Life Sciences Commons^™

Consequences Of Severe Habitat Fragmentation On Density, Genetics, And Spatial Capture-Recapture Analysis Of A Small Bear Population, Sean Mccarthy Murphy, Ben C. Augustine, Wade Allen Ulrey, Joseph Maddox Guthrie, Brian K Scheick, J. Walter Mccown, John J. Cox

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Loss and fragmentation of natural habitats caused by human land uses have subdivided several formerly contiguous large carnivore populations into multiple small and often isolated subpopulations, which can reduce genetic variation and lead to precipitous population declines. Substantial habitat loss and fragmentation from urban development and agriculture expansion relegated the Highlands-Glades subpopulation (HGS) of Florida, USA, black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) to prolonged isolation; increasing human land development is projected to cause ≥ 50% loss of remaining natural habitats occupied by the HGS in coming decades. We conducted a noninvasive genetic spatial capture-recapture study to quantitatively describe the …

Effects Of Climate Warming On Net Primary Productivity In China During 1961–2010, Fengxue Gu, Yuandong Zhang, Mei Huang, Bo Tao, Rui Guo, Changrong Yan

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The response of ecosystems to different magnitudes of climate warming and corresponding precipitation changes during the last few decades may provide an important reference for predicting the magnitude and trajectory of net primary productivity (NPP) in the future. In this study, a process-based ecosystem model, Carbon Exchange between Vegetation, Soil and Atmosphere (CEVSA), was used to investigate the response of NPP to warming at both national and subregional scales during 1961–2010. The results suggest that a 1.3°C increase in temperature stimulated the positive changing trend in NPP at national scale during the past 50 years. Regardless of the magnitude of …

Assessing Coastal Plain Risk Indices For Subsurface Phosphorus Loss, Amy L. Shober, Anthony R. Buda, Kathryn C. Turner, Nicole M. Fiorellino, A. Scott Andres, Joshua M. Mcgrath, J. Thomas Sims

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Phosphorus (P) Index evaluations are critical to advancing nutrient management planning in the United States. However, most assessments until now have focused on the risks of P losses in surface runoff. In artificially drained agroecosystems of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, subsurface flow is the predominant mode of P transport, but its representation in most P Indices is often inadequate. We explored methods to evaluate the subsurface P risk routines of five P Indices from Delaware, Maryland (two), Virginia, and North Carolina using available water quality and soils datasets. Relationships between subsurface P risk scores and published dissolved P loads in …

Mechanism-Informed Refinement Reveals Altered Substrate-Binding Mode For Catalytically Competent Nitroreductase, Warintra Pitsawong, Chad A. Haynes, Ronald L. Koder, David W. Rodgers, Anne-Frances Miller

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Nitroreductase from Enterobacter cloacae (NR) reduces diverse nitroaromatics including herbicides, explosives and prodrugs, and holds promise for bioremediation, prodrug activation and enzyme-assisted synthesis. We solved crystal structures of NR complexes with bound substrate or analog for each of its two half-reactions. We complemented these with kinetic isotope effect (KIE) measurements elucidating H-transfer steps essential to each half-reaction. KIEs indicate hydride transfer from NADH to the flavin consistent with our structure of NR with the NADH analog nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide (NAAD). The KIE on reduction of p-nitrobenzoic acid (p-NBA) also indicates hydride transfer, and requires revision of …

Conservation Farming And Changing Climate: More Beneficial Than Conventional Methods For Degraded Ugandan Soils, Drake N. Mubiru, Jalia Namakula, James Lwasa, Godfrey A. Otim, Joselyn Kashagama, Milly Nakafeero, William Nanyeenya, Mark S. Coyne

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The extent of land affected by degradation in Uganda ranges from 20% in relatively flat and vegetation-covered areas to 90% in the eastern and southwestern highlands. Land degradation has adversely affected smallholder agro-ecosystems including direct damage and loss of critical ecosystem services such as agricultural land/soil and biodiversity. This study evaluated the extent of bare grounds in Nakasongola, one of the districts in the Cattle Corridor of Uganda and the yield responses of maize (Zea mays) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to different tillage methods in the district. Bare ground was determined by a supervised multi-band …

Seedling Tolerance To Cotyledon Removal Varies With Seed Size: A Case Of Five Legume Species, Xiao Wen Hu, Rui Zhang, Yan Pei Wu, Carol C. Baskin

Biology Faculty Publications

It is generally accepted that seedlings from large seeds are more tolerant to defoliation than those from small seeds due to the additional metabolic reserves present in the large seeds. However, information on the effects of amount of seed reserves (cotyledon removal) from seedlings resulting from large vs. small seeds on seedling growth and long-term survival in the field is limited. Five legume species with different sizes of seeds were sown in the field and none, one, or both cotyledons removed 7 days after seedling emergence. Seedling biomass, relative growth rate (RGR) and survival were determined at different time. Cotyledon …

Divergence In Life History Traits Between Two Populations Of A Seed-Dimorphic Halophyte In Response To Soil Salinity, Fan Yang, Jerry M. Baskin, Carol C. Baskin, Xuejun Yang, Dechang Cao, Zhenying Huang

Biology Faculty Publications

Production of heteromorphic seeds is common in halophytes growing in arid environments with strong spatial and temporal heterogeneity. However, evidence for geographic variation (reflecting local adaptation) is almost nonexistent. Our primary aims were to compare the life history traits of two desert populations of this halophytic summer annual Suaeda corniculata subsp. mongolica and to investigate the phenotypic response of its plant and heteromorphic seeds to different levels of salt stress. Dimorphic seeds (F₁) of the halophyte S. corniculata collected from two distant populations (F₀) that differ in soil salinity were grown in a common environment under …

Global Land Carbon Sink Response To Temperature And Precipitation Varies With Enso Phase, Yuanyuan Fang, Anna M. Michalak, Christopher R. Schwalm, Deborah N. Huntzinger, Joseph A. Berry, Philippe Ciais, Shilong Piao, Benjamin Poulter, Joshua B. Fisher, Robert B. Cook, Daniel Hayes, Maoyi Huang, Akihiko Ito, Atul Jain, Huimin Lei, Chaoqun Lu, Jiafu Mao, Nicholas C. Parazoo, Shushi Peng, Daniel M. Ricciuto, Xiaoying Shi, Bo Tao, Hanqin Tian, Weile Wang, Yaxing Wei, Jia Yang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Climate variability associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its consequent impacts on land carbon sink interannual variability have been used as a basis for investigating carbon cycle responses to climate variability more broadly, and to inform the sensitivity of the tropical carbon budget to climate change. Past studies have presented opposing views about whether temperature or precipitation is the primary factor driving the response of the land carbon sink to ENSO. Here, we show that the dominant driver varies with ENSO phase. Whereas tropical temperature explains sink dynamics following El Niño conditions (r TG,P = 0.59, p …

Noncanonical Alternative Polyadenylation Contributes To Gene Regulation In Response To Hypoxia, Laura De Lorenzo, Reed Sorenson, Julia Bailey-Serres, Arthur G. Hunt

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Stresses from various environmental challenges continually confront plants, and their responses are important for growth and survival. One molecular response to such challenges involves the alternative polyadenylation of mRNA. In plants, it is unclear how stress affects the production and fate of alternative mRNA isoforms. Using a genome-scale approach, we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana, hypoxia leads to increases in the number of mRNA isoforms with polyadenylated 3′ ends that map to 5′-untranslated regions (UTRs), introns, and protein-coding regions. RNAs with 3′ ends within protein-coding regions and introns were less stable than mRNAs that end at 3′-UTR poly(A) sites. …

Mining Site Reclamation Planning Based On Land Suitability Analysis And Ecosystem Services Evaluation: A Case Study In Liaoning Province, China, Jiali Wang, Fuqiang Zhao, Jian Yang, Xiaoshu Li

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Restoration of the degraded ecosystem is a global priority for achieving sustainable development. Although increasing ecosystem service is an important goal of ecological restoration, it is rarely used to inform mine reclamation. This study proposed a reclamation strategy that incorporated land suitability analysis and ecosystem service evaluation for a mining site in Liaoning Province, China. We assessed the land suitability for three reclamation alternatives and identified suitable land uses for each location by comparing their suitability levels. For areas that were suitable for multiple land uses with the same suitability level, the future land uses cannot be identified by land …

Nutrient Addition Shifts Plant Community Composition Towards Earlier Flowering Species In Some Prairie Ecoregions In The U.S. Central Plains, Lori Biederman, Brent Mortensen, Philip Fay, Nicole Hagenah, Johannes Knops, Kimberly La Pierre, Ramesh Laungani, Eric Lind, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Sally Power, Eric Seabloom, Pedro Tognetti

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The distribution of flowering across the growing season is governed by each species’ evolutionary history and climatic variability. However, global change factors, such as eutrophication and invasion, can alter plant community composition and thus change the distribution of flowering across the growing season. We examined three ecoregions (tall-, mixed, and short-grass prairie) across the U.S. Central Plains to determine how nutrient (nitrogen (N), phosphorus, and potassium (+micronutrient)) addition alters the temporal patterns of plant flowering traits. We calculated total community flowering potential (FP) by distributing peak-season plant cover values across the growing season, allocating each species’ cover to only those …

Phase Iii Prospective Randomized Comparison Trial Of Depot Octreotide Plus Interferon Alfa-2b Versus Depot Octreotide Plus Bevacizumab In Patients With Advanced Carcinoid Tumors: Swog S0518, James C. Yao, Katherine A. Guthrie, Cesar Moran, Jonathan R. Strosberg, Matthew H. Kulke, Jennifer A. Chan, Noelle Loconte, Robert R. Mcwilliams, Edward M. Wolin, Bassam Mattar, Shannon Mcdonough, Helen Chen, Charles D. Blanke, Howard S. Hochster

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Purpose

Treatment options for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) remain limited. This trial assessed the progression-free survival (PFS) of bevacizumab or interferon alfa-2b (IFN-α-2b) added to octreotide among patients with advanced NETs.

Patients and Methods

Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) S0518, a phase III study conducted in a US cooperative group system, enrolled patients with advanced grades 1 and 2 NETs with progressive disease or other poor prognostic features. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with octreotide LAR 20 mg every 21 days with either bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 21 days or 5 million units of IFN-α-2b three times per week. The primary …

Discovery Of A Diaminopyrimidine Flt3 Inhibitor Active Against Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Jamie A. Jarusiewicz, Jae Yoon Jeon, Michele C. Connelly, Yizhe Chen, Lei Yang, Sharyn D. Baker, R. Kiplin Guy

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Profiling of the kinase-binding capabilities of an aminopyrimidine analogue detected in a cellular screen of the St. Jude small-molecule collection led to the identification of a novel series of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) inhibitors. Structure–activity relationship studies led to the development of compounds exhibiting good potency against MV4-11 and MOLM13 acute myelogenous leukemia cells driven by FLT3, regardless of their FLT3 mutation status. In vitro pharmacological profiling demonstrated that compound 5e shows characteristics suitable for further preclinical development.

Evaluation Of Modis Land Surface Temperature Data To Estimate Near-Surface Air Temperature In Northeast China, Yuan Z. Yang, Wen H. Cai, Jian Yang

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Air temperature (T_air) near the ground surface is a fundamental descriptor of terrestrial environment conditions and one of the most widely used climatic variables in global change studies. The main objective of this study was to explore the possibility of retrieving high-resolution T_air from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature (LST) products, covering complex terrain in Northeast China. The All Subsets Regression (ASR) method was adopted to select the predictors and build optimal multiple linear regression models for estimating maximum (T_max), minimum (T_min), and mean (T_mean) air temperatures. …

Functional Human Grin2b Promoter Polymorphism And Variation Of Mental Processing Speed In Older Adults, Yang Jiang, Ming Kuan Lin, Gregory A. Jicha, Xiuhua Ding, Sabrina L. Mcilwrath, David W. Fardo, Lucas S. Broster, Frederick A. Schmitt, Richard J. Kryscio, Robert H. Lipsky

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

We investigated the role of a single nucleotide polymorphism rs3764030 (G > A) within the human GRIN2B promoter in mental processing speed in healthy, cognitively intact, older adults. In vitro DNA-binding and reporter gene assays of different allele combinations in transfected cells showed that the A allele was a gain-of-function variant associated with increasing GRIN2B mRNA levels. We tested the hypothesis that individuals with A allele will have better memory performance (i.e. faster reaction times) in older age. Twenty-eight older adults (ages 65-86) from a well-characterized longitudinal cohort were recruited and performed a modified delayed match-to-sample task. The rs3764030 polymorphism was …

Draft Nuclear Genome Sequence Of The Liquid Hydrocarbon–Accumulating Green Microalga Botryococcus Braunii Race B (Showa), Daniel R. Browne, Jerry Jenkins, Jeremy Schmutz, Shengqiang Shu, Kerrie Barry, Jane Grimwood, Jennifer Chiniquy, Aditi Sharma, Thomas Daniel Niehaus, Taylor L. Weiss, Andrew T. Koppisch, David T. Fox, Suraj Dhungana, Shigeru Okada, Joe Chappell, Timothy P. Devarenne

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Botryococcus braunii has long been known as a prodigious producer of liquid hydrocarbon oils that can be converted into combustion engine fuels. This draft genome for the B race of B. braunii will allow researchers to unravel important hydrocarbon biosynthetic pathways and identify possible regulatory networks controlling this unusual metabolism.

Oxidation Of Substituted Catechols At The Air-Water Interface: Production Of Carboxylic Acids, Quinones, And Polyphenols, Elizabeth A. Pillar, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Anthropogenic activities contribute benzene, toluene, and anisole to the environment, which in the atmosphere are converted into the respective phenols, cresols, and methoxyphenols by fast gas-phase reaction with hydroxyl radicals (HO(•)). Further processing of the latter species by HO(•) decreases their vapor pressure as a second hydroxyl group is incorporated to accelerate their oxidative aging at interfaces and in aqueous particles. This work shows how catechol, pyrogallol, 3-methylcatechol, 4-methylcatechol, and 3-methoxycatechol (all proxies for oxygenated aromatics derived from benzene, toluene, and anisole) react at the air-water interface with increasing O3(g) during τc ≈ 1 μs contact time and contrasts their …

Identification Of Prognostic Genes And Gene Sets For Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Bi-Level Selection Methods, Suyan Tian, Chi Wang, Howard H. Chang, Jianguo Sun

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

In contrast to feature selection and gene set analysis, bi-level selection is a process of selecting not only important gene sets but also important genes within those gene sets. Depending on the order of selections, a bi-level selection method can be classified into three categories – forward selection, which first selects relevant gene sets followed by the selection of relevant individual genes; backward selection which takes the reversed order; and simultaneous selection, which performs the two tasks simultaneously usually with the aids of a penalized regression model. To test the existence of subtype-specific prognostic genes for non-small cell lung cancer …

Catalyzed Synthesis Of Zinc Clays By Prebiotic Central Metabolites, Marcelo I. Guzman, Ruixin Zhou, Kaustuv Basu, Hyman Hartman, Christopher J. Matocha, S. Kelly Sears, Hajatollah Vali

Chemistry Faculty Publications

How primordial metabolic networks such as the reverse tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle and clay mineral catalysts coevolved remains a mystery in the puzzle to understand the origin of life. While prebiotic reactions from the rTCA cycle were accomplished via photochemistry on semiconductor minerals, the synthesis of clays was demonstrated at low temperature and ambient pressure catalyzed by oxalate. Herein, the crystallization of clay minerals is catalyzed by succinate, an example of a photoproduced intermediate from central metabolism. The experiments connect the synthesis of sauconite, a model for clay minerals, to prebiotic photochemistry. We report the temperature, pH, and concentration dependence …

A Compromised Liver Alters Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Mediated Toxicity, Banrida Wahlang, Jordan T. Perkins, Michael C. Petriello, Jessie B. Hoffman, Arnold J. Stromberg, Bernhard Hennig

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

Exposure to environmental toxicants namely polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is correlated with multiple health disorders including liver and cardiovascular diseases. The liver is important for both xenobiotic and endobiotic metabolism. However, the responses of an injured liver to subsequent environmental insults has not been investigated. The current study aims to evaluate the role of a compromised liver in PCB-induced toxicity and define the implications on overall body homeostasis. Male C57Bl/6 mice were fed either an amino acid control diet (CD) or a methionine-choline deficient diet (MCD) during the 12-week study. Mice were subsequently exposed to either PCB126 (4.9 mg/kg) or the …

Reactivity Of Ketyl And Acetyl Radicals From Direct Solar Actinic Photolysis Of Aqueous Pyruvic Acid, Alexis J. Eugene, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The variable composition of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) contributes to the large uncertainty for predicting radiative forcing. A better understanding of the reaction mechanisms leading to aerosol formation such as for the photochemical reaction of aqueous pyruvic acid (PA) at λ ≥ 305 nm can contribute to constrain these uncertainties. Herein, the photochemistry of aqueous PA (5-300 mM) continuously sparged with air is re-examined in the laboratory under comparable irradiance at 38° N at noon on a summer day. Several analytical methods are employed to monitor the time series of the reaction, including (1) the derivatization of carbonyl (C═O) functional …

Utilizing Phluorin-Tagged Receptors To Monitor Subcellular Localization And Trafficking, Ashley M. Fox-Loe, Brandon J. Henderson, Christopher I. Richards

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Understanding membrane protein trafficking, assembly, and expression requires an approach that differentiates between those residing in intracellular organelles and those localized on the plasma membrane. Traditional fluorescence-based measurements lack the capability to distinguish membrane proteins residing in different organelles. Cutting edge methodologies transcend traditional methods by coupling pH-sensitive fluorophores with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). TIRF illumination excites the sample up to approximately 150 nm from the glass-sample interface, thus decreasing background, increasing the signal to noise ratio, and enhancing resolution. The excitation volume in TIRFM encompasses the plasma membrane and nearby organelles such as the peripheral ER. Superecliptic …

Using The Vehicle Routing Problem To Reduce Field Completion Times With Multiple Machines, Hasan Seyyedhasani, Joseph S. Dvorak

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is a powerful tool used to express many logistics problems, yet unlike other vehicle routing challenges, agricultural field work consists of machine paths that completely cover a field. In this work, the allocation and ordering of field paths among a number of available machines has been transformed into a VRP that enables optimization of completion time for the entire field. A basic heuristic algorithm (a modified form of the common Clarke-Wright algorithm) and a meta-heuristic algorithm, Tabu Search, were employed for optimization. Both techniques were evaluated through computer simulations in two fields: a hypothetical basic …

Using A Respiratory Navigator Significantly Reduces Variability When Quantifying Left Ventricular Torsion With Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Sean M. Hamlet, Christopher M. Haggerty, Jonathan D. Suever, Gregory J. Wehner, Kristin N. Andres, David K. Powell, Richard J. Charnigo, Brandon K. Fornwalt

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Left ventricular (LV) torsion is an important indicator of cardiac function that is limited by high inter-test variability (50% of the mean value). We hypothesized that this high inter-test variability is partly due to inconsistent breath-hold positions during serial image acquisitions, which could be significantly improved by using a respiratory navigator for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) based quantification of LV torsion.

Methods: We assessed respiratory-related variability in measured LV torsion with two distinct experimental protocols. First, 17 volunteers were recruited for CMR with cine displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) in which a respiratory navigator was used to measure …

Impact Of Nutrition On Pollutant Toxicity: An Update With New Insights Into Epigenetic Regulation, Jessie B. Hoffman, Michael C. Petriello, Bernhard Hennig

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

Exposure to environmental pollutants is a global health problem and is associated with the development of many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. There is a growing body of evidence that nutrition can both positively and negatively modulate the toxic effects of pollutant exposure. Diets high in proinflammatory fats, such as linoleic acid, can exacerbate pollutant toxicity, whereas diets rich in bioactive and anti-inflammatory food components, including omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols, can attenuate toxicant-associated inflammation. Previously, researchers have elucidated direct mechanisms of nutritional modulation, including alteration of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling, …

An Open-Sourced Statistical Application For Identifying Complex Toxicological Interactions Of Environmental Pollutants, Jordan T. Perkins, Michael C. Petriello, Li Xu, Arnold J. Stromberg, Bernhard Hennig

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

The rising number of chemicals that humans are exposed to on a daily basis, as well as advances in biomonitoring and detection technologies have highlighted the diversity of individual exposure profiles (complex body burdens). To address this, the toxicological sciences have begun to shift away from examining toxic agents or stressors individually to focusing on more complex models with multiple agents or stressors present. Literature on interactions between chemicals is fairly limited in comparison with dose-response studies on individual toxicants, which is largely due to experimental and statistical challenges. Experimental designs capable of identifying these complex interactions are often avoided …

The Fate Of Carbon In Sediments Of The Xingu And Tapajós Clearwater Rivers, Eastern Amazon, Dailson J. Bertassoli Jr., André O. Sawakuchi, Henrique O. Sawakuchi, Fabiano N. Pupim, Gelvam A. Hartmann, Michael M. Mcglue, Cristiano M. Chiessi, Matthias Zabel, Enno Schefuß, Tatiana S. Pereira, Rudney A. Santos, Samantha B. Faustino, Paulo E. Oliveira, Denise C. Bicudo

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The Xingu and Tapajós rivers in the eastern Amazon are the largest clearwater systems of the Amazon basin. Both rivers have “fluvial rias” (i.e., lake-like channels) in their downstream reaches as they are naturally impounded by the Amazon mainstem. Fluvial rias are widespread in the Amazon landscape and most of the sedimentary load from the major clearwater and blackwater rivers is deposited in these channels. So far, little is known about the role of Amazon rias as a trap and reactor for organic sediments. In this study, we used organic and inorganic geochemistry, magnetic susceptibility, diatom, and pollen analyses in …

Dual-Functional-Tag-Facilitated Protein Labeling And Immobilization, Xinyi Zhang, Wei Lu, Kevin Kwan, Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Yinan Wei

Chemistry Faculty Publications

An important strategy in the construction of biomimetic membranes and devices is to use natural proteins as the functional components for incorporation in a polymeric or nanocomposite matrix. Toward this goal, an important step is to immobilize proteins with high efficiency and precision without disrupting the protein function. Here, we developed a dual-functional tag containing histidine and the non-natural amino acid azidohomoalanine (AHA). AHA is metabolically incorporated into the protein, taking advantage of the Met-tRNA and Met-tRNA synthetase. Histidine in the tag can facilitate metal-affinity purification, whereas AHA can react with an alkyne-functionalized probe or surface via well-established click chemistry. …

Effect Of Seed Position On Parental Plant On Proportion Of Seeds Produced With Nondeep And Intermediate Physiological Dormancy, Juan J. Lu, Dun Y. Tan, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin

Biology Faculty Publications

The position in which seeds develop on the parental plant can have an effect on dormancy-break and germination. We tested the hypothesis that the proportion of seeds with intermediate physiological dormancy (PD) produced in the proximal position on a raceme of Isatis violascens plants is higher than that produced in the distal position, and further that this difference is related to temperature during seed development. Plants were watered at 3-day intervals, and silicles and seeds from the proximal (early) and distal (late) positions of racemes on the same plants were collected separately and tested for germination. After 0 and 6 …

Ergot And Loline Alkaloid Concentrations In Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Tillers, Rebecca L. Mcculley

Forage Climate Change Experiment Research Data

Approximately 40 tall fescue tillers were randomly collected and frozen from each of the 20 treatment plots.

Tillers were cut at 7.6 cm above ground level and tested for the presence of the Epichloe endophyte using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Tillers from each plot were sorted into 'infected' vs 'uninfected' groups, lyophilized, and ground through a 1mm screen using a Cyclotec 1093 mill.

Ground material from the endophyte infected tillers was analyzed for ergot and loline alkaloids in the lab of Lowell Bush at the University of Kentucky, Plant and Soil Sciences Dept.

For details on alkaloid analyses see: McCulley …