Life Sciences Commons^™

An Svd-Based Comparison Of Nine Whole Eukaryotic Genomes Supports A Coelomate Rather Than Ecdysozoan Lineage, Gary W. Stuart, Michael W. Berry

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- General Biology

Background

Eukaryotic whole genome sequences are accumulating at an impressive rate. Effective methods for comparing multiple whole eukaryotic genomes on a large scale are needed. Most attempted solutions involve the production of large scale alignments, and many of these require a high stringency pre-screen for putative orthologs in order to reduce the effective size of the dataset and provide a reasonably high but unknown fraction of correctly aligned homologous sites for comparison. As an alternative, highly efficient methods that do not require the pre-alignment of operationally defined orthologs are also being explored.

Results

A non-alignment method based on the Singular …

Tnh1005-Routine Health Care For Horses, The University Of Tennessee Agriculture Extension Service

Animals/Livestock

Health and well being in animals cannot be achieved by use of vaccines and feed additives alone. Healthy horses are fed well and kept in facilities in good repair. They are seen by their caregivers often, and small problems are not allowed to become big ones. Healthy horses also receive animal health products that have been properly stored and are used according to label directions. The three most frequent veterinary complaints in horses are colic, lacerations and lameness. Special attention should be paid to preventing these problems. Horse health care need not be expensive but does need to be comprehensive. …

Pb1585-Annual And Perennial Flower Shade Gardening In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Home Garden, Lawn, and Landscape

Gardening in the shade can add interest and color to the restful recesses of your landscape, but it can be difficult and challenging. Shade gardening presents a new set of problems as compared to gardening in the sun. Both the homeowner who instructs his or her builder to leave “every tree possible” and the gardener who one day looks up and finds that the maple and oak saplings planted years ago now flood much of the landscape with shade have trouble finding suitable plants which can add color in these areas of their landscapes.

Perennials, plants which flower year after …

Sp630 Bark Splitting On Trees, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Bark splitting and sloughing results from a number of environmental factors. Sloughing or peeling of the bark is a normal process, especially in the spring when the tree begins to grow, and is more noticeable in some species than in others. The outer layers of bark are dead tissue and cannot grow, so the outer bark must split in order for the tree to grow in diameter. The inner bark is living, and forms a new protective coat as the outer bark pulls apart. If you look closely at normally furrowed bark, you will not be able to see the …

Sp627 Identification And Control Of Non-Native Invasive Forest Plants In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Invasive, exotic plants can cause significant displacement of native vegetation. But exactly what are exotic plants? What makes them invasive? To find out, let’s start with some basic definitions.

The vegetation historically found in a local area is termed native vegetation. These plants have traditionally been found in the area and are well-suited to maintain themselves in their environs. Exotic plants are those plants found in a particular area, but which originate from another continent or country. These plants can also be referred to as non-native. However, non-native plants are not always exotic. Non-native plants may also be native …

Sp631 Bacterial Wetwood Disease Of Trees, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Wetwood is a water-soaked condition of wood in the trunk and branches of trees. This condition has been attributed to bacterial infection in the inner sapwood and outer heartwood area of the tree. Infection is normally associated with wounding or environmental stress on the tree. The bacteria, Enterobactor cloacae, has been implicated as the cause of wetwood in elm, but numerous other bacteria have been associated with this condition in other trees such as cottonwood, willow, ash, maple, birch, hickory, beech, oak, sycamore, cherry and yellow-poplar. Bacteria alter wood cell walls, causing moisture content of the wood to increase. …

Sp629 Growing Trees From Seed, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Often seedlings or saplings for a desired but uncommon tree are not commercially available for planting. Growing trees from seed is an effective method in obtaining these trees. Some people may wish to preserve offspring of a favored parent tree or just enjoy growing trees from seed as a green thumb project. Knowing when and how to collect and germinate tree seed is essential for success.

Seeds are a primary means of trees perpetuating themselves. The proper handling of seed through the processes of ripening or maturation, collecting, processing, storage (if needed), dormancy, stratification and germination is required for success …

Pb1743-Growing And Managing Successful Food Plots For Wildlife In The Mid-South, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Wildlife and Fisheries

Planting food plots is an excellent way to improve available nutrition, increase the carrying capacity and concentrate wildlife on your property. Food plots do not take the place of habitat management in general, but are intended to augment the quantity and quality of food occurring naturally in an area. Whenever habitat improvement is desired, other management practices (e.g., timber management, prescribed burning and discing) should be implemented as well. Food plot plantings should depend upon which wildlife species you want to attract and the seasonal requirements of those species. Not all wildlife species benefi t from all food plot plantings. …

Central Role For Liver X Receptor In Insulin-Mediated Activation Of Srebp-1c Transcription And Stimulation Of Fatty Acid Synthesis In Liver., Guoxun Chen

Nutrition Publications and Other Works

Transcription of the gene encoding sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) is known to be activated by insulin in the liver. The resultant SREBP-1c protein activates transcription of the genes required for fatty acid synthesis. Here, we use SREBP-1c promoter reporter constructs to dissect the mechanism of insulin activation in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. The data show that a complete insulin response (increase of 6- to 11-fold) requires two binding sites for liver X receptors (LXRs), which are nuclear receptors that are activated by oxygenated sterols. Disruption of these binding sites did not lower basal transcription but severely reduced the …

Pb1745-Beekeeping In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Insects, Pests, Plant Diseases and Weeds

Most people realize that beekeeping is important to world-wide agricultural production, because bees pollinate fruits and vegetables valued in billions of dollars. Without the honey bee, our food supply could be in serious jeopardy. The economic value of honey, wax and other hive products is continually increasing as we find new uses for bee-related products. People of either sex or any age can keep bees almost anywhere. When asked why they become beekeepers, people’s responses are variable, including “to pollinate my garden,” “to make honey to sell,” “to teach my children something useful,” “to put honey on my biscuits,” “as …

Reproductive Biology And Endocrinology – First Year Anniversary, Antonin Bukovsky

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- General Biology

First paragraph (this article has no abstract)

One year after launch, Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology has been evaluated as one of the most successful BioMed Central Independent journals. Out of 185 submitted manuscripts, 146 articles have been published to date; 77 are Research articles, three Debates, two Editorials, two Hypotheses and 62 Reviews. An Open Access policy attracts both the authors and the readers.

Liver-Specific Expression Of The Agouti Gene In Transgenic Mice Promotes Liver Carcinogenesis In The Absence Of Obesity And Diabetes, Alexander I. Kuklin, Randall L. Mynatt, Mitchell L. Klebig, Laura L. Kiefer, William O. Wilkison, Richard P. Woychik, Edward J. Michaud

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology

Background

The agouti protein is a paracrine factor that is normally present in the skin of many species of mammals. Agouti regulates the switch between black and yellow hair pigmentation by signalling through the melanocortin 1 receptor (Mc1r) on melanocytes. Lethal yellow (A^y) and viable yellow (A^vy) are dominant regulatory mutations in the mouse agouti gene that cause the wild-type protein to be produced at abnormally high levels throughout the body. Mice harboring these mutations exhibit a pleiotropic syndrome characterized by yellow coat color, obesity, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and increased susceptibility to hyperplasia and carcinogenesis …

Pb1096 Liming Acid Soils In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Field & Commercial Crops

Soil test results indicate that approximately 50 percent of the cropland in Tennessee is too acid for optimum crop production. Because of this, determining the need for lime should be the first step in developing a sound crop fertilization program. Lime neutralizes excess soil acids and increases pH. If not limed as needed, soils continue to become more acid, reducing the soil’s potential to produce healthy plants and profitable yields.

Pb1684-Dehorning Calves, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Animals/Livestock

Dehorning calves is a simple, cost-effective practice that adds value to feeder cattle. Feeder cattle that are either polled or have been de horned usually sell for $1.50 or $2.00 more per cwt. than those with horns when marketed.

Pb1650 Understanding Log Scales And Log Rules, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

A necessary step in determining the value of timber at the mill is establishing the estimated volume by standard scaling practices. Examples of scaling practices include measuring the weight of pulpwood to estimate the volume and measuring the dimensions of hardwood sawlogs, along with applying a log rule to determine how much lumber can be sawn from the log. This publication describes common methods of log scaling and log rules used in Tennessee.

Scaling estimates the log volume on a board foot, cubic foot, linear foot or cord basis. In scaling pulpwood or chipwood, the volume of available material is …

Pb1688-Starting Your Own Wine Business, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Marketing, Finances and Value-Added Agriculture

You have been making wine in your base ment for several years and routinely receive accolades on how good your homemade wine tastes. Now you are trying to decide if you should start your own vineyard and build a commercial winery. What are the factors that you should consider in starting a winery and a vineyard?

There are many aspects to consider in starting a winery. One of the fi rst considerations should be where to get grapes and what kind of wine to make. You also need to familiarize yourself with the various regulations and governing bodies that regulate …

Sp341-E The Chinch Bug In Grain Sorghum, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Field & Commercial Crops

The chinch bug is very widely distributed throughout the United States but is rarely abundant enough to cause serious crop losses except in certain areas. However, during an outbreak, it can completely destroy stands of corn and grain sorghum.

Sp277-K-Disease Resistance In Recommended Vegetable Varieties For Home Gardens, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Home Garden, Lawn, and Landscape

Growing resistant vegetable varieties is an important method of controlling diseases. The following information is provided as a reference to disease resistance or tolerance in vegetable varieties presently recommended for the home garden. No attempt has been made to designate or evaluate levels of resistance or tolerance in the varieties listed. Varieties are designated only as having some level of tolerance or resistance.

The information provided here has been compiled from seed catalogs and from research and Extension publications. The user of this reference should seek additional information from seed companies relative to specific varieties and their level of disease …

Pb1744 Quality Hardwood Veneer, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Private forest landowners have long understood that some trees are distinguished as being exceptional. Not every forest contains such rare trees. In the hardwood industry, such trees are termed veneer. From veneer trees come veneer logs; from veneer logs come veneer sheets. Unlike most logs that are processed into conventional lumber, veneer sheets are thin layers of wood produced by slicing logs.

Essentially any log can be processed as veneer. However, for hardwood trees, normally only those logs of desired species and with the finest characteristics are selected. This is especially the case when the finished wood product is …

Origin Of Germ Cells And Formation Of New Primary Follicles In Adult Human Ovaries, Antonin Bukovsky, Michael R. Caudle, Marta Svetlikova, Nirmala B. Upadhyaya

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- General Biology

Recent reports indicate that functional mouse oocytes and sperm can be derived in vitro from somatic cell lines. We hypothesize that in adult human ovaries, mesenchymal cells in the tunica albuginea (TA) are bipotent progenitors with a commitment for both primitive granulosa and germ cells. We investigated ovaries of twelve adult women (mean age 32.8 ± 4.1 SD, range 27–38 years) by single, double, and triple color immunohistochemistry. We show that cytokeratin (CK)+ mesenchymal cells in ovarian TA differentiate into surface epithelium (SE) cells by a mesenchymal-epithelial transition. Segments of SE directly associated with ovarian cortex are overgrown by TA, …

Sulfide Ameliorates Metal Toxicity For Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Archaea, Virginia P. Edgcomb, Stephen J. Molyneaux, Mak A. Saito, Karen Lloyd, Simone Böer, Carl O. Wirsen, Michael S. Atkins, Andreas Teske

Microbiology Publications and Other Works

The chemical stress factors for microbial life at deep-sea hydrothermal vents include high concentrations of heavy metals and sulfide. Three hyperthermophilic vent archaea, the sulfur-reducing heterotrophs Thermococcus fumicolans and Pyrococcus strain GB-D and the chemolithoautotrophic methanogen Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, were tested for survival tolerance to heavy metals (Zn, Co, and Cu) and sulfide. The sulfide addition consistently ameliorated the high toxicity of free metal cations by the formation of dissolved metal-sulfide complexes as well as solid precipitates. Thus, chemical speciation of heavy metals with sulfide allows hydrothermal vent archaea to tolerate otherwise toxic metal concentrations in their natural environment.

DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.4.2551–2555.2004

Sp503-G The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid - A Threat To Hemlock In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), a destructive aphid-like insect pest of eastern and Carolina hemlock, is originally from Asia. Its first discovery in the United States was in Oregon on western hemlock in the 1920s. It was not found in the East until the 1950s, when it was detected in Virginia. Since then it has spread throughout the East from New England to North Carolina (1995) and most recently to East Tennessee in 2002. The HWA is expanding its range an average of 15 miles per year.

The hemlocks found in Asia and the western and mountain hemlocks that occur …

Mutrack: A Genome Analysis System For Large-Scale Mutagenesis In The Mouse, Erich J. Baker, Leslie Galloway, Barbara Jackson, Denise Schmoyer, Jay Snoddy

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Abstract

Background

Modern biological research makes possible the comprehensive study and development of heritable mutations in the mouse model at high-throughput. Using techniques spanning genetics, molecular biology, histology, and behavioral science, researchers may examine, with varying degrees of granularity, numerous phenotypic aspects of mutant mouse strains directly pertinent to human disease states. Success of these and other genome-wide endeavors relies on a well-structured bioinformatics core that brings together investigators from widely dispersed institutions and enables them to seamlessly integrate data, observations and discussions.

Description

MuTrack was developed as the bioinformatics core for a large mouse phenotype screening effort. It is …

Volume 2, Number 1 (2004), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• Emerging Markets
• Value in Good Genes
• Songbirds as Indicators
• Tennessee Agriculture in a Global Market