Life Sciences Commons^™

Sensory Genes And Mate Choice: Evidence That Duplications, Mutations, And Adaptive Evolution Alter Variation In Mating Cue Genes And Their Receptors, Lisa Horth

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Fascinating new data, revealed through gene sequencing, comparative genomics, and genetic engineering, precisely establish which genes are involved in mate choice and mating activity—behaviors that are surprisingly understudied from a genetic perspective. Discussed here are some of the recently identified visual and chemosensory genes that are involved in mate choice and mating behavior. These genes’ products are involved in the production, transmission, and receipt of crucial sensory mate-choice cues that affect fitness. This review exposes newfound evidence that alternative splicing, gene-expression pattern changes, and molecular genetic variation in sensory genes are crucial for both intra- and interspecific mate choice and …

Rapid Field Immunoassay For Detecting Antibody To Sin Nombre Virus In Deer Mice, Tony Schountz, Charles H. Calisher, Tiffany R. Richens, Audrey A. Rich, Jeffrey B. Doty, Mark T. Hughes, Barry J. Beaty

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We developed a 1-hour field enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detecting antibody to Sin Nombre virus in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The assay specificity and sensitivity were comparable to those of a standard EIA. This test will permit identification of rodents with antibody to this and perhaps other hantaviruses.

In Silico Analysis Of Terpene Synthase Genes In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sam Zwenger, Chhandak Basu

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Terpenes are defense chemicals found in wide groups of plants. Terpenoids play a large role in plant development and stress response. The terpene synthase family comprises a diverse set of genes, all which contribute to production of terpenoids. We have used tools of bioinformatics and performed an in silico analysis of developmental and tissue specific terpene synthase gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as those expressed due to biotic and abiotic environmental stimuli. Using software tools from Genevestigator, a powerful microarray analyzer, we used multiple tool sets to better understand terpene synthase expression in Arabidopsis, which will hopefully open …

Termite Resource Partitioning Related To Log Diameter, Deborah A. Waller

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The termites Reticuliterines virginicus and R. flavipes are sympatric in forests along the eastern United States from Florida to Maryland. These congeners construct subterranean nests, forage on surface and buried wood, and appear to have very similar ecological requirements. In the present study, I examined host-wood selection by these species in a coastal forest over two years. Logs inhabited by R. virginicus had significantly greater diameters than those used by R. flavipes. It is not known whether this pattern resulted from species-specific differences in preference for host size or competition for preferred logs. Host-wood temperature did not differ for …

Design, Synthesis, And Evaluation Of 10-N-Substituted Acridones As Novel Chemosensitizers In Plasmodium Falciparum, Jane X. Kelly, Martin J. Smilkstein, Roland A. Cooper, Kristin D. Lane, Robert A. Johnson, Aaron Janowsky, Rozalia A. Dodean, David J. Hinrichs, Rolf Winter, Michael Riscoe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A series of novel 10-N-substituted acridones, bearing alkyl side chains with tertiary amine groups at the terminal position, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for the ability to enhance the potency of quinoline drugs against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites. A number of acridone derivatives, with side chains bridged three or more carbon atoms apart between the ring nitrogen and terminal nitrogen, demonstrated chloroquine (CQ)-chemosensitizing activity against the MDR strain of P. falciparum (Dd2). Isobolograrn analysis revealed that selected candidates demonstrated significant synergy with CQ in the CQ-resistant (CQR) parasite Dd2 but only additive (or indifferent) interaction in the CQ-sensitive …

Dietary Sequestration Of Defensive Steroids In Nuchal Glands Of The Asian Snake Rhabdophis Tigrinus, Deborah A. Hutchinson, Akira Mori, Alan H. Savitsky, Gordon M. Burghardt, Xiaogang Wu, Jerrold Meinwald, Frank C, Schroeder

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Asian snake Rhabdophis tigrinus possesses specialized defensive glands on its neck that contain steroidal toxins known as bufadienolides. We hypothesized that R. tigrinus does not synthesize these defensive steroids but instead sequesters the toxins from toads it consumes as prey. To test this hypothesis, we conducted chemical analyses on the glandular fluid from snakes collected in toad-free and toad-present localities. We also performed feeding experiments in which hatchling R. tigrinus were reared on controlled diets that either included or lacked toads. We demonstrate that the cardiotonic steroids in the nuchal glands of R. tigrinus are obtained from dietary toads. …

Review Of The Crevalle Jacks, Caranx Hippos Complex (Teleostei: Carangidae), With A Description Of A New Species From West Africa, William F. Smith-Vaniz, Kent E. Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Caranx hippos species complex comprises three extant species: crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) (Linnaeus, 1766) from both the western and eastern Atlantic oceans; Pacific crevalle jack (Caranx caninus) Günther,1868 from the eastern Pacific Ocean; and longfin crevalle jack (Caranx fischeri) new species, from the eastern Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea and Ascension Island. Adults of all three species are superficially similar with a black blotch on the lower half of the pectoral fin, a black spot on the upper margin of opercle, one or two pairs of enlarged symphyseal canines on the lower jaw, …

Phytoplankton Productivity In The Tidal Regions Of Four Chesapeake Bay (Usa) Tributaries, Kneeland K. Nesius, Harold G. Marshall, Todd A. Egerton

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Monthly and annual phytoplankton productivity rates of four Virginia tidal rivers were determined based on a 12-year monitoring study that included sampling stations from tidal freshwater, oligohaline, and mesohaline regions in these rivers. The mean monthly rates and range at these locations were 5.52 (Dec.) to 175.12 (Aug.) mg C m^-3 h^-1 for tidal freshwater, 12.21 (Jan.) to 149.90 (May) mg C m^-3 h^-1 in oligohaline regions, and 16.20 (Jan.) to 151.33 (May) mg C m^-3 h^-1 for the mesohaline. The estimated mean annual 12 year productivity for the different Virginia river sites in …

Sequence And The Developmental And Tissue-Specific Regulation Of The First Complete Vitellogenin Message From Ticks, Deborah M. Thompson, Sayed M.S. Khalil, Laura A. Jeffers, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Robert D. Mitchell, Christopher J. Osgood, R. Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The first full-length mRNA for vitellogenin (Vg) from ticks was sequenced. This also represents the first complete sequence of Vg from the Chelicerata and of a heme binding Vg. The Vg cDNA from the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis was 5744nt in length (GenBank Accession number AY885250), which coded for a protein of 1843aa with a calculated molecular weight of 208kD. This protein had an 18 aa signal sequence, a single RXXR cleavage signal that would generate two subunits (49.5 and 157K in molecular weight) and lipoprotein N-terminal and carboxy von Willebrand factor type D domains. Tryptic digest MS analysis …

Detection Of Mitochondrial Insertions In The Nucleus (Numts) Of Pleistocene And Modern Muskoxen, Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Ross De Macphee, Alex D. Greenwood

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Nuclear insertions of mitochondrial sequences (NuMts) have been identified in a wide variety of organisms. Trafficking of genetic material from the mitochondria to the nucleus has occurred frequently during mammalian evolution and can lead to the production of a large pool of sequences with varying degrees of homology to organellar mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences. This presents both opportunities and challenges for forensics, population genetics, evolutionary genetics, conservation biology and the study of DNA from ancient samples. Here we present a case in which difficulties in ascertaining the organellar mtDNA sequence from modern samples hindered their comparison to ancient DNA …

The Venom Gland Transcriptome Of The Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Catenatus Edwardsii): Towards An Understanding Of Venom Composition Among Advanced Snakes (Superfamily Colubroidea), Susanta Pahari, Stephen P. Mackessy, R. Manjunatha Kini

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Snake venoms are complex mixtures of pharmacologically active proteins and peptides which belong to a small number of superfamilies. Global cataloguing of the venom transcriptome facilitates the identification of new families of toxins as well as helps in understanding the evolution of venom proteomes.

RESULTS: We have constructed a cDNA library of the venom gland of a threatened rattlesnake (a pitviper), Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii (Desert Massasauga), and sequenced 576 ESTs. Our results demonstrate a high abundance of serine proteinase and metalloproteinase transcripts, indicating that the disruption of hemostasis is a principle mechanism of action of the venom. In addition …

Caenorhabditis Briggsae Methods, Scott Everet Baird, Helen M. Chamberlin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Caenorhabditis briggsae is being developed in parallel to C. elegans as a model system, primarily for the study of evolution. Like C. elegans, C. briggsae is a protandrous hermaphrodite and like C. elegans, its genome has been sequenced. From this point, these two model systems diverge. The development, behavior, and physiology of C. elegans have been characterized through tens of thousands of genetic and molecular studies. Genetic and molecular characterizations of C. briggsae are relatively few. Experimental resources in C. elegans include a high density recombination map that is well integrated with the genome sequence. The C. briggsae …

Desulfosporosinus Lacus Sp. Nov., A Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium Isolated From Pristine Freshwater Lake Sediments, S. Ramamoorthy, H. Sass, H. Langner, P. Schumann, R. M. Kroppenstedt, S. Spring, J. Overmann, R. Frank Rosenzweig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A novel sulfate-reducing bacterium was isolated from pristine sediments of Lake Stechlin, Germany. This strain, STP12 , was found to contain predominantly c-type cytochromes and to reduce sulfate, sulfite and thiosulfate using lactate as an electron donor. Although STP12 could not utilize elemental sulfur as an electron acceptor, it could support growth by dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction. In a comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences, STP12 was 96.7 % similar to Desulfosporosinus auripigmenti DSM 13351 , 96.5 % similar to Desulfosporosinus meridiei DSM 13257 and 96.4 % similar to Desulfosporosinus orientis DSM 765 . DNA-DNA hybridization experiments revealed that strain STP12 …

Evidence Of Influenza A Virus Rna In Siberian Lake Ice, Scott O. Rogers, Gang Zhang, Dany Shoham, David Gilchinsky, Sergei Davydov, John D. Castello

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Influenza A virus infects a large proportion of the human population annually, sometimes leading to the deaths of millions. The biotic cycles of infection are well characterized in the literature, including in studies of populations of humans, poultry, swine, and migratory waterfowl. However, there are few studies of abiotic reservoirs for this virus. Here, we report the preservation of influenza A virus genes in ice and water from high-latitude lakes that are visited by large numbers of migratory birds. The lakes are along the migratory flight paths of birds flying into Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. The data suggest …

A Sex-Linked Allele, Autosomal Modifiers And Temperature-Dependence Appear To Regulate Melanism In Male Mosquitofish (Gambusia Holbrooki), Lisa Horth

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

About 1% of male mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) express melanic (mottled-black) body coloration, which differs dramatically from the wild-type, silvery-gray coloration. Here, I report on the genetic inheritance pattern of melanic coloration, which indicates Y-linkage, and at least one autosomal modifier. Phenotypic expression of melanism is also affected by temperature. Expression is constitutive ( temperature insensitive) in some populations, inducible ( temperature sensitive) in others. Constitutive and inducible expression occur among geographically proximal populations. However, males from any single population demonstrate the same constitutive or inducible expression pattern as one another. The F1 males from inter-population crosses demonstrate temperature-related …

The Effects Of Postfire Salvage Logging On Cavity-Nesting Birds, Richard L. Hutto, Susan M. Gallo

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We investigated the effects of postfire salvage logging on cavity-nesting birds by comparing nest densities and patterns of nest reuse over a three-year period in seven logged and eight unlogged patches of mixed-conifer forest in the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area, Montana. We found 563 active nests of 18 cavity-nesting birds; all species were found nesting in the uncut burned forest plots, but only eight nested in the salvage-logged plots. All except one species nested at a higher density in the unlogged areas, and half of the species were significantly more abundant in the unlogged plots. Every timber-drilling and timber-gleaning species …

Oligomerization Of Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein Is Crucial For Interaction With The Cytoplasmic Domain Of E1 Envelope Protein, Kousuke Nakai, Toru Okamoto, Tomomi Kimura-Someya, Koji Ishii, Chang Kweng Lim, Hideki Tani, Eiko Matsuo, Takayuki Abe, Yoshio Mori, Tetsuro Suzuki, Tatsuo Miyamura, Jack H. Nunberg, Kohji Moriishi, Yoshiharu Matsuura

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) contains two membrane-associated envelope glycoproteins, E1 and E2, which assemble as a heterodimer in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In this study, predictive algorithms and genetic analyses of deletion mutants and glycosylation site variants of the E1 glycoprotein were used to suggest that the glycoprotein can adopt two topologies in the ER membrane: the conventional type I membrane topology and a polytopic topology in which the protein spans the ER membrane twice with an intervening cytoplasmic loop (amino acid residues 288 to 360). We also demonstrate that the E1 glycoprotein is able to associate with the HCV …

Essential Elements Of A Defense-Review Of Dna Testing Results, Dan E. Krane

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Consumers Limit The Abundance And Dynamics Of A Perennial Shrub With A Seed Bank, Matthew J. Kauffman, John L. Maron

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

For nearly 30 years, ecologists have argued that predators of seeds and seedlings seldom have population-level effects on plants with persistent seed banks and density-dependent seedling survival. We parameterized stage-based population models that incorporated density dependence and seed dormancy with data from a 5.5-year experiment that quantified how granivorous mice and herbivorous voles influence bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus) demography. We asked how seed dormancy and density-dependent seedling survival mediate the impacts of these consumers in dune and grassland habitats. In dune habitat, mice reduced analytical lambda (the intrinsic rate of population growth) by 39%, the equilibrium number of above-ground plants …

Frequent Fire Alters Nitrogen Transformations In Ponderosa Pine Stands Of The Inland Northwest, Thomas H. Gremer, Anna Sala

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Recurrent, low-severity fire in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)linterior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) forests is thought to have directly influenced nitrogen (N) cycling and availability. However, no studies to date have investigated the influence of natural fire intervals on soil processes in undisturbed forests, thereby limiting our ability to understand ecological processes and successional dynamics in this important ecosystem of the Rocky Mountain West. Here, we tested the standing hypothesis that recurrent fire in ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forests of the Inland Northwest decreases total soil N, but increases N turnover and nutrient availability. We compared soils in stands unburned over the …

Detection Of Panulirus Argus Virus 1 (Pav1) In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (Fish), Caiwen Li, Jeffrey D. Shields, Hamish J. Small, Kimberly S. Reece, Carmony L. Hartwig, Roland A. Cooper, Robert E. Ratzlaff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Panulirus argus Virus 1 (PaV1) is the first virus known to be pathogenic to a wild lobster. It infects the Caribbean spiny lobster P. argus from the Florida Keys, and has a predilection for juveniles. The monitoring of the virus in wild populations and study of its behavior in the laboratory require the development of reliable diagnostic tools. A sensitive and specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay was developed for detection of PaV1. The lower detection limit using a 110 bp DNA probe in a dot-blot hybridization for PaV1 DNA was 10 pg of cloned template PaV1 DNA and …

Invasion Through Quantitative Effects: Intense Shade Drives Native Decline And Invasive Success, Kurt O. Reinhart, Julie Gurnee, Reyes Tirado, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The effects of invasive nonnative species on community composition are well documented. However, few studies have determined the mechanisms by which invaders drive these changes. The literature indicates that many nonnative plant species alter light availability differently than natives in a given community, suggesting that shading may be such a mechanism. We compared light quantity (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) and quality (red : far-red ratio, R:Fr) in riparian reaches heavily invaded by a nonnative tree (Acer platanoides) to that in an uninvaded forest and experimentally tested the effects of our measured differences in PAR and R:Fr on the …

Effects Of Long-Term Hypoxia On Enzymes Of Carbohydrate Metabolism In The Gulf Killifish, Fundulus Grandis, Bernard Rees

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The goal of the current study was to generate a comprehensive, multi-tissue perspective of the effects of chronic hypoxic exposure on carbohydrate metabolism in the Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis. Fish were held at approximately 1.3 mg l(-1) dissolved oxygen (approximately 3.6 kPa) for 4 weeks, after which maximal activities were measured for all glycolytic enzymes in four tissues (white skeletal muscle, liver, heart and brain), as well as for enzymes of glycogen metabolism (in muscle and liver) and gluconeogenesis (in liver). The specific activities of enzymes of glycolysis and glycogen metabolism were strongly suppressed by hypoxia in white skeletal muscle, …

Broad Specificity Of Mammalian Adenylyl Cyclase For Interaction With 2',3'-Substituted Purine- And Pyrimidine Nucleotide Inhibitors, Tung-Chung Mou, Andreas Gille, Srividya Suryanarayana, Mark Richter, Roland Seifert, Stephen R. Sprang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Membrane adenylyl cyclases (mACs) play an important role in signal transduction and are therefore potential drug targets. Earlier, we identified 2',3'-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl) (MANT)-substituted purine nucleotides as a novel class of highly potent competitive mAC inhibitors (Ki values in the 10 nM range). MANT nucleotides discriminate among various mAC isoforms through differential interactions with a binding pocket localized at the interface between the C1 and C2 domains of mAC. In this study, we examine the structure/activity relationships for 2',3'-substituted nucleotides and compare the crystal structures of mAC catalytic domains (VC1:IIC2) bound to MANT-GTP, MANT-ATP, and 2',3'-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) (TNP)-ATP. TNP-substituted purine and pyrimidine nucleotides …

Molecular Population Genetics And Phenotypic Diversification Of Two Populations Of The Thermophilic Cyanobacterium Mastigocladus Laminosus, Scott R. Miller, Michael D. Purugganan, Stephanie E. Curtis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We investigated the distributions of genetic and phenotypic variation for two Yellowstone National Park populations of the heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Mastigocladus (Fischerella) laminosus that exhibit dramatic phenotypic differences as a result of environmental differences in nitrogen availability. One population develops heterocysts and fixes nitrogen in situ in response to a deficiency of combined nitrogen in its environment, whereas the other population does neither due to the availability of a preferred nitrogen source. Slowly evolving molecular markers, including the 16S rRNA gene and the downstream internal transcribed spacer, are identical among all laboratory isolates from both populations but belie considerable genetic and …

Role Of The Stable Signal Peptide Of Junín Arenavirus Envelope Glycoprotein In Ph-Dependent Membrane Fusion, Joanne York, Jack H. Nunberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The envelope glycoprotein of the arenaviruses (GP-C) is unusual in that the mature complex retains the cleaved, 58-amino-acid signal peptide. Association of this stable signal peptide (SSP) has been shown to be essential for intracellular trafficking and proteolytic maturation of the GP-C complex. We identify here a specific and previously unrecognized role of SSP in pH-dependent membrane fusion. Amino acid substitutions that alter the positive charge at lysine K33 in SSP affect the ability of GP-C to mediate cell-cell fusion and the threshold pH at which membrane fusion is triggered. Based on the presumed location of K33 at or near …

Disturbance Facilitates Invasion: The Effects Are Stronger Abroad Than At Home, José L. Hierro, Diego Villarreal, Özkan Eren, Jon M. Graham, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Disturbance is one of the most important factors promoting exotic invasion. However, if disturbance per se is sufficient to explain exotic success, then "invasion" abroad should not differ from "colonization" at home. Comparisons of the effects of disturbance on organisms in their native and introduced ranges are crucial to elucidate whether this is the case; however, such comparisons have not been conducted. We investigated the effects of disturbance on the success of Eurasian native Centaurea solstitialis in two invaded regions, California and Argentina, and one native region, Turkey, by conducting field experiments consisting of simulating different disturbances and adding locally …

Mbet3p Is Required For Homotypic Copii Vesicle Tethering In Mammalian Cells, Sidney Yu, Ayano Satoh, Marc Pypaert, Karl Mullen, Jesse C. Hay, Susan Ferro-Novick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

TRAPPI is a large complex that mediates the tethering of COPII vesicles to the Golgi (heterotypic tethering) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In mammalian cells, COPII vesicles derived from the transitional endoplasmic reticulum (tER) do not tether directly to the Golgi, instead, they appear to tether to each other ( homotypic tethering) to form vesicular tubular clusters (VTCs). We show that mammalian Bet3p (mBet3p), which is the most highly conserved TRAPP subunit, resides on the tER and adjacent VTCs. The inactivation of mBet3p results in the accumulation of cargo in membranes that colocalize with the COPII coat. Furthermore, using an …

Stress Responses In Tropical Sparrows: Comparing Tropical And Temperate Zonotrichia, Haruka Wada, Ignacio T. Moore, Creagh W. Breuner, John C. Wingfield

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Seasonal modulation of the adrenocortical response appears to be ubiquitous in mid- to high- latitude vertebrates but has not been investigated in tropical vertebrates. Previous studies demonstrate that temperate passerines show seasonality in corticosterone secretion and corticosteroid binding globulin capacities. We examined seasonal and sex differences in the stress response in an equatorial population of Zonotrichia capensis, the only Zonotrichia that breeds in the tropics, and compared the results with those of northern Zonotrichia. Seasonal differences in tropical Zonotrichia would presumably be independent of photoperiod and thus directly related to such activities as reproduction and feather molt. In addition, we …

Linking Scales In Stream Ecology, Winsor H. Lowe, Gene E. Likens, Mary E. Power

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The hierarchical structure of natural systems can be useful in designing ecological studies that are informative at multiple spatial scales. Although stream systems have long been recognized as having a hierarchical spatial structure, there is a need for more empirical research that exploits this structure to generate an understanding of population biology, community ecology, and species-ecosystem linkages across spatial scales. We review studies that link pattern and process across multiple scales of stream-habitat organization, highlighting the insight derived from this multiscale approach and the role that mechanistic hypotheses play in its successful application. We also describe afrontier in stream research …