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- Climate change (9)
- Protists (8)
- Epigenetics (7)
- Microbial eukaryotes (7)
- Zebrafish (7)
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- Ciliate (6)
- Ciliophora (6)
- Gene expression (6)
- Genome evolution (6)
- Phylogenomics (5)
- Transcriptome (5)
- Ciliates (4)
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- Meiosis (4)
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- Myosin (4)
- Phylogeny (4)
- Polyploidy (4)
- Quantitative PCR (4)
- Allometry (3)
- Androgen receptor (3)
- Brugia malayi (3)
- Gender (3)
- Gene family evolution (3)
- Genomics (3)
- Ground squirrels (3)
- Nuclear architecture (3)
- Radial glia (3)
- Soil-transmitted helminth (3)
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Articles 151 - 180 of 316
Full-Text Articles in Biology
Callosciurus Prevostii (Rodentia: Sciuridae), Peter W.W. Lurz, Isabella Fielding, Virginia Hayssen
Callosciurus Prevostii (Rodentia: Sciuridae), Peter W.W. Lurz, Isabella Fielding, Virginia Hayssen
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Prevost's squirrel, Callosciurus prevostii (Desmarest, 1822), is a diurnal, medium-sized, arboreal squirrel. Its distribution extends from peninsular Thailand and Sumatra to northern Sulawesi, Borneo, and adjacent islands. It inhabits secondary forests, fruit orchards, as well as palm and coconut plantations. Fruit is the main component of its diet, but some arthropods are also eaten. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources lists C. prevostii as "Least Concern" due to its wide distribution and tolerance for some degree of habitat modification.
Application Of A Household-Based Molecular Xenomonitoring Strategy To Evaluate The Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Program In Tamil Nadu, India, Swaminathan Subramanian, Purushothaman Jambulingam, Brian K. Chu, Candasamy Sadanandane, Venkatesan Vasuki, Adinarayanan Srividya, Mohamed S. Mohideen Abdulkader, Kaliannagounder Krishnamoorthy, Harikishan K. Raju, Sandra J. Laney, Steven A. Williams, Ralph H. Henderson
Application Of A Household-Based Molecular Xenomonitoring Strategy To Evaluate The Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Program In Tamil Nadu, India, Swaminathan Subramanian, Purushothaman Jambulingam, Brian K. Chu, Candasamy Sadanandane, Venkatesan Vasuki, Adinarayanan Srividya, Mohamed S. Mohideen Abdulkader, Kaliannagounder Krishnamoorthy, Harikishan K. Raju, Sandra J. Laney, Steven A. Williams, Ralph H. Henderson
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is one of the world’s foremost debilitating infectious diseases with nearly 800 million people at risk of infection. Given that LF is a mosquito-borne disease, the use of molecular xenomonitoring (MX) to detect parasite DNA/RNA in mosquitoes can serve as a valuable tool for LF monitoring and evaluation, particularly in Culexvector areas. We investigated using MX in a low-level prevalence district of Tamil Nadu, India by applying a household-based sampling strategy to determine trap location sites. Two independent mosquito samples were collected in each of a higher human infection hotspot area (sites with community microfilaria prevalence �1%) …
A Program Aimed Toward Inclusive Excellence For Underrepresented Undergraduate Women In The Sciences, Laura A. Katz, Kathryn M. Aloisio, Nicholas J. Horton, Minh Ly, Sara B. Pruss, Kate Queeney, Cate Rowen, Patricia Marten Dibartolo
A Program Aimed Toward Inclusive Excellence For Underrepresented Undergraduate Women In The Sciences, Laura A. Katz, Kathryn M. Aloisio, Nicholas J. Horton, Minh Ly, Sara B. Pruss, Kate Queeney, Cate Rowen, Patricia Marten Dibartolo
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Created to foster inclusive excellence, Smith College’s Achieving Excellence in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (AEMES) Scholars program provides early faculty-mentored research opportunities and other programming as a way to foster success in academic outcomes for underrepresented women in science. Using academic record data, we compared Scholars’ outcomes over time with those of underrepresented students before program launch and to relevant peer comparison groups. Since its launch, AEMES Scholars have achieved significantly higher gateway life sciences course grade point averages (GPAs), rates of persistence in life and natural sciences, and participation in natural sciences advanced research relative to baseline. Gains for …
Differential Toxic Effects Of Ulva Lactuca (Chlorophyta) On The Herbivorous Gastropods, Littorina Littorea And L. Obtusata (Mollusca), Paulette Peckol, Alysha B. Putnam
Differential Toxic Effects Of Ulva Lactuca (Chlorophyta) On The Herbivorous Gastropods, Littorina Littorea And L. Obtusata (Mollusca), Paulette Peckol, Alysha B. Putnam
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Members of the genus Ulva are widespread and abundant in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas but there are conflicting data regarding susceptibility to herbivory. While some studies have documented that Ulva spp. were favored by a diversity of marine herbivores, other work has revealed herbivore deterrence. We investigated grazing and growth rates of the littorinid species, Littorina littorea and L. obtusata, when offered Fucus vesiculosus, Ascophyllum nodosum, Ulva lactuca, and Chondrus crispus, highlighting distinctive vulnerabilities to toxic effects of U. lactuca. Ulva lactuca was the preferred food of L. littorea, while L. obtusata showed no grazing on this ephemeral algal …
Gper/Gpr30, A Membrane Estrogen Receptor, Is Expressed In The Brain And Retina Of A Social Fish (Carassius Auratus) And Colocalizes With Isotocin, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Julia R. Gomez, Nancy J. Curtis, Richmond R. Thompson
Gper/Gpr30, A Membrane Estrogen Receptor, Is Expressed In The Brain And Retina Of A Social Fish (Carassius Auratus) And Colocalizes With Isotocin, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Julia R. Gomez, Nancy J. Curtis, Richmond R. Thompson
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Estradiol rapidly (within 30 minutes) influences a variety of sociosexual behaviors in both mammalian and nonmammalian vertebrates, including goldfish, in which it rapidly stimulates approach responses to the visual cues of females. Such rapid neuromodulatory effects are likely mediated via membrane-associated estrogen receptors; however, the localization and distribution of such receptors within the nervous system is not well described. To begin to address this gap, we identified GPER/GPR30, a G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor, in goldfish (Carassius auratus) neural tissue and used reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization to test if GPR30 is expressed in the brain regions that …
Amoebozoans Are Secretly But Ancestrally Sexual: Evidence For Sex Genes And Potential Novel Crossover Pathways In Diverse Groups Of Amoebae, Yonas I. Tekle, Fiona C. Wood, Laura A. Katz, Mario A. Cero ́ N-Romero, Lydia A. Gorfu
Amoebozoans Are Secretly But Ancestrally Sexual: Evidence For Sex Genes And Potential Novel Crossover Pathways In Diverse Groups Of Amoebae, Yonas I. Tekle, Fiona C. Wood, Laura A. Katz, Mario A. Cero ́ N-Romero, Lydia A. Gorfu
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Sex is beneficial in eukaryotes as it can increase genetic diversity, reshuffle their genomes, and purge deleterious mutations. Yet, its evolution remains a mystery. The eukaryotic clade supergroup Amoebozoa encompasses diverse lineages of polymorphic amoeboid forms, including both free-living and parasitic lineages. The group is generally believed to be asexual, though recent studies show that some of its members are implicated in cryptic forms of sexual cycles. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive inventory and analysis of genes involved in meiosis and related processes, in order to investigate the evolutionary history of sex in the clade. We analyzed genomic …
Rapid Turnover Of Ciliate Community Members In New England Tide Pools, Mary Badger, Sarah J. Tucker, Jean-David Grattepanche, Laura A. Katz
Rapid Turnover Of Ciliate Community Members In New England Tide Pools, Mary Badger, Sarah J. Tucker, Jean-David Grattepanche, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
The rocky intertidal zone represents a dynamic habitat marked by considerable species richness, which has been well-documented for invertebrates and macroalgae. This high biodiversity exists in the context of extreme fluctuations in abiotic factors such as temperature, salinity and pH that occur during each tidal cycle. Despite these attributes, few studies have focused on microbial diversity in tide pools, including analyses of the ciliate communities that are the focus of this study. We investigated the spatial and temporal distributions of ciliate species across the intertidal environment at sites in Maine and Connecticut, USA. Our study used a DNA fingerprinting technique, …
Patchiness Of Ciliate Communities Sampled At Varying Spatial Scales Along The New England Shelf, Jean-David Grattepanche, George B. Mcmanus, Laura A. Katz
Patchiness Of Ciliate Communities Sampled At Varying Spatial Scales Along The New England Shelf, Jean-David Grattepanche, George B. Mcmanus, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Although protists (microbial eukaryotes) provide an important link between bacteria and Metazoa in food webs, we do not yet have a clear understanding of the spatial scales on which protist diversity varies. Here, we use a combination of DNA fingerprinting (denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis or DGGE) and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to assess the ciliate community in the class Spirotrichea at varying scales of 1–3 km sampled in three locations separated by at least 25 km—offshore, midshelf and inshore—along the New England shelf. Analyses of both abundant community (DGGE) and the total community (HTS) members reveal that: 1) ciliate communities are …
Profiling The Macrofilaricidal Effects Of Flubendazole On Adult Female Brugia Malayi Using Rnaseq, Maeghan O'Neill, Cristina Ballesteros, Lucienne Tritten, Erica Burkman, Weam I. Zaky, Jianguo Xia, Andrew Moorhead, Steven A. Williams, Timothy G. Geary
Profiling The Macrofilaricidal Effects Of Flubendazole On Adult Female Brugia Malayi Using Rnaseq, Maeghan O'Neill, Cristina Ballesteros, Lucienne Tritten, Erica Burkman, Weam I. Zaky, Jianguo Xia, Andrew Moorhead, Steven A. Williams, Timothy G. Geary
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
The use of microfilaricidal drugs for the control of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) necessitates prolonged yearly dosing. Prospects for elimination or eradication of these diseases would be enhanced by the availability of a macrofilaricidal drug. Flubendazole (FLBZ), a benzimidazole anthel- mintic, is an appealing candidate. FLBZ has demonstrated potent macrofilaricidal effects in a number of experimental rodent models and in one human trial. Unfortunately, FLBZ was deemed unsatisfactory for use in mass drug administration campaigns due to its limited oral bioavailability. A new formulation that enables sufficient bioavailability following oral administration could render FLBZ an effective treatment for onchocerciasis …
The Effects Of Ivermectin On Brugia Malayi Females In Vitro: A Transcriptomic Approach, Cristina Ballesteros, Lucienne Tritten, Maeghan O'Neill, Erica Burkman, Weam I. Zaky, Jianguo Xia, Andrew Moorhead, Steven A. Williams, Timothy G. Geary
The Effects Of Ivermectin On Brugia Malayi Females In Vitro: A Transcriptomic Approach, Cristina Ballesteros, Lucienne Tritten, Maeghan O'Neill, Erica Burkman, Weam I. Zaky, Jianguo Xia, Andrew Moorhead, Steven A. Williams, Timothy G. Geary
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are tropical diseases caused by infections with parasitic nematodes. Resulting chronic diseases can be strongly blinding and disfiguring, and contribute to an entrenched cycle of poverty in affected populations. Ivermectin is one of the pivotal drugs used to control these infections. The mechanism of antifilarial action of the drug is incompletely resolved. It kills circulating larval stages (microfilariae), but only reversibly sterilizes adult worms without killing them. Our limited understanding of the involved mechanisms hampers treatment optimization and sustainability of the efficacy of the drug, and investigations into its pharmacology are of paramount importance. Working with …
Radial Glia Inhibit Peripheral Glial Infiltration Into The Spinal Cord At Motor Exit Point Transition Zones, Cody J. Smith, Kimberly Johnson, Taylor G. Welsh, Michael J.F. Barresi, Sarah Kucenas
Radial Glia Inhibit Peripheral Glial Infiltration Into The Spinal Cord At Motor Exit Point Transition Zones, Cody J. Smith, Kimberly Johnson, Taylor G. Welsh, Michael J.F. Barresi, Sarah Kucenas
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
In the mature vertebrate nervous system, central and peripheral nervous system (CNS and PNS, respectively) GLIA myelinate distinct motor axon domains at the motor exit point transition zone (MEP TZ). How these cells preferentially associate with and myelinate discrete, non-overlapping CNS versus PNS axonal segments, is unknown. Using in vivo imaging and genetic cell ablation in zebrafish, we demonstrate that radial glia restrict migration of PNS glia into the spinal cord during development. Prior to development of radial glial endfeet, peripheral cells freely migrate back and forth across the MEP TZ. However, upon maturation, peripherally located cells never enter the …
Gfap-Positive Radial Glial Cells Are An Essential Progenitor Population For Later-Born Neurons And Glia In The Zebrafish Spinal Cord, Kimberly Johnson, Jessica Barragan, Sarah Bashiruddin, Cody J. Smith, Chelsea Tyrrell, Michael J. Parsons, Rosemarie Doris, Sarah Kucenas, Gerald B. Downes, Carla M. Velez, Caitlin Schneider, Catalina Sakai, Narendra Pathak, Katrina Anderson, Rachael Stein, Stephen H. Devoto, Jeff S. Mumm, Michael J.F. Barresi
Gfap-Positive Radial Glial Cells Are An Essential Progenitor Population For Later-Born Neurons And Glia In The Zebrafish Spinal Cord, Kimberly Johnson, Jessica Barragan, Sarah Bashiruddin, Cody J. Smith, Chelsea Tyrrell, Michael J. Parsons, Rosemarie Doris, Sarah Kucenas, Gerald B. Downes, Carla M. Velez, Caitlin Schneider, Catalina Sakai, Narendra Pathak, Katrina Anderson, Rachael Stein, Stephen H. Devoto, Jeff S. Mumm, Michael J.F. Barresi
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Radial glial cells are presumptive neural stem cells (NSCs) in the developing nervous system. The direct requirement of radial glia for the generation of a diverse array of neuronal and glial subtypes, however, has not been tested. We employed two novel transgenic zebrafish lines and endogenous markers of NSCs and radial glia to show for the first time that radial glia are essential for neurogenesis during development. By using the gfap promoter to drive expression of nuclear localized mCherry we discerned two distinct radial glial-derived cell types: a major nestin+/Sox2+ subtype with strong gfap promoter activity and a minor Sox2+ …
Absence Of The Filarial Endosymbiont Wolbachia In Seal Heartworm (Acanthocheilonema Spirocauda) But Evidence Of Ancient Lateral Gene Transfer, Caroline D. Keroack, Jenna Irene Wurster, Caroline G. Decker, Kalini M. Williams, Barton E. Slatko, Jeremy M. Forster, Steven A. Williams
Absence Of The Filarial Endosymbiont Wolbachia In Seal Heartworm (Acanthocheilonema Spirocauda) But Evidence Of Ancient Lateral Gene Transfer, Caroline D. Keroack, Jenna Irene Wurster, Caroline G. Decker, Kalini M. Williams, Barton E. Slatko, Jeremy M. Forster, Steven A. Williams
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
The symbiotic relationship of Wolbachia spp. was first observed in insects and subsequently in many parasitic filarial nematodes. This bacterium is believed to provide metabolic and developmental assistance to filarial parasitic nematodes, although the exact nature of this relationship remains to be fully elucidated. While Wolbachia is present in most filarial nematodes in the familyOnchocercidae, it is absent in several disparate species such as the human parasite Loa loa. All tested members of the genusAcanthocheilonema, such as Acanthocheilonema viteae, have been shown to lack Wolbachia. Consistent with this, we show thatWolbachia is absent from the seal heartworm (Acanthocheilonema spirocauda), but …
Increased Androgenic Sensitivity In The Hind Limb Muscular System Marks The Evolution Of A Derived Gestural Display, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Matthew J. Fuxjager, Eric R. Schuppe, Rebecca S. Taylor, Walter Hödl, Doris Preininger
Increased Androgenic Sensitivity In The Hind Limb Muscular System Marks The Evolution Of A Derived Gestural Display, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Matthew J. Fuxjager, Eric R. Schuppe, Rebecca S. Taylor, Walter Hödl, Doris Preininger
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Physical gestures are prominent features of many species’ multi- modal displays, yet how evolution incorporates body and leg movements into animal signaling repertoires is unclear. Andro- genic hormones modulate the production of reproductive signals and sexual motor skills in many vertebrates; therefore, one possi- bility is that selection for physical signals drives the evolution of androgenic sensitivity in select neuromotor pathways. We exam- ined this issue in the Bornean rock frog (Staurois parvus, family: Ranidae). Males court females and compete with rivals by per- forming both vocalizations and hind limb gestural signals, called “foot flags.” Foot flagging is a derived …
Phenotypic And Molecular Analysis Of The Effect Of 20-Hydroxyecdysone On The Human Filarial Parasite Brugia Malayi, Amruta S. Mhashilkar, Swamy R. Adapa, Rays H.Y. Jiang, Steven A. Williams, Weam I. Zaky, Barton E. Slatko, Ashley N. Luck, Andrew Moorhead, Thomas R. Unnasch
Phenotypic And Molecular Analysis Of The Effect Of 20-Hydroxyecdysone On The Human Filarial Parasite Brugia Malayi, Amruta S. Mhashilkar, Swamy R. Adapa, Rays H.Y. Jiang, Steven A. Williams, Weam I. Zaky, Barton E. Slatko, Ashley N. Luck, Andrew Moorhead, Thomas R. Unnasch
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
A homologue of the ecdysone receptor has been identified and shown to be responsive to 20- hydroxyecdysone in Brugia malayi. However, the role of this master regulator of insect development has not been delineated in filarial nematodes. Gravid adult female B. malayi cultured in the presence of 20-hydroxyecdysone produced significantly more microfilariae and abortive immature progeny than control worms, implicating the ecdysone receptor in regulation of embryogenesis and microfilarial development. Transcriptome analyses identified 30 genes whose expression was significantly up-regulated in 20-hydroxyecdysone-treated parasites compared with untreated controls. Of these, 18% were identified to be regulating transcription. A comparative proteomic analysis …
Nuclear Architecture And Patterns Of Molecular Evolution Are Correlated In The Ciliate Chilodonella Uncinata, Xyrus X. Maurer-Alcalá, Laura A. Katz
Nuclear Architecture And Patterns Of Molecular Evolution Are Correlated In The Ciliate Chilodonella Uncinata, Xyrus X. Maurer-Alcalá, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
The relationship between nuclear architecture and patterns of molecular evolution in lineages across the eukaryotic tree of life is not well understood, partly because molecular evolution is traditionally explored as changes in base pairs along a linear sequence without considering the context of nuclear position of chromosomes. The ciliate Chilodonella uncinata is an ideal system to address the relationship between nuclear architecture and patterns of molecular evolution as the somatic macronucleus of this ciliate is composed of a peripheral DNA-rich area (orthomere) and a DNA-poor central region (paramere) to form a “heteromeric” macronucleus. Moreover, because the somatic chromosomes of C. …
A Novel Xenomonitoring Technique Using Mosquito Excreta/Feces For The Detection Of Filarial Parasites And Malaria, Nils Pilotte, Weam I. Zaky, Brian P. Abrams, Dave D. Chadee, Steven A. Williams
A Novel Xenomonitoring Technique Using Mosquito Excreta/Feces For The Detection Of Filarial Parasites And Malaria, Nils Pilotte, Weam I. Zaky, Brian P. Abrams, Dave D. Chadee, Steven A. Williams
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Given the continued successes of the world’s lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination programs and the growing successes of many malaria elimination efforts, the necessity of low cost tools and methodologies applicable to long-term disease surveillance is greater than ever before. As many countries reach the end of their LF mass drug administration programs and a growing number of countries realize unprecedented successes in their malaria interven- tion efforts, the need for practical molecular xenomonitoring (MX), capable of providing surveillance for disease recrudescence in settings of decreased parasite prevalence is increasingly clear. Current protocols, however, require testing of mosquitoes in pools of …
Improved Pcr-Based Detection Of Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections Using A Next-Generation Sequencing Approach To Assay Design, Nils Pilotte, Marina Papaiakovou, Jessica R. Grant, Lou Ann Bierwert, Stacey Llewllyn, James S. Mccarthy, Steven A. Williams
Improved Pcr-Based Detection Of Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections Using A Next-Generation Sequencing Approach To Assay Design, Nils Pilotte, Marina Papaiakovou, Jessica R. Grant, Lou Ann Bierwert, Stacey Llewllyn, James S. Mccarthy, Steven A. Williams
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
The soil transmitted helminths are a group of parasitic worms responsible for extensive mor- bidity in many of the world’s most economically depressed locations. With growing empha- sis on disease mapping and eradication, the availability of accurate and cost-effective diagnostic measures is of paramount importance to global control and elimination efforts. While real-time PCR-based molecular detection assays have shown great promise, to date, these assays have utilized sub-optimal targets. By performing next-generation sequencing- based repeat analyses, we have identified high copy-number, non-coding DNA sequences from a series of soil transmitted pathogens. We have used these repetitive DNA elements as targets …
Human Xq28 Inversion Polymorphism: From Sex Linkage To Genomics - A Genetic Mother Lode, Cait S. Kirby, Natalie Kolber, Asmaa M. Salih Almohaidi, Lou Ann Bierwert, Lori Saunders, Steven Williams, Robert Merritt
Human Xq28 Inversion Polymorphism: From Sex Linkage To Genomics - A Genetic Mother Lode, Cait S. Kirby, Natalie Kolber, Asmaa M. Salih Almohaidi, Lou Ann Bierwert, Lori Saunders, Steven Williams, Robert Merritt
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
An inversion polymorphism of the filamin and emerin genes at the tip of the long arm of the human X-chromosome serves as the basis of an investigative laboratory in which students learn something new about their own genomes. Long, nearly identical inverted repeats flanking the filamin and emerin genes illustrate how repetitive elements can lead to alterations in genome structure (inversions) through nonallelic homologous recombination. The near identity of the inverted repeats is an example of concerted evolution through gene conversion. While the laboratory in its entirety is designed for college level genetics courses, portions of the laboratory are appropriate …
Estrogens Suppress A Behavioral Phenotype In Zebrafish Mutants Of The Autism Risk Gene, Cntnap2, Ellen J. Hoffman, Katherine J. Turner, Joseph M. Fernandez, Daniel Cifuentes, Marcus Ghosh, Sundas Ijaz, Roshan A. Jain, Fumi Kubo, Brent R. Bill, Herwig Baier, Michael Granato, Michael J.F. Barresi, Stephen W. Wilson, Jason Rihel, Matthew W. State, Antonio J. Giraldez
Estrogens Suppress A Behavioral Phenotype In Zebrafish Mutants Of The Autism Risk Gene, Cntnap2, Ellen J. Hoffman, Katherine J. Turner, Joseph M. Fernandez, Daniel Cifuentes, Marcus Ghosh, Sundas Ijaz, Roshan A. Jain, Fumi Kubo, Brent R. Bill, Herwig Baier, Michael Granato, Michael J.F. Barresi, Stephen W. Wilson, Jason Rihel, Matthew W. State, Antonio J. Giraldez
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of devastating neurodevelopmental syndromes that affect up to 1 in 68 children. Despite advances in the identification of ASD risk genes, the mechanisms underlying ASDs remain unknown. Homozygous loss-of-function mutations in Contactin Associated Protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) are strongly linked to ASDs. Here we investigate the function of Cntnap2 and undertake pharmacological screens to identify phenotypic suppressors. We find that zebrafish cntnap2 mutants display GABAergic deficits, particularly in the forebrain, and sensitivity to drug-induced seizures. High-throughput behavioral profiling identifies nighttime hyperactivity in cntnap2 mutants, while pharmacological testing reveals dysregulation of GABAergic and glutamatergic systems. …
The Effect Of In Vitro Cultivation On The Transcriptome Of Adult Brugia Malayi, Cristina Ballesteros, Lucienne Tritten, Maeghan O'Neill, Erica Burkman, Weam I. Zaky, Jianguo Xia, Andrew Moorhead, Steven A. Williams, Timothy G. Geary
The Effect Of In Vitro Cultivation On The Transcriptome Of Adult Brugia Malayi, Cristina Ballesteros, Lucienne Tritten, Maeghan O'Neill, Erica Burkman, Weam I. Zaky, Jianguo Xia, Andrew Moorhead, Steven A. Williams, Timothy G. Geary
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Filarial nematodes cause serious and debilitating infections in human populations of tropical countries, contributing to an entrenched cycle of poverty. Only one human filarial parasite, Brugia malayi, can be maintained in rodents in the laboratory setting. It has been a widely used model organism in experiments that employ culture systems, the impact of which on the worms is unknown.
The Effect Of In Vitro Cultivation On The Transcriptome Of Adult Brugia Malayi, Cristina Ballesteros, Lucienne Tritten, Maeghan O’Neill, Erica Burkman, Weam I. Zaky, Jianguo Xia, Andrew Moorhead, Steven A. Williams, Timothy G. Geary
The Effect Of In Vitro Cultivation On The Transcriptome Of Adult Brugia Malayi, Cristina Ballesteros, Lucienne Tritten, Maeghan O’Neill, Erica Burkman, Weam I. Zaky, Jianguo Xia, Andrew Moorhead, Steven A. Williams, Timothy G. Geary
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Infections with filarial worms cause serious physical impairment and affect tens of millions of people in tropical and subtropical countries. To better understand the biology and phar- macology of these parasites, Brugia malayi is often used as a model. This parasite can be maintained in the laboratory in Mongolian jirds, enabling researchers to test drugs in vivoand in vitro, among other studies. The effects of removing worms from their hosts and cul- turing them may affect many aspects of their physiology, including response to drugs, but the extent to which the worms undergo changes during culture has remained unknown. Using …
Consequences Of Elevated Salt Concentrations Expression Profiles In The Rhizobium S. Meliloti 1021 Likely Involved In Heat And Desiccation Stress, Jan A.C. Vriezen, Caroline M. Finn
Consequences Of Elevated Salt Concentrations Expression Profiles In The Rhizobium S. Meliloti 1021 Likely Involved In Heat And Desiccation Stress, Jan A.C. Vriezen, Caroline M. Finn
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Appearance Of Membrane Compromised, Viable But Not Culturable And Culturable Rhizobial Cells As A Consequence Of Desiccation, Jan A.C. Vriezen, Frans J. De Bruijn
Appearance Of Membrane Compromised, Viable But Not Culturable And Culturable Rhizobial Cells As A Consequence Of Desiccation, Jan A.C. Vriezen, Frans J. De Bruijn
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
For agricultural purposes, drought related stresses negatively affect the Rhizobiaceae in at least three ways. Firstly, rhizobial populations are affected by desertification of agricultural soils. Secondly, the quality of dry-base inocula, also called formula, is negatively affected by a drying step, and thirdly, rhizosphere bacteria protect crop-plants against drought. Although survival of cultivatable bacteria has been studied intensively in dry-base seed inocula and in-vitro, thus far research has only marginally addressed the bacterial cell, its cellular structures and physiology. Many questions remain regarding the sensing of and physiological response of rhizobia to desiccation. This review will focus on the three …
Are Microbes Fundamentally Different Than Macroorganisms? Convergence And A Possible Case For Neutral Phenotypic Evolution In Testate Amoeba (Amoebozoa: Arcellinida), Angela M. Oliverio, Daniel J.G. Lahr, Jessica Grant, Laura A. Katz
Are Microbes Fundamentally Different Than Macroorganisms? Convergence And A Possible Case For Neutral Phenotypic Evolution In Testate Amoeba (Amoebozoa: Arcellinida), Angela M. Oliverio, Daniel J.G. Lahr, Jessica Grant, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
This study reveals extensive phenotypic convergence based on the non-monophyly of genera and morphospecies of testate (shelled) amoebae. Using two independent markers, small subunit ribosomal DNA (ssu-rDNA) and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI), we demonstrate discordance between morphology and molecules for ‘core Nebela’ species (Arcellinida; Amoebozoa). Prior work using just a single locus, ssu-rDNA, also supported the non-monophyly of the genera Hyalosphenia and Nebela as well as for several morphospecies within these genera. Here, we obtained COI gene sequences of 59 specimens from seven morphospecies and ssu-rDNA gene sequences of 50 specimens from six morphospecies of hyalosphenids. Our analyses …
An Epigenetic Toolkit Allows For Diverse Genome Architectures In Eukaryotes, Xyrus X. Maurer-Alcalá, Laura A. Katz
An Epigenetic Toolkit Allows For Diverse Genome Architectures In Eukaryotes, Xyrus X. Maurer-Alcalá, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Genome architecture varies considerably among eukaryotes in terms of both size and structure (e.g. distribution of sequences within the genome, elimination of DNA during formation of somatic nuclei). The diversity in eukaryotic genome architectures and the dynamic processes are only possible due to the well-developed epigenetic toolkit, which probably existed in the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor (LECA). This toolkit may have arisen as a means of navigating the genomic conflict that arose from the expansion of transposable elements within the ancestral eukaryotic genome. This toolkit has been coopted to support the dynamic nature of genomes in lineages across the eukaryotic …
Synthesis Of Phylogeny And Taxonomy Into A Comprehensive Tree Of Life, Cody E. Hinchliff, Stephen A. Smith, James F. Allman, J. Gordon Burleigh, Ruchi Chaudhary, Lyndon M. Coghill, Keith A. Crandall, Jiabin Deng, Bryan T. Drew, Romina Gazis, Karl Gude, David S. Hibbett, Laura A. Katz, H. Dail Laughinghouse Iv, Emily Jane Mctavish, Peter E. Midford, Christopher L. Owen, Richard H. Ree, Jonathan A. Rees, Douglas E. Soltis, Tiffani Williams, Karen A. Cranston
Synthesis Of Phylogeny And Taxonomy Into A Comprehensive Tree Of Life, Cody E. Hinchliff, Stephen A. Smith, James F. Allman, J. Gordon Burleigh, Ruchi Chaudhary, Lyndon M. Coghill, Keith A. Crandall, Jiabin Deng, Bryan T. Drew, Romina Gazis, Karl Gude, David S. Hibbett, Laura A. Katz, H. Dail Laughinghouse Iv, Emily Jane Mctavish, Peter E. Midford, Christopher L. Owen, Richard H. Ree, Jonathan A. Rees, Douglas E. Soltis, Tiffani Williams, Karen A. Cranston
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships that unite all line- ages (the tree of life) is a grand challenge. The paucity of homologous character data across disparately related lineages currently renders direct phylogenetic inference untenable. To reconstruct a comprehensive tree of life, we therefore synthesized published phylogenies, together with taxonomic classifications for taxa never incorporated into a phylogeny. We present a draft tree containing 2.3 million tips— the Open Tree of Life. Realization of this tree required the assembly of two additional community resources: (i) a comprehensive global reference taxonomy and (ii) a database of published phylogenetic trees mapped to this taxonomy. …
Recent Events Dominate Interdomain Lateral Gene Transfers Between Prokaryotes And Eukaryotes And, With The Exception Of Endosymbiotic Gene Transfers, Few Ancient Transfer Events Persist, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
While there is compelling evidence for the impact of endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT; transfer from either mitochondrion or chloroplast to the nucleus) on genome evolution in eukaryotes, the role of interdomain transfer from bacteria and/or archaea (i.e. prokaryotes) is less clear. Lateral gene transfers (LGTs) have been argued to be potential sources of phylogenetic information, particularly for reconstructing deep nodes that are difficult to recover with traditional phylogenetic methods. We sought to identify interdomain LGTs by using a phylogenomic pipeline that generated 13 465 single gene trees and included up to 487 eukaryotes, 303 bacteria and 118 archaea. Our goals …
Gene Expression Associated With White Syndromes In A Reef Building Coral, Acropora Hyacinthus, Rachel M. Wright, Galina V. Aglyamova, Eli Meyer, Mikhail V. Matz
Gene Expression Associated With White Syndromes In A Reef Building Coral, Acropora Hyacinthus, Rachel M. Wright, Galina V. Aglyamova, Eli Meyer, Mikhail V. Matz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Background: Corals are capable of launching diverse immune defenses at the site of direct contact with pathogens, but the molecular mechanisms of this activity and the colony-wide effects of such stressors remain poorly understood. Here we compared gene expression profiles in eight healthy Acropora hyacinthus colonies against eight colonies exhibiting tissue loss commonly associated with white syndromes, all collected from a natural reef environment near Palau. Two types of tissues were sampled from diseased corals: visibly affected and apparently healthy. Results: Tag-based RNA-Seq followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified groups of co-regulated differentially expressed genes between all health …
Analyses Of Alternatively Processed Genes In Ciliates Provide Insights Into The Origins Of Scrambled Genomes And May Provide A Mechanism For Speciation, Feng Gao, Scott W. Roy, Laura A. Katz
Analyses Of Alternatively Processed Genes In Ciliates Provide Insights Into The Origins Of Scrambled Genomes And May Provide A Mechanism For Speciation, Feng Gao, Scott W. Roy, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Chromosome rearrangements occur in a variety of eukaryotic life cycles, including during the development of the somatic macronuclear genome in ciliates. Previous work on the phyllopharyngean ciliate Chilodonella uncinata revealed that macronuclear β-tubulin and protein kinase gene families share alternatively processed germ line segments nested within divergent regions. To study genome evolution in this ciliate further, we characterized two additional alternatively processed gene families from two cryptic species of the ciliate morphospecies C. uncinata: those encoding histidine acid phosphatase protein (Hap) and leishmanolysin family protein (Lei). Analyses of the macronuclear Hap and Lei sequences reveal that each gene family consists …