Biology Commons^™

Invasive African Fig Flies (Zaprionus Indianus) Have Reduced Cold Acclimation Ability Compared To Cosmopolitan Drosophilid Species, Mia Hollekim, Lucy Smith, Priscilla A. Erickson

Biology Faculty Publications

Zaprionus indianus, an invasive species of fruit fly originating from Africa, has successfully inhabited eastern North America but is thought to be seasonally limited by cold temperatures. We compared the cold acclimation abilities of Z. indianus to six drosophilid species. Each species’ survival at -5°C was tested following acclimation periods at 10°C, 15°C, and 25°C. We found that Z. indianus had a similar baseline cold tolerance to other cosmopolitan species and acclimated following treatment at 15°C. Overall, cold acclimation in Z. indianus was better than tropical species but weaker than some cosmopolitan species, suggesting cold may restrict Z. indianus …

Employing Zebrafish To Understand Genetic Drivers Of Epilepsy-Related Comorbid Behaviors, Chinwendu Ononuju, Kharma Hall, Olivia Beatty, Scott C. Baraban, Colleen Carpenter-Swanson

Biology Faculty Publications

Children with epilepsy frequently experience a range of significant comorbidities beyond seizures, such as motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and neurodevelopmental delays. In some cases, these comorbidities contribute more significantly to overall disease burden than the seizures themselves. To improve quality-of-life (QOL) for these children, treatment options should be selected that control seizures and ameliorate comorbidities. Unfortunately, such therapeutics remain largely elusive. Addressing this issue requires suitable preclinical models. Here we used CRISPR-generated zebrafish with single-gene mutations linked to pediatric epilepsy and applied clinically-relevant behavioral assays to study the effects of these mutations. Using high-throughput locomotion-based assays, we uncovered errors in …

Designing Life Science Assessments In The Era Of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Andrew C. Kwong, Christopher Magnano, Christine Goglia, Joseph J. Loparo, John J. Peters

Biology Faculty Publications

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) algorithms have the potential to reshape education. Though GAI may help democratize access to education, it also presents many challenges for educators. Already, the ease of use of GAI has made it easier for students to bypass learning gains by prompting GAI for answers to assignments. Here, we assessed how ChatGPT performed on take-home assignments in a doctoral-level molecular biology course designed to train students in experimental design. Using Bloom’s taxonomy as a framework, we hypothesized that ChatGPT would perform similarly to doctoral students on lower cognitive levels involving memorization and underperform at higher levels that …

Data For Forthcoming Article: "Employing Zebrafish To Understand Genetic Drivers Of Epilepsy-Related Comorbid Behaviors", Colleen Carpenter-Swanson

Biology Faculty Data

Forthcoming from Frontiers in Pharmacology:

"Children with epilepsy frequently experience a range of significant comorbidities beyond seizures, such as motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and neurodevelopmental delays. In some cases, these comorbidities contribute more significantly to overall disease burden than the seizures themselves. To improve quality-of-life (QOL) for these children, treatment options should be selected that control seizures and ameliorate comorbidities. Unfortunately, such therapeutics remain largely elusive. Addressing this issue requires suitable preclinical models. Here we used CRISPR-generated zebrafish with single-gene mutations linked to pediatric epilepsy and applied clinically-relevant behavioral assays to study the effects of these mutations. Using high-throughput locomotion-based …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Avian-Associated Ixodes Scapularis & Implications For Lyme Disease, Nora Correiro

Honors Theses

Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis, is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. Whereas Lyme disease is concentrated in the northeastern US, I. scapularis exists in the southeast as well, and the ticks in these regions generally separate into northern and southern evolutionary lineages. Although recent analyses suggest unidirectional and limited gene flow from north to south due to behavioral, ecological, and environmental barriers, the mechanisms underlying the persistence of this limited gene flow remain unclear. This study examines whether bird-mediated dispersal may facilitate south-to-north gene …

Data For Forthcoming Article: "Employing Zebrafish To Understand Genetic Drivers Of Epilepsy-Related Comorbid Behaviors", Colleen Carpenter-Swanson

Biology Faculty Publications

Forthcoming from Frontiers in Pharmacology:

"Children with epilepsy frequently experience a range of significant comorbidities beyond seizures, such as motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and neurodevelopmental delays. In some cases, these comorbidities contribute more significantly to overall disease burden than the seizures themselves. To improve quality-of-life (QOL) for these children, treatment options should be selected that control seizures and ameliorate comorbidities. Unfortunately, such therapeutics remain largely elusive. Addressing this issue requires suitable preclinical models. Here we used CRISPR-generated zebrafish with single-gene mutations linked to pediatric epilepsy and applied clinically-relevant behavioral assays to study the effects of these mutations. Using high-throughput locomotion-based …

A Genetic Interaction Between Ded1 And Hat1 In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Reveals A Role For Hat1p In Cytoplasmic Rna Granule Accumulation, Audrey J. Panko, Aidan Winters, Nicholas R. Rothbard, Angela K. Hilliker

Biology Faculty Publications

Ded1p is an essential translation initiation factor that interacts with and is modulated by eIF4F. Ded1p also promotes the assembly and disassembly of stress granules, which contain nontranslating mRNAs and translation initiation factors. As Ded1p affects both mRNA storage and translation initiation, regulation of Ded1p's function may affect whether mRNAs are translated or localized to cytoplasmic RNA granules. To identify regulators of Ded1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we screened for overexpression suppressors of the severe growth defect conferred by high levels of Ded1p. We found that overexpression of HAT1, a lysine acetyltransferase, can suppress the growth defect conferred by …

Cells Stably Expressing Shrna Against Myo10 Display Altered Cell Motility, Joanna A. Mas, Chase E. Cristella, Vu Hao M. N. Phan, Lillian S. Wendt, Charlotte A. Rose, Abigail Ali, David F. Carpio, Christine Cole, Paige Embley, Jack E. Hoskins-Harris, Delia Johnson, Noelle Ledoux, Hannah W. Lwin, Sarah Salah, Erin Weisbart, Stacey J. Criswell, Omar A. Quintero-Carmona

Biology Faculty Publications

Myosin-X (MYO10) is an actin-based motor protein involved in cytoskeletal dynamics, membrane interactions, and integrin-mediated adhesion. To investigate MYO10's cellular roles, we generated MYO10 knockdown (MYO10KD) HeLa and COS7 cell lines using lentiviral shRNA. Compared to wild-type cells, both MYO10KD lines showed reduced proliferation and impaired cell migration in wound assays. Additionally, there were fewer edge filopodia in HeLa cells. Furthermore, MYO10KD cells demonstrated increased spreading on laminin-coated substrates, suggesting altered integrin activation and cytoskeletal linkage. Our results reinforce MYO10’s importance in cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration. These MYO10KD lines provide an accessible cell culture model for future study of …

Life-History Stage-Dependent Effects Of Food Supplementation On Gut Microbiome Diversity In Sialia Sialis (Eastern Bluebird), Marcella D. Baiz, Allison Cornell

Biology Faculty Publications

Diet can be an important health factor that links fitness to an individual’s ecology. The gut microbiome responds to diet changes and plays an important role in host physiology. Dietary interventions are known to impact gut microbiome composition, but long-term effects and to what extent these impacts vary among individuals at different life-history stages are unclear. To address this question, we performed a supplemental feeding experiment by providing live mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) to Sialia sialis (Eastern Bluebird) during the chick-rearing period. We produced 16S metabarcoding data to quantify gut microbiome diversity from fecal samples of adults and nestlings …

Genomic Analysis Of The Lyme Disease Vector Across Virginia’S Spatial Expansion Front, Amy Jablonski

Honors Theses

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States and is expanding with rising incidence in Virginia . This study investigates populations of lxodes scapularis across Virginia using RAD-seq to analyze SNPs from ticks collected in seven Virginia counties and four U.S. states as references . Results show a clear genetic split between western and eastern Virginia ticks . These results follow previously noted patterns in regional differences in Lyme disease risk.

Synthetic Modification Of Agrobacterium To Inhibit Plant Pathogenesis, Rosemala Agarwala

Honors Theses

Crown Gall disease caused by Agrobacterium is a leading cause of plant damage and current solutions used to prevent the disease are not as effective. This research aims to use a synthetic biology approach to design a plasmid that upregulates Curdlan, a molecule that activates plant defenses, when the bacteria senses a wounded plant. Thus this research uses a synthetic biology approach to develop a biocontrol agent for Crown Gall disease. This research also looks at the transferability of the sugar phenol sensing mechanism in Agrobacterium, which is needed for plant pathogenesis.

Substrate Complexity Is Not Correlated With Skin Pattern Complexity In Callistoctopus Furvus, Emily Lekas

Honors Theses

Callistoctopus furvus is an understudied, nocturnal octopus that inhabits shallow, subtropical waters in the western Atlantic. This species relies on camouflage to blend in to diverse environments to escape predators. To understand the relationship between substrate and skin patterning in this species, we used second-by-second analysis of video data recorded in the field. We compared frequencies of four substrate types (sand, rock, algae, and seagrass) ranked by contrast across ten skin patterns displayed by C. furvus. Chi-squared analyses showed significant results that the four substrates were unevenly represented in every skin pattern. However, the data did not support our hypothesis …

A Cross-Taxa Comparison Of Avian Telomere Dynamics, Age, And Lifespan, Benjamin Konigsberg

Honors Theses

When eukaryotes replicate cells throughout their life, the end regions of chromosomes naturally degrade as a result of the 5' to 3' directionality of DNA polymerase. There is a point when the chromosome is too damaged to provide normal cellular functions, so the cell will die. Telomeres act as a buffer by providing repetitive sequences of non-coding nucleotides. While telomeres do shorten during replication events, the enzyme telomerase can extend telomeres to prevent senescence. Telomere lengths vary between individuals based on different stressor and stress mitigation. Telomeric rate of change is a metric that can capture telomerase activity by measuring …

The Effects Of Parasitoid Wasps On The Intra- And Interspecific Competition Of Zaprionus Indianus, Camille R. Walsh-Antzak

Honors Theses

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the success of biological invasions is essential to employ effective prediction and management strategies. The release of natural enemies in invaded regions (enemy release hypothesis) and increased competitive ability are major hallmarks of invasive species, however, these two processes are rarely studied within the same context. Here, we examined the role of ERH in influencing the competitive outcomes of an invasive insect pest, the African fig fly (Zaprionus indianus). In Virginia orchards, Z. indianus repeatedly outcompetes co-occurring drosophilid species. However, the mechanisms underlying the success of Z. indianus are poorly understood. Parasitoid wasps specializing in Camill …

Cd46 Interaction With Adenovirus Type 64, A Causative Agent For Viral Pink Eye, Hanglin (Henry) Zhu

Honors Theses

Human adenovirus type 64 (Ad64) is a causative agent of contagious viral pink eye. We do not understand why Ad64 causes eye infections. One likely reason is the presence of a receptor molecule on the exposed surface of eye cells, but not other cells. Ad64 binds to a protein called CD46 on the cell surface. We aim to visualize how CD46 binds to the surface of Ad64. I mixed the extracellular portion of CD46 with purified Ad64 virus, then visualized it using negative stain transmission electron microscopy. In order to gain insight into how the virus binds CD46, we used …

Assessing Evolution Of Reproduction Traits Along Seasonal Transitions And Latitudinal Gradients In An Invasive Species Of Fruit Fly, Zaprionus Indianus, Ansleigh Gunter

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the reproductive traits of Zaprionus indianus, an invasive species to the United States, to assess the possibility of rapid evolution. Significant differences in fecundity and diapause incidence have been seen in other Drosophilid fly species across the seasonal transition, from early to late season, and across the latitudinal gradient, from north to south. For this reason, fecundity, the reproductive ability of a female fly, and diapause incidence, a stress-induced reproductive arrest, were selected as variables of choice. Field collections and experiments revealed unexpected patterns in fecundity and diapause incidence, challenging initial hypotheses. While no significant differences in …

Investigation Of The Vira Linker Domain To Characterize Its Phenol Interactions, Jessica Garofalo

Honors Theses

The soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes tumors in plants through interkingdom gene transfer. This transfer is initiated upon a wounding event that results in the release of plant signaling factors such as phenols and sugars that are recognized by protein machinery in the periplasm and inner membrane of A. tumefaciens. The histidine kinase protein VirA, in combination with the periplasmic protein ChvE, recognizes these signals and initiates induction of virulence genes via a signaling pathway, culminating with the insertion of tumor-inducing T-DNA into the wounded plant cells. While the interaction between the Periplasmic domain of VirA and sugar-bound ChvE …

Physiological, Temporal, And Environmental Determinants Of Forage Fish Caloric Content In The Gulf Of Mexico, Rebecca R. Walsh

Honors Theses

Within the Gulf of Mexico, forage fish species serve as an important link between lower trophic levels and higher trophic levels, supporting economically valuable predator fish, birds, and mammals. Despite the key ecological role of forage fish, fisheries management efforts are often directed elsewhere; as a result, input data for fisheries models is unavailable for many forage fish species. To fill this knowledge gap, we sought to produce species-specific caloric content values for four forage fish species in the Gulf of Mexico: Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), white trout (Cynoscion arenarius), bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), …

Analysis Of Wild Rodent Gut Microbiota As A Function Of Exposure To Ticks And Tick-Borne Pathogens, Joshua Pandian

Honors Theses

Due to advances in high-throughput parallel sequencing, researchers have conducted novel studies exploring relationships between microbiome compositions and different aspects of organism health. Some of these studies have shown that the gut microbiome of rodent models has effects on organism health and behavior and that infection with pathogens and the composition of the skin microbiome are linked to changes in gut microbiome composition. While previous studies have shown how vector microbiota impact vector behavior and pathogen transmission, the effect vectors have on reservoir species microbiomes has been a less prominent focus. We were interested in the relationships between tick parasitism, …

Myo19 Tethers Mitochondria To Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Actin To Promote Mitochondrial Fission, Stephen M. Coscia, Cameron P. Thompson, Qing Tang, Elana E. Baltrusaitis, Joseph A. Rhodenhiser, Omar A. Quintero, E. Michael Ostap, Melike Lakadamyali, Erika L. Holzbaur

Biology Faculty Publications

Mitochondrial homeostasis requires a dynamic balance of fission and fusion. The actin cytoskeleton promotes fission, and we found that the mitochondrially localized myosin, myosin 19 (Myo19), is integral to this process. Myo19 knockdown induced mitochondrial elongation, whereas Myo19 overexpression induced fragmentation. This mitochondrial fragmentation was blocked by a Myo19 mutation predicted to inhibit ATPase activity and strong actin binding but not by mutations predicted to affect the working stroke of the motor that preserve ATPase activity. Super-resolution imaging indicated a dispersed localization of Myo19 on mitochondria, which we found to be dependent on metaxins. These observations suggest that Myo19 acts …

Halogen Bonding: A Computational Chemistry Investigation Of The Interaction Between Thyroid Hormone And Deiodinase, William Rice

Honors Theses

Halogen bonding is a noncovalent interaction that continues to garner interest among the scientific community. Investigation of halogen bonds in biological contexts typically revolves around rational drug design for developing therapeutics. However, halogen bonding may be occurring naturally in our body every day. Thyroid hormone and its regulating enzyme, iodothyronine deiodinase, show promising results for a halogen bonding interaction that happens during catalysis. Prior work has examined the interaction between the iodine of thyroid hormone and the selenium of iodothyronine deiodinase. However, this study is the first of its kind to use computational chemistry methods to analyze the halogen bond …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Resveratrol And Epigallocatechin Gallate On Woodsmoke-Induced Inflammation, Sarenna Naomi Enright

Honors Theses

Until a few years ago, most scientific investigations related to the health effects of air pollution focused on outdoor air pollutants. But in recent years, the concerns over indoor air pollution has increased. People can spend up to 90% of their time in indoor environments, especially their homes, even more so since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The concentrations of some air pollutants are five times higher than what is found outdoors.

Indoor air pollution exposure remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Approximately half of the global population is exposed to abnormally high concentrations of household …

Larval Chondrocranial And Internal Oral Morphology Of The Neotropical Treefrog Boana Crepitans (Wied-Neuwied, 1824; Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae), Marianna Isabella Rosa Rodrigues De Oliveira, Luiz Norberto Weber, Johnny Sousa Ferreira, Anna Evelin Coimbra Liborio, André Masahide Guimaraes Takazone, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

We describe the internal oral morphology and chondrocranial anatomy for Boana crepitans tadpoles, and compare them with available descriptions for other species in the subfamily Cophomantinae. Among species of the Boana faber group, the chondrocranial anatomy has been reported only for one species internal oral morphology and cranial anatomy are similar to other described species of Boana and Cophomantinae. B. crepitans lacks unique features in the oral cavity and chondrocranium that would distinguish it from other congeneric species. We identify six characters from the internal oral anatomy of tadpoles unique for Cophomantinae. In addition, Boana has infralabial papillae projections, buccal …

Research Towards Understanding Hox Regulation By Cdx, Joshua M. Fisher

Honors Theses

In this project, we aim to functionally test the contribution that individual Cdx binding sites have in hox gene regulation. We will achieve this by individually blocking Cdx binding sites using CRISPR/dCas9 in the zebrafish and then analyzing changes in the time, distribution, and levels of hox gene transcription.

We will focus our analysis in only one of the seven zebrafish hox clusters, the hoxca cluster. We are focusing on the hoxca gene cluster because it has lost the least number of genes relative to other clusters and is involved in specifying the axial identity of cells in …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Curcumin On Woodsmoke-Induced Inflammation, Melissa Lewis

Honors Theses

Inflammatory diseases caused by biomass smoke exposure and indoor air pollution affect millions of people worldwide. These diseases can be caused by the burning of biomass (plastic, wood, rubber, tobacco, etc.) for light or heat. Acrolein is a common indoor and outdoor pollutant from tobacco smoke or organic combustion. Wood smoke is hypothesized to cause inflammation since it contains high concentrations of particulate matter and gaseous compounds and are similar in size to other well-known damaging particles. Natural remedies, like curcumin, are hypothesized to be a natural remedy for combating inflammation. The goal of this research was to investigate the …

The Effect Of Color Morph On Behavior Interactions In Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon Cinereus), Taylor M. Aliferis

Honors Theses

Studies in behavioral ecology provide critical information regarding a species’ territoriality, predator-prey interactions, and reproduction. Red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) are a polymorphic terrestrial amphibian whose behavioral interactions have long been studied to provide insights on the processes that structure salamander populations, which are often cryptic and difficult to study. However, research regarding the effect of coloration on these interactions is more limited, but potentially extremely important for studies of population dynamics and speciation in terrestrial salamanders. In this study, aggressive and submissive behaviors of adult male red-backed salamanders in five different color morph treatment pairings were observed to …

Characterization Of A Myo19 Knockdown Phenotype In A Cultured Neuron-Like Cell Line, Adelaide Masterson, Bridget Wolters

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

We will be characterizing and analyzing properties related to neurite outgrowth, including neurite length & mitochondrial dynamics, in order to understand how MYO19 activity and mitochondrial distribution play a role in neurite development. We aim to observe if loss of MYO19 expression alters these properties, and if reintroducing specific aspects of MYO19 function can “rescue” any observed defects in cells where normal MYO19 expression has been lost. Our studies and hypothesis are based on the previous work of Dr. Quintero and his students, where they have observed differences in the behavior of neuron-like CAD cells when MYO19 expression has been …

Larval Anatomy Of Monotypic Painted Ant Nest Frogs Lithodytes Lineatus Reveals Putative Homoplasies With The Leptodactylus Pentadactylus Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Filipe A.C Do Nascimento, Rafael O. De Sá, Paulo C. De A. Garcia

Biology Faculty Publications

The morphological diversity of anuran larvae made them an important source of information for evolutionary and systematic studies. For the monotypic frog genus Lithodytes, which has an interesting taxonomic history, including its past synonymizing with Adenomera and its placement as a subgenus of Leptodactylus, the information provided from its larvae can help to understand its systematics interrelationships and also provide insights about its evolutionary trajectories. Herein, we provide a detailed description of the larval morphology of Lithodytes lineatus, including novel data of internal morphology (buccopharyngeal cavity and skeleton), and discuss some morphological and evolutionary aspects in relation …

Taxonomic Review Of South American Butter Frogs: Phylogeny, Geographic Patterns, And Species Delimitation In The Leptodactylus Latrans Species Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Felipe De M. Magalhães, Mariana L. Lyra, Thiago R. De Carvalho, Diego Baldo, Francisco Brusquetti, Pamela Burella, Guarino R. Colli, Marcelo C. Gehara, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

The Leptodactylus latrans species group currently comprises eight medium- to large-sized frog species with a convoluted taxonomic history, particularly related to the specific limits of the L. latrans complex, and the species pair Leptodactylus chaquensis–Leptodactylus macrosternum. Their homogeneous external morphology and continental geographic distribution in South America have posed severe limitations to a comprehensive review, such that taxonomic consensus and species limits remain uncertain. This is further worsened by the presence of chromatic polymorphism among coexisting species that can hardly be distinguished by external morphology. Based on a large-scale geographic sampling including multilocus DNA analyses, and acoustic …

Climate-Related Geographical Variation In Performance Traits Across The Invasion Front Of A Widespread Non-Native Insect, Lily M. Thompson, Sean D. Powers, Ashley Appolon, Petra Hafker, Leila Milner, Dylan Parry, Salvatore J. Agosta, Kristine L. Grayson

Biology Faculty Publications

Aim

Invasive species are ideal systems for testing geographical differences in performance traits and measuring evolutionary responses as a species spreads across divergent climates and habitats. The European gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), is a generalist forest defoliator introduced to Medford, Massachusetts, USA in 1869. The invasion front extends from Minnesota to North Carolina and the ability of this species to adapt to local climate may contribute to its continuing spread. We evaluated the performance of populations along the climatic gradient of the invasion front to test for a relationship between climate and ecologically important performance traits. …