Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Use Of Py-Gc/Ms Analysis Techniques In Animal Waste Management: A Preliminary Survey Of Dairy Manures, Daniel L. Vaughn, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The increasing practice of industrial-scale agriculture tends to concentrate large masses of animal waste in relatively compact areas, potentially leading to excessive release of polluting nutrients into waterways during major storms. Anaerobic treatment conditions are generally favored to conserve nitrate N as an agricultural commodity. However, overall N contents in waste are often in excess of crop fertilization needs: storing excess N in soluble nitrate form increases pollution potential. Thus the perceived needs of agriculture and society-at-large become at odds. Organic nitrogen forms (e.g., proteins) are more environmentally stable and are less subject to unintentional release. Although U.S. farmers tend …

Immobolisation And Biochemical Characterisation Of A Selected Commercially Available Laccase, Chandra Sundaralingam

Student Works (2000-2009)

ln this study, laccase from Novo Nordisk was chosen for biochemical characterization and immobilization investigation. The specific aims of this work was to develop optimum conditions for immobilization of laccase by entrapment method using copper alginate and characterize the laccase biochemically. The pH optimum of the crude enzyme extract was 5.5 and was found to be stable over a wide range of pH values. The apparent molecular weight of this enzyme was around 79,000 Daltons. Three peaks of activity (isoenzymes) were obtained from isoelectric focusing of pH values 4.7, 5.2 and 6.0. The optimum pH of the immobilized laccase by …

Chemical Constituents Of Desmos Dumosus, Roxb., Mazdida Sulaiman

Student Works (2000-2009)

The chemical content of the 'leaves and bark of Des mos dumosus has been carried out in this study. The leaves yielded nine isoquinoline type of alkaloids and two flavones. The isoquinoline alkaloids isolated were pronuciferine 37, stepharine 39, nomuciferine 40, (-) - 3 - hydroxynomuciferine 41, norlirioferine 42, asimilobine 43, liriodenine 44, lysicamine 45 and O - methylmoschatoline 46. The flavones were 5 - hydroxy - 6,7 - dimethoxyflavone 47 and 5 - hydroxy - 7,8 - dimethoxyflavone 48. The same flavones, 47 and 48 and the alkaloids 45 and 46 were also present in the bark of this …

Monoclonal Light Chain–Mesangial Cell Interactions: Early Signaling Events And Subsequent Pathologic Effects, William J. Russell, James Cardelli, Ed Harris, R. John Baier, Guillermo A. Herrera

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Glomerulopathic monoclonal light chains (G-LC) interact with mesangial cells (MC), resulting in alterations of mesangial homeostasis. Early signaling events control mitogenic activities and cytokine production, which in turn participate in the subsequent pathologic events. Mesangial homeostasis is affected in two very different ways, depending on whether the G-LC is from a patient with light chain deposition disease (LCDD) or light chain–related amyloidosis (AL-Am). In contrast, tubulopathic (T)-LC chains from patients with myeloma cast nephropathy do not significantly interact with MC and result in no alterations in mesangial homeostasis. Therefore, understanding early events in the monoclonal LC–MC interactions is fundamental. MC …

Analysis Of Wine For Penicillin, Gary Morris, James Yuan, Roy Williams

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

This study addresses the question of whether the antibiotic Penicillin, which is produced by the common mold Penicillium notatum, could possibly become a contaminate of wine during the fermentation process. The significance of this study is related to the potential health effects this agent might produce in those consumers who have an allergic response to Penicillin. It has been estimated that between 6% and 8% of the American population is subject to this type of allergic response. A method is developed for the detection of penicillin in wines using high-pressure liquid chromatography. We demonstrate that penicillin G hydrolyzes rapidly …

Molecular Orbital Studies Of Nitrosyl Metalloporphyrin Complexes, John P. Graham, Genevive Brown

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Molecular orbital calculations are applied to the study of the structure and bonding of nitrosyl metalloporphyrin complexes. The Fenske-Hall approximate molecular orbital method and the Amsterdam Density Functional (ADF) method are used. The calculations provide qualitative and quantitative explanations for the observed structural differences between the nitrosyl porphyrin complexes ofiron, manganese, and cobalt. It is proposed that the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of these complexes is primarily responsible for the observed structural differences. The interaction between the nitrosyl ligand and metal dz2 orbital results in an antibonding orbital that is occupied in the complexes of Fe …

An Enzymatic Method For The Measurement Of Magnesium, Joseph Murphy

Theses

Magnesium is quantitatively the most important intracellular divalent cation (4), and has been found to serve in a wide range of enzymatic reactions (2). Studies have shown that up to ten percent of hospital patients may have hypomagnesaemia (6).

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) under highly specified conditions is the de facto reference method for magnesium measurement but only about ten per cent of laboratories routinely use this method (4). This is because AAS is time-consuming, requires specialised equipment and a certain level of expertise, and may be hazardous due to the use of inflammable gases. Colourimetric methods e.g. calmagite are …

Group Viii Spiroplasma Of Costa Rica, Kimberly M. Stewart

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Spiroplasma bacteria isolates are classified or identified through a series of serological tests that normally consists of screening, one-way deformation tests, cloning, antisera production, and reciprocal deformation tests. Serological tests on the spiroplasmas are followed by molecular analysis. The standard molecular analysis used for spiroplasmas has been 16S rRNA sequencing. The primary goal ofmy research was to evaluate serologically Group VIII spiroplasmas isolated from tropical Costa Rican tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) and to compare them to the temperate North American Group VIII spiroplasmas. A secondary goal was to evaluate both the temperate and tropical Group VIII strains by sequencing the 16S-23S …

The Prevalence Of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiae In Ixodes Scapularis Ticks In Southeastern Georgia, Heather Anne Merten

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is a newly emerging, tick-borne zoonosis in North America. The agent that causes HGE is very similar to Ehrlichia phagocytophilia and Ehrlichia equi, but has yet to be classified as a separate species.

This study was carried out in order to determine the prevalence rate of HGE infection in blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in insular and mainland sites in southeastern Georgia using nested PCR techniques. Four locations were studied representing 2 barrier islands and 2 mainland sites. We hypothesized that areas that have low levels of human disturbance and are somewhat isolated will …

A Comparative Study Of The Reproductive Biology Of Sympatric Morning Glories (Ipomoea-Convolvulaceae), Dexter R. Sowell Ii

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Despite the astounding diversity of flowering plants and of mobile organisms that serve as pollinators, sympatric co-flowering plants can potentially share pollinators with each other. This places two selection pressures on plants. First, plants compete for pollinators to visit their flowers and secondly, entice pollinators to be faithful (specialized) and visit only other members of their species. I tested whether sympatric co-flowering plants reduced their selection pressures via temporal partitioning or differential attraction of pollinators using six closely related, sympatric co-flowering morning glories (Ipomoea-Convolvulaceae).

Diurnal flower phenology tightly overlapped, which did not facilitate temporal partitioning of pollinators. However, …

An Investigation Of Captive Florida Manatee (Trichecus Manatus Latirostris) Behavior And Social Interactions, Jennifer Sadler Young

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Human impacts such as pollution, habitat alteration, and boating have caused many injuries and deaths of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manutus latirostris. Rehabilitation centers have been established in Florida to help return sick or injured manatees back to the wild. Manatees that are released back to the wild after undergoing rehabilitation in captivity might lose some of their abilities to survive in the wild. A factor that might alter behavior in captive individuals was examined by determining if length of time spent in captivity influenced the behavior of manatees during rehabilitation. Even though all facilities follow similar guidelines, invariable …

Identification Of The Domains Of Urer, An Arac-Like Transcriptional Regulator Of The Urease Gene Cluster In Proteus Mirabilis, Carrie A. Poore, Christopher Coker, Jonathan D. Dattelbaum, Harry L.T. Mobley

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Proteus mirabilis urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to CO₂ and NH₃, resulting in urinary stone formation in individuals with complicated urinary tract infections. UreR, a member of the AraC family, activates transcription of the genes encoding urease enzyme subunits and accessory proteins, ureDABCEFG, as well as its own transcription in the presence of urea. Based on sequence homology with AraC, we hypothesized that UreR contains both a dimerization domain and a DNA-binding domain. A translational fusion of the leucine zipper dimerization domain (amino acids 302 to 350) of C/EBP and the C-terminal half of UreR …

Characterization Of The Biological Activities Of Recombinant Fusion Protein Green Fluorescent Protein/Human Zona Pellucida Protein 3 (Gfp/Hzp3), Zhiyong Lin

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Despite numerous reports indicating the successful production of bioactive recombinant ZP3, no report has shown the rhZP3 having direct binding activity with human sperm. Recombinant ZP3 generated from our previous study displayed binding activity with human sperm through indirect evidence from hemizona assay (HZA).

This present study focused on the production of recombinant ZP3 with direct binding activity with human sperm. Through the application of a pEGFP expression vector, fusion protein GFP/ZP3 was successfully generated and expressed. The expression of GFP/ZP3 was evidenced by RT-PCR and western blot. The fusion protein was partially purified by Ni-NTA affinity column from cell …

Characterization Of The Human Cytomegalovirus Ul75 Late Gene Promoter, Bernard J. P. Mcwatters

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Gene expression during productive infection by the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) occurs in an ordered and sequential manner, beginning with immediate early (IE), then early (E) and finally late (L) gene expression. Significant work has addressed the regulation of IE and E gene expression while relatively little work has addressed the control of late gene expression. In order to further address HCMV late gene expression, the promoter of the HCMV UL75 (glycoprotein H, gH) late gene was characterized. The data obtained in this study were combined with observations made in two other studies that have addressed HCMV late gene expression to …

Control Of Phytoplankton Growth By Iron And Silicic Acid Availability In The Subantarctic Ocean: Experimental Results From The Saz Project, D. A. Hutchins, Peter N. Sedwick, G. R. Ditullio, P. W. Boyd, B. Queguiner, F. B. Griffiths, C. Crossley

OES Faculty Publications

Subantarctic Southern Ocean surface waters in the austral summer and autumn are characterized by high concentrations of nitrate and phosphate but low concentrations of dissolved iron (Fe, similar to0.05 nM) and silicic acid (Si, <1 muM). During the Subantarctic Zone AU9706 cruise in March 1998 we investigated the relative importance of Fe and Si in controlling phytoplankton growth and species composition at a station within the subantarctic water mass (46.8degreesS, 142degreesE) using shipboard bottle incubation experiments. Treatments included unamended controls; 1.9 nM added iron (+Fe); 9 muM added silicic acid (+Si); and 1.9 nM addediron plus 9 muM added silicic acid (+Fe+Si). We followed a detailed set of biological and biogeochemical parameters over 8 days. Fe added alone clearly increased community growth rates and nitrate drawdown and altered algal community composition relative to control treatments. Surprisingly, small, lightly silicified pennate diatoms grew when Fe was added either with or without Si, despite the extremely low ambient silicic acid concentrations. Pigment analyses suggest that lightly silicified chrysophytes (type 4 haptophytes) may have preferentially responded to Si added either with or without Fe. However, for many of the parameters measured the +Fe+Si treatments showed large increases relative to both the +Fe and +Si treatments. Our results suggest that iron is the proximate limiting nutrient for chlorophyll production, photosynthetic efficiency, nitrate drawdown, and diatom growth, but that Si also exerts considerable control over algal growth and species composition. Both nutrients together are needed to elicit a maximum growth response, suggesting that both Fe and Si play important roles in structuring the subantarctic phytoplankton community.

Effects Of Iron, Silicate, And Light On Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Production In The Australian Subantarctic Zone, G. R. Ditullio, P. N. Sedwick, D. R. Jones, P. W. Boyd, A. C. Crossley, D. A. Hutchins

OES Faculty Publications

Shipboard bottle incubation experiments were performed to investigate the effects of iron, light, and silicate on algal production of particulate dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP_p) in the Subantarctic Zone (SAZ) south of Tasmania during March 1998. Iron enrichment resulted in threefold to ninefold increases in DMSP_p concentrations relative to control treatments, following 7 and 8-day incubation experiments. Additions of Fe and Si preferentially stimulated the growth of lightly-silicified pennate diatoms and siliceous haptophytes, respectively, to which we attribute the increased DMSP_p production in the incubation bottles. Both of these algal groups were previously believed to be low DMSP_{p …}