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Articles 1 - 30 of 43
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Free Mate Choice Enhances Conservation Breeding In The Endangered Giant Panda, Meghan S. Martin-Wintle, David J. Shepherdson, Guiquan Zhang, Hemin Zhang, Desheng Li, Xiaoping Zhou, Rengui Li, Ronald R. Swaisgood
Free Mate Choice Enhances Conservation Breeding In The Endangered Giant Panda, Meghan S. Martin-Wintle, David J. Shepherdson, Guiquan Zhang, Hemin Zhang, Desheng Li, Xiaoping Zhou, Rengui Li, Ronald R. Swaisgood
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Conservation breeding programmes have become an increasingly important tool to save endangered species, yet despite the allocation of significant resources, efforts to create self-sustaining populations have met with limited success. The iconic giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) embodies the struggles associated with ex situ species conservation. Here we show that behavioural mate preferences in giant pandas predict reproductive outcomes. Giant pandas paired with preferred partners have significantly higher copulation and birth rates. Reproductive rates increase further when both partners show mutual preference for one another. If managers were to incorporate mate preferences more fully into breeding management, the production of giant …
After More Than A Decade Of Soil Moisture Deficit, Tropical Rainforest Trees Maintain Photosynthetic Capacity, Despite Increased Leaf Respiration, Lucy Rowland, Raquel L. Lobo-Do-Vale, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Eliane A. Melém, Bart Kruijt, Steel S. Vasconcelos, Tomas Domingues, Oliver J. Binks, Alex A. R. Oliveira, Daniel Metcalfe
After More Than A Decade Of Soil Moisture Deficit, Tropical Rainforest Trees Maintain Photosynthetic Capacity, Despite Increased Leaf Respiration, Lucy Rowland, Raquel L. Lobo-Do-Vale, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Eliane A. Melém, Bart Kruijt, Steel S. Vasconcelos, Tomas Domingues, Oliver J. Binks, Alex A. R. Oliveira, Daniel Metcalfe
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Determining climate change feedbacks from tropical rainforests requires an understanding of how carbon gain through photosynthesis and loss through respiration will be altered. One of the key changes that tropical rainforests may experience under future climate change scenarios is reduced soil moisture availability. In this study we examine if and how both leaf photosynthesis and leaf dark respiration acclimate following more than 12 years of experimental soil moisture deficit, via a through-fall exclusion experiment (TFE) in an eastern Amazonian rainforest. We find that experimentally drought-stressed trees and taxa maintain the same maximum leaf photosynthetic capacity as trees in corresponding control …
Modeling Trade-Offs Between Plant Fiber And Toxins: A Framework For Quantifying Risks Perceived By Foraging Herbivores, Meghan J. Camp, Lisa A. Shipley, Timothy R. Johnson, Jennifer Sorenson Forbey, Janet L. Rachlow, Miranda M. Crowell
Modeling Trade-Offs Between Plant Fiber And Toxins: A Framework For Quantifying Risks Perceived By Foraging Herbivores, Meghan J. Camp, Lisa A. Shipley, Timothy R. Johnson, Jennifer Sorenson Forbey, Janet L. Rachlow, Miranda M. Crowell
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
When selecting habitats, herbivores must weigh multiple risks, such as predation, starvation, toxicity, and thermal stress, forcing them to make fitness trade-offs. Here, we applied the method of paired comparisons (PC) to investigate how herbivores make trade-offs between habitat features that influence selection of food patches. The method of PC measures utility and the inverse of utility, relative risk, and makes trade-offs and indifferences explicit by forcing animals to make choices between two patches with different types of risks. Using a series of paired-choice experiments to titrate the equivalence curve and find the marginal rate of substitution for one risk …
Moss In The Classroom: A Tiny But Mighty Tool For Teaching Biology, Erin E. Shortlidge, James R. Hashimoto
Moss In The Classroom: A Tiny But Mighty Tool For Teaching Biology, Erin E. Shortlidge, James R. Hashimoto
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Here we present a mechanism to infuse ecology into the classroom using a broadly adaptable system. We developed a novel moss-based project that introduces research-based experiences for middle school students, and can be modified for integration into K-16 classrooms. The project is ecologically relevant, facilliating opportunities for students to experience intimate interactions with ecosystem subtleties by asking their own questions. We describe and suggest how students can develop, build, test, and assess microcosm experiments of their own design, learning the process of science by “doing science.” Details on project execution, representative examples of distinctive research-question-based projects are presented. We aim …
Genome Rearrangements Can Make And Break Small Rna Genes, Rahul Raghavan, Fenil R. Kacharia, Jess A. Millar, Christine Demko Sislak, Howard Ochman
Genome Rearrangements Can Make And Break Small Rna Genes, Rahul Raghavan, Fenil R. Kacharia, Jess A. Millar, Christine Demko Sislak, Howard Ochman
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Small RNAs (sRNAs) are short, transcribed regulatory elements that are typically encoded in the intergenic regions (IGRs) of bacterial genomes. Several sRNAs, first recognized in Escherichia coli, are conserved among enteric bacteria, but because of the regulatory roles of sRNAs, differences in sRNA repertoires might be responsible for features that differentiate closely related species. We scanned the E. coli MG1655 and Salmonella enterica Typhimurium genomes for nonsyntenic IGRs as a potential source of uncharacterized, species-specific sRNAs and found that genome rearrangements have reconfigured several IGRs causing the disruption and formation of sRNAs. Within an IGR that is present in …
Degradation By Cullin 3 And Effect On Wnk Kinases Suggest A Role Of Klhl2 In The Pathogenesis Of Familial Hyperkalemic Hypertension, Chong Zhang, Nicholas P. Meermeier, Andrew Terker, Katharina I. Blankenstein, Jeffrey D. Singer, Juliette Hadchouel, David Ellison, Chao-Ling Yang
Degradation By Cullin 3 And Effect On Wnk Kinases Suggest A Role Of Klhl2 In The Pathogenesis Of Familial Hyperkalemic Hypertension, Chong Zhang, Nicholas P. Meermeier, Andrew Terker, Katharina I. Blankenstein, Jeffrey D. Singer, Juliette Hadchouel, David Ellison, Chao-Ling Yang
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Mutations in WNK1 and WNK4, and in components of the Cullin-Ring Ligase system, kelch-like 3 (KLHL3) and Cullin 3 (CUL3), can cause the rare hereditary disease, Familial Hyperkalemic Hypertension (FHHt). The disease is characterized by overactivity of the renal sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC), which is phosphorylated and activated by the WNK-stimulated Ste20-type kinases, SPAK and OSR1. WNK kinases themselves can be targeted for ubiquitination and degradataion by the CUL3-KLHL3 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. It is unclear, however, why there are significant differences in phenotypic severity among FHHt patients with mutations in different genes. It was reported that kelch-like 2 (KLHL2), …
Effects Of Control Release Fertilizers On Nutrient Leaching, Palm Growth And Production Cost, Pushpa Soti, Angie Fleurissaint, Stewart Reed, Krish Jayachandran
Effects Of Control Release Fertilizers On Nutrient Leaching, Palm Growth And Production Cost, Pushpa Soti, Angie Fleurissaint, Stewart Reed, Krish Jayachandran
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different controlled release fertilizer technologies on nutrient leaching and plant growth parameters of two palm species, Chinese Fan (Livistona chinensis) and Queen (Syagrus romanzoffiana). We compared Nutri-Pak (12-4-12 controlled release packet) and Harrell’s (12-4-12 controlled release polymer coated urea) against Atlantic (8-4-12 controlled release polymer coated urea, coated sulfate of potash), the most commonly used palm fertilizer in South Florida. Plants were grown in 25 cm (11 L) pots under 70% shade, watered weekly, with pest and weed control done as required. Plant growth parameters: number of leaves, leaf length …
Saccular Transcriptome Profiles Of The Seasonal Breeding Plainfin Midshipman Fish (Porichthys Notatus), A Teleost With Divergent Sexual Phenotypes, Joshua J. Faber-Hammond, Manoj P. Samanta, Elizabeth A. Whitchurch, Dustin Manning, Joseph A. Sisneros, Allison B. Coffin
Saccular Transcriptome Profiles Of The Seasonal Breeding Plainfin Midshipman Fish (Porichthys Notatus), A Teleost With Divergent Sexual Phenotypes, Joshua J. Faber-Hammond, Manoj P. Samanta, Elizabeth A. Whitchurch, Dustin Manning, Joseph A. Sisneros, Allison B. Coffin
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Acoustic communication is essential for the reproductive success of the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus). During the breeding season, type I males use acoustic cues to advertise nest location to potential mates, creating an audible signal that attracts reproductive females. Type II (sneaker) males also likely use this social acoustic signal to find breeding pairs from which to steal fertilizations. Estrogen-induced changes in the auditory system of breeding females are thought to enhance neural encoding of the advertisement call, and recent anatomical data suggest the saccule (the main auditory end organ) as one possible target for this seasonal modulation. Here …
Reclaiming Lost Territory: The Response Of Owyhee Harvester Ants To Forager Intrusions By Neighboring Colonies, Brett D. Howell, Ian C. Robertson
Reclaiming Lost Territory: The Response Of Owyhee Harvester Ants To Forager Intrusions By Neighboring Colonies, Brett D. Howell, Ian C. Robertson
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Neighboring colonies of the Owyhee harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex salinus, often share nonoverlapping foraging boundaries in the areas between their nests. We found that interactions between neighbors along these foraging boundaries were infrequent but peaceful, and usually resulted in one or both individuals becoming agitated and scurrying away in opposite directions. Interactions between neighbors were necessary to maintain the foraging ranges of their respective colonies. An exclusion experiment showed that when one colony of a pair situated 5-7 m apart was denied access to its foraging range, individuals from the other colony would usually (i.e., in 7 out of 10 cases) …
Rapid And Repeatable Shifts In Life-History Timing Of Rhagoletis Pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) Following Colonization Of Novel Host Plants In The Pacific Northwestern United States, Monte Mattsson, Glen R. Hood, Jeffery L. Feder, Luis A. Ruedas
Rapid And Repeatable Shifts In Life-History Timing Of Rhagoletis Pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) Following Colonization Of Novel Host Plants In The Pacific Northwestern United States, Monte Mattsson, Glen R. Hood, Jeffery L. Feder, Luis A. Ruedas
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Host shifts of phytophagous insect specialists to novel plants can result in divergent ecological adaptation, generating reproductive isolation and potentially new species. Rhagoletis pomonellafruit flies in eastern North America underwent a host shift ~160 ya from native downy hawthorn (Crataegus mollis) to introduced, domesticated apple (Malus domestica). Divergent selection on diapause phenology related to the earlier fruiting time of apples versus downy hawthorns resulted in partial allochronic reproductive isolation between the fly races. Here, we test for how rapid and repeatable shifts in life-history timing are driving ecological divergence of R. pomonella in the Pacific …
Impact Of The Biological Control Agent Tetramesa Romana (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) On Arundo Donax (Poaceae: Arundinoideae) Along The Rio Grande River In Texas, John A. Goolsby, Patrick J. Moran, Alexis Racelis, Kenneth R. Summy, Maricela Martinez Jimenez, Ronald D. Lacewell
Impact Of The Biological Control Agent Tetramesa Romana (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) On Arundo Donax (Poaceae: Arundinoideae) Along The Rio Grande River In Texas, John A. Goolsby, Patrick J. Moran, Alexis Racelis, Kenneth R. Summy, Maricela Martinez Jimenez, Ronald D. Lacewell
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Five years post-release of the arundo gall wasp, Tetramesa romana, into the riparian habitats of the lower Rio Grande River, changes in the health of the invasive weed, Arundo donax, or giant reed, have been documented. These changes in plant attributes are fairly consistent along the study area of 558 river miles between Del Rio and Brownsville, TX, and support the hypothesis that the arundo wasp has had a significant impact as a biological control agent. Plant attributes were measured prior to release in 10 quadrats at each of 10 field sites in 2007, and measured again …
Ca2+/Calmodulin Regulates Kvβ1.1-Mediated Inactivation Of Voltage-Gated K+ Channels, Sandip M. Swain, Nirakar Sahoo, Sophie Dennhardt, Roland Schönherr, Stefan H. Heinemann
Ca2+/Calmodulin Regulates Kvβ1.1-Mediated Inactivation Of Voltage-Gated K+ Channels, Sandip M. Swain, Nirakar Sahoo, Sophie Dennhardt, Roland Schönherr, Stefan H. Heinemann
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
A-type K+ channels open on membrane depolarization and undergo subsequent rapid inactivation such that they are ideally suited for fine-tuning the electrical signaling in neurons and muscle cells. Channel inactivation mostly follows the so-called ball-and-chain mechanism, in which the N-terminal structures of either the K+ channel’s α or β subunits occlude the channel pore entry facing the cytosol. Inactivation of Kv1.1 and Kv1.4 channels induced by Kvβ1.1 subunits is profoundly decelerated in response to a rise in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, thus making the affected channel complexes negative feedback regulators to limit neuronal overexcitation. With electrophysiological and biochemical experiments we …
Intramolecular Phenotypic Capacitance In A Modular Rna Molecule, Eric J. Hayden, Devin P. Bendixsen, Andreas Wagner
Intramolecular Phenotypic Capacitance In A Modular Rna Molecule, Eric J. Hayden, Devin P. Bendixsen, Andreas Wagner
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Phenotypic capacitance refers to the ability of a genome to accumulate mutations that are conditionally hidden and only reveal phenotype-altering effects after certain environmental or genetic changes. Capacitance has important implications for the evolution of novel forms and functions, but experimentally studied mechanisms behind capacitance are mostly limited to complex, multicomponent systems often involving several interacting protein molecules. Here we demonstrate phenotypic capacitance within a much simpler system, an individual RNA molecule with catalytic activity (ribozyme). This naturally occurring RNA molecule has a modular structure, where a scaffold module acts as an intramolecular chaperone that facilitates folding of a second …
An Irrigation Canal As A Lotic Mesocosm: Examining The Relationship Between Macroinvertebrate Benthos And Drift, Peter Koetsier, Luana M. M. Mccauley
An Irrigation Canal As A Lotic Mesocosm: Examining The Relationship Between Macroinvertebrate Benthos And Drift, Peter Koetsier, Luana M. M. Mccauley
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
We explored the notion that small canals could be good experimental proxies of streams by documenting physiochemical parameters and macroinvertebrate community development in an aridland irrigation canal. Further, we tested the production-compensation hypothesis between benthic invertebrates and invertebrates in the water column (drift). If the hypothesis held, invertebrates in the drift would be low until the benthic carrying capacity was reached; then organisms in the drift would increase as individuals avoided overcrowded conditions in the substrate. In a small, naturalized freshwater canal, we sampled macroinvertebrates in the substrate and those in the drift once every 2 weeks over 170 days …
A Phantom Road Experiment Reveals Traffic Noise Is An Invisible Source Of Habitat Degradation, Heidi E. Ware, Christopher J.W. Mcclure, Jay D. Carlisle, Jesse R. Barber
A Phantom Road Experiment Reveals Traffic Noise Is An Invisible Source Of Habitat Degradation, Heidi E. Ware, Christopher J.W. Mcclure, Jay D. Carlisle, Jesse R. Barber
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Decades of research demonstrate that roads impact wildlife and suggest traffic noise as a primary cause of population declines near roads. We created a “phantom road” using an array of speakers to apply traffic noise to a roadless landscape, directly testing the effect of noise alone on an entire songbird community during autumn migration. Thirty-one percent of the bird community avoided the phantom road. For individuals that stayed despite the noise, overall body condition decreased by a full SD and some species showed a change in ability to gain body condition when exposed to traffic noise during migratory stopover. We …
A Bomb Set To Drop: Parthenogenetic Marmorkrebs For Sale In Ireland, A European Location Without Non-Indigenous Crayfish, Zen Faulkes
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Ireland is one of the few locations in Europe where non-indigenous North American crayfish species have not been introduced, and is a refuge for endangered white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858). The parthenogenetic crayfish species Marmorkrebs, Procambarus fallax f. virginalis (Hagen, 1870), is sold in the pet trade in Ireland within the recorded range of A. pallipes. Marmorkrebs risk being introduced into Irish waters, where they could threaten A. pallipes populations, particularly as a vector for crayfish plague.
Coxiella Burnetii And Leishmania Mexicana Residing Within Similar Parasitophorous Vacuoles Elicit Disparate Host Responses, Jess A. Millar, Raquel Valdés, Fenil Kacharia, Scott M. Landfear, Eric D. Cambronne, Rahul Raghavan, Lynn Soong, Emilio Luis Malchiodi
Coxiella Burnetii And Leishmania Mexicana Residing Within Similar Parasitophorous Vacuoles Elicit Disparate Host Responses, Jess A. Millar, Raquel Valdés, Fenil Kacharia, Scott M. Landfear, Eric D. Cambronne, Rahul Raghavan, Lynn Soong, Emilio Luis Malchiodi
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Coxiella burnetii is a bacterium that thrives in an acidic parasitophorous vacuole (PV) derived from lysosomes. Leishmania mexicana, a eukaryote, has also independently evolved to live in a morphologically similar PV. As Coxiella and Leishmania are highly divergent organisms that cause different diseases, we reasoned that their respective infections would likely elicit distinct host responses despite producing phenotypically similar parasite-containing vacuoles. The objective of this study was to investigate, at the molecular level, the macrophage response to each pathogen. Infection of THP-1 (human monocyte/macrophage) cells with Coxiella and Leishmania elicited disparate host responses. At 5 days post-infection, when …
Increased Harbor Porpoise Mortality In The Pacific Northwest, Usa: Understanding When Higher Levels May Be Normal, Jessica L. Higgins, Stephen A. Raverty, Stephanie A. Norman, John Calambokidis, Joseph K. Gaydos, Deborah A. Duffield, Dyanna M. Lambourn, James M. Rice, Brad Hanson, Kristin Wilkinson, Steven J. Jeffries, Brent Norberg, Lynne Barre
Increased Harbor Porpoise Mortality In The Pacific Northwest, Usa: Understanding When Higher Levels May Be Normal, Jessica L. Higgins, Stephen A. Raverty, Stephanie A. Norman, John Calambokidis, Joseph K. Gaydos, Deborah A. Duffield, Dyanna M. Lambourn, James M. Rice, Brad Hanson, Kristin Wilkinson, Steven J. Jeffries, Brent Norberg, Lynne Barre
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
In 2006, a marked increase in harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena strandings were reported in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, resulting in the declaration of an unusual mortality event (UME) for Washington and Oregon to facilitate investigation into potential causes. The UME was in place during all of 2006 and 2007, and a total of 114 porpoises stranded during this period. Responders examined 95 porpoises; of these, detailed necropsies were conducted on 75 animals. Here we review the findings related to this event and how these compared to the years immediately before and after the UME. Relatively equal numbers among …
Caspase-Cleaved Tau Co-Localizes With Early Tangle Markers In The Human Vascular Dementia Brain, Ryan J. Day, Maria J. Mason, Chloe Thomas, Wayne W. Poon, Troy T. Rohn
Caspase-Cleaved Tau Co-Localizes With Early Tangle Markers In The Human Vascular Dementia Brain, Ryan J. Day, Maria J. Mason, Chloe Thomas, Wayne W. Poon, Troy T. Rohn
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common form of dementia in the United States and is characterized as a cerebral vessel vascular disease that leads to ischemic episodes. Whereas the relationship between caspase-cleaved tau and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been previously described, whether caspase activation and cleavage of tau occurs in VaD is presently unknown. To investigate a potential role for caspase-cleaved tau in VaD, we analyzed seven confirmed cases of VaD by immunohistochemistry utilizing a well-characterized antibody that specifically detects caspase-cleaved tau truncated at Asp421. Application of this antibody (TauC3) revealed consistent …
Pavement And Riparian Forest Shape The Bird Community Along An Urban River Corridor, Christopher J.W. Mcclure, Allison C. Korte, Julie A. Heath, Jesse R. Barber
Pavement And Riparian Forest Shape The Bird Community Along An Urban River Corridor, Christopher J.W. Mcclure, Allison C. Korte, Julie A. Heath, Jesse R. Barber
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Knowledge of habitat use by animals within urban-riparian corridors during the breeding season is important for conservation, yet remains understudied. We examined the bird community along an urban-riparian corridor through metropolitan Boise, Idaho and predicted that occupancy of individual species and species richness would be greater in forested areas than in urbanized areas. We surveyed birds throughout the summers of 2009 and 2010 and quantified the m2 of each cover-type within 50-m, 100-m, and 200-m buffers surrounding each survey location using satellite imagery. Occupancy modeling revealed that eight of 14 species analyzed were positively associated with riparian forest, and …
Origin And Evolution Of Petrocosmea (Gesneriaceae) Inferred From Both Dna Sequence And Novel Findings In Morphology With A Test Of Morphology-Based Hypotheses, Zhi-Jing Qiu, Yuan-Xue Lu, Chao-Qun Li, Yang Dong, James F. Smith, Yin-Zheng Wang
Origin And Evolution Of Petrocosmea (Gesneriaceae) Inferred From Both Dna Sequence And Novel Findings In Morphology With A Test Of Morphology-Based Hypotheses, Zhi-Jing Qiu, Yuan-Xue Lu, Chao-Qun Li, Yang Dong, James F. Smith, Yin-Zheng Wang
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Background: Petrocosmea Oliver (Gesneriaceae) currently comprises 38 species with four non-nominate varieties, nearly all of which have been described solely from herbarium specimens. However, the dried specimens have obscured the full range of extremely diverse morphological variation that exists in the genus and has resulted in a poor subgeneric classification system that does not reflect the evolutionary history of this group. It is important to develop innovative methods to find new morphological traits and reexamine and reevaluate the traditionally used morphological data based on new hypothesis. In addition, Petrocosmea is a mid-sized genus but exhibits extreme diverse floral variants. This …
Physiological Strategies During Animal Diapause: Lessons From Brine Shrimp And Annual Killifish., Jason E. Podrabsky, Steven C. Hand
Physiological Strategies During Animal Diapause: Lessons From Brine Shrimp And Annual Killifish., Jason E. Podrabsky, Steven C. Hand
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Diapause is a programmed state of developmental arrest that typically occurs as part of the natural developmental progression of organisms that inhabit seasonal environments. The brine shrimp Artemia franciscana and annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus share strikingly similar life histories that include embryonic diapause as a means to synchronize the growth and reproduction phases of their life history to favorable environmental conditions. In both species, respiration rate is severely depressed during diapause and thus alterations in mitochondrial physiology are a key component of the suite of characters associated with cessation of development. Here, we use these two species to illustrate the …
Selfish Mitochondrial Dna Proliferates And Diversifies In Small, But Not Large, Experimental Populations Of Caenorhabditis Briggsae, Wendy S. Phillips, Anna Luella Coleman-Hulbert, Emily S. Weiss, Dana K. Howe, Sita Ping, Riana I. Wernick, Suzanne Estes, Dee R. Denver
Selfish Mitochondrial Dna Proliferates And Diversifies In Small, But Not Large, Experimental Populations Of Caenorhabditis Briggsae, Wendy S. Phillips, Anna Luella Coleman-Hulbert, Emily S. Weiss, Dana K. Howe, Sita Ping, Riana I. Wernick, Suzanne Estes, Dee R. Denver
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Evolutionary interactions across levels of biological organization contribute to a variety of fundamental processes including genome evolution, reproductive mode transitions, species diversification, and extinction. Evolutionary theory predicts that so-called “selfish” genetic elements will proliferate when the host effective population size (Ne) is small, but direct tests of this prediction remain few. We analyzed the evolutionary dynamics of deletion-containing mitochondrial DNA (ΔmtDNA) molecules, previously characterized as selfish elements, in six different natural strains of the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae allowed to undergo experimental evolution in a range of population sizes (N = 1, 10, 100, and 1,000) for a maximum …
Recbcd Is Required To Complete Chromosomal Replication: Implications For Double- Strand Break Frequencies And Repair Mechanisms, Justin Courcelle, Brian M. Wendel, Dena D. Livingstone, Charmain T. Courcelle
Recbcd Is Required To Complete Chromosomal Replication: Implications For Double- Strand Break Frequencies And Repair Mechanisms, Justin Courcelle, Brian M. Wendel, Dena D. Livingstone, Charmain T. Courcelle
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Several aspects of the mechanism of homologous double strand break repair remain unclear. Although intensive efforts have focused on how recombination reactions initiate, far less is known about the molecular events that follow. Based upon biochemical studies, current models propose that RecBCD processes double strand ends and loads RecA to initiate recombinational repair. However, recent studies have shown that RecBCD plays a critical role in completing replication events on the chromosome through a mechanism that does not involve RecA or recombination. Here, we examine several studies, both early and recent, that suggest RecBCD also operates late in the recombination process- …
Reducing The Negative Human-Health Impacts Of Bioenergy Crop Emissions Through Region-Specific Crop Selection, William Christian Porter, Todd N. Rosenstiel, Alex Guenther, Jean-Francois Lamarque, Kelley Barsanti
Reducing The Negative Human-Health Impacts Of Bioenergy Crop Emissions Through Region-Specific Crop Selection, William Christian Porter, Todd N. Rosenstiel, Alex Guenther, Jean-Francois Lamarque, Kelley Barsanti
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
An expected global increase in bioenergy-crop cultivation as an alternative to fossil fuels will have consequences on both global climate and local air quality through changes in biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While greenhouse gas emissions may be reduced through the substitution of next-generation bioenergy crops such as eucalyptus, giant reed, and switchgrass for fossil fuels, the choice of species has important ramifications for human health, potentially reducing the benefits of conversion due to increases in ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels as a result of large changes in biogenic emissions. Using the Community Earth System …
Antioxidant Capacity Of Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata Ssp. Wyomingensis) Varies Spatially And Is Not Related To The Presence Of A Sagebrush Dietary Specialist, Xinzhu Pu, Lisa Lam, Kristina Gehlken, Amy C. Ulappa, Janet Rachlow, Jennifer Sorensen Forbey
Antioxidant Capacity Of Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata Ssp. Wyomingensis) Varies Spatially And Is Not Related To The Presence Of A Sagebrush Dietary Specialist, Xinzhu Pu, Lisa Lam, Kristina Gehlken, Amy C. Ulappa, Janet Rachlow, Jennifer Sorensen Forbey
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) in North America is an abundant native plant species that is ecologically and evolutionarily adapted to have a diverse array of biologically active chemicals. Several of these chemicals, specifically polyphenols, have antioxidant activity that may act as biomarkers of biotic or abiotic stress. This study investigated the spatial variation of antioxidant capacity, as well as the relationship between a mammalian herbivore and antioxidant capacity in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis). We quantified and compared total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity of leaf extracts from sagebrush plants from different spatial scales and at different levels …
Biological Flora Of Coastal Dunes And Wetlands: Borrichia Frutescens (L.) Dc., Robert I. Lonard, Frank W. Judd, Richard Stalter
Biological Flora Of Coastal Dunes And Wetlands: Borrichia Frutescens (L.) Dc., Robert I. Lonard, Frank W. Judd, Richard Stalter
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Borrichia frutescens (L.) DC. is a New World warm-temperate, subtropical, and tropical zone, perennial subshrub that is an important species in hypersaline coastal sites. Also known as sea ox-eye, it tolerates salinities ranging from less than 20 ppt to 130 ppt. It occurs in substrates low in organic matter and deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nearly all reproduction is vegetative from an extensive rhizome system. Populations of this species recover quickly after coverage by wrack. Stands of B. frutescens often dominate the landward border of salt marshes.
Cyclosporin A Disrupts Notch Signaling And Vascular Lumen Maintenance, Raghav Pandey, Mark A. Botros, Benjamin A. Nacev, Allan R. Albig
Cyclosporin A Disrupts Notch Signaling And Vascular Lumen Maintenance, Raghav Pandey, Mark A. Botros, Benjamin A. Nacev, Allan R. Albig
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Cyclosporin A (CSA) suppresses immune function by blocking the cyclophilin A and calcineurin/NFAT signaling pathways. In addition to immunosuppression, CSA has also been shown to have a wide range of effects in the cardiovascular system including disruption of heart valve development, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and angiogenesis inhibition. Circumstantial evidence has suggested that CSA might control Notch signaling which is also a potent regulator of cardiovascular function. Therefore, the goal of this project was to determine if CSA controls Notch and to dissect the molecular mechanism(s) by which CSA impacts cardiovascular homeostasis. We found that CSA blocked JAG1, but not …
A Meta-Analysis Of Soil Biodiversity Impacts On The Carbon Cycle, M.-A. De Graaff, J. Adkins, P. Kardol, H. L. Throop
A Meta-Analysis Of Soil Biodiversity Impacts On The Carbon Cycle, M.-A. De Graaff, J. Adkins, P. Kardol, H. L. Throop
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Loss of biodiversity impacts ecosystem functions, such as carbon (C) cycling. Soils are the largest terrestrial C reservoir, containing more C globally than the biotic and atmospheric pools together. As such, soil C cycling, and the processes controlling it, has the potential to affect atmospheric CO2 concentrations and subsequent climate change. Despite the growing evidence of links between plant diversity and soil C cycling, there is a dearth of information on whether similar relationships exist between soil biodiversity and C cycling. This knowledge gap occurs even though there has been increased recognition that soil communities display high levels of …
Oncostatin M Binds To Extracellular Matrix In A Bioactive Conformation: Implications For Inflammation And Metastasis, Randall E. Ryan, Bryan Martin, Liliana Mellor, Reed B. Jacob, Ken Tawara, Owen M. Mcdougal, Julia Thom Oxford, Cheryl L. Jorcyk
Oncostatin M Binds To Extracellular Matrix In A Bioactive Conformation: Implications For Inflammation And Metastasis, Randall E. Ryan, Bryan Martin, Liliana Mellor, Reed B. Jacob, Ken Tawara, Owen M. Mcdougal, Julia Thom Oxford, Cheryl L. Jorcyk
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Oncostatin M (OSM) is an interleukin-6-like inflammatory cytokine reported to play a role in a number of pathological processes including cancer. Full-length OSM is expressed as a 26 kDa protein that can be proteolytically processed into 24 kDa and 22 kDa forms via removal of C-terminal peptides. In this study, we examined both the ability of OSM to bind to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the activity of immobilized OSM on human breast carcinoma cells. OSM was observed to bind to ECM proteins collagen types I and XI, laminin, and fibronectin in a pH-dependent fashion, suggesting a role for electrostatic …