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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Neuroinflammation, Peripheral Inflammation And Gut Microbiome Profiles In Male Mice From Two Proposed Mouse Models Of Social Behavior Deficits, Sarah Parkinson Aug 2021

Neuroinflammation, Peripheral Inflammation And Gut Microbiome Profiles In Male Mice From Two Proposed Mouse Models Of Social Behavior Deficits, Sarah Parkinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by social deficits and repetitive actions. A communication pathway exists between the brain and gut called the gut-brain axis. It is thought that gut bacteria can secrete signaling molecules, triggering inflammation across the body. These studies attempt to determine if markers are expressed in two mouse models of ASD behaviors, BTBR and a valproic acid model. Immunohistochemistry of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 from male mouse brain tissue showed no microglial activation in any group. Cytokine analysis did exhibit an increase in interleukin 1 (IL-1) in male adult mice only. …


The Effects Of Saline Soil On Microbiome And The Isolation Of Root-Associated Microbes To Relieve Salinity Stress, Duncan Jakubowski Jan 2021

The Effects Of Saline Soil On Microbiome And The Isolation Of Root-Associated Microbes To Relieve Salinity Stress, Duncan Jakubowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing levels of salinity in once-viable lands for crop production is a serious and growing problem in the Northern Great Plains. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of saline soil on the microbial composition of plant roots and bulk soil, to measure metabolic changes in plant roots from saline soil, to determine the viability of root-associated microbes as inoculants to increase stress tolerance in plants, as well as determine the impact of saline soil on nitrogen cycling genes linked to greenhouse gas production. This study hypothesizes that high soil salinity levels have a significant impact on …


Environnmental Influences On Caribbean Octocoral-Symbiodiniaceae Symbioses, Mark Mccauley Jan 2019

Environnmental Influences On Caribbean Octocoral-Symbiodiniaceae Symbioses, Mark Mccauley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Caribbean octocoral colony is an assemblage of the octocoral host, dinoflagellate algae (family Symbiodiniaceae), bacteria and other microbes, together functioning as meta-organism (holobiont). Even though octocorals dominate many Caribbean reefs, compared to scleractinian corals, little is known about their biology under ambient or potentially stressful conditions. Of the nine species of octocorals (gorgonian corals, Order: Alcyonacea) studied, each had significantly different polyp behaviors, biochemical compositions, Symbiodiniaceae parameters, isotopic signatures, in addition to hosting distinct microbial assemblages. We identified multiple Symbiodiniaceae species (Breviolum minutum, Breviolum B41, Breviolum B1a and Breviolum B1i), inhabiting the gorgonians. These symbioses were temporally and …


Changes In The Microbial Community Of Lubomirskia Baicalensis Affected By Red Sponge Disease, Colin Rorex May 2018

Changes In The Microbial Community Of Lubomirskia Baicalensis Affected By Red Sponge Disease, Colin Rorex

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lake Baikal is the oldest known lake and a unique ecosystem, home to several species of fresh water sponge. A disease outbreak affecting the dominant species, Lubormirskia baialensis, was recently reported. The cause of the disease has not been determined but one of the current hypothesis is that the increase in methane concentration is correlated to the disease outbreak. This pilot study characterized the microbiomes of sick and healthy sponges through the use of 16S rRNA sequencing. Sick sponge microbiomes shared a conserved group of taxa while the healthy sponge microbiomes had greater diversity. Indicator species analysis identified two significant …


Microbial Communities And Their Impact On Bioenergy Crops In Dynamic Environments, Brandon Monier Jan 2018

Microbial Communities And Their Impact On Bioenergy Crops In Dynamic Environments, Brandon Monier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Native perennial grasses, such as prairie cordgrass (PCG, Spartina pectinata Link), and switchgrass (SG, Panicum virgatum L.) have a great potential as bioenergy crops, because they require fewer inputs, produce more energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to annual cropping systems such as corn and soybean. SG has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for development as bioenergy crop, but studies have shown that PCG can outcompete switchgrass in terms of biomass production. These crops can also form associations with a wide variety of plant growth promoting microbes including arbuscular mycorrhial (AM) fungi. In CHAPTER 2, …


The Reptile Gut Microbiome: Its Role In Host Evolution And Community Assembly, Timothy Colston Colston Jan 2017

The Reptile Gut Microbiome: Its Role In Host Evolution And Community Assembly, Timothy Colston Colston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I characterize the endogenous (gut) microbiome of Squamate reptiles, with a particular focus on the suborder Serpentes, and investigate the influence of the microbiome on host evolution and community assembly using samples I collected across three continents in the New and Old World. I developed novel methods for sampling the microbiomes of reptiles and summarized the current literature on non-mammalian gut microbiomes. In addition to establishing a standardized method of collecting and characterizing reptile microbiomes I made novel contributions to the future direction of the burgeoning field of host-associated microbiome research. Through persistent and rigorous fieldwork I amassed the largest …


Biochemical Composition Of Caribbean Gorgonian Corals And Their Symbiosis Under Ambeint And Stressful Conditions, Kartick Prakash Shirur Jan 2016

Biochemical Composition Of Caribbean Gorgonian Corals And Their Symbiosis Under Ambeint And Stressful Conditions, Kartick Prakash Shirur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gorgonian corals are the dominant benthic fauna on Caribbean reefs. Unlike scleractinian corals, gorgonian abundance on these reefs has remained stable or has increased. Therefore, to predict how climate change will affect the reef community, it is essential to understand gorgonian physiology under ambient and stressful situations. Under ambient conditions, eight gorgonian species hosted different clade B Symbiodinium, and in two gorgonian species in which the bacterial microbiomes were investigated, two distinct communities were found. In the eight gorgonian species, skeletal content varied from 75-96%, with those having more tissue also having more Symbiodinium density within their branches. The composition …