Biology Commons^™

The Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism Rs4340 Associates With Habitual Physical Activity Among European American Adults., Michael Bruneau, Theodore J Angelopoulos, Paul Gordon, Niall Moyna, Paul Visich, Robert Zoeller, Rick Seip, Stephen Bilbie, Paul Thompson, Joseph Devaney, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Eric Hoffman, Linda S Pescatello

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism (rs4340) (ACE DIP) accounts for half of the variability in plasma ACE concentrations. ACE has been widely studied for its influence on sports performance; however, research on its influence in physical activity is limited and inconsistent. We examined the influence of the ACE DIP on physical activity among 461 European Americans.

METHODS: Subjects completed the Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire for weekly walking distance. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) tested log-transformed differences in weekly walking distance among ACE DIP genotypes (II, ID, DD) with gender as a fixed factor, and age and body …

Proteomic Analysis Of The Crustacean Molting Gland (Y-Organ) Over The Course Of The Molt Cycle, Talia B. Head

Master's Theses

Molting in crustaceans is a highly complex physiological process involving negative regulation by two paired endocrine glands, the X-organ/sinus gland complex (XO/SG) and the Y-organ (YO). The XO/SG complex is responsible for making molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH) which negatively regulates synthesis of the molting hormones, ecdysteroids, by the YO. Analysis of gene expression in the XOs and YOs has led to the development of a proposed molecular signaling pathway which regulates ecdysteroidogenesis and subsequent molting in crustaceans. In this study, changes in protein abundance in the YO were characterized over the course of a molt cycle (intermolt, early premolt, mid premolt, …

Walking As Ontological Shifter: Thoughts In The Key Of Life, Bibi (Silvina) Calderaro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

With walking as ontological shifter I pursue an alternative to the dominant modernist episteme that offers either/or onto-epistemologies of opposition and their reifying engagements. I propose this type of walking is an intentional turning towards a set of radical positions that, as integrative aesthetic and therapeutic practice, brings multiplicity and synchronicity to experience and being in an expanded sociality. This practice facilitates the conditions of possibility for recurring points of contact between the interiority perceived as ‘body’ and the exteriority perceived as ‘world.’ While making evident the self’s at once incoherence with it-self, it opens to a space beyond the …

Distribution And Activation Of Catecholaminergic Neurons In The Brain Of Male Plainfin Midshipman Fish: Divergence In Behavior And Reproductive Phenotype, Zachary Ghahramani

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus, provides an excellent opportunity for delimiting the influence of neurochemical content on vertebrate vocal behavior, in part because the production and recognition of social-acoustic signals is vital to their reproductive behavior. There are two distinct reproductive male morphs that follow divergent developmental trajectories with corresponding alternative reproductive tactics: type I males are the territorial/nesting morph that vocally court females during the summer breeding season while type II males do not court females, but instead sneak spawn in competition with type I males. Catecholaminergic neurons, which synthesize and release the neurotransmitters dopamine or noradrenaline, …

Itraq-Based Proteomics Analysis And Network Integration For Kernel Tissue Development In Maize, Long Zhang, Yongbin Dong, Qilei Wang, Chunguang Du, Wenwei Xiong, Xinyu Li, Sailan Zhu, Yuling Li

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Grain weight is one of the most important yield components and a developmentally complex structure comprised of two major compartments (endosperm and pericarp) in maize (Zea mays L.), however, very little is known concerning the coordinated accumulation of the numerous proteins involved. Herein, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based comparative proteomic method to analyze the characteristics of dynamic proteomics for endosperm and pericarp during grain development. Totally, 9539 proteins were identified for both components at four development stages, among which 1401 proteins were non-redundant, 232 proteins were specific in pericarp and 153 proteins were specific in …

Ephrin Receptors, Aiy Interneuron Physiology, And Behavior, Tyler Hill

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

In order to survive, an organism must be able to receive, integrate, and respond to sensory stimuli. However, the cellular basis of sensory perception and response is difficult to study in complex animals such as humans, and is therefore poorly understood. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a relatively simple organism yet displays many distinct behaviors, making it an ideal system to understand the relationship between gene function, cell shape, cell physiology, and behavioral output. Much of the thermosensory and chemosensory information that the nematode receives from its sensory neurons is processed via a pair of interneurons called AIYL and AIYR. …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Kal-1 In The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans, Zachery E. Mielko

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

X-linked Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a genetic disease that is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the human kal-1 gene. The disorder consists of a loss of sense-of-smell coupled with failure to undergo spontaneous puberty. At the cellular level, KS phenotypes are caused by olfactory neurons’ failure to properly migrate to the olfactory bulb. This also prevents gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuroendocrine cells from migrating to the pituitary, preventing the pulsatile release of sex hormones at puberty. While many kal-1 interacting proteins have been studied in model organisms, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that control kal-1’s expression. Since a 5.27kb …

Evidence Of Language Prerequisites In Pan: Orofacial-Motor And Breath Control In Chimpanzees And Bonobos, Natalie Schwob

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Human spoken language requires the concomitant utilization of numerous cognitive and motor skills. Two particularly relevant skills are orofacial-motor control (OFM), the ability to purposefully move one’s facial muscles, and breath control (BC), subglottal air pressure that fuels sound production, as both are necessary in the voluntary production of speech. Many have claimed these competencies are uniquely human qualities without great ape antecedents. However, here we describe both skills in genus Pan, which contains our closest extant relatives: chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). We hypothesized that OFM and BC would be present in both species of Pan and …

Nociception And The Experience Of Pain Signaling Due To Nerve Damage, Crystal J. Smith

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Hyperalgesia is the increased sensitivity to pain which can present itself to many people no matter age or ethnicity. Having the ability to alleviate pain whether it be acute or chronic pain without the use of addictive medication can have the potential to change the course or modern medicine known today. Through the use of zebrafish, this thesis provides a preliminary understanding in pain signal blocking. Three distinct genes have found to be associated with perceiving pain, which include Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), Transient Receptor Potential Melestatin 8 (TRPM8), and Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CNR1). We hypothesize through knockdown …

Investigating The Role Of Long Distance Dispersal In The Response Of Stream Fishes To Urbanization, Andrea Davis

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

I conducted a 7-month mark-recapture study in two watersheds differing in urban impact in order to assess the role that long distance dispersal plays in the response of tolerant stream fishes to urbanization. Our two stream sites included a heavily impacted urban stream (watershed impervious surface cover ~30%) and a mildly impacted rural stream (watershed impervious surface cover ~6%). Species of interest were marked with 12mm HPT PIT tags and included a specialist, Campostoma oligolepis (n=189 urban site, 200 rural site) and a generalist, Lepomis auritus (n=136 urban site, 182 rural site). Three resampling instances for each site were conducted …

The Adaptive Value Of Complex Socio-Communicative Behavior, Sara A. Skiba

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Human spoken language represents the most elaborate communication system, however the selection pressures leading to its emergence are still uncertain. Unlike humans, bonobos and chimpanzees do not have language. However, bonobos may have been subjected to similar selection pressures as early hominins, subsequent to their phylogenetic split from chimpanzees roughly 1.5 million years ago. The current study investigated the similarities and differences in sociality and communicative production between bonobos and chimpanzees in captive settings, using 9, 10-minute focal follows for each individual. Analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between social proximity score and total communicative signals produced, as well as …

Population Genetics And Host Specificity Of A Rare Parasitic Plant, Cuscuta Harperi, Brandy N. Rogers

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Cuscuta harperi is a rare parasitic plant endemic to a small number of widely disjunct populations in Georgia and Alabama. It is a habitat-specialist, occurring on sandstone and granite outcrops within its limited range; it is also exhibits a high level of host specificity, parasitizing only a few select species. C. harperi is of conservation concern due to small population sizes and threats from habitat degradation.

Here we develop genetic markers to address questions regarding population genetics of the species. We discuss the utility of microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms as molecular markers to evaluate genetic variability between individuals and …

Effects On Campostoma Oligolepis Digestive Morphology And Gut Microbiota Composition Across A Gradient Of Urbanization, Hannah Grice

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Campostoma oligolepis, the Largescale Stoneroller, is a species of minnow native to northwest Georgia. This study investigated the impacts of urbanization on gut length and gut microbiota community composition in C. oligolepis from four small watersheds within the Etowah River drainage basin with different levels of impervious surface coverage (ISC). Individuals were collected from each sample site in the summer of 2016 between late July and early September. A second round of sampling was conducted in the fall between mid-October and mid-November. The gut length to total length ratio was calculated for each individual to allow for an unbiased …

Profiling Bat Activity And Species Presence In Managed Longleaf Pine Landscapes, Margaret Hunt

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Restoration of native flora or reintroduction of at-risk fauna includes management practices that while encouraging presence and proliferation of target species, may adversely affect non-focal species. An endemic ecosystem undergoing restoration within the southeastern U.S. is that of the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). Bats inhabit key ecological niches in forest ecosystems, including the longleaf pine ecosystem, and can be indicators of ecosystem condition. This study investigated the effects of current forest management practices and landscape management history on bat species presence and activity levels within habitat undergoing longleaf pine restoration. We deployed bat detectors in two wildlife management …

A New Taxonomy Of Altruism In Terms Of Prosocial Behaviors, Kristin Kaiser

Dialogue & Nexus

The definition of altruism has been studied, explained, and even confused by many scholars in various fields. The term itself has been inappropriately used to describe prosocial behaviors that do not fall within the definition of altruism. An evaluation of Grant Ramsey’s taxonomy of altruism, which includes biological altruism, psychological altruism, and helping altruism, proves that it is not adequate in categorizing organism’s behaviors. A new taxonomy, with the branches of kin selection, reciprocity, and aesthetic altruism, is presented and explained to clarify the definition of altruism and alleviate confusion about how to describe prosocial behaviors. Both naming systems are …

African-American Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Expression Profile Reveals Dysregulation Of Stress Response And Detox Networks., Hayriye Verda Erkizan, Kory Johnson, Svetlana Ghimbovschi, Deepa Karkera, Gregory Trachiotis, Houtan Adib, Eric P Hoffman, Robert G Wadleigh

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Esophageal carcinoma is the third most common gastrointestinal malignancy worldwide and is largely unresponsive to therapy. African-Americans have an increased risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the subtype that shows marked variation in geographic frequency. The molecular architecture of African-American ESCC is still poorly understood. It is unclear why African-American ESCC is more aggressive and the survival rate in these patients is worse than those of other ethnic groups.

METHODS: To begin to define genetic alterations that occur in African-American ESCC we conducted microarray expression profiling in pairs of esophageal squamous cell tumors and matched control tissues.

RESULTS: …

Peromyscus Boylii And Peromysus Californicus Differ In Physical Characteristic Measurements, Puja M. Kasondra

Biological Sciences

I provide a comparison of physical characteristics between Peromyscus boylii and Peromyscus californicus. All mice compared were captured in the dominant regions of the Los Padres National Forest during three different years – 2005, 2011, and 2014. The dominant regions of the Los Padres National Forest include Riparian, Woodlands, and Chaparral. All characteristics, ear (from notch), head and body, hind foot, tail, and weights, were compared between males of each species and then between females of each species. All data were analyzed in JMP 12. Out of all the characteristics, tail and weight had the greatest difference between the …

The Population Genetics Of Morro Bay Eelgrass (Zostera Marina), Julia Gardner Harencar

Master's Theses

Seagrass populations are in decline worldwide. Zostera marina (eelgrass), one of California’s native seagrasses, is no exception to this trend. In the last 8 years, Morro Bay, California has lost 95% of its eelgrass. Eelgrass is an ecosystem engineer, providing important ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization, nutrient cycling, and nursery habitats for fish. The failure of recent restoration efforts necessitates a better understanding of the causes of eelgrass decline in this estuary. Previous research on eelgrass in California has demonstrated a link between population genetic diversity and eelgrass bed health, ecosystem functioning, and resilience to disturbance and extreme climatic …

Investigation Into The Mechanism Of Ion Transport In Rio Negro Characiformes, Vineza D. Reduta

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Four fish species within the Characiform Order [(Rosy tetras (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus), Serpae tetras (Hyphessobrycon eques), Emperor tetras (Nematobrycon palmeri) and Penguin tetras (Thayeria obliqua)] are native to the ion-poor, acidic waters of the Rio Negro. In this paper, we focus on Wood’s revised Na⁺/NH₄⁺ exchange model to gain better insight into the mechanisms of ion transport within the Characids. We exposed each species to two experimental treatments: (i) 1mM ammonia (high external ammonia [HEA]), to test coupling of Na⁺ uptake and ammonia excretion, and (ii) 100μM Acetazolamide …

Improving Reproducibility Of Phenotypic Assessments In The Dyw Mouse Model Of Laminin-Α2 Related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy., Raffaella Willmann, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Sarina Meinen, Markus A Rüegg, Qing Yu, Kanneboyina Nagaraju, +Several Additional Authors

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Laminin-α2 related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (LAMA2-CMD) is a progressive muscle disease caused by partial or complete deficiency of laminin-211, a skeletal muscle extracellular matrix protein. In the last decade, basic science research has queried underlying disease mechanisms in existing LAMA2-CMD murine models and identified possible clinical targets and pharmacological interventions. Experimental rigor in preclinical studies is critical to efficiently and accurately quantify both negative and positive results, degree of efficiency of potential therapeutics and determine whether to move a compound forward for additional preclinical testing. In this review, we compare published available data measured to assess three common parameters in …

Bacterial Diversity At An Abandoned Coal Mine In Southeast Kansas, Rachel Bechtold

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Bacterial Diversity at an Abandoned Coal Mine in

Southeast Kansas

An Abstract of the Thesis by

Rachel Bechtold

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is found in areas of abandoned coal mines in southeast Kansas as a result of mine waste rocks and tailings create problems for the local environment. Soil bacterial population acts as a reliable indicator of ecosystem health in these human-perturbed areas. The goals of the present study were to assess the bacterial diversity of an AMD site over a two-year period and to isolate acid-tolerant bacterial species for bioremediation purpose.

In fall (2015) and summer (2016), soil samples …

Searching For Sex Differences In Snake Skin, Sydney E. Ashton

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The production of many secondary sexual signals, including pheromones, is controlled by sex hormone action at the sites of signal synthesis. The red-garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) is an ideal vertebrate for studying the interaction between steroids and sexual signals: males exclusively rely on skin-based female pheromones during courtship, and pheromone composition is augmented by treatment with sex steroids (e.g., males produce female pheromone if implanted with estrogen). But how do steroid hormones promote pheromone expression at the molecular level in snake skin? Feminizing effects of estrogens on sexual signals are known to result from activation of estrogen …

Chromatin-Modifying Agents Convert Fibroblasts To Oct4+ And Vegfr-2+ Capillary Tube-Forming Cells, Anita Wary, Neil Wary '18, Jugajyoti Baruah, Victoria Mastej, Kishore K. Wary

Student Publications & Research

Rationale
The human epigenome is plastic. The goal of this study was to address if fibroblast cells can be epigenetically modified to promote neovessel formation.

Methods and results
Here, we used highly abundant human adult dermal fibroblast cells (hADFCs) that were treated with the chromatin-modifying agents 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A, and subsequently subjected to differentiation by activating Wnt signaling. Our results show that these epigenetically modified hADFCs increasingly expressed β-catenin, pluripotency factor octamer-binding transcription factor-4 (OCT4, also known as POU5F1), and endothelial cell (EC) marker called vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2, also known as Fetal Liver Kinase-1). In microscopic …

Vegetative Rapid Assessment And Habitat Quality Analysis Of Steidtmann Woods, Sarah Mae Bail

Honors Projects

Due to invasive species and the assumption of an unhealthy ecosystem, Steidtmann Woods is an underutilized piece of land owned by Bowling Green State University. However, the property had never been analyzed. The proposed hypothesis was that Steidtmann was indeed in destress and its ecosystem could benefit from intervention—removal of invasive species and supplementation of natives. Through a rapid vegetative analysis, data was collected in several regions of the woods to identify what navies and non-natives were present as well as to identify their proportions. With that data, the species evenness, richness, and diversity was calculated; first, with raw field …

Where The Wild Things Are: Investigating Body Size As A Mechanism For Persistence, Meghan Anne Balk

Biology ETDs

Body size is a trait under selection. Genetic drift, climate, diet quality, and biotic interactions all select upon body size at the population, species, and community levels. These factors can be important in the context of rapidly changing climate. One of the ways an animal can persist in its environment is through morphological adaptation in situ. Here, I investigate four questions relating to the evolution of body size: (1) what is the limit in body size change in response to climatic change; (2) how does body size influence the thermal tolerances of animals; (3) how does body size evolve …

Trap-Neuter-Return Programs And The Importance Of Associated Public Awareness, Nicolette Sliwa

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The focus of this paper is to describe a typical Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program and highlight the major pros and cons surrounding this somewhat controversial method of managing the overwhelming free-roaming cat population. The effects of the species’ overabundance on the environment and human health are also discussed. Citing studies completed on TNR programs around the globe as well as mathematical models, the effectiveness of this method is compared to other, currently used alternatives. Finally, it has been suggested that the general awareness level a neighborhood possesses about the true goals of TNR programs has a potentially significant impact on the …

Mitochondria Mediate Cell Membrane Repair And Contribute To Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy., Maria C Vila, Sree Rayavarapu, Marshall W Hogarth, Jack H Van Der Meulen, Adam Horn, Aurelia Defour, Shin'ichi Takeda, Kristy J. Brown, Yetrib Hathout, Kanneboyina Nagaraju, Jyoti K. Jaiswal

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Dystrophin deficiency is the genetic basis for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), but the cellular basis of progressive myofiber death in DMD is not fully understood. Using two dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse models, we find that the mitochondrial dysfunction is among the earliest cellular deficits of mdx muscles. Mitochondria in dystrophic myofibers also respond poorly to sarcolemmal injury. These mitochondrial deficits reduce the ability of dystrophic muscle cell membranes to repair and are associated with a compensatory increase in dysferlin-mediated membrane repair proteins. Dysferlin deficit in mdx mice further compromises myofiber cell membrane repair and enhances the muscle pathology at an asymptomatic …

Hepatocellular Cancer Genome And Transcriptome Analysis Validates Clinically Significant Mutational Signatures With The Tgf-𝛃 Pathway, Shuyun Rao, Jian Chen, Kazufumi Ohshiro, Shoujun Gu, Sobia Zaidi, Wilma S. Jogunoori, Jon White, Nagarajan Pattabiraman, Raja Mazumder, Anelia Horvath, Ray-Chang Wu, Shulin Li, Chuxia Deng, Bibhuti Mishra, Rehan Akbanni, The Tcga Cancer Network, Lopa Mishra

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

An Amphipathic Trans-Acting Phosphorothioate Rna Element Delivers An Uncharged Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Sequence In Mdx Mouse Myotube, H. Jain, J. Boehler, D. Verthelyi, Kanneboyina Nagaraju, S. Beaucage

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

An efficient method for the delivery of uncharged polyA-tailed phosphorodiamidate morpholino sequences (PMO) in mammalian cells consists of employing a synthetic 8-mer amphipathic trans-acting poly-2′-O-methyluridylic thiophosphate triester element (2′-OMeUtaPS) as a transfection reagent. Unlike the dTtaPS DNA-based element, this RNA element is potent at delivering polyA-tailed PMO sequences to HeLa pLuc 705 cells or to myotube muscle cells. However, much like dTtaPS, the 2′-OMeUtaPS-mediated internalization of PMO sequences occurs through an energy-dependent mechanism; macropinocytosis appears to be the predominant endocytic pathway used for cellular uptake. The transfected PMO sequences induce alternate splicing of either the pre-mRNA encoding luciferase in HeLa …

Human Ipsc-Derived Cerebellar Neurons From A Patient With Ataxia-Telangiectasia Reveal Disrupted Gene Regulatory Networks, Sam Nayler, Joseph Powell, Darya Vanichkina, Othmar Korn, Christine Wells, Ryan J. Taft, +Several Additional Authors

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare genetic disorder caused by loss of function of the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated kinase and is characterized by a predisposition to cancer, pulmonary disease, immune deficiency and progressive degeneration of the cerebellum. As animal models do not faithfully recapitulate the neurological aspects, it remains unclear whether cerebellar degeneration is a neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative phenotype. To address the necessity for a human model, we first assessed a previously published protocol for the ability to generate cerebellar neuronal cells, finding it gave rise to a population of precursors highly enriched for markers of the early hindbrain such as EN1 and …