tidal waters invade, and the consequence of salinity levels on recovery from an angling challenge are not characterized in sturgeon, despite theoretical implications of its import. We acclimated white sturgeon to various salinities (0, 10 and 20 (parts per thousand)) to investigate the effects of acclimation on recovery from stimulated angling stress that was induced through manual chasing. This challenge elicited the traditional physiological responses such as ion …
Vinyl Chloride Accident Unleashes A Toxic Legacy, Chengjun Li, Peng Gao, Riqing Yu, Huan Zhong, Mengjie Wu, Su Shiung Lam, Christian Sonne
Vinyl Chloride Accident Unleashes A Toxic Legacy, Chengjun Li, Peng Gao, Riqing Yu, Huan Zhong, Mengjie Wu, Su Shiung Lam, Christian Sonne
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
A railroad accident on February 3, 2023, led to the release and combustion of 115,580 gallons, equivalent to over 437,000 L, of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) in East Palestine, Ohio [1]. This monomer is used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production, and its burning produces additional toxins such as hydrochloric acid and lethal phosgene, known as a notorious chemical weapon during World War I
Habitat Decline Of The Largest Known Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa Chinensis) Population In Poorly Protected Areas Associated With The Hypoxic Zone, Lang Guo, Dingyu Luo, Riqing Yu, Chen Zeng, Nuoyan Huang, Hongri Wang, Yuping Wu
Habitat Decline Of The Largest Known Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa Chinensis) Population In Poorly Protected Areas Associated With The Hypoxic Zone, Lang Guo, Dingyu Luo, Riqing Yu, Chen Zeng, Nuoyan Huang, Hongri Wang, Yuping Wu
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Reserve planning based on the investigation of the core habitat distribution of wild cetaceans is a powerful conservation strategy for protecting target species. However, studies on core habitats and their variations at the large-scale distribution of cetaceans are limited. In this study, we conducted a seven years (2015-2021) boat-based field observation surveys with highly applicable and generalized methods to analyze the habitat changes and how these changes influenced the largest known Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) population in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), China. Our findings revealed that there is 3204 km2 of dolphin habitat in the PRE, and dolphin …
Coevolutionary Methods Enable Robust Design Of Modular Repressors By Reestablishing Intra-Protein Interactions, Xian-Li Jiang, Rey P. Dimas, Clement T.Y. Chan, Faruck Morcos
Coevolutionary Methods Enable Robust Design Of Modular Repressors By Reestablishing Intra-Protein Interactions, Xian-Li Jiang, Rey P. Dimas, Clement T.Y. Chan, Faruck Morcos
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
enetic sensors with unique combinations of DNA recognition and allosteric response can be created by hybridizing DNA-binding modules (DBMs) and ligand-binding modules (LBMs) from distinct transcriptional repressors. This module swapping approach is limited by incompatibility between DBMs and LBMs from different proteins, due to the loss of critical module-module interactions after hybridization. We determine a design strategy for restoring key interactions between DBMs and LBMs by using a computational model informed by coevolutionary traits in the LacI family. This model predicts the influence of proposed mutations on protein structure and function, quantifying the feasibility of each mutation for rescuing hybrid …
Evolution Of An Epidermal Differentiation Complex (Edc) Gene Family In Birds, Anthony Davis, Matthew J. Greenwold
Evolution Of An Epidermal Differentiation Complex (Edc) Gene Family In Birds, Anthony Davis, Matthew J. Greenwold
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The transition of amniotes to a fully terrestrial lifestyle involved the adaptation of major molecular innovations to the epidermis, often in the form of epidermal appendages such as hair, scales and feathers. Feathers are diverse epidermal structures of birds, and their evolution has played a key role in the expansion of avian species to a wide range of lifestyles and habitats. As with other epidermal appendages, feather development is a complex process which involves many different genetic and protein elements. In mammals, many of the genetic elements involved in epidermal development are located at a specific genetic locus known as …
Male-Biased Dispersal In A Fungus-Gardening Ant Symbiosis, Alix E. Matthews, Katrin Kellner, Jon N. Seal
Male-Biased Dispersal In A Fungus-Gardening Ant Symbiosis, Alix E. Matthews, Katrin Kellner, Jon N. Seal
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
For nearly all organisms, dispersal is a fundamental life-history trait that can shape their ecology and evolution. Variation in dispersal capabilities within a species exists and can influence population genetic structure and ecological interactions. In fungus-gardening (attine) ants, co-dispersal of ants and mutualistic fungi is crucial to the success of this obligate symbiosis. Female-biased dispersal (and gene flow) may be favored in attines because virgin queens carry the responsibility of dispersing the fungi, but a paucity of research has made this conclusion difficult. Here, we investigate dispersal of the fungus-gardening ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis using a combination of maternally (mitochondrial DNA) …
Multiple Complementary Studies Clarify Which Co-Occurring Congener Presents The Greatest Hybridization Threat To A Rare Texas Endemic Wildflower (Hibiscus Dasycalyx: Malvaceae), Melody P. Sain, Julia Norrell-Tober, Katherine Barthel, Megan Seawright, Alyssa Blanton, Kate L. Hertweck, John S. Placyk, Jr., Randall Small, Lance R. Williams, Marsha G. Williams, Joshua A. Banta
Multiple Complementary Studies Clarify Which Co-Occurring Congener Presents The Greatest Hybridization Threat To A Rare Texas Endemic Wildflower (Hibiscus Dasycalyx: Malvaceae), Melody P. Sain, Julia Norrell-Tober, Katherine Barthel, Megan Seawright, Alyssa Blanton, Kate L. Hertweck, John S. Placyk, Jr., Randall Small, Lance R. Williams, Marsha G. Williams, Joshua A. Banta
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The Neches River Rose Mallow (Hibiscus dasycalyx) is a rare wildflower endemic to Texas that is federally protected in the U.S.A. While previous work suggests that H. dasycalyx may be hybridizing with its widespread congeners, the Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow (H. laevis) and the Woolly Rose Mallow (H. moscheutos), this has not been studied in detail. We evaluated the relative threats to H. dasycalyx posed by hybridization with H. laevis and H. moscheutos by 1) examining their relatedness to one another via modern phylogenomic methods, 2) examining their ecological (dis)similarities to one another using ecological niche modeling, and 3) looking for …
Fatty Acid Composition Analyses Of Commercially Important Fish Species From The Pearl River Estuary, China, Xiyang Zhang, Xi Ning, Xiaoxiao He, Xian Sun, Xinjian Yu, Yuanxiong Cheng, Riqing Yu, Yuping Wu
Fatty Acid Composition Analyses Of Commercially Important Fish Species From The Pearl River Estuary, China, Xiyang Zhang, Xi Ning, Xiaoxiao He, Xian Sun, Xinjian Yu, Yuanxiong Cheng, Riqing Yu, Yuping Wu
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Evaluation of fish nutritional content information could provide essential guidance for seafood consumption and human health protection. This study investigated the lipid contents, fatty acid compositions, and nutritional qualities of 22 commercially important marine fish species from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China Sea. All the analyzed species had a low to moderate lipid content (0.51–7.35% fat), with no significant differences in fatty acid profiles among fishes from different lipid categories (p > 0.05). Compared with previous studies from other regions, the examined fish species exhibited higher proportions of saturated fatty acids (SFAs, 39.1 ± 4.00%) and lower contents of …
Development, Characterization, And Cross-Amplification Of Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers For North American Trachymyrmex And Mycetomoellerius Ants, Alix E. Matthews, Chase Rowan, Colby Stone, Katrin Kellner, Jon Seal
Development, Characterization, And Cross-Amplification Of Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers For North American Trachymyrmex And Mycetomoellerius Ants, Alix E. Matthews, Chase Rowan, Colby Stone, Katrin Kellner, Jon Seal
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Objective: The objective of this study is to develop and identify polymorphic microsatellite markers for fungus-gardening (attine) ants in the genus Trachymyrmex sensu lato. These ants are important ecosystem engineers and have been a model group for understanding complex symbiotic systems, but very little is understood about the intraspecific genetic patterns across most North American attine species. These microsatellite markers will help to better study intraspecific population genetic structure, gene flow, mating habits, and phylogeographic patterns in these species and potentially other congeners. Results: Using next-generation sequencing techniques, we identified 17 and 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers from T. septentrionalis and …
Potential Distribution Of Six North American Higher-Attine Fungus-Farming Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Species, Sarah F. Senula, Joseph T. Scavetta, Joshua A. Banta, Ulrich G. Mueller, Jon N. Seal, Katrin Kellner
Potential Distribution Of Six North American Higher-Attine Fungus-Farming Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Species, Sarah F. Senula, Joseph T. Scavetta, Joshua A. Banta, Ulrich G. Mueller, Jon N. Seal, Katrin Kellner
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Ants are among the most successful insects in Earth’s evolutionary history. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding range-limiting factors that may influence their distribution. The goal of this study was to describe the environmental factors (climate and soil types) that likely impact the ranges of five out of the eight most abundant Trachymyrmex species and the most abundant Mycetomoellerius species in the United States. Important environmental factors may allow us to better understand each species’ evolutionary history. We generated habitat suitability maps using MaxEnt for each species and identified associated most important environmental variables. We quantified niche overlap …
Cancer Testis Antigen Promotes Triple Negative Breast Cancer Metastasis And Is Traceable In The Circulating Extracellular Vesicles, Anabarasu Kannan, Julie V. Philley, Kate L. Hertweck, Harrison Ndetan, Karan P. Singh, Subramaniam Sivakumar, Robert B. Wells, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Santanu Dasgupta
Cancer Testis Antigen Promotes Triple Negative Breast Cancer Metastasis And Is Traceable In The Circulating Extracellular Vesicles, Anabarasu Kannan, Julie V. Philley, Kate L. Hertweck, Harrison Ndetan, Karan P. Singh, Subramaniam Sivakumar, Robert B. Wells, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Santanu Dasgupta
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has poor survival, exhibits rapid metastases, lacks targeted therapies and reliable prognostic markers. Here, we examined metastasis promoting role of cancer testis antigen SPANXB1 in TNBC and its utility as a therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker. Expression pattern of SPANXB1 was determined using matched primary cancer, lymph node metastatic tissues and circulating small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). cDNA microarray analysis of TNBC cells stably integrated with a metastasis suppressor SH3GL2 identifed SPANXB1 as a potential target gene. TNBC cells overexpressing SH3GL2 exhibited decreased levels of both SPANXB1 mRNA and protein. Silencing of SPANXB1 reduced migration, invasion …
Engineering Dna Recognition And Allosteric Response Properties Of Tetr Family Proteins By Using A Module-Swapping Strategy, Rey P. Dimas, Benjamin R. Jordan, Xian-Li Jiang, Catherine Martini, Joseph S. Glavy, Dustin P. Patterson, Faruck Morcos, Clement T.Y. Chan
Engineering Dna Recognition And Allosteric Response Properties Of Tetr Family Proteins By Using A Module-Swapping Strategy, Rey P. Dimas, Benjamin R. Jordan, Xian-Li Jiang, Catherine Martini, Joseph S. Glavy, Dustin P. Patterson, Faruck Morcos, Clement T.Y. Chan
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The development of synthetic biological systems requires modular biomolecular components to flexibly alter response pathways. In previous studies, we have established a module-swapping design principle to engineer allosteric response and DNA recognition properties among regulators in the LacI family, in which the engineered regulators served as effective components for implementing new cellular behavior. Here we introduced this protein engineering strategy to two regulators in the TetR family: TetR (UniProt Accession ID: P04483) and MphR (Q9EVJ6). The TetR DNA-binding module and the MphR ligand-binding module were used to create the TetR-MphR. This resulting hybrid regulator possesses DNA-binding properties of TetR and …
Rapid Habituation Of A Touch-Induced Escape Response In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Larvae, Adam C. Roberts, Julia Chornak, Joseph B. Alzagatiti, Duy T. Ly
Rapid Habituation Of A Touch-Induced Escape Response In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Larvae, Adam C. Roberts, Julia Chornak, Joseph B. Alzagatiti, Duy T. Ly
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Zebrafish larvae have several biological features that make them useful for cellular investigations of the mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Of particular interest in this regard is a rapid escape, or startle, reflex possessed by zebrafish larvae; this reflex, the Cstart, is mediated by a relatively simple neuronal circuit and exhibits habituation, a non-associative form of learning. Here we demonstrate a rapid form of habituation of the C-start to touch that resembles the previously reported rapid habituation induced by auditory or vibrational stimuli. We also show that touch-induced habituation exhibits input specificity. This work sets the stage for in vivo …
Engineering Repressors With Coevolutionary Cues Facilitates Toggle Switches With A Master Reset, Rey P. Dimas, Xian-Li Jiang, Jose Alberto De La Paz, Faruck Morcos, Clement T.Y. Chan
Engineering Repressors With Coevolutionary Cues Facilitates Toggle Switches With A Master Reset, Rey P. Dimas, Xian-Li Jiang, Jose Alberto De La Paz, Faruck Morcos, Clement T.Y. Chan
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Engineering allosteric transcriptional repressors containing an environmental sensing module (ESM) and a DNA recognition module (DRM) has the potential to unlock a combinatorial set of rationally designed biological responses. We demonstrated that constructing hybrid repressors by fusing distinct ESMs and DRMs provides a means to flexibly rewire genetic networks for complex signal processing. We have used coevolutionary traits among LacI homologs to develop a model for predicting compatibility between ESMs and DRMs. Our predictions accurately agree with the performance of 40 engineered repressors. We have harnessed this framework to develop a system of multiple toggle switches with a master OFF …
Random Genetic Drift And Selective Pressures Shaping The Blattabacterium Genome, Austin Alleman, Kate L. Hertweck, Srini Kambhampati
Random Genetic Drift And Selective Pressures Shaping The Blattabacterium Genome, Austin Alleman, Kate L. Hertweck, Srini Kambhampati
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Estimates suggest that at least half of all extant insect genera harbor obligate bacterial mutualists. Whereas an endosymbiotic relationship imparts many benefits upon host and symbiont alike, the intracellular lifestyle has profound effects on the bacterial genome. The obligate endosymbiont genome is a product of opposing forces: genes important to host survival are maintained through physiological constraint, contrasted by the fixation of deleterious mutations and genome erosion through random genetic drift. The obligate cockroach endosymbiont, Blattabacterium – providing nutritional augmentation to its host in the form of amino acid synthesis – displays radical genome alterations when compared to its most …
Sputum Detection Of Predisposing Genetic Mutations In Women With Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease, Julie V. Philley, Kate L. Hertweck, Anbarasu Kannan, Barbara A. Brown-Elliott, Richard J. Wallace, Anna Kurdowska, Harrison Ndetan, Karan P. Singh, Edmund J. Miller, David E. Griffith, Santanu Dasgupta
Sputum Detection Of Predisposing Genetic Mutations In Women With Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease, Julie V. Philley, Kate L. Hertweck, Anbarasu Kannan, Barbara A. Brown-Elliott, Richard J. Wallace, Anna Kurdowska, Harrison Ndetan, Karan P. Singh, Edmund J. Miller, David E. Griffith, Santanu Dasgupta
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM), including Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), is a growing health problem in North America and worldwide. Little is known about the molecular alterations occurring in the tissue microenvironment during NTM pathogenesis. Utilizing next generation sequencing, we sequenced sputum and matched lymphocyte DNA in 15 MAC patients for a panel of 19 genes known to harbor cancer susceptibility associated mutations. Thirteen of 15 NTM subjects had a diagnosis of breast cancer (BCa) before or after NTM infection. Thirty three percent (4/12) of these NTM-BCa cases exhibited at least 3 somatic mutations in sputa compared to matched lymphocytes. …
Ten Simple Rules For Collaborative Lesson Development, Gabriel A. Devenyi, Remi Emonet, Rayna M. Harris, Kate L. Hertweck, Damien Irving, Ian Milligan, Greg Wilson
Ten Simple Rules For Collaborative Lesson Development, Gabriel A. Devenyi, Remi Emonet, Rayna M. Harris, Kate L. Hertweck, Damien Irving, Ian Milligan, Greg Wilson
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Lessons take significant effort to build and even more to maintain. Most academics do this work on their own, but leveraging a community approach can make educational resource development more sustainable, robust, and responsive. Treating lessons as a community resource to be updated, adapted, and improved incrementally can free up valuable time while increasing quality.
Feather Mite Abundance Varies But Symbiotic Nature Of Mite-Host Relationship Does Not Differ Between Two Ecologically Dissimilar Warblers, Alix E. Matthews, Jeffery L. Larkin, Douglas W. Raybuck, Morgan C. Slevin, Scott H. Stoleson, Than J. Boves
Feather Mite Abundance Varies But Symbiotic Nature Of Mite-Host Relationship Does Not Differ Between Two Ecologically Dissimilar Warblers, Alix E. Matthews, Jeffery L. Larkin, Douglas W. Raybuck, Morgan C. Slevin, Scott H. Stoleson, Than J. Boves
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Feather mites are obligatory ectosymbionts of birds that primarily feed on the oily secretions from the uropygial gland. Feather mite abundance varies within and among host species and has various effects on host condition and fitness, but there is little consensus on factors that drive variation of this symbiotic system. We tested hypotheses regarding how within-species and among-species traits explain variation in both (1) mite abundance and (2) relationships between mite abundance and host body condition and components of host fitness (reproductive performance and apparent annual survival). We focused on two closely related (Parulidae), but ecologically distinct, species: Setophaga cerulea …
The Landscape Of Mtdna Modifications In Cancer: A Tale Of Two Cities, Kate L. Hertweck, Santanu Dasgupta
The Landscape Of Mtdna Modifications In Cancer: A Tale Of Two Cities, Kate L. Hertweck, Santanu Dasgupta
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Mitochondria from normal and cancerous cells represent a tale of two cities, wherein both execute similar processes but with different cellular and molecular effects. Given the number of reviews currently available which describe the functional implications of mitochondrial mutations in cancer, this article focuses on documenting current knowledge in the abundance and distribution of somatic mitochondrial mutations, followed by elucidation of processes which affect the fate of mutations in cancer cells. The conclusion includes an overview of translational implications for mtDNA mutations, as well as recommendations for future research uniting mitochondrial variants and tumorigenesis.
Efficacy Of Neutral And Negatively Charged Liposome-Loaded Gentamicin On Planktonic Bacteria And Biofilm Communities, Moayad Alhariri, Majad A. Majrashi, Ali H. Bahkali, Faisal S. Almajed, Ali Azghani, Mohammed A. Khiyami, Essam J. Alyamani, Sameera M. Aljohani, Majed A. Halwani
Efficacy Of Neutral And Negatively Charged Liposome-Loaded Gentamicin On Planktonic Bacteria And Biofilm Communities, Moayad Alhariri, Majad A. Majrashi, Ali H. Bahkali, Faisal S. Almajed, Ali Azghani, Mohammed A. Khiyami, Essam J. Alyamani, Sameera M. Aljohani, Majed A. Halwani
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
We investigated the efficacy of liposomal gentamicin formulations of different surface charges against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella oxytoca. The liposomal gentamicin formulations were prepared by the dehydration-rehydration method, and their sizes and zeta potential were measured. Gentamicin encapsulation efficiency inside the liposomal formulations was determined by microbiologic assay, and stability of the formulations in biologic fluid was evaluated for a period of 48h. The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration were determined, and the in vitro time kill studies of the free form of gentamicin and liposomal gentamicin formulations were performed. The activities of liposomal gentamicin in preventing …
Bioturbation By The Fungus-Gardening Ant, Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis, Walter R. Tschinkel, Jon N. Seal
Bioturbation By The Fungus-Gardening Ant, Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis, Walter R. Tschinkel, Jon N. Seal
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Soil invertebrates such as ants are thought to be important manipulators of soils in temperate and tropical ecosystems. The fungus gardening ant, Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, is an important agent of biomantling, that is, of depositing soil excavated from below onto the surface, and has been suggested as an agent of bioturbation (moving soil below ground) as well. The amount of bioturbation by this ant was quantified by planting queenright colonies in sand columns consisting of 5 layers of different colored sand. The amount of each color of sand deposited on the surface was determined from April to November 2015. In November, …
Microbes As Engines Of Ecosystem Function: When Does Community Structure Enhance Predictions Of Ecosystem Processes?, Emily B. Graham, Joseph E. Knelman, Andreas Schindlbacher, Steven Siciliano, Riqing Yu, And 45 Additional Authors
Microbes As Engines Of Ecosystem Function: When Does Community Structure Enhance Predictions Of Ecosystem Processes?, Emily B. Graham, Joseph E. Knelman, Andreas Schindlbacher, Steven Siciliano, Riqing Yu, And 45 Additional Authors
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Microorganisms are vital in mediating the earth's biogeochemical cycles; yet, despite our rapidly increasing ability to explore complex environmental microbial communities, the relationship between microbial community structure and ecosystem processes remains poorly understood. Here, we address a fundamental and unanswered question in microbial ecology: 'When do we need to understand microbial community structure to accurately predict function?' We present a statistical analysis investigating the value of environmental data and microbial community structure independently and in combination for explaining rates of carbon and nitrogen cycling processes within 82 global datasets. Environmental variables were the strongest predictors of process rates but left …
Choroid Plexus In Developmental And Evolutionary Perspective, Brent Roy Bill, Vladimir Korzh
Choroid Plexus In Developmental And Evolutionary Perspective, Brent Roy Bill, Vladimir Korzh
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The blood-cerebrospinal fluid boundary is present at the level of epithelial cells of the choroid plexus. As one of the sources of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the choroid plexus (CP) plays an important role during brain development and function. Its formation has been studied largely in mammalian species. Lately, progress in other model animals, in particular the zebrafish, has brought a deeper understanding of CP formation, due in part to the ability to observe CP development in vivo. At the same time, advances in comparative genomics began providing information, which opens a possibility to understand further the molecular mechanisms involved …
Mercury And Selenium In Stranded Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins And Implications For Their Trophic, Duan Gui, Ri-Qing Yu, Laiguo Chen, Laiguo Chen, Qin Tu, Hui Mo, Yuping Wu
Mercury And Selenium In Stranded Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins And Implications For Their Trophic, Duan Gui, Ri-Qing Yu, Laiguo Chen, Laiguo Chen, Qin Tu, Hui Mo, Yuping Wu
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
As top predators in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) of China, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) are bioindicators for examining regional trends of environmental contaminants in the PRE. We examined samples from stranded S. chinensis in the PRE, collected since 2004, to study the distribution and fate of total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg) and selenium (Se) in the major tissues, in individuals at different ages and their prey fishes from the PRE. This study also investigated the potential protective effects of Se against the toxicities of accumulated THg. Dolphin livers contained the highest concentrations of THg (32.34658.98 mg g21 dw) …
Solenopsis Invicta Virus (Sinv-1) Infection And Insecticide Interactions In The Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Danielle M. Tufts, Wayne B. Hunter, Blake Bextine
Solenopsis Invicta Virus (Sinv-1) Infection And Insecticide Interactions In The Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Danielle M. Tufts, Wayne B. Hunter, Blake Bextine
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is of great concern because of its destructive nature to endemic wildlife, livestock, and people. Various methods for managing this pest are currently being developed, including the use of viruses as biological control agents. In this study, the effectiveness of the Solenopsis invicta virus (SINV-1), (a positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus in the Dicistroviridae family (Genus: Aparavirus) which only infects the Genus Solenopsis) as an effective biological control agent against S. invicta infestation combination with commonly used insecticides was investigated. Surprisingly, ants treated with the virus experienced significantly greater survival …
Variation In Arabidopsis Flowering Time Associated With Cis-Regulatory Variation In Constans, Ulises Rosas, Yu Mei, Qiguang Xie, Joshua A. Banta, Royce W. Zhou, Gabriela Seufferheld, Silvia Gerard, Lucy Chou, Naeha Bhambhra, Jennifer Deane Parks, Jonathon M. Flowers, C. Robertson Mcclung, Yoshie Hanzawa, Michael D. Purugganan
Variation In Arabidopsis Flowering Time Associated With Cis-Regulatory Variation In Constans, Ulises Rosas, Yu Mei, Qiguang Xie, Joshua A. Banta, Royce W. Zhou, Gabriela Seufferheld, Silvia Gerard, Lucy Chou, Naeha Bhambhra, Jennifer Deane Parks, Jonathon M. Flowers, C. Robertson Mcclung, Yoshie Hanzawa, Michael D. Purugganan
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The onset of flowering, the change from vegetative to reproductive development, is a major life history transition in flowering plants. Recent work suggests that mutations in cis-regulatory mutations should play critical roles in the evolution of this (as well as other) important adaptive traits, but thus far there has been little evidence that directly links regulatory mutations to evolutionary change at the species level. While several genes have previously been shown to affect natural variation in flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana, most either show protein-coding changes and/or are found at low frequency (o5%). Here we identify and characterize natural variation …
Plasticity Regulators Modulate Specific Root Traits In Discrete Nitrogen Environments, Miriam L. Gifford, Joshua A. Banta, Manpreet S. Katari, Jo Hulsmans, Lisa Chen, Daniela Ristova, Daniel Tranchina, Michael D. Purugganan, Gloria M. Coruzzi, Kenneth D. Birnbaum
Plasticity Regulators Modulate Specific Root Traits In Discrete Nitrogen Environments, Miriam L. Gifford, Joshua A. Banta, Manpreet S. Katari, Jo Hulsmans, Lisa Chen, Daniela Ristova, Daniel Tranchina, Michael D. Purugganan, Gloria M. Coruzzi, Kenneth D. Birnbaum
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Plant development is remarkably plastic but how precisely can the plant customize its form to specific environments? When the plant adjusts its development to different environments, related traits can change in a coordinated fashion, such that two traits co-vary across many genotypes. Alternatively, traits can vary independently, such that a change in one trait has little predictive value for the change in a second trait. To characterize such "tunability" in developmental plasticity, we carried out a detailed phenotypic characterization of complex root traits among 96 accessions of the model Arabidopsis thaliana in two nitrogen environments. The results revealed a surprising …
Genome-Wide Patterns Of Arabidopsis Gene Expression In Nature, Christina L. Richards, Ulises Rosas, Joshua Banta, Naeha Bhambhra, Michael D. Purugganan
Genome-Wide Patterns Of Arabidopsis Gene Expression In Nature, Christina L. Richards, Ulises Rosas, Joshua Banta, Naeha Bhambhra, Michael D. Purugganan
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Organisms in the wild are subject to multiple, fluctuating environmental factors, and it is in complex natural environments that genetic regulatory networks actually function and evolve. We assessed genome-wide gene expression patterns in the wild in two natural accessions of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and examined the nature of transcriptional variation throughout its life cycle and gene expression correlations with natural environmental fluctuations. We grew plants in a natural field environment and measured genome-wide time-series gene expression from the plant shoot every three days, spanning the seedling to reproductive stages. We find that 15,352 genes were expressed in the …
Age Determination Of The Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, Homalodisca Vitripennis, Using Wing Pigmentation, Chris Timmons, Aaron Hassell, Isabelle Lauziere, Blake Bextine
Age Determination Of The Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, Homalodisca Vitripennis, Using Wing Pigmentation, Chris Timmons, Aaron Hassell, Isabelle Lauziere, Blake Bextine
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
A red pigment is contained in the wing veins of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). This insect is the main vector of the plant-pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae), the causal agent of Pierce's disease of grapevines. Over the course of the H. vitripennis lifespan, the red pigment darkens and eventually becomes brown/black in color. These pigments are believed to be pheomelanin and eumelanin, respectively. The age of H. vitripennis can be determined by calculating the amount of red pigment found in the wings by analyzing high resolution wing photographs with image analysis software. In this study, …
Detection And Analysis Of The Bacterium, Xylella Fastidiosa, In Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, Homalodisca Vitripennis, Populations In Texas, Daymon Hail, Forrest Mitchell, Isabelle Lauziere, Patrick Marshall, Jeff Brady, Blake Bextine
Detection And Analysis Of The Bacterium, Xylella Fastidiosa, In Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, Homalodisca Vitripennis, Populations In Texas, Daymon Hail, Forrest Mitchell, Isabelle Lauziere, Patrick Marshall, Jeff Brady, Blake Bextine
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripeninis Germar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a xylophagous insect that is an endemic pest of several economically important plants in Texas. H. vitripennis is the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa Wells (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae), the bacterium that causes Pierce's disease of grapevine and can travel long distances putting much of Texas grape production at risk. Understanding the movement of H. vitripennis populations capable of transmitting X. fastidiosa into Pierce's-disease-free areas is critical for developing a management program for Pierce's disease. To that end, the USDA APHIS has developed a program to sample vineyards across Texas to monitor populations …