Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Genetics and Genomics (5)
- Biology (3)
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (3)
- Genetics (3)
- Behavior and Ethology (2)
-
- Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology (2)
- Physiology (2)
- Animal Experimentation and Research (1)
- Animal Sciences (1)
- Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (1)
- Cell and Developmental Biology (1)
- Developmental Biology (1)
- Education (1)
- Evolution (1)
- Higher Education (1)
- Molecular Biology (1)
- Molecular Genetics (1)
- Neuroscience and Neurobiology (1)
- Other Animal Sciences (1)
- Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (1)
- Other Education (1)
- Population Biology (1)
- Research Methods in Life Sciences (1)
- Institution
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 9 of 9
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Analyzing Phototaxis And Related Visual Behaviors Among Diverse Species Of Drosophila, Madeline M. Hill
Analyzing Phototaxis And Related Visual Behaviors Among Diverse Species Of Drosophila, Madeline M. Hill
Honors Theses
Phototaxis and related visual behaviors can vary between species, and thus members of the genus Drosophila make an excellent study system to examine the evolution of vision. While some existing research points to these phototactic behaviors arising due to mating requirements or due to their species-specific ecology or environmental factors, there exists a lack of understanding as to why striking behavioral differences can exist between closely related species, or between members belonging to the same genus. The present research seeks to uncover the specifics regarding these discrepancies in visual evolution and aims to provide a foundation of knowledge about visual …
Effects Of Actin-Destabilizing Drugs On Motor Function In Drosophila Melanogaster, Caden Sullivan
Effects Of Actin-Destabilizing Drugs On Motor Function In Drosophila Melanogaster, Caden Sullivan
Honors Theses
Actin dynamics influence many cellular processes including neural connectivity and function. One way to better understand and study the regulation of these dynamics is to manipulate actin dynamics and observe the effects in motor function as a proxy to changes on the neuromuscular junctions in developing neural tissue. On that line, this investigation hypothesized that changing the actin dynamics during development via drug manipulation results in observable effects in locomotion. One of the common actin regulatory drugs used throughout the literature includes Latrunculin A, which was used in this study. Methods included applying this actin destabilizing drug on developing wildtype …
Developing A Novel Place Preference Assay To Compare Drosophila Species Over Time, Martha M. Brinson
Developing A Novel Place Preference Assay To Compare Drosophila Species Over Time, Martha M. Brinson
Honors Theses
Across phylogeny, integration of external factors, memory, and internal states of the organism dictate organismal behavior and mechanisms. The underlying genetic components can affect these behaviors such as in genomic changes arising from speciation. In this thesis, a new place preference assay was evaluated in the analysis and investigation of two species of Drosophila flies (D. melanogaster and D. simulans) to measure similarities and differences and their attraction to two different food substrates. Sleep and circadian measurements were also recorded during experimentation. The Drosophila Activity Monitor 5M (DAM5M) System and Sleep Circadian Analysis MATLAB Program (SCAMP) analysis were …
Hybrid Viability: An Analysis Of Drosophila Hybrid Competition And Mating Success Amongst Its Parental Species, Konrad Drzymalski
Hybrid Viability: An Analysis Of Drosophila Hybrid Competition And Mating Success Amongst Its Parental Species, Konrad Drzymalski
Honors Theses
The topic of hybrid offspring viability and mating preference between the two parental species of Drosophila athabasca (West Northern) and Drosophila mahican (Eastern A) is a still largely unexplored avenue of study. While the two aforementioned parental Drosophila species exist in distinct geographical regions across North America, they occupy a sympatric zone in the North East. Due to the absence of hybrid offspring in nature and the high levels of sexual isolation between these two parental species, it is necessary to establish if, and how hybrid offspring suffer in nature. By utilizing no choice mating systems involving audio playback of …
The Role Of The Dal Neurons In Modulating Circadian Rhythms In Olfactory Short-Term Memory In Drosophila Melanogaster, Cooper Ruwe
The Role Of The Dal Neurons In Modulating Circadian Rhythms In Olfactory Short-Term Memory In Drosophila Melanogaster, Cooper Ruwe
Honors Theses
Depressed short-term memory (STM) abilities during non-adaptive times of the day can significantly impact those who work occupations that require peak levels of cognitive functioning around the clock. While much work has gone into understanding the endogenous clock and circadian rhythms, there is still much to learn about the neural circuity that underlies the daily rhythms that define these regular oscillations in STM performance. The DAL neurons in the Drosophila brain are part of the circadian network and innervate the mushroom bodies (MBs), the species’ olfactory learning center, making them compelling candidates to be involved in circadian circuitry for olfactory …
Disruption Of Rna Metabolism By Zika Virus, Maggie Lea Dickerson
Disruption Of Rna Metabolism By Zika Virus, Maggie Lea Dickerson
Honors Theses
Flaviviruses are positive, single-stranded, enveloped RNA viruses that are a part of the family, Flaviviridae. West Nile virus, Dengue, Zika virus and more are a part of this family. Mosquitoes are the vectors for these viruses. In order for the virus to infect mosquitoes, it must evade the RNA interference (RNAi), which is the major antiviral immune mechanism of insects. One study found the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of the West Nile virus that inhibited the RNAi (GP et al. 2016). The goal of this study is to investigate if the 3’ and 5’ UTR region of the Zika virus …
Functional Significance Of Branch Points In Mirtrons, Britton A. Strickland
Functional Significance Of Branch Points In Mirtrons, Britton A. Strickland
Honors Theses
MicroRNAs are a heterogeneous group of small regulatory RNAs generated by many pathways. Mirtrons (miR) are a class of microRNAs produced by splicing, and some mirtrons contain a 3’ tail located downstream from the self-complementary hairpin. During RNA splicing, a loop-like “lariat” intermediate structure is created when the 5’ end of the RNA is attached to an adenine called the branch point. The goal of this project is to uncover the contribution of branch point location to the processing of tailed mirtrons into functional gene regulators. This project approaches this issue from two directions. First, branch points were identified by …
Drosophila T-Box Transcription Factor Midline Functions In The Notch-Delta Signaling Pathway To Regulate Sensory Organ Precursor Cell Fate And Cell Survival And Embryonic Development Profile Of Midline, Senseless, And Achaete In The Cns And Pns, Joseph D. Saucier
Honors Theses
The gene mid of Drosophila is a highly conserved gene that codes for a T-box transcription factor with similar functionality to its vertebrate homolog Tbx20. Mid and Tbx20 are important for their roles in heart and CNS development. Additionally, these transcription factors aid in proper eye development but this area of research is vastly understudied. This study uses the eye of Drosophila to report that mid and its paralog H15 expression aid in the specification of sensory organ precursor (SOP) cell fates and cell survival in the pupal eye imaginal disc. Using RNAi interference to reduce mid expression resulted in …
The Differential Roles Of D-Pax2 Variants In Regulating Drosophila Eye And Bristle Development, Colin J. O’Shea
The Differential Roles Of D-Pax2 Variants In Regulating Drosophila Eye And Bristle Development, Colin J. O’Shea
Honors Theses
The ability to appropriately interact with the environment is crucial to an organism’s survival. The establishment of functional sensory systems, such as the bristles and eyes in Drosophila, is a critical event during the development of the organism. The transcription factor D Pax2 is involved in the differentiation of the shaft and glial cells in the developing bristle (Kavaler et al., Dev, 126:2261-2272, 1999) and of the cone and primary pigment cells in the developing eye (Fu and Noll, Genes Dev, 11:389-405, 1997). How D-Pax2 contributes to distinct differentiative pathways in different cell types is not known. Recent work by …